From Natty Bo to CamdenYards

Baltimore is a world unto itself and I love it. As a small child, my now teenaged son, who had easy access to the wonders of Washington DC, would exclaim, "Baltimore is my favorite city in the whole world!" He was highly motivated to make the one hour drive in order to visit the B&O Railroad Museum as well as the features of the Inner Harbor, like the National Aquarium, Constellation historic ship, Coast Guard vessel, WWII submarine, and water taxis. Delicious crab cakes from Fells Point made our stomachs happy, too.

This painting is from an image I took from the eastern edge of Baltimore near Dundalk, back toward the winking, red neon, National Bohemian beer sign to the glow of Camden Yards in the distance. It was during the second home game of the season this year. The sky was celebrating in Orioles orange.

From Natty Bo to Camden Yards
soft pastel
9x12 on black Canson
(Private Collection)

More in my 30x30 Quest

I am still successfully working on 30 paintings in 30 days. In part, I am taking the time to work on miniature art for the holidays. I am also adapting some work I'd put to the side and giving them new life.

Today's post is all about the miniature. I have reused a 9x12 piece of Uart that had an underpainting done in watercolor plein air a while back. I didn't feel that the piece was worth developing once I got home and I moved on to other projects. For this challenge, I have taken that paper out and divided it into space for nine miniatures.The old watercolor underpainting has been handy, even as I find new applications for it.

So far, I have the under the sea series, additional sea turtles, sunsets, and these, which are from photos I took as the sun was setting on my first day in Curacao in June. I strolled the resort's property on the southern edge of the island at Piscadera Bay. I am very happy to have kept up with the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge, because I am not usually a daily painter. My goal is to be more prolific, even if it means doing miniatures, which are their own genre unto themselves.

Each pastel is 2.5x3.5".

Curacao Beach Sunset

Sunset over Piscadera

Lights Coming On, Curacao

Lilac

Lilac
pastel on Wallis Belgian Mist
8x10
Private Collection

Curacao's Southern Coast

Curacao's Southern Coast
Pen, Ink, and Watercolor
5x7

30 x 30 Under the Sea

 

soft pastel on Uart 500 with watercolor underpainting

2.5x3.5"

30 in 30

 



Imagine little wooden 1.5" gallery frames in black and a tiny bit larger, filled with these little ditties:

     

 

    

 

That's what I'm doing with myself as I prepare for the holiday season. See the 30 Paintings in 30 Days phenomenon here. I only hope to keep up, as I am not usually a daily painter. And, hey, if I only wind up with 29 paintings, large or small, then all is certainly not lost!

Zinnia

soft pastel on Pastelbord
11x14

Slaughter Beach

Slaughter Beach
soft pastel on mounted white Wallis
11x14

Early Autumn Sunshine

Early Autumn Sunshine
soft pastel on Pastelbord
11x14

Pots with Trowel

Pots with Trowel (sold)
soft pastel on Wallis Belgian Mist
8x10