plein air

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"Walking the Dogs"

“Walking the Dogs”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. $750.00 USD

It is hard to tell this was started half an hour before sunset. The light was so unusual. The south shore was already socked in with pea soup fog as it came north on its way to envelope the entire Island. This north shore beach was not engulfed until after I had finished painting and hiked back to my car. At that point everything suddenly had a thick, damp blanket laid over it. Not unlike how a glassful of icewater on a warm summer’s day has minute water droplets all over the outside. Everything became immediately moist and muffled. Driving home, next to a south beach, was wipers on, lights on low and driving very slowly. Any deer could have walked out in front of me and only as it was hit would I have known it was there. I was grateful my gear and I made it back home safe and dry…

"Early Shadows"

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

I woke up early, very early for me, knowing this would be the perfect warm windless morning in which to create this painting. It has been in my mind for most of a year to do an early morning shadow painting down along the docks. It was an even better morning than I could imagine. The fishermen were not out and about as the season was still early. No pick ups driving back and forth with gear. No attitudes about the painter taking up the roadway. No shower of dust from the road bed as someone had to race by for who knows why. No trucks crowding out the view of the old fishing shacks. Just a great morning to be out painting here…

"Mates for Life"

“Mates for Life”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. $595.00 USD

These swans found me as I was wandering along this shore line contemplating what to paint . They floated from around the corner and seemed unconcerned with my activities of setting up. Of course it did help that I, well, we were in the lee of an ESE 6 mph breeze. The sun was cutting through the light cloud-cover and I felt toasty warm in just hat and vest for overclothes. As soon as I had the swans painted in position on my canvas the breeze swung to the NE, heading right at us. The birds swam on to another cove. I was grateful for my hooded parka in amongst my gear to get me through to the finish…

"Behind the Dune"

“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…

"Eggs For Easter"

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

With everyone talking about eggs this time of year I thought it appropriate to explore this subject in paint. Friends invited me over to their hen house for an up close visit. The flock was not so accommodating. Even though I set up far enough away from food, water and entrance/exit the ladies and their cox were having none of it. It wasn’t until Katherine came back in with bread and corn to feed them that I became just another fly on the wall…

"A Little Bit Of Heaven"

“A Little Bit Of Heaven”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

It felt like completion to paint a spring scene in the same place I had painted an autumn one just months ago.The garden was waking up on it’s own. Daffodils were arising in and out of beds. A pair of Canada geese appeared to be housekeeping on the far side of the home. They kept giving dirty looks and wouldn’t budge an inch. Crows were not so secretly preparing hidden nests in the tops of pines. The squirrels were constantly scolding for the interruption of their safe foraging routes across the lawn. Amidst honks and quacks ducks kept landing and taking off on the pond below. A little bit of heaven right here in our midst…

"Morning Bright"

“Morning Bright”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. $750.00 USD

Continuing with my daffodil obsession, I found this orange cup by a neighbor’s stonewall. I couldn’t paint it where it was or I would have been found run over by the side of the road. So I cut and brought it home to paint outside on the east porch (in a vase) with this actual wall and view behind it. Plein air, sort of, alla prima for sure…

"On The Pond"

“On the Pond”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. $750.00 USD

The first daffodils are out, but it was all rain the first day. I had to work from the van a couple of times to get them right. They are such optimists in the winter landscape. Always make my heart skip a beat upon first discovery!…

"Slices"

“Slices”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. $750.00 USD

A little fun in the kitchen last night…

"Table Rock"

“Table Rock”, this is a Small painting, 6″x 8″, oil on canvas panel. $750.00 USD

If this glacial boulder was tipped just a little bit less, it would look just like a flat table top. It sits in 3 to 6 feet of water in the tide zone of the north shore, within splashing distance of Split Rock to the east. I took notice of it when I did the painting of Split Rock last month. I had to wait for another windless, overcast day to go back as I was after the shadow/reflection in front of it on the water. In the summer months the proliferation of plankton and other sea life would not give the same beautiful shadow water color as winter water does. Today was good until the fog banks rolled in, the water turned dark and I had to abruptly pack up…

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