the persistence of memory

Mrs. Puff, gouache on paper, 8" x 8", copyright BVF Betker 2011

Painted from photograph with thanks to DD Betker.

open harbor

Raptor, copyright 2011 BVF Betker, acrylic on canvas. 4 x 4 inches

An experiment with open acrylics on canvas, over a copper-colored liquid acrylic base composed of metallic gold and quinacridone crimson on canvas.

seek and ye shall find

Hide and Seek, acrylic on canvas, 36" x 36"

Left the studio window open so this painting could dry, and a major windstorm sent in its suggestions for improvement. Have to say the weather is always right!

while we're on the subject

Center for Wooden Boats, ink and goauche on paper, 3.75 x 11, copyright 2010

Here's a plein-air sketch from last year's Urban Sketchers - Seattle visit to Seattle's Center for Wooden Boats on South Lake Union. I love painting on black, makes the colors pop and the weather look dramatic. You really have to work to get light into the scene!

sketching at one remove

North Lake Union, 5" x 7", watercolor on gessoed panel

Okay, I'm going to try to take a note from the pages of my betters and get back to creating and posting a painting every day. That, in fact, was the whole idea, wasn't it? Here is one from last evening, a little watercolor sketched on metallic-gold-gessoed hardboard from a photograph I took not so long ago "across the street" from studio. Don't think the metallica quite shows through but it may look interesting when I get this fixed with gloss acrylic or mineral spirits varnish.

swing dancing

Rising Melody, copyright 2010, acrylic on canvas, 30" x 40"

another jazz tune, this time with big band and wah-wah

big juicy apple

my new york, 24" x 34" image on 30" x 40" canvas, copyright 2010

Last September I had the great good fortune to visit New York City, the heart of our culture, with a friend of many decades, the person who actually introduced me to acrylic paints when we were but teenagers.
As may be clear, the scene from any NYC bus stop breaks my heart with joy!

thinking big

Fishermen's Terminal sketch, April 2010, 6" x 12" acrylic on canvas

looking east

East From the Gas Works, 30" x 40", acrylic on canvas, 2010.

bon voyage

Bon Voyage, acrylic on canvas, 30" x 40"

one more from fishermen's terminal

Our first FT visit for 2010 was in the rain! My acrylic sketch of the Anita was quite melty when we packed up, but I punched it up back in the studio.

joy

a fairly recent acrylic sketch on canvas, 8 x 8. Three stages of its creation are viewable on my flickr site!

abstract life

Here's my latest large abstract, Fish Term -- I know, another jazz painting, another fishermen's terminal painting, ho hum!!!

Veterans' Day

Here is a relatively new painting, 12 x 12 acrylic on canvas. It started out as this drawing in white ink on black gesso:

then became this painting:

city music

another dancing jazz cityscape! this one is 30" x 40" acrylic on canvas, alla prima.

4th night jazz

still revisiting jazz painting days (and nights) -- here's the latest, 24 x 36 acrylic on canvas.

who is with me in these woods?

Newest painting, acrylic alla prima on canvas, 12 x 12.
References an older (1998) small pastel viewable here: http://paintingeveryday.blogspot.com/2009/03/who-is-with-me-in-woods.html

stone way

Here is an acrylic done in the studio, referencing a photo I took with one hand at a stoplight on my daily commute. 24 x 36, acrylic on canvas. My friends seems to like it, especially the local ones who recognize the weather! Was going for a watercolor effect, but wanted the permanence of acrylic.

visiting the floodplain

Ah, Skagit Valley rain! This is 12 x 12 acrylic on canvas.

jazz night

Trying to figure out how to get luminous color jazz going in a permanent medium that doesn't need protection from the elements. Love the way gouache sits up on gessoed board; want to get acrylic to do the same so I don't have to spray-varnish. Meanwhile, here is my latest such experiment with gouache. 9 x 12. Still in the first glow with this one, I admit I love it!

the gas works revisited

Here is a small sketch from our Urban Sketchers - Seattle crawl last month. Love painting in this park, 300 degrees of city/water/industrial view! It's about 4 x 6, inks-and-gouache on black paper.

flowerpot experiment

So I got a little crazy and started painting with gouache on a little piece of black-gessoed hardboard; liked the way the paint beaded up and waited to dry... then I varnished it with acrylic spray varnish and, voila! it's rich and shiny (can't see that here) and no need to put glass over this medium anymore; no need to frame it if it's painted on a hangable board. Makes me too happy altogether! This was my little 4x4 experimental thingy.

experimental jazz

everything old is new again. here's a 4 x 6 sketch in gouache and ink. tulips may be coming back at last.

blue house

Would love to just set up somewhere on the lake each day and paint whichever house is nearby. Here is one where I had that pleasure, albeit quickly!

secret gardens of lake forest park

Here is a little 8 x 6 plein air oil sketch from the garden of Carolyn and Chuff Barden of Lake Forest Park.

the gas works

today's 8 x 16 oil sketch -- think this would make an interesting larger painting! (like 30 x 60 or so)

fishermen's terminal

A beautiful day at Seattle's working docks. Don't know why this place is not crawling with painters. Here is my afternoon's 8x8 oil sketch.

across green lake this morning

Today's 6 x 8 plein air oil sketch! The morning was lovely!

the factory behind freighthouse square

Here's this week's 6 x 8 oil sketch!

pike place park

gouache, 3.5 x 11. This couple left just before a gaggle of religious pamphleteers descended upon us at Victor Steinbrueck Park. They all gave their names as "Jay," and oblivious to one another's failures to engage us in substantive discussion, each in turn attempted to save us. I guess painting in the park makes us fair game!