Rob’s Waterco☺ler

During my 2004 deployment we carried two SH-60 LAMPS helicopters.  This painting was inspired from a photograph of a live fire shot with both helicopters flying; one shooting a Hellfire missile and the other observing along with the ship.  15 x 22 watercolor on 300lbs paper. The water is Antwerp Blue and Cadmium Yellow to make a nice turquoise and I added a bit of wax before I started for some interesting white skips in the water.

In June 2001 my family and I were fortunate to be able to participate in the last wedge rally for a ship launched on the inclined ways at Bath Iron Works, Bath ME.  Subsequent to the launching I was the commissioning Electronics Officer and took the ship through several deployments, including Operation Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.  Below is a news article clip that explains the significance of the event.  What is not explained is the day before the launch, all the shipyard workers, crew and guests drive wedges between the ways and the structures the ship was built on.  This painting is from that event, know as a wedge rally.

CHANGING WAYS TRADITION YIELDS TO EFFICIENCY AT BIW On Saturday, the Mason will be the last BIW-made vessel to slide into the Kennebec River during its launch.
By   DENNIS HOEY Staff Writer
Portland Press Herald (ME) June 21, 2001
Page 1A

At precisely 3:25 p.m. Saturday, Bath Iron Works will end 117 years of shipbuilding tradition. That is when the 5,800-ton Navy destroyer Mason (DDG 87) will be released from its cradle, beginning its descent along greased, inclined building ways. The vessel will reach speeds of up to 12 mph before its hull crashes into the Kennebec River. It will be the last time a Navy destroyer is launched at BIW using the inclined building ways.

The finished watercolor done wet-in-wet style.  1/2 sheet, cold pressed Winsor Newton paper.

and some along the way shots…

And some pictures from the results of the hard work…

Been working on this for a few days.  Inspired from a 2004 trip with the USS Truman Carrier Strike Group.  Formation traveling through the Straits of Hormuz.  View from the flight deck of a Flight 2A Aegis DDG with the back nets down.

HB, 2B and 8B graphite on 100 lbs Lana paper, 14×17

Came home from work and needed to at least finish the rough of this 14×17 drawing.  Now it can sit a few days until I figure out what to do with it next, or be done with it.

Today I was painting en plein air at the International Children’s Festival with the Northern Virginia Artist League.  We were invited in to be a back drop for the performing arts going on around the park.  We had a good deal of traffic come and go between the events, and the day was fabulous!  I found a nice spot next to a stream and composed a 15 x 22 loose watercolor.  I am happier with the base sketch than I am with the painting.  Might be a defeat snatched from the jaws of victory and end up in the hall of shame, or I might put it through.  Needs contrast and some color simplification…hmmmm.

Thought I would drop a quick post in to show what I am currently working on.  This is a 10×14 watercolor inspired from a larger, and incomplete, oil painting I have been working on for some time.  I really have not had much inspiration to work on the unfinished oils this summer.  Saving them for the winter when I am stuck inside is usually best.  Still this painting of a boy fishing on a river bank is inspiring and I did a quick sketch here.  The drawing was done in a hotel while on vacation over the Labor Day weekend, and I am almost finished dropping in the majority of the color.  Now I will let it sit for a few days and make adjustments, as needed.

Of note, is the colors I used.  Besides the standard 6 primaries (3 warms and 3 cools) I also used Burnt Sienna, Naples Yellow (a favorite) and English Red.  I usually don’t like to use the English Red, except on trees because it is very opaque, almost chalk like.   I think it helped bring out some dimension and contrast in the painting though.

Rob

We went to North Carolina this weekend and while I was there I started work on a quick floral watercolor sketch. The background was done in Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine Blue, then washed with a very heavy coat of Rose Madder Genuine.
10×14 on Lana Watercolor Paper. Lots of very transparent yellow to make it glow
Rob

I started this 16 x 20 watercolor of the Old Town Manassas Train Station as a simple line drawing yesterday and last night started a loose and wet painting.  Tonight I have washed in the rest of the color and will let it dry before I decide where to go with it.  My initial thoughts are it needs contrast and some hard lines so I might use an 8B pencil or ink.

Rob

I am back from North Carolina and not to be out done by Michele in Paint! Manassas, I am busy painting the town away, so to speak.  Above is a watercolor and graphite sketch of the Manassas Old Presbyterian Church I have been messing with tonight.  I started this as an 11×14 very wet-in-wet painting and then have been attacking it with an 8b pencil.  After it dries completely I might go back at it with a harder H pencil and scratch out some whites.  It might not amount to anything but is was sure fun to put together!

Rob