Friday, May 29, 2009

"Dance Hall"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

Another new painting, also a personal favorite - it was one that flowed and I love that feeling. From the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC - a woman admiring Edgar Degas' 'Four Dancers'.

Please click here for a larger view.




Thursday, May 28, 2009

"Peaceful Read"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite

A quiet, peaceful read in my local public library.

Please click here for a larger view and purchase information.



Wednesday, May 27, 2009

"Breaking News"

6-3/4 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

As I was updating my website, I realized I had not posted several new paintings on this blog. Including the above piece done for the May show at Howard/Mandville. It is a personal favorite of mine - perhaps for its handsomeness, the warm greys and browns, the rare image of someone reading a real newspaper.... I am very fond of this painting.

Please click here for a larger view.



Tuesday, May 26, 2009

"Sharp Right"

4 x 4"
oil on masonite
sold

From a way-back road in the farmlands outside of Lancaster - someone's little slice of heaven with beautiful trees and a tire swing to boot. I thought it odd there was a yellow line telling me to stay in my lane but no warning sign of the sharp right ahead. Goofy.



Sunday, May 24, 2009

"Fabricated"

10 x 2-7/8"
oil on masonite
sold

I titled this new painting Fabricated for two reasons - I started with a bright red panel and a black & white photograph and basically invented the colors of the landscape. Not an easy task. The end result seemed to resemble rolling hills of fabric, which I love. Also the current challenge on my Different Strokes From Different Folks blog.

From the Amish farmlands of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.



Saturday, May 23, 2009

"Tinted Windows"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

I couldn't help but see most of the landscape and structures as an Edward Hopper painting - this new piece may show the influence of his work - the stark surfaces, angles, shadows and a struggle to stay fairly simplistic. I was so enamored with these windows, each had their own color combination, multitudes of warm/cool grays.



Thursday, May 21, 2009

"Outfield"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

Continuing on with my road trip series, fresh sights from the Lancaster & Brandywine Valley in Pennsylvania - I hope you enjoy many new works coming up - including this new piece, a quiet, peaceful homestead and farm tucked back in the fields. I squinted a lot when I drove around the farmlands - at times the glare took over and what was in the distance was barely visible. As much as I wanted a clear, blue sky all the time, those gray/green/blue/white skies allowed for the slightest of color to pop out. Especially the greens of the fields.



Tuesday, May 19, 2009

1863 Miles & 8 States Later


Call me nuts but I love long road trips. I love to pack more clothes than I'd ever need and I want to bring my own pillows. A couple of years back, all the stupid hotel executives around the country decided to use these worthless, short pillows - I just don't get it. Same day they decided to use these ridiculous coffee makers that brew one cup at a time. They should have asked me first.

I left Georgia on a beautiful day, used South Carolina & North Carolina highways, stopped in Asheville to drop off a few new paintings to 16 Patton and headed north, thru the Blue Ridge Mountains.




I passed thru Tennessee briefly then hit the long Virginia highway thru the Shenandoah Valley. Beautiful ride. Despite the constant presence of law enforcement, I boogied on - passing thru West Virginia and Maryland briefly then entering Pennsylvania and reaching Lancaster, my destination.

Why Lancaster? It's time to fulfill a need to paint more landscapes - and to really understand how to paint depth - trees - rural structures .... all of that. The southeast is thick with forests without those open fields and rolling hills. And I remember that land in PA - growing up around Philly my parents loved a Sunday drive around Delaware and Chester County. I simply desired it again.

The first morning was equally as lovely as the day before. Lucky me. My only plan was to drive and take it all in. Learn something. No, I didn't bring my paints and for the first time, I understood why some artists prefer to paint on the spot. I saw values that defined depth and distance. Color choices that would really matter. But I'm taking it all in like a sponge as I snap away.



Just had to include this monster whatever-it-is. It was like a Transformer just casually coming down the road - and no one seemed to be disturbed by it. Life in the country.




What really blew me away were the farms. The rows of produce, dirt, wheat... all kinds of greens and browns. My brain saw abstract paintings constantly. Trees were different, the dirt was different, flowers that had bloomed weeks ago in Georgia were everywhere. Lovely.



Ten hours later I quit. I could have gone another five - it was that stimulating. Very inspiring.

The next day was rain - Mother Nature was telling me to slow down and rest. So I headed east to the Brandywine Valley, had a couple of hours to kill and revisited Longwood Gardens before I called it a day. Superior place. Thank you DuPonts.



The following day I met up with a friend, took in the landscapes of Pennsylvania and Delaware - where you would immediate recognize what Andrew Wyeth painted - stone-covered homes, farms tucked in the trees, grassy fields. Very picturesque and cozy. We had the pleasure of seeing paintings by N C Wyeth, Andrew and his son Jamie. I can't even describe the thrill when I stand before their paintings. I remembered long ago road trips with my mom - who painted and drew scenes from this area for years.




The next day a plan B had to happen - fog, rain, drizzle kind of day - so we took in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, a place I practically grew up in, thanks to my mom. We picked a crowded day - with long lines to get into an exhibit that was coming to an end. Here's some crazy people who stood in line for hours. And no, I wasn't one of them.



Had to include the city view from the Rocky steps.



As I headed home early the next day, I thought all in all, I got to visit with good friends, photograph and study gorgeous landscapes, observe how other people live and hopefully bring a new, more realized subject matter to my easel.

So .... I'll be back to painting very soon and hope you'll enjoy the new work ahead.



Saturday, May 9, 2009

Opening Tonight at the Howard/Mandville Gallery

I hope you enjoy - don't forget to turn up the volume.





It's time to refuel, hit the road and get some new inspiration. I'll be back next week with lots to show you from my travels. For details and purchase information on any of these paintings, please click here.

-Happy Trails

"Cab City"

5 x 10"
oil on masonite
sold

Painting cityscapes is daunting, no doubt - although the more I do, the more confident I get. Before I start each one, the decision is made as to what I want the end result to be - more realistic or more impressionistic. Either way, my goal is to portray the atmosphere and try not to get hung up on the details - and I've learned there's several ways to accomplish that. Ways that force me to stay loose.

One way is to stay small. If I had a larger panel in front of me, I know I'd labor over every square inch, every window, every streetlight. Another way is to use a wide brush for every single dab and stroke. You can't nitpick with a honker brush. Sticking with a smaller format is good for learning, practicing - and often can lead to larger, more realized versions.

This scene was taken from Madison Avenue, around 39th Street, facing north - in downtown Manhattan.




Friday, May 8, 2009

"Bay Breakfast"

12 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

Quite a lot, I'll paint a scene from a place I enjoyed - and want to remember. Like on the top floor of Lowell's Restaurant & Bar, in the Pike Place Market. I needed a big, warm breakfast and nailed it. Add to that, a view of the Port of Seattle, the Cascade Mountains and the Puget Sound. I sat up there for a good while just taking it all in.

Please click here for a larger view.



Thursday, May 7, 2009

"One For The Books"

12 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

It's time for me to plug my new paintings - now on exhibit at the Howard/Mandville Gallery in Kirkland, right outside of Seattle. The opening is this Saturday night, please come by and see it all in person. Try as I might to get a great image on the web, it doesn't compare to seeing the real thing. I also have a new video on YouTube, featuring all the work, accompanied by some happy music by Dean Martin.

As you might know, I love to paint people reading and when I really lose my mind, I paint people browsing in bookstores. Quite the challenge. This was taken from the gift shop in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.

Please click here for a larger view.



Wednesday, May 6, 2009

"Copleston"

10 x 2-7/8"
oil on masonite
sold

Early in the morning, heading out of Charleston, I pulled over to plug in my GPS - facing this old, abandoned building that was once Copleston Laundry. It's one of those moments when I saw the finished painting in my head. I suppose I appreciate old buildings for what they are - but more so, I see form, color, composition. I tried very hard not to tighten up on this, hoping the minimalism stayed put.



Tuesday, May 5, 2009

"Truckin"

4 x 4"
oil on masonite
sold

From the outskirts of a little Alabama town called Guntersville - frankly a place I would move to if I won the lottery. Big lake, state park and a slower pace it seems. As for trucks, I have this desire to paint them - largely due to the influence of William Wray's work.



"Bleecker Books"

10 x 8"
oil on masonite
sold

A few years back, before GPS was my friend, I wandered around Greenwich Village looking for the Magnolia Bakery somewhere on Bleecker Street - Rachel Ray said they had the best cupcakes in the city. Across the street was the Biography Book Shop, bathed in morning sun, as a young woman and her dog waited for the door to open for business.

This new painting is included in my upcoming dual show at the Howard/Mandville Gallery - Please click here for a larger view. All of the new work can be viewed here.



Monday, May 4, 2009

"Lost In Alabama"

4 x 4"
oil on masonite
sold

This was on a back, back, way back road in Alabama - somewhere between Gadsden and Huntsville - and yes, we were lost but that's part of the fun. The most beautiful places are usually on the roads less taken.



Sunday, May 3, 2009

"Flat as Fredericksburg"

4 x 4"
oil on masonite
sold

Given the chance, I could drive the state of Texas and never be bored. You can see forever. Very different than the southeast. This was somewhere near the town of Fredericksburg, in the month of March.



Saturday, May 2, 2009

"Blue Barn"

4 x 4"
oil on masonite
sold

I've got this road trip coming up - and I'm antsy. It may even be delayed. Sunshine is my friend when it comes to driving and photography. While I'm waiting on the right day to shove off, I thought I'd start a series of little road trip paintings - places I've seen in my past travels. This little blue-roofed barn was along Hwy 404, in the state of Delaware.