Stewart Jones Art

On opening day of the Winter Park Paint Out I did a watercolor demonstration in the gardens. Demonstrations aren't the easiest thing to do. I had the honor of showing thirty viewers how I go about creating a watercolor painting en plein air. I was emphasizing how I think in terms of abstract shapes while painting layers in different values. After two hours of talking and non-stop painting I had finished my demonstration. I think it went pretty good as only one person got up and left before I finished. I previously painted this scene a week before as I felt I should practice before I preformed in front of an audience. Doing a painting demonstration seems just like acting in a theatrical performance, including the butterflies. Winter Park Paint Out

Last weekend I painted on location at The Artistic Hand in Ovideo. Beautifully situated, this is a best-kep secret in the area. It is a quaint little artist's shop in this historic house in old downtown Oviedo. They have been here for quite a few years, giving classes in art and ceramics behind the house, and selling the pieces of local artists in the front. They have paintings, jewelry, ceramics, and sculptures for sale. Much better choices than the chain stores that import their goods from overseas. 407-366-7882 353 N Central Ave Oviedo, FL 32765  SOLD

I can't resist the temptation to paint a boat. I even find them more interesting when they are not in the water. This 32-foot boat named "Liberty" was recently pulled out of the water and put up on stands in Monroe Harbour Marina . Just a short walk to my studio. First, I asked the Harbour Master for permission to paint inside his property so I could get a closer view of the rigging. For this painting, I started with the sky, then moved into the foreground and painted the sandy dirt. Next I put some colors into the white of the hull an added the dark green underside. I finished the painting by adding the middle ground behind the boat and adding the riggings and stripes. This was a plein air study for a larger painting I plan to complete in my studio. I was told the boat belongs to a man named Santa and he was fixing it up to sell. Maybe I'll just put it on my Christmas list.

Each year for the past five years I have been invited to paint at Disney's EPCOT World Showcase as part of the Flower & Garden Festival. This event is always a lot of fun. Where else do you get to paint with thousands of people walking by and talking with you about your art. I really enjoy the kids who stop to watch me work on a painting. They like to talk about the art that they have created and what their plans are for their future. This painting is of the Tea Cottage in the Great Britain Pavilion. I used my artistic license to eliminate the other buildings that were next to the cottage. Choosing to put the cottage into a landscape setting instead having urban architectural buildings next to it. A person I met at the show said this was her favorite building in EPCOT. She purchased the painting and I shipped it to her home, back in Oregon.