Stone House Watercolor Portrait - Cincinnati

“Attention is the most basic form of love.
By paying attention we let ourselves be touched by life,
and our hearts naturally become more open and engaged.”

― Tara Brach

After posting photos of my last house portrait in our neighborhood Facebook group, I received a message from a neighbor asking if I would paint their house too.  He told me his address and when I looked it up I was so excited to see this was the house!  This is one of my favorite houses in the neighborhood.  I have always loved the massive stone facade and the gorgeous arches.  I also particularly like the aqua-blue verdigris color of the exposed rafters and gabled window.  The combination of that color with the orange-red of the tile roof makes me swoon. 

I asked my architect friends what the style of the house was and they said that "the house has some Mediterranean influences, but is basically an eclectic expression, typical to the pretty free-flowing fashions of the 1890s/early 1900s" and it could be described as a "rustic country villa."  

Below you can see some progress photos.  I always start by inking in my pencil sketch with a Micron pen and then slowly build up my color layers.

Once all the colors are laid in, the fun begins.  I keep darkening the colors until the house starts to pop.

If I have the time, I like to tinker with it for a couple days.  I work on it, then take a break, and when I come back I see something that needs more work.  I keep returning until I don't see anything that needs touching up.  It is best to give it time and go slowly until finally, it doesn't need anything else.  

Now, when I am on my walks I am starting to feel like I really know the houses in my neighborhood.  When I pass one that I have drawn, I feel like I am passing by an old friend who I used to know very well.  A friend who I have studied very closely and my eyes have taken in their every nook and cranny.  Perhaps, an old lover would be a better analogy.  Because, when I think about it, drawing these old homes (or anything for that matter) is an act of love.  Giving something your full attention and spending time with an object (or person) is certainly devotion.  And this kind of appreciation most certainly precipitates love in the case of me and these old homes.  I didn't think I could love my neighborhood more, but painting these portraits has shown me a deeper way...a delightfully slow and observant way. 

“When I slow down, I can dive deeper—and that’s how I prefer to live.”
— Cait Flanders  

“In an age of speed, I began to think,
nothing could be more invigorating than going slow.
In an age of distraction,
nothing can feel more luxurious than paying attention.”
— Pico Iyer