How to use a Blackwing pencil sharpener
A few years ago I had a company called J B Welly that sold luxury notebooks and writing instruments online. Blackwing was the brand of pencils I carried. They are the most fabulous, high-quality pencils around.
I used to make videos for J B Welly, and this is one of my favorites. As you might expect, it’s full of silly pencil puns.
Fountain on Harvard Avenue East in Gouache
This is a process video of a painting in gouache inspired by Harvard Ave. E., which is a beautiful street in the Harvard-Belmont Landmark District located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. This historic area was built in the early twentieth century by the wealthy and important families at the time. Today, the area is magical with its huge trees and lush gardens. The gouache painting was done on Arches hot press watercolor paper with Daniel Smith Gouache .
Volunteer Park Conservatory
This is a plein air painting in gouache at the Volunteer Park Conservatory. I was with my friend Kyle Wendt. This was my first gouache painting in a while, but I plan to do much much more with it soon. This painting is about 5 x 8” and took about 1.5 hours.
Woodland Park Bridge
This is a plein air pencil sketch looking at a pedestrian bridge over Aura street in Woodland Park, Seattle. I was with my friend Kyle Wendt and it was a beautiful sunny day. It was also Kyle’s birthday. :)
Kyle and Elizabeth
This is a pencil drawing I did for my friends Kyle and Elizabeth. It was for Kyle’s birthday. It’s an 8 x 10 in. graphite and charcoal drawing that I matted and farmed.
Johnny Sunshine
“Johnny Sunshine” 16 x 20 in. oil on panel. This is painted from an old black and white photo from the 1800s that I came across on the internet. Some people think he might have been a riverboat gambler on the Mississippi River. I just liked the photo, which was not in very good condition.
Notre Dame Sketch
This is a quick pencil sketch of Notre Dame from a photo I took when I was there in 2015.
Charcoal Drawing of Christopher Walken
This is a charcoal drawing of Christopher Walken on 11 x 14 in. hot press watercolor paper.
Pencil Drawing of Louie
This is a pencil drawing of our wonderful Italian Greyhound Louie. I drew this for my wife Beth’s birthday.
John Brown with a Banjo
“John Brown with a Banjo” is a pastel painting and is roughly 8 x 11.5 in. Why the banjo? In the original painting he is holding a rifle, but my sister plays Banjo in the bluegrass band "Maw” and I decided to make and give this to her as a birthday present.
Bia Bennett in a blue bonnet
“Bia Bennett in a blue bonnet” is a 16 x 20 in. oil painting on a panel. I thought about calling it “Debbie Did It.”
Portrait of Lizzie Magie
“Portrait of Lizzie Magie” Pastel on paper, 11 x 14 in. I saw a documentary about the history of the board game Monopoly and discovered that it was actually invented by Lizzie Magie. Not only that, but her original game was called The Landlord’s Game, and instead of celebrating Capitalism, is was a rather harsh criticism of it. I was inspired by her and decided to do her portrait.
Cowboys are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other
“Cowboys are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other” Oil on panel, 16 x 20 in. When I was painting this I happened to hear Willie Nelson’s song by that name ad thought it would be a pretty silly name for the painting.
Frank's Formative Years
“Frank’s Formative Years” Oil on panel, 16x20 in. This one I thought looked like Frank Figliuzzi as a boy.
Mona Louie
This is my dog Louie, an Italian Greyhound, and about the happiest, most playful and loving dog you’re ever going to meet. I had been wanting to paint his portrait for a while to put over the fireplace in the living room, and I finally got it done. Since he’s an Italian Greyhound, I wanted to paint him sort of like the Mona Lisa, with Tuscany as a backdrop. I painted this in oils on a canvas board, and I think it turned out pretty great.
London Sketch
This is a quick pencil sketch in my sketchbook from a reference photo that was taken in 1860 in London.
Fredrick
“Fredrick” is an 11x14 in. ink and watercolor painting on paper. I found a fabulous archive of photos from London in the 1860’s, that this is based on one of those photos.
Summer Whites
“Sumer Whites” is a quick sketch in my sketchbook. It’s from a reference photo I found online and is made with ink and PITT markers.
Best Friends
Ink and watercolor painting of me and Louie. :) 11x14 in.
Return of Nemesis
Watercolor painting “Return of Nemesis” is about the wildfires destroying forests as the planet heats up. Nemesis is the goddess of revenge and balance. 8x10 in. watercolor on paper.