There’s a Potato Head in that Fruit Bowl!: Well it’s been 12 years since I last painted. So after I completed this, my 18th drawing in the last 2 years, I figured I would try out the watercolors. The good news is that you don’t forget how to paint, the bad news is that there is most definitely some rust! I enjoyed the painting though and I believe I will be doing more. This illustration is picking up on the humor theme I started in last month’s “The Rose vs. Wolverine,” by bringing some toys into these still lives that I arrange. I love Mr. Potato Head’s blank stare and smile.
Vampire Batman and the Gourds: Halloween is quickly approaching and I wanted to draw some cool looking gourds. I also wanted to keep the toy theme going from the last two months, so what better subject for this month’s illustration than Vampire Batman? I hope that you enjoy. Happy Halloween!
The Red Barn: For whatever reason, I woke up and had this image of a red barn in fall foliage in my head and it demanded to be painted. I found some reference and then started drawing and painting until it was done. Though it took awhile to paint, it is the quickest painting I’ve turned around in about 4 days. Like I said: “demanded”. I really enjoy the autumn colors in this one.
Point Judith Lighthouse: With temperatures finally getting really cold this past week, I am longing for just a little bit of that summer. I guess that’s the way that it goes: you always want what you can’t have. But with my latest illustration of the Point Judith Lighthouse in Narragansett, RI, I feel as though I’ve captured just a bit of summer. It warms me up.
The Octopus: I had mentioned to my son that this was going to be my next drawing while I was working on the Point Judith Lighthouse and all I kept hearing was, “Daddy, where’s the octopus? Daddy, why aren’t you painting the octopus?” So upon wrapping the lighthouse, I promptly began work on The Octopus. My son was thrilled to see me working on it and very happy with how it came out – so am I!
Block Island Southeast Light: Right now there’s a “Bomb Cyclone” brewing outside, promising to drop a foot of snow on us here in RI. It’s best to think warm thoughts – hopefully my latest illustration of the Southeast Light on Block Island helps!
Soul of Sonic: The Hedgehog: When this cute li’l ball isn’t being downright adorable, you can find him dying his fur blue, rapidly spinning in a ball and searching for chaos emeralds. This one is for my daughter who loves every animal out there – big or small. My wife and I refer to her jokingly as Elmyra from Tiny Tunes: “I’ll love them, and hug them and hold them forever!”
Newport Harbor Lighthouse: This illustration reminds me of my drives to and from Newport. Approaching the Newport bridge from Middletown revealed the glistening harbor that would be filled with boats in the summer. It was very picturesque. The illustration captures the Newport Harbor Lighthouse with the Newport bridge in the background.
Hoo Loves You?: My Valentine’s Day inspired illustration featuring a pen and ink owl with splashes of red watercolor.
The Rocket: Inspired by my kids who run around with a toy rocket they got for Christmas and the latest SpaceX rocket launches, this illustration ranks amongst my most challenging. Achieving the deep and dark blacks, blues and purples of space with watercolor certainly gave me pause throughout the process. I kept calling in my wife saying, “I don’t know if this one is going to come out…” But I kept with it and I am very pleased with the end result. And certainly, the kids are, too!
Warwick Lighthouse: Continuing with my illustrating trend of Rhode Island lighthouses, I have chosen the Warwick Lighthouse as my latest subject. This one is actually only about 25 minutes from where we live, so I took a drive and snapped a few photos for reference. It may be a gray winter day, but it’s perpetually summer inside that lighthouse.
Spring Flowers: After what has been an exceptionally long winter, it seems spring has finally spring and I am celebrating with this watercolor!
East Chop Lighthouse: This is a commission that I recently completed of Martha’s Vineyard’s East Chop Lighthouse. I usually work at around 10″x14″, but the requestor wanted it quite small at only 5″x7″. It was challenging getting all the detail in at the small size, and meant a special trip just for some smaller brushes and pens.
Narragansett Towers: As summer winds down, it’s fun to paint the Narragansett Towers that sit right on the water and captures the heart of summer in Rhode Island.
East Greenwich: Just about a month ago I was at Blu on the water in East Greenwich, RI and I snapped a bunch of photos of the boats on the water that would become the reference for this illustration. To mix it up, I inked this one with a Reed Pen and Indian ink, something I haven’t used in a very long time. There’s some rust, for sure, but I really love the way it amplifies the liquid feeling of the water.
Michael Pekala Art & Illustration 