Windows and Ivy
©2010, 8" by 10", Watercolour

This painting is a portion of a larger house portrait that I did for a local real estate agent. He wanted to give a gift to the people who had just bought the house. It is a beautiful house, and I loved the way the sunlight and shadows played over the bricks and ivy.

Although I was very happy with the way the painting as a whole turned out, it was this section in particular that I was most proud of.

When I paint with watercolours, it is almost as much about removing paint as it is about applying it. This is especially clear in this image where you can see how I defined the white spaces between the bricks directly above the window by "lifting" off the dark yellow of the brick with a brush laden with water. This effect, along with the light and shadow effects, makes this one of my most favourite paintings