I WORK EN PLEIN AIR, OUT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE… Welcome. I am back to painting again after a sabbatical that included a few pieces done for charitable fund raisers. I am continuing to make small, 6" x 8", landscape oils, but not every day. I am also working on larger pieces. Every time I finish a painting, I will place it here on my website. If you see something you'd like to purchase, email me. Thank you for enjoying my work and keeping me creating new pieces. Your interest stimulates and inspires me and has made me a better painter. Sign up for my emails and I will send you an image of each new painting. I love to paint and am happy to share my painting experience with you. Most of my work is impressionistic landscape oils, inspired by the beauty of the Island of Martha's Vineyard where I live.
You are currently browsing the monthly archive for January 2011.
“In Doc’s Hutch”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.
Having not regularly done a still life, this was a challenge. In someone else’s kitchen where I never painted before it was even more so especially with them all watching me create. Luckily, I was offered a glass or two of wine as I worked and the painting flowed smoothly out from under my brush…
“Break Out”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.
This was the painting I began over a week before, and then the trouble started. It was a very cold day to work outside and my paint started to act sluggish. I finished as quickly as I could on site. Then I put all away in my car and went off for a dusk stroll, hoping to hear an owl or two. Did I mention I also wanted to exercise my feet and hands so they would heat up before climbing into a cold car? I walked for a half hour. No owl calls, but I did warm my extremities. When I arrived home and made a quick dinner, my core was still cold. I felt a short nap under the covers before finishing this piece would set me to rights. But I went out like a light. No painting finished and when I awoke, next morning, I felt a cold coming on. I’ve been out of commission for most of the last week, but now that I am really ready to go out and paint again, it’s going to be in single digits for another day or two. Maybe some indoor still lifes are in order?…
“Tide Melts Snow”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. $750.00 USD
Snow came in during the night. By morning everything was covered by 4″ of white. Afternoon and the high tide melted all snow off of the marsh grasses. The island and lands all around were still laden with snow, but the bare naked marsh added an eerie dimension…
“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…
“Approaching Snow”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. $750.00 USD
I was going to do a painting of the western sunset sky, as it had a nice passage of evening light below the clouds. Yet, the drama was really the eastern view. The night’s snow storm was approaching. One of the darkest setting skies I had seen in a long time…
“Corn Snow”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. $750.00 USD
I had been scouting this field from afar since before Xmas. Since hunting season slowed down I decided it was safe to traipse through the cornfield to paint this one un-mowed part. The farmer must have left it standing to feed any local wild life. I only spotted a snow goose flying inquisitively overhead while I was painting. A passing lone dog walker and his sidekick stumbled upon me from behind the cedars. After a friendly greeting and informing me that I was in a no trespassing/hunting field, I finished up and found my way back via a longer, snowier route to my van…
“Waiting For Snow”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. $750.00 USD
It took me awhile to pick this view to paint as the light was so flat today. A few minutes into the work and small, slow snowflakes began falling. I moved quickly to finish, but had to call it a day when my palette started to have a snow drift in the corner….
“Wash And Wear”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.
Nothing like a sunny day with no breeze in the midst of winter. It was just warm enough to work without any gloves. Although, fast I did work with the waves rolling in next to me…
“Marsh Waters”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. $750.00 USD
There are certain areas of the marsh which are tidal pools. From high to low tide, they never fully drain off, but are replenished by the next high tide. Other areas have direct drainage through the marsh waterways to the rivers and thus to the ocean tides. These places will move from empty to overflowing and back again during each tide cycle. I enjoy the sky reflections on the tidal pools. It is as if a mirror was laid down in the dark grasses giving a strong contrast of light to dark as the daylight fails during the sunset hour…
“New Year’s Marsh”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. $750.00 USD
I continue to be fascinated by the marshlands here. Because of the private causeway which goes through the marsh, and is flooded at periods of high tide, at low tide I have direct access to the inner workings of this ecosystem. Otherwise I would be outfitted with hip boots or waders to get to the views available here. I am transfixed by the warm, golden sunset light on top of the grasses in contrast to the dark brooding edges of the waterways and the blues of sky and water reflections. Add to that the smokey blue/purple atmospheric haze of the distant shores and hills and the scenes dazzle the eye as the sun goes down…