A friend found me some coconuts so I've updated my drawing with a fuller treatment. I actually used the same pencil but took a little different approach. So, in the future I'll use different implements to see what results. It might be interesting to see.

#keyWEST #floridaKEYS #florida #southFLORIDA #artist #fine art #art #artwork #drawing #pencil #style #coconut #tropical #seedpod

We've been doing something different lately. Our friend Libby has been hosting life drawing sessions for the last year or so. She now has set up life drawing sessions online amid the Covid 19 crisis. Very different but much better than doing nothing during this time. It's good to see friends and get some drawing in. In this drawing you'll notice Noel is wearing pajamas, a statement on what's happening in our lives.

#fineART #artist #art #artwork #drawing #pencil #graphite #style #figure #girl #model #fashion #portrait

Here's a drawing session of something familiar in these parts. Growing up in Key West Florida we kids learned how to open these with our bare hands. We'd have to slam them on the ground a few times first to loosen the husk. Turns out they're also good subjects to practice drawing. I used a mechanical pencil for these which gives a clean crisp line. I'm going to have to do another coconut drawing session using different types of pencils to see the different looks that result.

#fineART #art #artwork #artist #drawing #pencil #graphite #style #keyWEST #floridaKEYS #florida #southFLORIDA #tropical #outdoor #coconut #tropical #seedpod

Yes, it's been quite a while since I've posted anything. I've been busy working on my plein aire painting. I dug this old drawing up and I think it deserves to be posted. I was concentrating on design mostly when working on this one. It's a view from the north end of Smathers Beach in my home town of Key West, FL. I think it owes treatment style to both Paul Cezanne and maybe even the Surrealists.

#fineART #artwork #art #drawing #pencil #graphite #keyWEST #floridaKEYS #florida #southFLORIDA #tropical ##outdoor #nature #ocean #pelican #shorebird #shoreline #jetty #landscape # linearPERSPECTIVE #island #seashore #atmosphericPERSPECTIVE #avantGarde #AudubonSOCIETY #southernmostCITY #southernmostISLAND #southernmostPoint #southernmostTIP

Here's another one I did a while back. Not sure why I never posted. Growing up in Key West, Florida, this was a familiar sight to me. I think shrimp boats are going away though, a friend said they're not building them anymore. Maybe a little Paul Cezanne Influence but mostly Andrew Wyeth.

#fineART #art #artwork #artist #drawing #pencil #graphite #style #keyWEST #floridaKEYS #florida #southFLORIDA #tropical #outdoor #fisherman #sailfish #paradise #southernmost #island #boat #shrimpBOAT #dock #ocean #pelican #southernmostCITY #southernmostISLAND #southernmostPoint #southernmostTIP

I've gone back to doing some life drawing with some friends lately. I think I've found a nice combination of drawing implements that work well together. Here's the final drawing from last nights figure session.

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I've been up in Jupiter, Fl. this week painting with some of the participants in the Plein Air Festival sponsored by the Lighthouse Art Center. A good place to see the state of plein aire painting in America today. Here's a pastel I did at Riverbend Park today.

#artwork #fineART #art #artist #drawing #pencil #graphite #style #outdoor #nature #tree #palmTREE #landscape #park #jupiterFLORIDA #riverbendPARK

It's been a while so let me post this still life of random objects from the studio. This one is pretty straight forward without too much of a creative finish.

#artwork #fineART #art #artist #drawing #pencil #graphite #style #creative #still life #creative #artist #teapot #horse #toy #bottle #candleabra

I was looking through some drawings and came across this block study. Definitely owes a debt to Paul Cezanne.

#artwork #fineART #art #artist #drawing #pencil #style #stillLife #creative #blockSTUDY

Well here is an example of the 'keeping tuned' process. This is something most artists don't do enough of. These are notan/value studies I did while watching some safari videos. I think doing these kinds of studies is similar to a musician practicing scales. It helps an artist keep tuned with the most important part of a painting, design and composition.

#fineART #artwork #art #drawing #pencil #style #nature #wildlife #value study #safari #leopard #ranger #giraffe #antelope #warthog #savanna #notan #africa #savanna

Another one I painted over a year ago. I'm not sure why I didn't post it. This is from a lovely public gardens in Palm Beach.

#fineART #art #artWORK  #artist #drawing #pencil #style #florida #southFLORIDA #palmBEACHcounty #tropical #outdoor #nature #tree #plant #bridge #bamboo #pastel #trail

I did this one over a year ago when I just started doing plein aire work. It's one of my earliest plein aire pastels. I've been told a certain charm came through on it.

#fineART #art #artWORK  #artist #drawing #pencil #style #florida #southFLORIDA #DelrayBEACH  #tropical #outdoor #nature #tree #birdCAGE #park #bird #birdHOUSE #pastel

The group met at a beautiful park in Davie this morning. I did one that I think worked out well. I guess it's most influenced by Paul Cezanne and Richard Mckinley.

#fineART #art #artWORK  #drawing #artist #pencil # #outdoor #nature #tree #gazebo #park #pastel #florida #southFLORIDA #tropical #davieFLORIDA

I was back home in Key West recently and had a chance to do a pastel at Smathers Beach. It was hot and windy but, I got it done. I don't think I've ever done a pastel in Key West before.

#fineART #art #artwork #artist #drawing #pencil #style #keyWEST #floridaKEYS #florida #southFLORIDA #tropical #outdoor #ocean #shoreline #paradise #southernmost #nature #tree #beach #park #ocean #mangroveTREE #pastel #island #jetty #seaweed #seashore #southernmostCITY #southernmostISLAND #southernmostPoint #southernmostTIP

I'm still out doing pastel drawings/paintings plein aire (onsite). We were at a very nice wildlife preserve called Green Cay in Palm Beach county. It was a beautiful day today but, I know it will keep getting warmer and warmer as we head into summer in South Florida. I'm going to have to come up with clothing strategies to keep painting onsite in the heat.

#artwork #fineART #art #artist #drawing #pencil #style #outdoor #nature #tree #pond #park #banyon #palmTREE #pastel #southFLORIDA #delrayBEACH #palmBEACHcountyl #pavillion #pond #grass

I've been outdoors doing pastel drawings/paintings onsite for a few months now. Here's one I did this morning.

#artwork #fineART #art #artist #drawing #pencil #style #outdoor #nature #tree #pond #park #banyon #palmTREE #pastel #southFLORIDA #delrayBEACH #palmBEACHcounty

A drawing inspired by my recent visit to the Jupiter, Fl plein air competition. I didn't participate, but I enjoyed meeting some of the artists and seeing their excellent work. This is a scene from Sunday morning.

#artwork #fineART #art #artist #drawing #pencil #style #jupiter #jupiterFLORIDA #plein air #sailboat #dock #palmTREE #shelter #southFlorida #tropical #outdoor #nature #canal #palmBEACHcounty #pleinAIR #pleinAIRE #intracoastalWATERWAY

I have a question. Is a pastel work a painting or a drawing? I've seen it described both ways. Since this is my drawing blog I'm going to call them drawings for this site. At any rate, here is a recent plein aire pastel drawing I did this week. Plein aire artwork is artwork done outdoors, often in one sitting or day.  This one took about an hour and a half to complete last Tuesday.

#artwork #fineART #art #artist #drawing #pencil #style #pastel #nature #pond #plant #rock #outdoors #park #constitutionPARK #southFLORIDA #BROWARDcounty #arboretum

Back to a graphite drawing for old times sake, a good a reason as any. Or is it because I must?

#artwork#fineART#art#artist#drawing#pencil#halftone#style#stillLife#creative#clock#bottle#cup#avanteGARDE

OK it's been a while. On this one, my dad and stepmom were house sitting a few years ago and I stopped by to visit. In our friends yard was a ceramic native stove and a tiki carving. I found those two objects intriguing and several years later here's a drawing.

#fineART#art #drawing #pencil #style #keyWest #floridaKeys #florida #southFLORIDA #tropical #outdoor #artwork #artist #keyLargo #tiki #tropicalISLAND #island

 I did this drawing a while back and can't believe I never posted it. It's from the grounds of West Martello Towers in Key West.

#fineART #art #drawing #pencil #style #keyWest #floridaKEYS #florida #southFLORIDA #tropical #outdoor #artwork #artist #beach #gazebo #paradise #southernmost #southernmostCITY #southernmostISLAND #southernmostPoint #southernmostTIP

Artists have been advised since at least Leonard Da Vinci's time to draw the figure, to learn to draw and to keep drawing skills sharp. I haven't posted in a while so here are some new figure drawings.

#fineART #artist #art #artwork #drawing #pencil #style #figure #girl #bikini #swimsuit #model

Here's the house in Key West where Ernest Hemingway lived and wrote for a time. Many of the locals were acquainted with him, including my grandfather.

#fineART #artist #art #artwork #drawing #pencil #style #keyWest #floridaKeys #florida #southFLORIDA #tropical #outdoor #WhiteheadSTREET #fisherman #hemmingway #paradise #southernmost #house #island #islandLIFE #architecture #writer #theOLDmanANDtheSEA #southernmostCITY #southernmostISLAND #southernmostPoint #southernmostTIP

I just posted a video of this blog. Well, at least the drawing a day aspect. I included every drawing from that year in chronological order. I was honored to have the great guitarist and composer Randy Bernsen let me use his music as a soundtrack. Check it out at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNOMR335Dxg

An interesting part of the video are the 3 part drawings. That's where I did 3 versions of the same subject on most of the still lives and figures. To see the same subject click by with 3 different treatments is a kick. I hope you enjoy!

Working on a downtown scene. Trying to bring a little character to the drawing. Here's a sketch of the scene at Duval and Green streets in Key West.

#fineART #art #drawing #pencil #style #keyWest #floridaKEYS #florida #southFLORIDA #tropical #outdoor #artwork #artist #paradise #southernmost #house #architecture #DuvalSTREET #bar #door #sloppyJOE'S #greenSTREET #downTOWN #history #historic #southernmostCITY #southernmostISLAND #southernmostPoint #southernmostTIP

Time for another drawing post. This one is influenced by my early years growing up in Key West, Florida.

#fineART #art #drawing #pencil #style #keyWEST #floridaKEYS #florida #southFLORIDA #tropical #outdoor #artwork #artist #paradise #southernmost #house #architecture #gingerbread #stair #door #southernmostCITY #southernmostISLAND #southernmostPoint #southernmostTIP

It's been quite a while. Have been working on other projects. Kind of wondering how to keep this one going.

Another drawing, done recently.

#fineART #art #artwork #artist #drawing #pencil #style #outdoor #nature #tree #house #keyWEST #southernmost #history #historic #floridaKeys #florida #southFLORIDA #tropical #architecture #palm #lawn

Ok it;s been several months since I finished the 'drawing a day' aspect of this blog, but since I have continued drawing I may as well post one from time to time. Here's one I did yesterday. I guess the biggest influence on this one would be Paul Cezanne.

#fine art #art #artwork #artist #drawing #pencil #style #florida #southFLORIDA #tropical #outdoor #nature #tree #park #shelter #pavillion

Hello all, I'm now working on a book that compiles all of the drawings as well as some narrative explaining why I did this, what the year was like and what the lasting results were.