"Shower Stall"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

Continuing on with my series ATL to NYC & Back - the rain returned on Friday, day 2 in New York, which forced us to catch up on some well-needed rest. We ventured out once in the
afternoon, a brisk walk in the pouring rain to pick up groceries at Zabar's on Broadway - where I spotted this little girl pausing at the crosswalk.

"Homeward Bound"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

Nearing the end of our first full day in Manhattan, we explored Grand Central Terminal for a while - I stood at this high spot for a good, long time squinting at the steady stream of people pouring in - thinking of how I could paint this scene. Lots of movement, ambiance - I really love the way this turned out and I'm adding it to my series ATL to NYC & Back. Gives me courage to tackle a larger version, from the center floor in the station.

"Mass Transit"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

There's no place like New York City when it comes to the massive amounts of people on the sidewalks and streets. Put yourself around Grand Central Terminal and you're likely to get run over by the hordes of commuters - this was at the crosswalk on 42nd Street & Madison Avenue, an addition to my series ATL to NYC & Back.

Zac & Joey

6 x 6"
nfs

No doubt, one of many paintings of our pups, Zac & Joey. They're doing great and they have their own blog, if you haven't heard.

"Down Under"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

When cranking out a good painting doesn't come easy, I look at others art. Often it frees the mind. Often I realize I've been trying too hard. Even on these quick, smaller pieces - I can labor over them although the intent is to loosen up. So I took a long look at, my friend and fellow painter, Carol Marine's recent work - reminding me to lay down quick, deliberate brush strokes and not to sweat the details. Yes, I too, have to be reminded.

Continuing on with my series ATL to NYC & Back, after the Boat Pond, we jumped in a cab and headed to Bryant Park for some people-watching, only to find it was a mess from the long spell of rain. Wondering what direction to take next, I found some interest in the people descending into the subway station, at the corner of 42nd & 6th. I never really 'saw a painting in my head' at this spot, but turns out I love this piece. A good reminder to keep shooting pictures no matter where you are.

"Sailor Man"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

The gentleman who wrote to me recently, about his boyhood hobby of sailing these cool pond boats in the Conservatory Water in Central Park (otherwise known as the Boat Pond), inspired me to paint this new piece - an addition to my series ATL to NYC & Back. Just goes to show, simple pleasures are the best.

"Standstill"

8 x 10"
oil on masonite
sold

A new painting taken from the Metropolitan Museum of Art - a young lady stands before Jean Honore Fragonard's two portraits of the pampered - 'The Two Sisters' on the right and "Portrait of a Woman with a Dog' on the left. Of course I like that one, it includes a dog.

Please click here for a larger view.

"Treed Tops"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

If you're a painter and want to loosen up, I suggest tackling buildings - unless you want to include every single window, you find a way to get the point across but not get too nit-picky. It's a challenge. The same goes for trees. It's an impressionistic 'glimpse', I don't think the details really matter.

This view is from Central Park's Conservatory Water (is that right?), a moment of Zen as we walked around 5th Avenue on our first full day in the city. I particularly loved seeing the rooftop trees around New York. Nice, surprising sprouts of green. This painting is included in my series ATL to NYC & Back.

a little info......a nice man from New York wrote me to say, "what you painted is what we old New Yorker's call the 'boat pond'. Growing up... the Boat Pond was a very important part of this kid's life starting with E.B. White's 'Stuart Little'. " This gentleman is still building and repairing pond model boats - how cool is that? The morning we were there, more than a few kids were steering those little sailboats, just like old times. Thanks for the info Mike.

"Sun Block"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

I really like this piece. I typically avoid busy compositions, too many people in one space - but the abstract-like blocks and lines of color, surprisingly, seemed to contain it all, in a cool way. This new painting is an addition to my new series ATL to NYC & Back.

"Security Lapse"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

Some of the best people-watching can be found in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, like this museum security guard taking a break out in the sunshine - an addition to my series ATL to NYC & Back.

"The Patriot"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

Adding to my series ATL to NYC & Back - it was Thursday, our first full day in the city, the rain had finally given way to a slightly sunny morning. We headed to where my workshop was to take place, around 89th & 5th, fueled up with breakfast, then walked to the Metropolitan Museum of Art - a goldmine of people-watching inside and outside. I spotted this sharp-dressed man in his red, white and blue, resting on a bench along the front of the museum.

My Good Friend Neil Hollingsworth

Coke Classic
by Neil Hollingsworth

It's the weekend, Zac & Joey turned 3 months old, my guy Brett has a birthday and I'm taking a few days off from painting and court TV. It's time to celebrate.

My good friend, Neil Hollingsworth, just emailed from Maine - he and his wife, Karen, are up in the New England area to attend Neil's solo show - opening tomorrow evening at the Tree's Place Gallery in Orleans, Massachusetts. If you're able, please go see his work in person - it's absolutely breathtaking.

the Paint On AlterEasel

I also just heard from an artist who recently bought Brett's Tabletop Easel - NJ wrote 'I just wanted to tell you that I LOVE this easel. Best investment I have made in my art in quite a while, and I now use it daily! It is exactly what I needed before I even knew what I wanted!!!'
Paint on NJ, and thank you for letting us know.

You can read more testimonials here - additional photos and details for the Tabletop Easel and the AlterEasel can be found here. Right now, we have 1 brand new AlterEasel available - the Tabletop Easels are temporarily SOLD OUT.

Have a great weekend ~

"Twilights"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

New in my series ATL to NYC & Back - on the first evening in our home-away-from-home, a stunning view from our own rooftop terrace. We stayed in the Upper West Side, around 93rd and Broadway - surrounded by towering apartment buildings. The rain turned into a mist, I stood transfixed at this view, noticing the different lighting in each and every window - certainly an inspiration for any artist. Just beautiful.

"A Sunday With Georges"

12 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

I'd been working on this piece for several days - the painting within, Georges Seurat's 'A Sunday on La Grande Jatte', is sooooo complex, sooooo detailed - I have to go slow. I have to pay attention to everything Seurat methodically included. It's an amazing work of art.

To quote my favorite art critic, Sister Wendy, "Seurat spent two years painting this picture, concentrating painstakingly on the landscape of the park before focusing on the people: always their shapes, never their personalities. Individuals did not interest him, only their formal elegance. There is no untidiness in Seurat: all is beautifully balanced. The park was quite a noisy place: a man blows his bugle, children run around, there are dogs. Yet the impression we receive is of silence, of control, of nothing disordered. Even if the people in the park are pairs or groups, they seem alone in their concision of form - alone but not lonely. No figure encroaches on another's space: all coexist in peace."

Please click here for a larger view.

Wishing you a Happy 4th ~

"Life In The Fast Lane"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

Part of my new series ATL to NYC & Back - a guy walking briskly by an advertisement, in the rain, on the sidewalks of Manhattan.