Tag: erik davis

art8 Comments

Playing with flowers and doing some big drawings

mrerikdavis

Hey folks…we are still in the thick of an extreme winter season.  Today we are predicated to a reach a record high temperature of 60°F with an inch of rain and thunderstorms followed by a low tonight of 20°F with 20-30 mph winds.  And the cold snap continues for the rest of the weekend.  If anyone finds Spring, please direct her our direction! I’ve been keeping busy painting daisies in my sketchbook.  This two page spread was an experiment in style, keep it loose or heavy with a pen.  I keep liking the pen.  I used a fiber tip art … Continue reading Playing with flowers and doing some big drawings

art15 Comments

Challenges

mrerikdavis

Today’s post is going to be a bit longer than usual, I’ll apologize for that now. When you go through a very challenging time you tend to question things, a lot of things.  That’s what has been happening here.  I’ve spent the last two years going through what has to be the most challenging time of my life.  You could say it’s been life changing.  Now I’m not telling you this because I am looking for sympathy, but more of offering an explanation of why I have been in and out of here.  Posting and not posting.  When you go … Continue reading Challenges

art7 Comments

New paints and holiday baking

mrerikdavis

Hello friends, this weekend has seen new paints and lots of holiday baking, it’s been fantastic! I finally broke down and purchased some Winsor & Newton watercolors.  Da Vinci has been my brand of watercolors for years, and I’ve been happy with Da Vinci, but I thought it was time for a change.  And so far I must say I’m very happy with the Winsor & Newton watercolors.  I am using New Gamboge for the first time, what a great color.  I love how it mixes with blues and sap green.  I’ll be using this color frequently. I made a … Continue reading New paints and holiday baking

art4 Comments

Pencil drawings and a few thoughts

mrerikdavis

I’ve been feeling a little burnt out with the art lately, I’m actually a bit bored with it.  But after several long conversations with my wife I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ve fallen into the Instagram trap.  I’ve been making art based on what gets the most “likes” on Instagram, and Facebook too.  And because of that, my art has started looking like a lot of art that’s out there, not that the art that is out there is bad, but there are a lot of people doing a lot of the same thing.  Not that that’s a bad … Continue reading Pencil drawings and a few thoughts

art2 Comments

Fall snail mail

mrerikdavis

I am a sucker for snail mail.  I always have been.  Sending and receiving, who doesn’t enjoy getting something fun in the mail? These are the latest pieces of snail mail I’m sending out for fall. The three images above are both watercolors on watercolor paper.  I quickly went back over the three paintings while the paint was still damp with a soft pencil to add a little detail.  I love the way the pencil on damp paint deepens the colors.  When I paint, I try to work with a limited palette to avoid the colors getting too muddy.  I … Continue reading Fall snail mail

Photography6 Comments

Textures and revisiting familiar locations

mrerikdavis

This weeks subject was texture.  I originally thought I would try to capture the profile of different textures, but I was having too many issues with the depth of field. I then decided to take a more traditional approach and things went much better after that.  Below are my favorite three texture images. I also had the opportunity to revisit a few local spots I photographed recently, I wanted to try to correct a few mistakes I had made before.  And this time it was nice and sunny, prefect for catching shadows and contrast.   I’m real happy with all … Continue reading Textures and revisiting familiar locations

art, Photography6 Comments

Photographing lines and the last begonia

mrerikdavis

This weeks photography challenge was lines.  It seemed easy enough, but I was trying to resist the easy lines and really look at this from a more abstract view.  I’m also finding I am seeing things in a more abstract view.  I love a great wide landscape, but for my shooting I am really steering towards shapes and forms.  I’m not sure if this is just temporary, or if this will be my niche, but I am really enjoying it.  A lot. I am trying something new with my posts.  In the past I would explain the image with text … Continue reading Photographing lines and the last begonia

art, Photography9 Comments

Time for some photography

mrerikdavis

I recently purchased a new camera, a used camera actually, and I’m so glad I did.   I have always loved photography but my creative energy and focus has always been steered towards painting and drawing.  Lately I’ve really been fighting some creative fatigue and boredom, and I feel my art has really reflected that.  The split second you capture an image with the camera it can never be repeated.  Ever.  There is something magical about freezing time and capturing a glimpse of the world that only you can see.  Yes other people can also see what you’re looking at, but … Continue reading Time for some photography

art, Loose Watercolors6 Comments

Staying loose and finding the joy again

mrerikdavis

I’ve been keeping things loose with the watercolors, and I haven’t been this excited about art in a very long time! As I was rummaging in the paper cabinet this weekend, I found a partial block of Kilimanjaro watercolor paper from Cheap Joe’s. You can find the paper here The paper is fantastic. It’s a cold press paper and it’s loaded with wonderful nooks and crannies that let the pigments flow and blend in wonderful patterns. The above detail is just one example of the wonderful blending on the Kilimanjaro paper. The following two pieces are both on the Kilimanjaro … Continue reading Staying loose and finding the joy again

art, Daily Sketching, Loose Watercolors4 Comments

Lunch bag and flowers

mrerikdavis

Urban sketching, loose watercolors, flowers…this has been my week so far. While eating my lunch at work yesterday my lunch bag and hat caught my eye. They both hang on a hook next to my desk. It’s something I use everyday at work, but for some reason this was the first time I actually looked at them. I used my new Cognitive Surplus notebook for this bag and hat sketch. The fine nib LAMY Safari fountain pen and a Zebra brush pen provided the line work while I used a handful of Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencils for some color. The … Continue reading Lunch bag and flowers