"High as a Kite"

12 x 12"

oil on panel
sold

Robert Lange Studios asked me to do another painting for their "Fluent" show - which is currently showing at the Vendue Hotel in Charleston until mid-November.  My first one 'Cannonball' sold on opening night, so I was psyched to do another.

I started this, got ill, got better and resumed and got ill again - which turned out to be a great thing because the first layer dried, which doesn't normally happen before I finish a painting.  When I resumed a couple of days ago, I switched to a palette knife, which totally changed the vibrancy and added the texture to the sand and waves.  I have to say, this is one of my all-time favorite paintings ever.

A scene on Hilton Head Island beach taken from a drone camera last fall.

Please click here for a larger view. 

"Umbrellas"

6 x 8"

oil on panel
sold

A new addition to my series A to Z - early morning set-up of beach umbrellas and lounge chairs, South Beach, Miami.

"Summer Camp"

13 x 6"

oil on panel

A nice reminder of those warm, summer days.

Email me if you are interested in a purchase.

"Warm Front"

8 x 8"
oil on masonite
sold

For those in need of remembering warmer days.....

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"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.

"Sweet Spot"

8 x 8"
oil on masonite
sold

Included in my upcoming show Just Plain People - an enviable sweet spot on Hilton Head Island.

detail

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"High Chair"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

I had just finished a really complex painting, a scene that includes twenty people - one of those where I didn't think I could pull it off. It just takes patience and I think it's a winner. You'll see that piece in a few weeks - it'll be included in Howard/Mandville Gallery's Small Works Show. Needless to say, after that one, I felt the need to loosen up with a quick, simpler scene - a lifeguard on Hilton Head Island - a job where the uneventful is a good thing.

"Belle"

5 x 7"
oil on masonite
sold

You would know I don't normally paint figures like this young woman - frankly, it isn't something you would usually see while walking through a city. I happened to be in Washington Park, in Charleston, watching some plein-air painters - and a local artist, Rhett Thurman, had arranged for a model to pose for her. Wishing I had my paints with me, I could only wonder how I would approach this. As goofy as it sounds, with a photo as my guide, I pretended I was in the park and just went for it - staying as loose as possible.

"Early Birds"

8 x 10"
oil on masonite

I was up at the crack of dawn this morning - wanting to finish up this painting before the heat was on. These two were spotted at an air show at the Peachtree-Dekalb Airport - they claimed their prime viewing spot early. About 3 hours early, which tickled me.

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"Umbrella Coverage"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite

This is about that time of the year when my palette seems to favor the brighter colors that summer brings. From South Beach in Miami - on a clear, blue, gorgeous afternoon.

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"Redneck Riviera"

12 x 7"
oil on masonite
sold

Right now, the thought of relaxing on the beach sounds pretty good. Of course, when I'm on a beach, I'm a non-stop camera bug - so interested in us, the people, and how we set up our spots, group together or prefer alone time. This new painting is a familiar site on a public beach - a family sprawled out, forming shapes of color and light. I just love it.

Please click here for a larger view. This painting is included in my current solo show, now on the walls of the Morris & Whiteside Galleries on Hilton Head Island. The reception is this Friday evening - so pack you bags and come to the beach.

"Under The Rainbow"

9 x 9"
oil on masonite
sold

All's right under the rainbow umbrella - from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

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"Gotham Gazette"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

detail

Despite that I feel like crap, this little painting came easy. I always feel lucky when that happens. I didn't stress over what to paint today - I just picked a photo and did it. I didn't stress over the details, I didn't put on my reading glasses and I didn't even sketch it out. Maybe that's what it takes, although I could do without the 'feeling like crap' part.

From an outdoor cafe in Lower Manhattan.

"South Beach"

11 x 6"
oil on masonite

The need to paint looser is like the need for a chocolate milkshake - I have to do it occasionally. It's liberating, it's fun, it's a pleasure. On a long list of artists that inspire me, Michelle Torrez reminds me to take that wide brush and create a scene based on shapes and brush strokes - a perfect technique for a casual setting like the beach. This can only be accomplished with hours of squinting and holding back on what I think is there.

This scene was taken from South Beach, Miami.

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"Yellow"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

Winding up with the alphabet series, Y is for Yellow - a bright spot on the sidewalk of Seattle.

"Away From It All"

10 x 8"

oil on masonite

sold

It's true. I said I wasn't going to paint any more summer, beach paintings for a good while. But it was Sunday afternoon, still hot as hell outside, and this was my moment of Zen.

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"Waterlilies"

5 x 7"

oil on masonite

sold

After four or so hours of painting a fairly tight piece, which involves a portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte in his red velvet cloak and white fur, (I love that part) I promised myself I'd break off and do a small, daily piece and stay as loose as I could. After all, these daily paintings serve as an exercise for me - to use the oils much more as they're intended to be used. This was a glimpse of a few people on a rainy F Street, in Washington, DC. I suspect the woman's Monet's Waterlilies umbrella was just purchased in the museum across the street.