Before cars there were sewing machines

My wife purchased this sewing machine made over half a century ago by Toyota.

The Countess of Rocksavage

John Singer Sargent painted some amazing portraits.  Here is a drawing of the Countess of Rocksavage which is one of my favorites.  Of course it is nothing like the original.

Roses are red

I decided to try my luck at painting the same rosé I did as a drawing a couple of weeks ago.  I struggled to apply pink that did not appear washed out.  I think next time I'll mix in a little yellow and less white into the reds.  I like the balance of the overall composition.  Last weekend I saw some Dutch floral paintings at the DeYoung museum that were truly amazing.  Painting this rose made me really appreciate the amount of work involved.

Roses are blooming

We have a fence in our backyard that springs to life this time of year with pink roses blooming.  Here is a drawing I did based on a photo while waiting for a frozen pizza to cook.

Butano Farms

I did this quick sketch of a photo of Butano Farms on the cover of a magazine I receive periodically from the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST).

Time for a siesta

Once in a awhile I find the need to catch up on some sleep during the weekends with a mid-day nap.  One of my favorite artists, John Singer Sargent captured this perfectly in his painting titled Siesta.  The balance of light and dark values, warm and cool colors, and intertwined shapes creates a genuinely relaxed mood on a beautiful day outside.  This inspired me to attempt a copy of this famous painting.

You know Spring has arrived when...

You know Spring has arrived when baseball season is underway.  I did a quick sketch of Giants catcher Buster Posey in anticipation of another winning season.