120 Paintings
- “It takes 120 bad paintings to know something about painting.” – Larry Seiler as quoted by Jeff Mahorney in his blog
- Each painting is small in format and should be completed in about an hour or less.
- My goals are to improve my technique, to paint faster, and to gain experience with a variety of subjects.
Easter Lily, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#2
Basil, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
(Basil sold at Muddy Creek Artists Guild show in June 2012)
#3
Shelley Coffee Pot, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#4
Spilled Coffee, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#5
Strawberries, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#6
Chives, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
Chives sold at First Sunday Annapolis, August 2012
#7
Sour Cherry, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#8
Catboat, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#9
Bosc Pears, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#10
Cat Boat II, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#10: This cat boat picture is sold.
#11
Ferns, watercolor, 3.5″ x 5.25″
#12
Hollyhocks, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#13
Tools of my Trade, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#14
Hydrangea, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
Hydrangea – sold
#15
Maryland Crab, watercolor, 7.25″ x 9.25″
#16
Silver Coffee Pot, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#17
Lemonade, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#18
Grandfather Clock, watercolor, 7.5″ x 3″
#19
Inside Grandfather Clock, watercolor, 7.5″ x 3″
#20
Clockworks, watercolor, 6″ x 4″
#21
Evening Sail, watercolor, 3.25″ x 8.25″
Evening Sail sold at First Sunday Annapolis, August 2012
#22
Maryland Capital, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
painted in plein air
#23
Storm, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#24
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Millsboro, DE
watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#25
Beach Days, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#26
Sea Oats, watercolor, 5.5″ x 7.5″
#27
Sunset Sail, watercolor, 4.5″ x 8″
#28
Purple Crocus, watercolor, 3″ x 5″
#29
Old Fashioned Doll, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#30
Autumn Produce, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#31
Herring Bay Sail, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#32
Splatter Tree #1, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#33
Splatter Tree #2, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#34
Splatter Tree #3, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#35
Winter Trees, watercolor, 6″ x 6.75″
#36
Acorns and Oak Leaves, watercolor, 5.25″ x 7.25″
#37
Herring Bay Sail (miniature), watercolor, 2.5″ x 3.5″
#38
Moonlit Sail (miniature), watercolor, 3.5″ x 2.25″
#39
#40
Standing Heron, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#41
Apple Pie (Red), watercolor, 8.5″ x 10.75″
#42
Holly (miniature), watercolor, 2.25″ x 3.25″
#43
A Light in the Darkness, watercolor, 8″ x 5″
#44
Resolve, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#45
Earthenware Jug, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#46
Pitcher in B&W, watercolor, 9″ x 12″
#47
Pitcher in Color, watercolor, 9″ x 12″
#48
Earthenware Jug #1, watercolor, 12″ x 9″
#49
Earthenware Jug #2, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#50
Blue Vase (#1), watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#51
Blue Vase (#2), watercolor, 12″ x 9″
#52
Pitcher, Bowl and Apple, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#53
White Pitcher and Apples (#1), watercolor 5″ x 7″
#54
White pitcher and Apples #2, watercolor 9″ x 12″
#55
Pitcher, Bowl, and Apples, watercolor, 9″ x 12″
#56
Red Bowl and Clementine(s), watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#57
Oranges in a Bowl #1,
watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#58
Oranges in a Bowl #2,
watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#59
Sketchbook Day #1, pen and ink with watercolor, 5″ x 7.5″
#60
Sketchbook Day #2, pen and ink with watercolor, 5″ x 7.5″
#61
Sketchbook Day #4, pen and ink with watercolor, 5″ x 7.5″
#62
Sketchbook Day #5, pen and ink with watercolor, 5″ x 7.5″
#63
Tidal Basin in Bloom, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#64
Tractor, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#65
Western View, watercolor, 8″ x 10″
#66
Misty Anchorage, watercolor, 5″ x &”
#67
Painting A Tree (?), watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#68
First attempt at painting a Magnolia flower, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#69
Dawn at “Ward’s Cove”, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#70
Bay Bridge at Annapolis, MD (cobalt blue), watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#71
Nancy’s Swing, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#72
Evening Races, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#73
Storm Coming, watercolor, 8″ x 6″
#74
Evening Skies, watercolor, 6″ x 8″
#75
Plow Anchor, watercolor, 3″ x 3″
#76
Tea With Cheri, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#77
Psalm 23: 1-2, watercolor, 8.5″ x 11″
#78
Glass of Wine and Grapes (Veritcal), watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#79
Glass of Wine and Grapes (Horizontal), watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#80
South River Bridge, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#81
Mount Baker from Hovander Homestead, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#82
Red Tree, watercolor, 7″x5″
#83
Autumn Morning on the Rhode River, watercolor, 6.5″ x 10″
#84
London Town Camellia, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#85
London Town Gazebo, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#86
London Town Gazebo #2, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#87
Colonial Cabin, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#88
Barn Wedding Site, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#89
Autumn Tree with Bench, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#90
A Light in the Darkness, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#91
Mist in the Mountains, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#92
Our Wood Stove, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#93
Sails at Sunset, watercolor, 4.5″ x 6.5″
#94
Peach Rose, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#95
Cherry Blossoms (2014), watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#96
Hibiscus, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#97
The Cherries Are Ripe!, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#98
Magnolia Blossom, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#99
Pink Hydrangeas, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#100
Faded Glory, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#101
Yellow Rose Card, watercolor, 4.5 x 6
#102
Barns in Broken Color, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#103
#104
Love Me or Leave (Leaf) Me, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#105
Autumn Oak, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#106
Autumn Birch, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#107
Autumn Red Oak, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#108
Farmhouse Tree, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#109
Autumn in the Mountains, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#110
Church platform idea, watercolor, 6″ x 9″
#111
Church platform idea #2, watercolor, 6″ x 9″
#112
Tropical!, watercolor, 5″ x 7″
#113
Magic in the Air, watercolor and gouache, 5″ x 7″
#114
Fanciful Firs, watercolor and gouache, 7″ x 5″
#115
Hilltop Spruce, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#116
The Beach at Rota, watercolor, 5″ x 13″
#117
Callejón San Vicente de Paul (Rota, Spain), watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#118
Seeing Red Makes Me Happy, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#119
Coneflower, watercolor, 7″ x 5″
#120
Pretty in Pink, watercolor, 13″ x 5″
#121
Primaterra Carrots, watercolor, 10″ x 8″
#122
Ruth Bailey, artist 
7 Responses to 120 Paintings
These are beautiful, I can only admire your skill, I tried water colour classes a few years back and I was hopeless, its so difficult to control!
My teacher, Gwen Bragg, used to comment that painting in watercolor was learning to love plan B! The difficulty with control is a matter of knowing how much water is involved at any one point, and there are several way to control that factor, although the mingling and running are part of what gives watercolor its appeal.
Really beautiful work, Ruth. Very inspirational!
Very nice 120 paintings I can see how you evolved wonderful!
I wish you were in California instead of so far away so I could take a class with you. I am a beginner and am having some difficulty with negative painting although the monochromatic ones I have done have struck a chord with me. I am trying the fanciful flower that you did from Linda Kemp’s book but as yet do not have the book so I got the information from your BLOG. Thanks for posting on the internet! You do inspire me and I am going to move to smaller paintings in order to finish more. I have been doing 11×15 but that is too big.
I loved looking at these. Your blog is so inspiring.
I discovered Jeff Mahorney’s blog many years ago, and it was both a revelation and an inspiration, as it in fact remains to this day, even though he doesn’t seem to paint anymore.
Of course, with all the noise in my head I couldn’t manage to emulate him. It took me, probably, about ten years before I finally completed 120 paintings. Since then I have completed many more, and I can still not paint like him (or you, for that matter), but there can be no doubt that his method works for inducing absolutely huge improvement.