Delta Queen Riverboat

This is a pen and watercolor painting of the riverboat, Delta Queen.  Her original structure was built in Scotland and assembled in Stockton, California for service between Stockton, Sacramento and San Francisco.  Later, she was purchased by the Greene Line of Cincinnati, Ohio and served up and down the Mississippi River and her tributaries.  An interesting fact is that below the Delta Queen name on her stern, it still says, "Port of Cincinnati, Ohio".  She was later home ported in New Orleans with the Delta Queen Steamboat Company and then American Classic Voyages.  She was then purchased by the American Steamboat Company.  For a time, she served as a floating hotel in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  The Delta Queen is now being refurbished in Louisiana and, with congressional waivers, will once again be cruising on rivers.  (Updated: 4/11/2017 bw)  Click on picture for a larger view.

Native American Indian Mask

 

I have always been interested in Native American art.  I wanted to do an Indian Mask.  This is my attempt at it.  The hair is from the tail of a horse that belonged to my wife's friend, Debbie.  Her horse's name was Patty.  It made the mask seem more spiritual since the hair is from a real horse and added a sense of authenticity to it.  The beautiful, multi-colors of the horse tail bring an added dimension to the piece.

Chase Chambers--Murrieta Mesa Quarterback

I did this watercolor for our Head Coach, Justin Schaeffer.  It is of Murrieta Mesa's first QB and favorite player of Coach Schaeffer.  The text in the painting is a tribute to Art Brewster, an Orange County illustrator who used to do pictures for the Shriner's Orange County All-Star Football Game, which I had the honor to help coach one year.  Art would add similar text to the drawings he did of the All-Star players.

Wine Bottle Cross #2

This is the second of my Wine Bottle Crosses.  It is another
"recycled art" project.  My friend Larry helped with the wine 
bottles--and I thank him for his effort!  My daughter, Caroline 
told me how to "stress" wood, so I tried that finish on it.  I tried 
to show what it looks like with the light coming through it from 
behind.  You can't see it in this photo, but there are five places
on the cross with red paint.  These are supposed to represent
the wounds of Christ. 

Rock Creek Rainbow

"Rock Creek Rainbow" is a watercolor and ink painting I did for Mark, a friend who introduced me to Eastern Sierra fishing.  Mark is a great fisherman and could probably catch fish in the gutter in front of your house.  For the past few years, as soon as school gets out, we go up to Convict Lake and fish there and the surrounding lakes.  One of the most beautiful is Rock Creek Lake.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

This is a watercolor painting of "Our Lady of Guadalupe".  There are many versions of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  This is my, sort of stylized version of her.  I tried to make it very vibrant and colorful.  Her feast day is December 12.  I didn't sign it because I wanted it to be a "visual prayer"--if there is such a thing.

Wine Bottle Cross

I have always wanted to do an art project with recycled materials.  My son-in-law, Daniel,  helped me perfect the technique of cutting the bottoms off wine bottles.  He used the top part of the bottle to put over candles.  I used the bottom part to make this cross.  I was amazed that wine bottles have so many different diameters.  I built a base for it so it could stand freely.  I like the way the light shines through it when placed in front of a window.  I gave this cross to my parents.  They put it in front of a window in their dining room.  The symbolism is that Christ's first public miracle was changing the water into wine and his last was that he rose from the dead after his crucifixtion on the cross.