Sorry Zack, More Fruit

Latest fruit still life. Working a little bigger these days - this is 8x10 and I have another 8x10 in the works. I took the week between Christmas and NY off (btw - Happy New Year!) and got 3 full days of painting in. Make that 3 full days in the studio  - procrastination ate up 1/3 of the time. On the last day I didn't start painting until about 3:30 and then lost complete track of time. Before I knew it, it was 9:30. I wish my "real" job was like that.

Apples in Light
8x10 Oil on Canvas

The title is an apology to my son who thinks fruit paintings are "boring". He may have something there.

Marginal Way Color

It has been far too long since I posted. I have been painting as much as I can - but with lots of distractions.

I have a few paintings that I can post over the next week or so. Here is the first:

Marginal Way Color 1
8x8 Oil on Canvas

This is my first ocean/coast painting and it was a lot of fun to do. While I was painting it, I was focused on the color, shape and light rather than "here is a painting of rocks and water". That is the way you are supposed to paint :) but sometimes I find it hard to not focus on the object. If you do that, you end up painting what you think it should look like, rather than what it actually looks like. So if you're painting an apple, you know it is red and round, but if you focus on the shapes, colors and value of what is actually in front of you, your mind doesn't get in the way of what you are really seeing. It's taken me at least 2 years to figure that one out, even though it is in every painting book in the world.

This painting was inspired by a little oil painting by Judith Schuppien that I bought a couple of years ago. It is of a rock in the water, with wonderful, simple brush strokes. She painted it on an orange ground and used that orange for reflections and light. You can see that same use of the orange ground in her "Gloucester Harbor Study" in the link above. I did this painting on an orange ground, but didn't use it the way she did (because I couldn't figure it out) but I like the way the color set the mood for the whole painting.

Early Morning Mother and Son

Life is busy right now with house stuff, Zack stuff, work stuff and Lowell Open Studios so I have neglected this blog in a big way.I will try to start posting regularly again.

This is another painting inspired by my week in Ogunquit. I got up pretty early most mornings and walked or biked around town taking photos of everything. The ocean light is beautiful in the morning.

I'm going to paint out or tone down the strange pinkish squares in the upper right - what's up with those???

Early Morning in the Cove
Oil on 6x6 Panel

City-Wide Lowell Open Studios Sept 25-26

The 10th Annual Lowell Open Studios is September 25-26 from 11am -5pm. It's a fun weekend where artists across the city open their doors so you can see where they work, view their art and, if you see something you like, buy it and take it home.Many of the artists have special events so you can plan your day around any events that interest you. The galleries are also open.

All kinds of artists participate: jewelers, photographers, painters, sculptors, fabric and more. Here's a peek at some of the people who are open so you can get an idea of what is available - and yes, I'm on there :).

I'm opening for the first time since last fall. I will have paintings for sale, goodies to eat, and wine to drink. Stop by!

Blue Table

Finally a painting. It's been a while. I was sick for a bit with bronchitis and was also struggling with my painting. I went on vacation last week and feel rejuvenated.

I was in Maine and didn't do any painting but took hundreds of photos (actually over a thousand but I deleted half after reviewing them all). My photography has really improved over the past year and I think it has to do with painting - both because I take thousands of photos now and because painting has made me more attuned to composition.

This is a painting inspired by the back patio at the cottage I stayed in. It was a sweet little cottage.

Blue Table
8x8 Oil on Canvas