In June of 2022 I started a drawing inspired by one of my favorite views — after hikes and bike rides I love to see the Cincinnati skyline from Devou Park’s overlook.

In June of 2023, I finally got to burn the screens and after another month passing I was able to finally get a block of time in the studio to paint. I expanded my color palette of Procion Dyes I use as a watercolor medium – taking time to re-mix and experiment with test prints (below).

What I love about these watercolor monoprints is the ability to be both loose and free with watercolor but also having the control of painting within a stencil on the screen.

Planning a few more variations while I have this image in the screens. More to come!

Plein Air Study on iPad

Hopefully in the next year I will create a detailed etching of Cincinnati and Covington from the vantage point of Devou Park.

In January I went down to take reference photographs and to make a plain air study to make sure my eye would capture nuances in the moment.

Leap forward to June. Below you can see my progress — I’ve drawn for about 14 hours so far but I still have a lot to go!

I’ve been working on a graphite drawing. Dusting off my pencils and skills after learning a ton in Design Drawing during my first year in design school back in 1996.

Planning to experiment to see how the graphite texture screenprints.

This image was inspired by a 5mile walk last summer with my dog Kona, where we went through Newport and Covington then visited the Square during a Hip Hop concert. I love when downtown is full of people, arts and vibrancy!

I've been developing a new collection of work I'm calling "Queen City Scenes" — inspired by the long tradition of urban landscapes. The work will be into more fine arts than my typical graphic arts, still emphasising but not limited to printmaking.

I’ve been slowly building up some somewhat finalized artwork as well as some rough sketches. I’m experimenting with some scenes with dramatic skies or taking place during the day but I am also attracted to the drama of night scenes as well.

My initial process is inspired by photo journalism — finding reference photography by proactively scouting locations for dramatic and beautiful lighting. This comes rather easy as we go for walks with our family dog Kona and love to explore the riverfront and the parks on the surrounding hills.

“Covington Riverfront at Dusk” work in progress — using ProCreate on the iPad to illustrate an urban landscape. I plan to personally screenprint a 30” x 20” version.

I started work last August during my first visit to Detroit. I really enjoyed evening rides along their river walk then coming back to my hotel and cuddling up with my iPad. Drawing can be so relaxing and I should do more before bedtime.

Not quite finished yet, so far I’ve spent about 15 hours in the image, enjoying the shading.

“View from Devou” work in progress from June. Relaxed on a lovely family vacation to Red River Gorge by drawing a scene in Adobe Fresco on an iPad in the evenings and mornings.

I was inspired to work on a fun watercolor screenprinted monoprint after binge-watching episode of “Painting with John” and watching the watercolor spread.

Hoping to create a watercolor monoprint of this scene in the upcoming months as part of my Queen City Scenes collection

Some of the work-in-progress digital paintings and sketches in my ProCreate app.

Before embarking on this new collection and goal of “12 masterpieces” in 2022 I have been doing some electronic sketches and studies using the iPad and the app Procreate. Above are some of the sketches I have been producing over the winter.

I’ve been trying to get into the practice of documenting scenes and the effects of different times of day and the light, as well as the atmospheric gas affects of the clouds.

I’ve been also trying to get interesting vantage points and views of urban landscapes that might resonate with other people.

Once I build up this collection of subject matter and I plan to start experimenting with a variety of production methods:

- multicolor Serigraphs

- serigraph watercolor monoprints

- polyester lithography

- letterpress, magnesium plates

- woodcuts

- engravings (but need to teach myself)

- acrylic  and oil paintings

- watercolor paintings (maybe studies)

- pen and ink drawings