J Hicks Fine Art » paintings of beautiful places

Country depot inspires new painting

jhicks — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 22:01:17 +0000

When we travel small towns and country roads across America I gather so much information that it’s often hard to decide what I want to paint next. But when I start browsing through my digital libraries and thumbing through all my sketches it doesn’t take long before something catches my eye and triggers memories from a particular time and place. With the help of these materials I’m easily inspired and can begin to visualize the scene as a painting. I like to carry an idea around in my head for a few days until it really becomes natural and familiar to me. Then I do as many new sketches and color studies as necessary to feel comfortable with what I want to say and how best to interpret it and being well prepared makes any task easier. It gives me the confidence I need before committing to a large sheet of watercolor paper.

The following scene caught my eye as we crossed a river somewhere in Pennsylvania. As we drove over the bridge something about the scene made we want to snap a photo as quickly as possible and I always keep my camera turned on and ready. Sometimes I only have seconds to save the shot. I’ve included some step by step information to give an idea of how I go about creating my paintings in hopes you might enjoy.

4x6 Pencil Sketch

9x12 Watercolor Study

The scene that inspired the painting!

YouTube video updated with new paintings

jhicks — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:51:35 +0000

I found it in Waldport, Oregon

jhicks — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 23:07:36 +0000

What did I find? I found paradise all wrapped up in a sun drenched day! That was back in 2008 when we traveled down the Oregon Coast and stopped to spend a few days in Waldport, a charming village by the sea. We followed a rough country road that led off in the direction of the ocean and came upon the most wonderful scene. Below is the picture I took and even though it can’t be seen due to the bright sun blending sea and sky together the sea is there none the less, and very blue. The photo seems so bland but if you could have been there with me you would have been just as awestruck as I was. A photo, pencil sketch, small watercolor study and lots of great memories goes into the creation of each of my paintings. A while ago I came across all the preliminary work I did in 2008 and memories of that wonderful day came flooding back and I couldn’t wait to paint a larger version of it. I hope you will enjoy my interpretation of that gorgeous day and the scene I found by the edge of the sea in Waldport, Oregon.

I Found it in Waldport 18x24

The scene that inspired the painting!

Pencil Sketch

Watercolor Study 9x12

Rural Rhythm in Virginia

jhicks — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:31:26 +0000

I am drawn to open fields and the way planted rows curve away into the landscape. I’ve now painted several field paintings that were inspired while traveling through the open countryside. As you can see from my photo below I deviated quite a bit from the original scene. I was very attracted to was the way the rows curved over the landscape in a very rhythmic way…..

a simple space is all one needs to paint in watercolor

I painted from this small sketch

The scene that inspired the painting!

Fresh off the easel

jhicks — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 01:13:18 +0000

Just finished my latest painting and the paint is barely dry. I’ve included the photo of the scene that inspired the painting and as usually I made lots of changes in order to achieve a more dramatic statement. I caught the scene from our car window as we sped down the highway on a mostly flat, overcast day. I capitalized on the way the plowed field visually took my eye back into the landscape and the softness of the shadowless day. I think I accomplished what I set out to do and feel pleased with the result.

I’d like to share a quote from fellow artist Jerry Stitt that sums up what I strive for with each and every one of my paintings. “A painting isn’t good because it looks like something; it is good because it feels like something.”

A Way of Life 22x30

A Way of Life Pencil Sketch

A Way of Life 9x12 color study

The scene that inspired the painting!

Painting Mendocino, California

jhicks — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 16:41:24 +0000

A 2008 road trip down the Pacific Coast Highway took us through scenic Mendocino, California. I fell in love with the quaint architecture of this small coastal village that sat at the edge of the sea. This scene was the subject of a demonstration painting I did for the Martin Museum of Art at Baylor University in Waco, Texas a couple of weeks ago. As you can see I took artistic liberty and simplified the scene leaving just what I felt was necessary in order to capture the essence of the time and place. I hope you like my interpretation called “Mendocino Moment.”

16x20 Mendocino Moment

The scene that inspired the painting

Pennsylvania Peonies inspires painting

jhicks — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:48:40 +0000

In 2009 while traveling through beautiful Pennsylvania I was able to collect lots of information for paintings. Following is a scene I’ve wanted to paint for quite some time. I hope you will enjoy my interpretation of a scene that seemed quite ordinary at first, but the old red house and pink peonies soon became all the inspiration needed.

Peonies I Saw in Pennsylvania 18x24

The scene that inspired the painting

Peonies I Saw in Pennsylvania sketch

Coastal scene inspires new watercolor painting

jhicks — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 19:00:50 +0000

This new 18×24 painting is from a road trip we took down Highway One along the Pacific Coast Highway. We stopped for lunch in the small coastal village of Elk, California and I spotted this quaint seaside cottage. I couldn’t resist stopping to photograph and sketch my impressions and the following is my interpretation of the scene……

Sunny in Elk, California 18x24

Sunny in Elk, California 9x12 Study

Preliminary Sketch

The scene that inspired the painting

Cambria California Farm Inspires New Painting

jhicks — Fri, 06 May 2011 02:20:49 +0000

In 2008 we traveled down the Pacific Coast Highway visiting many coastal villages along the way. In Cambria, California we took a drive out Santa Rosa Creek Road where I found this lovely old farm sitting before a vineyard. I’ve included some images of the work in progress and hope you will enjoy my interpretation of the scene…..

Vineyard Farm in Cambria 18x24

Blocking in largest shapes first

Almost time to start thinking about adding detai

Pencil Sketch establishes composition and values

The scene that inspired the painting

Latest large Watercolor inspired by Virginia Barns

jhicks — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 12:00:33 +0000

My latest large watercolor painting was inspired by our travels through Virginia. Peaceful pastoral scenes like this one dot the beautiful Virginia countryside. I’ve included the sequence for the painting beginning with the photo taken from the car window as we sped down the highway on a very cloudy overcast day. I prefer painting scenes touched by the sun so that is what I did. I hope you’ll enjoy this painting just as much as I enjoyed painting it.

White Barnes in Virginia 22x30

Watercolor demo

12x16 Virginia Barns Watercolor Study

Virginia Barns Pencil Sketch

The Virginia Scene that inspired the painting