Stewart Jones Art

I was out for an early morning walk and noticed lots of lily pads floating in a nearby pond. It was early and the water lily flowers had not opened up yet. I enjoy taking a canoe or kayak into the lake and paddle around in the lily pads. I usually have a fishing pole with me too. Water lilies open later in the morning and then follow the sun as it rotates through the sky. Then they close up in the evening and wait to do it again the next day. This painting is from a photograph I took recently. I was painting these two different flowers because one flower shows its reflection in the water and the other lily shows its shadows as they danced across the lily pads. Don't you think painting a dark dramatic background helps push lighter objects forward?

Everyday deserves a nice sunset and in Florida it happens quite often. My dream in life is to have a place where I can watch the sun go down every night; and still be young enough to paint it. But for now I will continue to travel to places where my views are not obstructed by houses and buildings. Sunsets was my lesson for last weeks watercolor workshop. I moved to Florida almost thirty years ago and took this photo of the three palms. Looking to the west at the southern tip of Merritt Island I watched the sunset many evenings and have quite a collection of photo references. This workshop emphasized how to paint the sunset and its reflections with the many variations of colors. Of course another lesson in painting palms was thrown in too. I have many sunset paintings that reflect the places I have watched the sun go down. And almost just as many sunrise paintings.

The Winter Paint Out is over for another year. It was a great event and the weather held out for us all week. There were lots of wonderful paintings turned in from a great group of accomplished artists. I did this painting of the Casa Feliz during the paint out. It was designed by James Gamble Rogers II (1901-1990) a well known architect of Winter Park. I wanted to paint a section of the historical building, but when I got there I did what I usually do and painted the whole building. This painting will make a nice wedding present for the many weddings that are held at the Casa Feliz.  SOLD