The football season has about a month to run, but this is probably my last football painting of the year (maybe).

College football will wrap things up tomorrow night with the big game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Florida Gators. It’s some bowl somewhere, but I have lost track of the name or place. It’s really the national championship game, and that’s about all you need to know.

In honor of these two teams, I have deviated from the usual orange and crimson and donned these players with the colors of those schols — more or less.

The catch — 10 x 14 watercolor

Price: Not priced (make an offer)

About the painting

I had this sheet of watercolor paper in a stack of paper, and I’m not sure of the brand. It must be pretty cheap (Strathmore, maybe) because of the way the color surrounding the player has dotted up. That part of the painting was thoroughly wet when I painted it, and that is a characteristic of cheap paper. Still the figures turned out fairly well, and color within them is bold and has a range of values. So, all in all, I am pleased with the way this one turned out.

My wife says I should do more still lifes. So, that’s one of my New Year’s resolutions: “Do more still lifes.”

Here’s the first:

I gave my wife a Waterford crystal vase for Christmas. We moved into a new house this fall, and we have a dining room in the front of the house that gets a lot of morning sun. I thought the vase would look good there, catching a lot of sun rays.

Sally bought a couple of roses, set it all in the middle of her grandmother’s diningr oom table, and I got inspired. I did one painting, which was ok, but I wasn’t satisfied with the background, so — in a rarity for me — I did it again. I am more satisfied with this one.

I need more practice at this still life thing.

About the painting

The paper for this painting comes out of a book of Daler-Rowney 200 lb. paper that I caught on sale at the end of the summer. The paper is very nice to work with — good absorbancy and transparency both.

8 x 10 watercolor, 200 lb paper

(The painting is a bit brighter than it shows up in this photo.)

Price: Not for sale