lighthouse

“Cloud Break”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

It felt like snow, but was just thick, tight clouds. I think they look denser in the winter air than in summer. When they leave, it really makes the sky brighten up in comparison…

“Fuller Street”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

I came into town to paint a friend’s garden, but the frost had beaten me to it. The lighthouse was just down the street…

“Collin’s Beach”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

I have worked on this for a few days. Each time I have gone there it has rained and I could only complete a small part of the whole. Luckily the light has pretty much been the same, and no one has wanted to go out in their boats. Today the sky opened just enough to show me its inner light…

“Last Light”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

I was back at this lighthouse finishing up a larger commissioned painting. When I looked up, I was forced into making this new painting. The reflective light was just too compelling to ignore…

“Storm Brewing”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

I saw this cloud bank come in and tried to figure out what foreground I could place in front of it. The storm was too far north of east to be able to think of any other place to drive to. Luckily it was very tall and very far away when first spotted. I was able to go home and get my paints and turn around and come back up to this end of the island to capture the full majesty of the clouds. I think I had about an hour to get everything in before it began to rain and I had to quit…

“Out To Sea”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

It was a cloudy day with an almost unnoticeable sunset. The dusk colors were delicate as the blue went into purple then darkness. When cars drove by with headlights on and it ruined my viewing, I knew it was time to quit…

“On A Clear Day”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

I have a commission to do a painting of this lighthouse and decided to do a small one for my daily piece as well. As I was packing up for the night, the Coast Guard Station Chief came out (that’s his residence attached to the lighthouse) and introduced himself to me. He was curious to see what I had done all afternoon. Then he made me an offer I can’t refuse. He gave me his cell number and said anytime I’d like to come onto the grounds and paint to give him a call. I guess I will try to do one or two more from different angles later in the fall…

“Night Light”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

It was a gorgeous July day, but I could not get to my paints until late. Since it was the beginning of the long holiday weekend, a picnic was in order. Robin created a Pan Bagnat stuffed with smoked bluefish and a bottle or two of oatmeal stout was acquired to wash it down (and to keep my brush hand limber!). A light house was included for some local color and the striking sunset closed down the day, and then the mosquitoes arrived…

“Cool Spring Waters”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

A well wrapped bicyclist passed me as I worked at the edge of the pavement. She mumbled something about seeing the last of the snow clouds for the season. She could have been right as the breeze and the temperature had me working on all cylinders to keep up my body heat. Those clouds sure were purple as the sun slid over the horizon…

“Cape Schanck Light”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. $500.00 USD

My brother, John, and I went for a drive-about my last weekend in Australia to the southern tip of the Mornington Peninsula, due south of Melbourne. It is a rugged coast with sand and an overlay of ancient lava from past volcanic activity. We stopped long enough for me to paint this lighthouse. Moseying onward we got out and followed a rolling hill path to a seaside overlook. Discovering 200 well heeled revelers way out ahead of us on an ocean bluff, we turned to go and nearly walked into the bride and bridesmaids. They were in full attire gently gliding down the footpath to make her grand entrance. Farther along our journey, we found a helmeted man hanging onto a pair of wings about to jump from a cliff into a stiff headwind. He survived and soared off into the wild, blue yonder…

“Lightening Up”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

This was the tail end of the storm, a true Nor’easter. The wind was gusting to at least 50. Even inside the car painting, it was rocking. I made a sketch and some mental notes, but had to finish in the studio. I wanted to capture the low light before darkness. That always creates a problem because it does get dark fast then…

“North of the Light”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

I found this view last time I was painting the light house. I didn’t factor in the wind and wind chill when I went two evenings ago. My friend Donald loaned me a bright yellow/green rain slicker to announce myself properly to any hunters about. He was especially concerned as he spotted a buck with a good rack creeping away from me as I entered the underbrush. I found my spot, set up and started right in only to have my easel fall into me as I bent over to clean a brush. Fixing that, I went on working until the gusts came in again. I lasted about an hour before light and breeze had me wanting to go home. Wind chill was in the low 20º’s and I had a bit of a time following my path back thru the underbrush in the low light of the afterglow. But, like always, it was a fun outing just to experience the air and evening light…

“Light On The Backside”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

A sweet afternoon of warm sun and breeze until the light air turned into wind and the sun, shadow. Upon reaching the van I found I was wearing 2 shirts, a fleece, a vest and windbreaker. But I was happy to have caught this image early, in the warmth of the day. I probably never would have considered this view if it had not been for the tumbling shadows on the hill side…

“Light At The Head”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. $500.00 USD

I haven’t painted with another painter since, maybe, May. Partly because I never know where I am going to go. And partly because cell service is so bad up-island that I couldn’t say where I was when I got there. Today was different. My old friend and painting partner, Cheri, came out with me. It still didn’t stop me from driving around in circles stopping and looking to find THE place. However, when we got there, we KNEW it! We had a lot of fun painting and talking. She has been painting in the studio all year on mostly large canvases and has been dying to get outside to work and I am really ready to go into my studio and work on larger pieces. So we were able to compare lots of ideas with each other while we worked. And, of course, the sun did not disappoint us…

“Heaven Light”, this is a small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

It rained for many days. This was the closest to blue skies we have had. However, I had to wait until the very end of the day for the sky to rent. Then the colors came tumbling out. Anticipated and welcomed on many levels…

“Shadows Cast”, this is a small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

A fun painting was this. The day was gray when I started. Past the halfway finished point, the sun broke in with evening warmth. I had to walk down the street a bit and mentally regroup to be able to come back and repaint with this delicious light. Life changes and when you are ready, you may, too.

“Cat Boat”, this is a small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

I went down by the lighthouse to try to paint some of the large sailboats here for the Edgartown Regatta. My timing was off, but I was able to captured two cat boats returning to the harbor…

“Light From Afar”, this is a small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

This was a safe place out of the WSW wind today. I remained up on top of the bluff to enjoy the elevated view of the coming sunset. Unfortunately clouds on the far horizon obscured most of it. The lead up to sunset was what I concentrated on and it was the better choice. I had a dryer sheet under my baseball cap to help ward off the mosquitos. Despite wearing a short sleeve shirt and a 1/2 mile walk back to the van through deep woods, thicket and marsh at dusk, I only got one bite the whole way. Maybe these dryer sheets really do work…

“Shadows Shorten”, this is a small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

I was out the door very early trying to capture the late setting, almost-full moon. Finally at this west end of the island, I still couldn’t line it up with anything worth while without lying about it. (That means more than just using my artistic license!) So I stumbled up the stairs to the observation area to look out on the dawn fishing fleet down below and the moon as it fled towards N. Y. City. There, the lighthouse looked kind of cool all in shadow…

“Power Boat”, this is a small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

This part of the Island was not fogged in at 6 p.m. as most of the rest was. The skies behind the light were dramatic and fleeting as arms of fog swept in and out before it settled on me just before sunset. Things started to get moist as I packed up my gear in the muffled evening light…

“Out of the Blue”, this is a small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

This was a beautifully sunny day as I set up to paint. A storm front came in. I got wet before I could get my paints safely into the car. The clouds were intense to look at, complete with thunder and lightning and a rainbow at the end…

“Fog on the Chop”, this is a small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

The ocean air and the land air have not been at equilibrium. Fog has washed over for 2 days at a near constant pace. Colors are amplified, if they are close by, or muted farther away against the graying mists. Paints, canvas and gear becomes damp if out too long in the dripping air…

“Dusk Light”, this is a small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

This is one of the rare views of the Gay Head Lighthouse with a sunset backdrop. Most public viewing is from the south or west of the light. With close to 30 pounds of gear, it is a 1/3rd of a mile hike downhill from parking at 190 feet above sea level to near sea level and then back uphill again. Always great to get there and great to get back to the van before dark sets in. No coyotes passed me on my return that I could see. A few bats flew across my path, but I relish their presence as they are mosquito vacuums with wings! If I have judged everything correctly, the light should be good when I get there and the wind will not be funneled up the path directly at me. This evening was a sweet night down there…

“Behind the Dune”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

A wonderful warm spring day found me up on a dune enjoying a favorite view. The waves lapped lazily down below while birds could be heard behind me claiming territory and calling mates. A jogger drifted past from on the beach exchanging pleasantries. And then I was alone with my paints and thoughts and the beauty of it all…

“Over Misting”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

This is a slightly different perspective on the Lighthouse because it was another paint from inside my van day. It was breezy and raw outside. Then the mist came in and shrouded the far shore. My windows became coated with millions of tiny droplets of water. It was time to finish and head home…

“The Light in Snow”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

I had to miss a few days of painting with this cold I caught. Today my cabin fever got the best of me. I preheated the van, bundled up and drove to the light to capture it in the snow from the driver’s seat. I didn’t realize until the daylight was fading that the snow would help illuminate the beams of the lighthouse. It was a pleasant surprise…

“Off Season”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

Another moist day painting in the van parked on the edge of Collin’s Beach. To my right, maintaining their formation even as I paralleled parked 4 feet next to them was a lute of mallard. After an hour of painting, the radio shut off. I found I had left the ignition on and forgot the headlights were also on. Drat… I leaped out of the car and approached a nearby fisherman bailing out his scallop boat and asked for a jump. As much as I hated doing it, the last half of the painting I had to do with the motor running to recharge the battery…

“Winter Light East Chop”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

Despite snow early in the day, the sun came back out and gave a nice showing toward nightfall. I was able to work on the reflected sunset light as it bounced off the edge of the lighthouse…

“Winter Watch”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

I’ve not painted this view in a winter version before. The colors, although subdued, are kind of exciting compared to the greens of the warmer seasons. All was going well until just before dusk. When the scene was getting darker and dimmer, for some reason, my canvas was getting lighter and brighter, in a bad sort of way. I looked around and a sodium vapor street light was just warming up above me. So I came back a second evening to finish without help of the street light…

“Storm Light”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

This painting required a windless day for me to be able to stand out on the observation area on top of the Gay Head Cliffs. I was also able to view the approaching rain storm behind me as it blew in from the west. But my vantage point did me no good. The rain came in faster than I had anticipated. I got wet while packing up my equipment for the hasty retreat back to the parking lot. However, it was such a great day and place to paint that I returned and did a second painting around sunset…

“Out And About”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

Today felt like a rigid, structured day. What better subject to match my feelings with than a light house. The light has those soft curves to it and the contrast of black and white. While the house has all that angularness and sharp corners, but with the color complements of red and green. The landscape horizon with a tiny stopping point of sail and boat give a sense of the grandiosity of the reach of the light. And I feel better now…

“Day Lighthouse”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

It was a beautiful early fall day to paint the light. There were fleeting clouds passing by all afternoon. Not only did they act as background, but they also kept me from getting too sunburned. There were ripe blackberries in the bushes to eat when I needed a break. And the poison ivey was turning orange and red to warn me away from itself. I thoroughly enjoyed my painting time there…

“Reflecting”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

This recently painted lighthouse still has the reflective quality of the new paint at sunset. With 2 regattas going on this weekend, I had lots of sailing ships pass me by as I painted….

To purchase, please click Go to my eBay auction, Bidding starts at $100.00 US.

“Evening at the Light”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

This is the lighthouse everyone wants to paint because it has such character and demeanor. However, it is not so easy to capture on canvas, as the open area around it is small and hard to give a good perspective on water and tower. I have always liked cropping my lighthouses every once in a while. It makes them a little more mysterious and forces me to concentrate on the volume of the cylinder…

“Fog Rolls In” , this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

Subtle colors come out on gray, rain threatening days. There are no sharp shadows, sometimes no shadows at all to truely define an object. Shapes become flat, seemingly without volumn. Definition has to come from other means on gray days…

“Snow, Light”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

Another start in the car painting and finish in the studio…

“Lighthouse, Boat Ramp”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. $500.00 US

I didn’t know what I would find when I drove out to Eel Pond, view or wind wise. The sun was near setting and was illuminating and reflecting off of the Chappaquidick Lighthouse on the Eastern horizon. Light was reflected back to contrast against a low lying cloud bank such that the lighthouse was literally full of light…

“Moon Rise”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

The moon rose and the sunset…

“Up Island Light”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

Another well thoughout painting started in bright sunlight, except the clouds and overcast conditions moved in minutes later…

“Full Sail, W. Chop”, this is a Medium painting, 16″x 20″ oil on canvas, unframed. This painting has SOLD.

This is a larger version of the of the West Chop Lighthouse, from a slightly different perspective than yesterdays’ painting. Sometimes I like to paint this view with both Coast Guard houses in it and other times with just one. On this particular day I lucked out with an actual appearance of the classic schooner, “Shenandoah”…

“Weather Astern”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

I visited the Lighthouse to work on a larger painting, but the light was off for what I had in mind. Yet it was perfect for this small painting…