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"Winter Marsh, Sengekontacket"

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

The sign by the parking lot said this was a duck hunting area this month. There were no other vehicles about. I parked and walked the short distance to the boat launch. No sooner was I at the water’s edge than bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang from the opposite shore. I guess either the time was ripe to fire or I had just stirred up a flock of ducks, or someone was really mad that I had appeared upon the scene. Luckily shot gun pellets could not travel that far, but it sure was loud. I walked back to my van as it started to drizzle and proceeded to back up to the water so the driver’s side was facing where I wanted to paint. I got out to put my gear from back seat to front and bang bang bang again. I never did see any ducks take to the air. Maybe they were all dead or the hunter was still mad. I managed to bag this view without further incident except for the on and off rain drops…

"On The Boat"

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

While wandering about on the north shore of the island, I came upon a marshy area which was off limits to deer hunting. As I don’t have any hunter orange to wear, I have been exceedingly careful during the 2 weeks of shotgun season to stay in and around any of the town areas. This exile from the larger wooded and open areas and wilder shorelines has helped me reevaluate points of interest I have been to and painted before but have never fully explored. This particular spot looks right out onto the ferry run and into the hole between Naushon Island and Falmouth, known as Woods Hole. It is a treacherous passage for motor and sailing vessels as the tides suck through the narrow channels between Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay, with rock edges and ledges constricting the narrow channel even more. To make it a bit more challenging for a boat, ferries lumber into and out of the port there almost every hour all day and into the evening darkness with little room to maneuver should an errant ship be in the wrong place at the wrong time trying to fight through a tidal surge, foul tide or heavy breeze. The title of this piece is the message most texted, emailed and/or called to one’s island family and friends after a long, white knuckled, car or bus ride racing through all sorts of traffic to get to the ferry on time. Drivers have been known to drive at 90 mph from NYC most of the way to Woods Hole, MA so as not to miss the last boat across, and you know who you are…!

"Distant  Dunes"

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

Out of the breeze in a sunny location with Africa just over the far dunes (thousands of miles away), I studied one of my favorite trees. Its leaves, I thought, were brown, in reality were a dark shade of red. As the sun popped in and out between the clouds, the leaves turned on and off from illuminated red to a duller red/brown…

"In The Autumn"

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

The temperature has been dropping along with rain and leaves as the color of the land slowly changes from greens, reds, golds, oranges, browns to lavenders and grays. The setting sun, although moved from north of west to south of west still casts its charm upon the unsuspecting evenings. Drab views attain a golden radiance at this hour, mostly unsurpassed in summer months. Sights, unseen in green, now come slowly forth as the backbone of the ridges, hills and vales appear. As we dream about our gardens past, the season shifts and we are thankful, once again…

"Along The Way To Squibnocket"

“Along The Way To Squibnocket”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

The glacier left Chilmark a roly-poly landscape full of kettle holes, drumlins and clay and rock. The boulders, rocks and erratics have been put to use as split granite fence posts, foundations and chimney stones. The most visible of all uses are the stonewalls. Some farmers would have fun in the winter months with sticks of dynamite. They would blow up the larger boulders to make more manageable for walls and jetties. Walls like this one, high on a hill, were made with spaces between the stones to accommodate the gales and keep the walls still standing. It also did not hurt that it cost few stones to make the walls. If you were a rabbit, raccoon, otter or muskrat you would also appreciate the porosity of these boundary markers…

"Hanging Out"

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

I had to come back to the farm. These pigs were just too exciting not to paint, especially against the old red of the barn. However, I received the cold shoulder this time. They were fed earlier and just couldn’t care less about anything else right now. If I had the remains of a fine catered event to munch on, I probably could care less, too!…

"Holly Farm Barn"

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

This is one of my favorite older barns. It is still standing in good shape, not made of corrugated metal, has that barn red doors and trim and matching shingles. An added surprise was finding 2 large pigs living in and around the building. I quickly made new friends. As the painting progressed, they came back from a leisurely acorn jaunt in the woods. They wallowed in the muddy swamp right behind me to better observe my painting technique…

"Always Ready"

“Always Ready”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. $750.00 USD

It was a warm, breeze filled day. Down at sea level in the corner of the pond, I found this row boat waiting for me to paint. Sometimes, there is the danger of the boat’s owner appearing and rowing off. Today was not one of those times…

“Dinghy Dock”

"Dinghy Dock"

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

I have been photographing these dinghies all summer, to study them and to remind me to go back and paint them. Now that summer is over, their ranks have been thinning. All of the ugly inflatable ones have been put away, leaving me the more classic types to paint…

"Sailing Camp To West Chop"

“Sailing Camp to West Chop”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. $750.00 USD

While the sunset, one of the ferryboats ventured out of the harbor. The sky glowed as it turned to dark…

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