And now for something completely different. An old friend and art collector approached me about recreating a photo she had taken while travelling through Germany, and she specified a watercolor painting. I used to paint exclusively with watercolor but not so much over the past 10 years, and this particular subject I knew would be a challenge. Watercolor is great for landscapes, big washy skies, drybrush foregrounds, but I was concerned this mostly monochromatic interior image would lack visual drama. I added a fruit basket on the table to add a little splash of color but the success of this painting comes from the varying textures. A lot of drybrush on the large wall expanse and I typically avoid using opaque white gouache on my watercolors but I did use it on this piece. I think the most important material for a successful watercolor is the surface. I have always painted with Arches 300 lb paper, mostly cold press but I do occasionally switch to hot press, a totally different experience, its good to shake it up sometimes.

Built in the 13the century, Liebenstein Castle along with its neighbor Sterrenberg Castle, lies high above the medieval pilgrimage Kamp-Bornhofen in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage upper middle Rhine valley. Together the two castles are also known as the “Hostile Brothers”. Numerous sagas deal with the two feuding decendants of an old king who built their castles while disputing their inheritance. For a more detailed history of this castle, check out this link https://great-castles.com/hostileghost.html

I have been pretty hard at the easel the past 3+ months, I’ve been very fortunate to have paying commissions that keep the Studio open and the lights on. I also find commissions interesting and challenging as they keep me from getting too comfortable with the same familiar subject matter and media. I hope you enjoyed this blogpost, share it with a friend and if you haven’t yet, sign up on my website for future posts and Studio news.