Figuratively Speaking - It's Free

5"x7"original oil   For Sale $100

In moderate weather the Staten Island Ferry is one of the really fun free things to do in NYC.  It is a  great place to do some serious people watching and it has a great vantage point for viewing the Statue of Liberty from the water. New York City is a very expensive tourist place with oodles of things snazzy things to do.  On the other hand,  is a magical city with loads of authentic and low cost or free things.  The High Line and  Central Park are two of them, along with the Ferry.  I love finding off the beaten path jewels, but this applies to any place I visit, and even in my own back yard (Go Figure!).  What is a favorite, low cost place you like to visit?

Seeking the Destination

5"x7" oil

I can't help but wonder what makes couples attracted to each other.  Beautiful looking people often pair with beautiful people and their attraction, which could be much deeper, may also just be based on that, but what attracts people who seem so different from each other?  What made me want to paint this one was the interesting texture of  their hair.  Both of them had big hair that was kind of fuzzy.  I wonder if that was their first point of attraction?  Could be.

capturing retro 7"x7" oil figurative

This is a re-do of a painting I did recently and wasn't really happy with, so I changed some colors and clarified some things and I like it much better.

A Ray of Hope 6"x6" oil $100 figurative

The Wall 8"x8" oil $180

This is a re-do as I was never happy with the first run, but I like this much better.  it is NYC from the Highline with a view of the lower west side towards the Meat Packing District, which is undergoing a renewal.

Savoring the Sweet Beauty of Renoir 8"x8" acrylic #333

The advantage of doing a painting a day is in the routine, the ability to really practice a particular skill or technique, the need to be decisive, do confident brush work, and explore color. The advantage of spending more time on a painting, or revisiting it, is that you can make some better decisions and revise it for an improved painting. This one I revisited after doing one in oil I really liked. I realized I didn't like the original background painting so I changed it to this Renoir and like it much more.
SOLD

Embracing Monet's Sunset 8"x8" oil #331

I based this on a photo that I have already painted in acrylic on canvas, but I wanted to do one in oil on panel. I changed the background painting to Monet's "Sunset on the Seine at Lavacourt". He did a couple of these, in different seasons, as he did with many paintings. I liked the stripes on the woman's shirt and sweater and how the floor mimics the sunset. In the acrylic version all the colors were analogous which gave a whole different color harmony to the painting. I also did the acrylic with color washes.
SOLD

A Soothing Stroll 6"x6" oil #313

I feel like I have been plagued with some duds lately...but I comfort myself in the fact that I am still painting and I am learning a lot. This is on the Highline in NYC. I really loved her brilliant white hair and shirt and the flecks of white in her partner's hair. I toned down the city scene, but I now wish I had done it darker. Maybe I will repaint it and see what happens.
SOLD

Refreshing Splash #3 acrylic 6"x6" #302

Lessons from this painting:
you can do a decent painting from a really bad photo (Karin Jurik said this and it is true)
even a dingy place can be magical when you add kids to the mix

This is Washington Square in NYC...not the cleanest of swimming spots.

Interesting Perspective oil 8"x8" #296

This is a view from the High Line in NYC.

Ergo City Baby oil 6"x6" 295

Another NYC piece that I changed...got rid of a car and a fruit stand....not because they looked awkward, but because it made it just too busy.

The Red Shoe oil 8"x8" #294

This was a quartet but I painted out one of the people because a trio just looks better. They are sitting on the wooden platforms on the Highline in NYC.

Time Out 6"x6" oil #293

Karin Jurik gave everyone in the workshop the same un-enhanced photo to paint the first day. It was really interesting to see the very similar and yet completely different renditions. The choice of colors, the value changes, and the drawing, which either made the lad look older or younger, made for many interpretations. My guess is that this boy got in the fountain (his hair was wet) and got busted by the authority on hand and was "sent to the wall" to sulk. Karin's series of mug shots is called "Busted" so instead, I titled this "Time Out."

Mug Shot 2 4"x4" oil #292

This is another mug shot I did in NYC.

Mug Shot 1 4"x4" oil #291

I just got back from a workshop with Karin Jurick in NYC. One of our assignments was to do mug shots. I was so impressed with everyone's work and was humbled to be with such accomplished artists and great people.

Stepping Out With Friends 5"x7" oil #286

Two patrons at the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art admiring Roy Lichtenstein's "Stepping Out." I like the way his foot is turned on edge. It makes me wonder what he is thinking about. I have observed this posture a few times in people studying paintings. Maybe it is just the result of a tired foot.

Where Is He? oil 4"x4" #270

Ever feel this way? It is like being totally unaware of your surroundings, just waiting and not knowing. I felt that way once at the airport waiting for an outgoing flight to Europe that was leaving in a few minutes. Thank goodness he showed up...and we are still married!

Finding the Story in Blue oil 8"x8" #261

This another interpretation of a photo I took at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. I wanted to try different colors. It was an interesting experiment. I also revised yesterday's painting a little so I am posting that.

Interrupted oil 8"x8" #259

Back to painting finally! I haven't been able to sit comfortably in a position in which I could paint for the last couple of weeks as I try to regain my life after my skiing accident, surgery and learning to get around on crutches. In the meantime, I have really come to appreciate my life and what I am able to accomplish on a daily basis. Good health and all the other blessings in my life are not to be taken for granted. My heart goes out to all those people who have to learn how to be ambulatory after an accident which forever changes them. I do not have a handicapped accessible studio, or rather my studio is, but getting there from the house is not. Trying to explain to someone where everything I need is, has also been a challenge, but today I modified my methods and materials and finished this piece. I am glad that it isn't terrible because being discouraged is not easy for me right now. On the other hand, I had to photograph it without getting up, so the lighting is terrible and it distorts the colors and values. You will have to take my word for it, but it is much better in person!

Resting Gaze oil 8"x8" #254

I enjoyed working on the gallery series this weekend after just doing watercolors for a week. When I was doing this, I realized that the stranger in the striped shirt was becoming the image of a very close friend. Frequently student artists will reveal a bit of a self portrait in painting models. I think we just gravitate to what is familiar. I see this person as someone who is resting for her friend's sake, but she is anxious to keep her attention on the art she loves so much. I think her friend wishes she had brought her ipod!

The feet painting is my submission to the Daily Paintworks challenge for Japan. If you go to http://dailypaintworks.com/Challenge/FC50B15D-5016-4E5E-87F2-87C3F79BA65B you can bid on this painting or many others by all kinds of artists and all proceeds will go to help Japan. The theme is "Home."
SOLD