"High Over Pennsylvania"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

I was quite hypnotized last night watching one of my favorite TV programs - Aerial America, on the Smithsonian Channel.  I saw hundreds of paintings in my head - patterns and patchworks of colors and shapes - I just wish I could cruise over land like a bird.  With a camera.  Aerials get me so excited for someone afraid of heights.

Between the hours-long paintings I'm working on for an upcoming show, I am in need of letting loose, with no worries of details, no sketching, just swirling the oils around.  So with great inspiration from my favorite program, I hope to continue this series for a while and hope you enjoy the view.

This bird's-eye perspective is over the farmlands of Pennsylvania.  

This painting will be my last of 2016 - my 89th painting this year. 

~ and a Happy New Year to you.

"Lincoln Highway/Red Maple, Pennsylvania"

5 x 7"

oil on panel
sold

A new addition to my ongoing series The Lincoln Highway.  I was driving on Highway 30 around Lancaster, Pennsylvania when I pulled off the road to sip on a cup of hot coffee, in front of this old building.  As I sat there sipping, I saw this painting in my head right away.  So simple, so colorful, so Zen.

"At The Brandywine"

8 x 8"

oil on panel
sold

I thought I'd keep working on the bright red ground today and chose an image that had lots of warm reds/golds.   It's experimental really.  I want it loose and I want to use the red ground in spots and edges.  You see it peeking through in many places - the trick is when to let it peek through and just compliment the colors.

A visitor standing before two of N. C. Wyeth's paintings - 'Painting of Native American' on the left and 'On The October Trail, A Navajo Family' on the right.  N. C. Wyeth is in the top 5 artists for me personally, along with Andrew and Jamie Wyeth, so visiting the Brandywine Museum of Art is always a thrill for me.

"Going Grey"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

On with the road trip series ATL to NYC & Back - a late afternoon on our second day on the road, destination somewhere around Reading, Pennsylvania - really beautiful landscapes along the way. Despite the looming grey skies, the saturation of the landscape colors was even more stunning.

Being a guest on Blog Talk Radio today was fun, I faced my fear of talking live to a large audience, so there. Truthfully, the hosts, Leslie Saeta and Dreama Tolle Perry made it easy and I thank them for that. I really enjoyed it. If you missed the live broadcast, you can listen to the show here.

"Dirty Deed"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

Continuing down a Pennsylvania road on the way to Reading, a tractor kicks up some dirt as we pass by. A new addition to my series ATL to NYC & Back.

"Stor-All"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

A new painting in my series ATL to NYC & Back - an Amish family's farm around Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

"Tinted Window"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

Even a dismal day can inspire a painting. The second in my new series ATL to NYC & Back - an old mill house we spotted along the Lincoln Highway in Pennsylvania.

"The Grass is Greener"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

When I paint demos in my workshop, I get to do it fast and loose, which I love. I need that balance of both - working on the more-realized, detailed pieces and the come-what-may smaller ones. What I decided I'd do, as I'm sorting through close to 4,500 photos we took on our recent trip, is to paint a series of 6 x 6's of our adventures from start to finish - I'll call it ATL to NYC & Back.

Starting with the first couple of days on the road - driving east on the Lincoln Highway in Pennsylvania around Gettysburg, Lancaster, etc. This was a moment when the skies were dark and a storm was passing over, with a glimpse of blue skies above - yet the sun was shining on the green fields in the foreground. So beautiful.

Also wanted to let you know Zac & Joey have a new blog - a way for us to keep a diary of the two of them growing up. Please click here for your daily dose of cuteness.

"On The Road #2"

4 x 4"
oil on masonite
sold

Another landscape taken from a beautiful day driving around Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

"On The Road #1"

4 x 4"
oil on masonite
sold

I feel this need, almost every day, to put aside these more-realized paintings and loosen up with something small. I'm gonna try that for a while. For one, it keeps me sane - and two, I've got several road trips ahead of me that I'm hoping to save up for.

This scene is from some of the most beautiful farmland in Pennsylvania, around Lancaster County - where a good bit of working Amish farms add to the charm.

"Lancaster County"

5 x 7"
oil on masonite
sold

One of my favorite paintings of the week - done fast and with a flat, honker brush and a wide range of color - letting the orange ground peek through a bit more. When I need some inspiration, I look at other painters' works - with landscapes, I pour over Doug Braithwaite's to remind myself that you don't have to nitpick to get the point across.

"Plow Through"

6 x 6"

oil on masonite
sold

An Amish farmer and his soldiers plowing the fields in early May.

"Farmer"

4 x 4"
oil on masonite
sold

A new painting - adding to a series of glimpses into the Lancaster countryside in Pennsylvania.

"Guide"

4 x 4"
oil on masonite
sold

A very quintessential scene from Lancaster, Pennsylvania - an Amish horse and buggy trotting through the countryside.

"Mother"

4 x 4"
oil on masonite
sold

In the next few days, you'll see several new paintings inspired from my road trip thru Lancaster, Pennsylvania - where the Amish call home. This young mother and her children stand beside their new spring garden.

"Big Boxes"

12 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

A rainy day here, very Zen - prompting me to paint a calm, quiet view of life. From the Amish farmlands of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Please click here for a larger view.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"Chadd's"

5 x 8"
oil on masonite
nfs

A friend of mine sent a photo of John Chadd's house, from Chadd's Ford, Wyeth country. She's spending the day remembering Andrew Wyeth - she had the pleasure of meeting him months back when filming a documentary. I know this area so well - I grew up in Bucks County, not too far from Delaware County. My mom painted and sketched the landscapes and the quinessential stone houses. Those long drives are easy to recall.

You could say my alter-ego painted this piece. I used a wide, flat monster brush and let it go. A joy after completing a 2-day painting for the March show. I love my job.