Back in the day

Back in the day...I learned how to paint with oils. From 1987 to 2000 I painted exclusively with oils and most like my oils better than my watercolors. Most of my oils are hanging up in someones home but I still have some of my, "not so great ones" hanging around the house. For those artists that told me why don't you paint in oils. I can..I ahve "been there and done that" but watercolors free my soul...where oils cause too many problems for me, mainly my cat who walked all over the floor with "wet" feet and my kids who played finger painting with my art. So one day I may go back to iols, and honestly after trying watercolors, I must admit oils is much easier..artists who have went both ways know what I am talking about. Anyway here are some of my "not so great" oils I have left hanging around.

Butterflies and flowers watercolor painting

Watercolor paintings of flowers and butterflies.
Newest Commission for a company called Perception Pro. View or purchase this art at my gallery at
Watercolor Paintings

check out the Fine Art Original Watercolor Paintings swicki at eurekster.com

daisy chamomile flower painting

View or purchase this art at my gallery at
Flower Paintings

Light at Night 3 lighthouse painting

Another lighthouse tried to do this one with an evening nautical twilight theme. This was an experimentation with dark water, the light from the lighthouse and using gouche with the ends of the waves where they crash with the beach. View or purchase this art at my gallery at
Lighthouse Paintings

Cape Canaveral lighthouse Painting

Completed today. This is a weird lighthouse as the top is larger than the top of the structure, but I painted it as I saw it. I have to work on using less paint in my sky with watercolors. I prefer the light weightless effect and used too much paint for my taste in this one. This is located on Cape Canaveral where the Space Shuttle lifts off. Soon I hope to begin putting art on here as steps as classes. When I get the time. View or purchase this art at my gallery at
Paintings of Lighthouses

Sapelo Island lighthouse painting Georgia

My favorite Lighthouse painted this one today. I have painted this same lighthouse 3 times and I always enjoy it. Not many lighthouses have red in them and that makes this one unique. On the coast of Georgia off of Brunswick this Island is quiet, peaceful and abandoned except for the park ranger station and the place is gorgeous. I have sold the other paintings I painted of Sapelo Island. One was an oil and the other was a gigantic framed watercolor that I do not think I can ever duplicate. Watercolors when painting wet on wet are one of a kind. watercolors have a mind of their own when painting wet on wet but sometimes that uniques effect created is beautiful on it's own. View or purchase this art at my gallery at
Lighthouse Painting

First Post

I am new to the blog thingy, but I intend to use it a s a diary of my works and when I complete them, what inspires me, etc. Today I completed a commission for a woman from Los Angelos California. It is a still life flower watercolor painting called Lily of the Valley. It is here to my left. This blogger on google is cool...I am going to have fun with this.

Anyway, I started this painting as a drawing and drew all of the still life details. What is hard for me with watercolors is trying to keep the white...white...I love the way paintings look in watercolor with white it is just so difficult not to mess up the white while you are working.

I am getting better at it I believe. Practice makes perfect. I love tp paint watercolors. My wife loves this one and told me I better get her a print made of it before I send it off. I found a really nice place here in Melbourne Florida where they scan images up to 4 feet wide. I am going to make good use of them.

Derek McCrea

http://www.derekmccrea.50megs.com

US Army Infantry by Profession...

Visual Artist by Choice.