Early Morning Inspiration

It is funny when inspiration finds you. Today that was at 3 am as I lay in bed. Just that evening i had prayed that GOD would inspire me both as a person and an artist. Then at 3 am I awoke with my head spinning with ideas. Yeah, be careful what you ask for. Lol, just kidding I was happy to have my prayer answered. After laying there for 15 minutes trying to go back to sleep I got up thinking this is what you asked for and it might not be here in the morning. Thank you God for the inspiration and the kick in the pants to get up. Well I have one tournament design done and now writing this. I hope for many more inspired mornings. Hopefully with a few good night sleeps mixed in there.

Fineartamerica.com Hibisus and Surf sponsor

I am now sponsoring the Hibiscus category on Fine Art America.

Check out this page: hibiscus art

And:  surf art

Here is a direct link to my hibiscus gallery.
Adam Johnson Hibiscus Gallery

Idea House Water Color

Watercolor 3.5" x 7"

Watercolor of the 2009 Southern Living Magazine Idea House located in Port Aransas, TX 78373

My New Website

Hi everyone,

My new website is up and running.  It still has some bugs to work out, but I really hated the old site and uploaded the new one.

The website is www.adamjohnson.us

I will be uploading more art to the blog today as well.

Big Wave Rider on Palm

Acrylics on Palm - 10" x 4"

Surfer on a big wave painted using non-toxic acrylic paint pens.  I have wanted to paint on some palm for a long time and finally have.    I like the way they turned out.  Now to figure out how I am going to display them. I know I can put them in a shadow box, but I also like the informal look of the rough edges with out the framing around it.  Keep checking it out here, I have more of these to post.

Working on my webite

Sorry I have not posted in a few days.  I have been working on reprogramming and designing my personal art website.  I am still doing art everyday.  I will  be uploading the new site probably tomorrow, and I will post a link to it then.  Keep checking this post to see the surf art I am adding today.

Majestic Coral Reef

Coral Reef 15" x 20"

My love for scuba diving is showing again with this piece. This is was made using soft pastels on Canson rough watercolor paper.  Most people ask me why I did pastels on watercolor paper.  Well, it is for that wonderful rough texture.  The texture comes through in the rendering and adds a dimension you don't get with regular pastel paper.  I will say that it does use up more of your pastels and is more time consuming, but to me it is worth it for the finished effect.

Turkey Tails

Turkey Tails 11" x 15" Watercolor

This is a watercolor of turkey tail fungus found on the side of rotting trees.  I know it doesn't sound very nice, but the fungus is actually beautiful.  There are lots of tones of yellow, orange, red and browns.  When you see those colors against a backdrop of green it pops.  This painting is of a set my girlfriend and I saw while hiking in some woods in Pennsylvania.

New Watercolors

I said I would post some recent watercolors once I hooked up my scanner to the laptop.

Well, it is hooked up and here are some new paintings.

Clown Fish Watercolor 3.5" x 5.5"

 

Butterfly Fish Watercolor 3.5" x 3.5"

 

Once again I am in to the tropical fish.  I think I will do some surf paintings now.

The Brown Pelican

Acrylics on canvas board.  8"x 10"

 

I got some new acrylics, and a travel art case as a gift, so I had to try them out.  Here is a brown pelican sitting on Station Street Pier.  The paints had good color and were easy to use.  They had a glossy shine to them that I dont normally have.  They looked more like oils when dried.

Playing in Charcoal

Had some fun playing in charcoal. It is a great way to get loose, and work fast. Charcoal help to work on a composition. More to come soon.

Island Days Sketchbook

Sketchbook Cover - Paint Pens 9"x12"

Ok, I have been wanting to do this for a while, so I finally did it. I painted the front cover of one of my canvas covered sketchbooks. I had a blast doing it, and now every time I see by sketchbook I can't wait to put something in it. I highly suggest everyone do paint the front of their sketchbooks. It is a great way to inspire you when you need and artistic pick me up.

Today's Update:

I went to the sand dunes and did two watercolors. It was nice to be sitting there under an umbrella, listening to the ocean, feeling the salty breeze, and doing artwork. I will be posting today's pieces soon, I just need to hook the laptop to the scanner.

Well, I am off to dinner and then back to work making more art.

Butterfly Fish

8" x 10" Acrylics on canvas.

Well, I am feeling the fishies again. I am a scuba diver and am fascinated by all the pretty fish. Here are some butterfly fish. I love how their patterns when in a school make it where you can't tell what is going on.

In my next post will be some more surf art. Well, I am off to do some plein air painting. I thinks some watercolors will be fun today.

Island Summer

"Island Summer" Paint Pens 5"x 10"

I have always liked how bright and bold a lot of surf art is. Here is a piece I did to to share that feeling. Drew Brophy inspired art.

Hungry Crab

16" x 20" pastels done on heavy textured watercolor paper.

This one has been sold and is now in a private collection in San Antonio, TX. Soft pastels are a lot of fun, but also very messy.

I always have been fascinated by the ocean and the creatures in it. I chose the crab for this because I am amused by them. Crabs almost seem like cartoon characters to me. I guess that is why there is one in Spongebob. Not a fan of that cartoon, however.

Yellow Hibiscus

The "Yellow Hibiscus" is 4' x 6' done in acrylics on canvas.
I painted this piece for the Southern Living 2009 Idea House Tour.
You can see it in person in the Cinnamon Shores development located in Port Aransas, TX.

Color experts believe that yellow increases self-esteem and strengthens overall well-being. It is happy, bright, optimistic and is impactful to home decor. Add a splash of yellow to your home to let the sunshine year round.

Egret Triptych

These paintings are 8" x 10" each. They are acrylics on canvas. I had a lot of fun doing these and are still some of my personal favorites. They have been sold and are in a private collection.

The egret is the symbol of the National Audubon Society and represents a conservation success story. These birds were severely hunted for their plumage and is why the National Audubon Society got started.

See My Art in Person

I currently have my stuff showing at the Southern Living Magazines 2009 Idea House tour in the Artisan Village, located in the Cinnamon Shores development in Port Aransas, TX.

The village is open Wednesday - Saturday 11A.M. to 5 P.M. and Sunday 1P.M. to 5P.M.

I hope to see you there.

My Insperation

Sand mud castle made by my girlfriend and I.

I started this blog to share my art and the passion behind it. It is not easy for me to articulate the thoughts of my heart, so I draw and paint them instead. My art is mostly inspired by the beauty of the Lord's art. His creations are so perfect that they almost seem unreal at times. I pray that through my art I can bring praise to GOD.