J Hicks Fine Art » climbing roses

Westport, California inspires original watercolor painting

jhicks — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:43:54 +0000

Rosy in Westport an Original 18x24 Watercolor Painting

In 2008 we spent about 8 weeks traveling down the Pacific Coast Highway stopping to visit the many quaint coastal villages along the way. One of my favorite places was Westport, California. The front of the house was painted bright red and is what initially caught my eye and made me want to paint “Rosy in Westport.” Several months ago I did a small watercolor study in preparation for this larger painting. I included a photo of the scene that inspired the new painting and photos of the painting as it progressed.

Visit my Blog for more about my travels in search of beautiful places to paint.

Westport California Charm watercolor sketch

Sunny Day in Westport, California

jhicks — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:59:00 +0000

Last week I completed a small watercolor study called “Pacific Out Back” and posted it here on my blog. Today I finished a larger 18×24 version of the same scene but decided to add the foreground house as seen in the previously posted photo. As you can see I added my own unique impressions to an already perfect scene making it even more idyllic as seen through my eyes. I hope you can feel the warmth of the summer sun as I did that day in Westport, California.

Visit 2008 Blog to read more.

Alsea Bay Charm in Oregon

jhicks — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:40:00 +0000

After a day of sight seeing we stopped in the small town of Waldport for a late lunch of fresh fish & chips at a restaurant on Alsea Bay in Oregon. After a great meal we decided to walk along the road to have a look at some of the old cottages that fronted the bay. Even though it cannot be seen in this photo the bay was only a few steps away from the back door of this quaint cottage. To read more about my travels down the Pacific Coast visit my Blog.

Carmel-by-the-Sea Cottages

jhicks — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:17:00 +0000

Photos from a walk we took while visiting the village of Carmel-by-the Sea. Quaint architecture is, of course, a favorite theme of mine. Visit my Blog to read more about my travels to beautiful places.

Coastal Villages along the Mendocino Coast

jhicks — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:29:00 +0000

Fort Bragg, Westport, Point Cabrillo, Mendocino, quaint and charming villages along the Mendocino Coast.Visit my Blog to read more about my travels down the Pacific Coast Highway.

Summer Day at Hodges Iris Farm

jhicks — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:29:00 +0000

Painted after a sunny day at Hodges Iris Gardens in Covington, Texas. The old garden shed and glorious pink climbing roses was just one of many great scenes I saw that day. The sun was bright and cast a wonderful shadow full of color under the roses.

Visit my Blog to read more about my work and travel in search of Beautiful Places to Paint.

Painting again!

jhicks — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 02:31:00 +0000

Moving is never fun, but all the boxes are unpacked at last and we are finally starting to feel settled in our new Tyler, Texas home. My home studio is organized and I can’t wait to begin painting again! East Texas is absolutely beautiful and green and will be an endless source of inspiration for new paintings. My husband and I have traveled extensively through the years which allowed me to accumulate a wonderful collection of resource photos, sketches and small paintings. We continue to travel often and I always carry a camera, sketch book and paints to record the beautiful scenes I see. I collect so many great memories from these travels and it’s very easy for me to bring my photos to life each time I look at them. I have my own creative process I go through to express what it is I wish to say about a subject or scene. It is never my intention to record a scene exactly as it is because the camera does that very well. More important to me is capturing the magic of a place. Coastal scenes, seascapes, landscapes, cottage gardens, vineyards, vineyard paintings and floral paintings from my travels to Nantucket, Cape Cod, California, Oregon, New Mexico, Texas, Mexico and beyond are all familiar places for my sunny feel good paintings and Fine art Giclee Prints. Please join me and follow along as I create my original paintings of beautiful places in watercolor or oil.

Visit my Blog to read more about my work and travel in search of Beautiful Places to Paint.