Coimbra Station - A Estação Nova

                        

Stabilo pen on Crazy Ideas Sketchbook, page 85

This train station in downtown Coimbra is called “New Station”. Well, the new station will soon be the “Old Station” as it is slated to close down soon, in early 2025. I used many times in the 1970’s when I was in college. Whoever made this decision needs a new line of work.

Esta estação ferroviária na Baixa de Coimbra é conhecida como a “Estação Nova”. É irónico que em breve será a “Estação Velha”, porque vai brevemente ser fechada em 2025. Eu usei-a muitas vezes nos anos setenta quando frequentava o ISEC. Quem quer que fez esta decisão, precisa de um novo rumo profissional.

The Old Train Station - A Velha Estação de Viseu

Micron 03 sepia pen on Crazy Ideas Sketchbook, page 84

When I was a teenager in high school in Viseu (Portugal), I once took an old steam train to an annual “festa” (festival) in the nearby town of Torredeita. I remember the train coming to a screeching halt right in the middle of a very tall steel bridge in the dark night and staying there for a while. But we made it out and the memories remain. For inexplicable reasons, this beloved train station was torn down in 1994, along with the narrow-gauge rail line that connected Viseu to the main Portuguese rail network in Santa Comba Dão.

Quando eu estava em Viseu na escola secundária, aqui apanhei um velho comboio a vapor para ir a uma festa em Torredeita. Lembro-me de o comboio ter parado exatamente no meio de uma alta ponte de ferro na noite escura e lá ficar por volta de meia hora. Mas o problema foi resolvido e as memórias ficaram. Por razões inexplicáveis, esta venerada estação foi demolida em 1994, assim como a linha férrea estreita que ligava Viseu à rede ferroviária nacional em Santa Comba Dão.

Heights of Monsaraz

Watercolor 10x14" (25x35cm)

Blick paper cp

Coimbra - R. Tenente Valadim

Watercolor, 23x31cm, Arches paper, rough

Memories from my college days, a long time ago.

Sé de Viseu – Viseu Cathedral

Micron 02 Sepia Pen, Crazy Ideas Sketchbook page 83

Ferreirós do Dão

Watercolor 23x31cm, Arches paper, rough

Castle of the Moors - Sintra, Portugal

Micron 03 pen, Crazy Ideas sketchbook, page 82

Milagres

Watercolor 9x12" (23x31cm) on Saunders Waterford paper, rough

Crazy Ideas

After five years, I am on final approach to filling up all 86 pages in this Crazy Ideas sketchbook. Only five pages to go.

Main Street, Phillipsburg New Jersey

Watercolor, 23x31cm, Saunders paper, rough

Pepper and Ivy

Pepper and Ivy (watercolor, 25x35cm, on W&N paper, cp)

This commission was completely out of my comfort zone of landscapes and townscapes. Commissioned paintings always involve more planning, effort, and stress due to fear of failure. In this case this was compounded by the fact that I have very little experience with portraits, and much less with pet portraits. Nevertheless, I dived into the challenge head first and hoped for the best. Can’t say it was easy, but is was a relief to know that the buyer was very happy with the result.

Peniche, Portugal

    Watercolor, 10x14" (25x35cm) Blick paper cp

Louise Moore Park

Watercolor 10x14", Blick paper cp

Montauk Point Light - Eastern Long Island, New York

Watercolor 10x14" (25x35cm), Blick paper, cp

Mark and Cody

Commissions normally involve more planning, effort, and stress than leasure painting. Especially when they are for portraits. Even more when it’s a portrait of a person and a pet. I will not say this was easy.

Watercolor 10x14", Blick paper cp

First Presbyterian Church

               

                                            Watercolor, 10x14" Blick paper cp

Forte de São Sebastião, Island of São Tomé

Watercolor, 23x31cm, Saunders paper, rough

Aveiro Lighthouse - Farol da Barra

Stabilo pen on Crazy Ideas Sketchbook page 80

The Eagle's Nest - Marvão from a distance.

Watercolor, 23x31cm, Saunders Waterford paper, rough

Santa Marta Lighthouse

 

Micron 03 pen, on Crazy Ideas Sketchbook page 79

Applewood

Watercolor 12x18" (30x45cm), Fabriano paper cp

(commissioned house portrait)

Acopian Engineering Center, Lafayette College

 Watercolor, 9x12" (23x31cm), Saunders paper, rough

Porter's Pub

Watercolor 9x12" (23x31cm) Saunders paper, rough

Biddeford Lighthouse, Maine

Watercolor 9x12", Saunders paper, rough

Montebelo Aguieira

Watercolor 23x31cm, Saunders paper rough 

Torre da Contenda, Coimbra

Stabilo Pen on Crazy Ideas Sketchbook, page 78

Albert's Ponds

                                              

Watercolor 11x15" (28x38cm) Fabriano 1264 cp

Trying a new paper pad, Fabriano 1264, 140 Lb cold-press. It is much less expensive than the regular Fabriano blocks I have been using. I ended up with more hard edges than I wanted, but the paper did not disappoint for the price. It’s the artist that needs more practice with it.

-------------

Experiência com novo papel, Fabriano 1264, 140lb, textura média (cold-press). É muito mais barato do que os blocos de Fabriano Artistico que tenho usado. Acabei com mais márgens secas do que eu queria mas de qualquer maneira, o papel não desapontou para o preço. É o artista que precisa de mais práctica com ele.

Albert's Pond - Wind Gap, PA

St. Joseph's Church - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Watercolor, 23x31cm, Saunders Waterford paper, rough

Packer Hall, Lehigh University

Packer Hall, Lehigh University

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Watercolor 9x12" (23x31cm), Saunders Waterford paper, rough

Castelo Mendo

Started countdown to fill all 86 pages in this Crazy Ideas Sketchbook: nine pages to go.

Começou a contagem decrescente para finalizar todas as 86 páginas deste caderno de desenhos: nove páginas que faltam.

Castelo Mendo, Portugal
Micron 03 Sepia pen

São Pedro do Sul

Watercolor, 23x31cm, Saunders paper, rough

Not happy with the original result, I tried to salvage this by adding the dark sky around the light toned church and the foreground shadow.

Castelo Rodrigo

Micron 03 pen, ink drawing - Desenho a Tinta da China

Crazy Ideas sketchbook, page 76

Lehigh Valley Demo

This painting was a demonstration for the Forks Area Arts Society yesterday Aug 14th.  It was intended to highlight four main topics:

1.   Quick, one-layer sky

2.    Aerial perspective and depth

3.    Defined center of interest

4.    Value pattern of light and dark

The time constraint of under one hour helped me to limit detail a little more than usual, which is a good thing in my book.

Village of Vide, Portugal

Watercolor, 9x12" (23x31cm) Saunders paper, rough

Capela de São Tiago, Laceiras

Watercolor, 9x12" (23x31cm), Saunders paper, rough.

Spring at Rock Church

Watercolor 9x12", Saunders Waterford paper, rough

A House in Marvão, Portugal

Watercolor 9x12", Saunders paper, rough

Lehigh Valley II

                                                                           

Watercolor 9x12", Saunders paper, rough

Farm, Pen Argyl Road

Watercolor 23x31cm, Saunders paper, rough

Centre Square III

                                                                                       

Watercolor 9x12", Saunders paper, rough

Centre Square II, Easton PA

Watercolor 9x12", Saunders paper, rough

St. Peter's Lutheran Church II

Watercolor 9x12", Saunders paper, rough

St. Peter's Lutheran Church

                                                                                     

Watercolor 9x12", Arches paper, rough

South of Wind Gap, PA

Bachmann House

Watercolor 9x12", Arches paper, rough

New York Taylors II

                                                                                             

Watercolor 9x12", Arches paper, rough

First Moravian Church

Watercolor 9x12", Arches paper, rough

Colton Chapel, Lafayette College

                                                           

Watercolor, 9x12" on Arches paper

(Easton Public Market Show)

Centre Square

Watercolor 9x12" (23x31cm) on Arches paper, rough

(Easton Public Market Show)

Pearly Baker's

Watercolor 9x12" (23x31cm) on Arches paper, rough

(Easton Public Market Show)

Colonel Hooper House and Rock Church

Watercolor, 9x12", Arches paper, rough