Deep Breath

12"x12" oil 

I have been busy painting...really I have, but I just haven't been good about posting.  This is something I promise myself I am going to be better at.  The above painting was done plein air with Peter Huntoon, who is an inspiring plein air painter.  He is equally adept in water colors and oils, and amazingly, approaches them with the same technique.  I am so grateful that he was generous enough to spend an afternoon at this lovely spot painting with me.  He gave me 2 tips, which aren't new but so good to relearn them.  I seldom paint plein air but love doing it.  It does overwhelm me though at first.  I actually had to come back the next day to finish it up.  The water was so calm and the light was so lovely.  Peter reminded me to block in the big shapes like I am cutting them out of paper (great tip) and upon finishing it he said to soften the bright colors I had put in on the trees to the left of the island (which I did) because they drew too much attention from my focal point.  It really helps to have a second pair of eyes looking at your work.  I am heading to Cape Cod this week to practice plein air painting with two good buddies, so I am glad I had this warm-up.  Please check out Peter's work by clicking on his name.  He is the quintessential Vermont landscape painter.  He has an auction for a painting once a week on his website/blog.  I love how professional he is with everything he does.

Moonlight Ritual

30"x48"  Acrylic  SOLD

This is a lot different for the paintings I have been doing for several years.  It is quite large and is very stylized.  I envisioned this painting over a year ago and have just now finally painted it.  Although it is very simple in design, it took a lot of editing and revision for me to get what I wanted, so there is a lot of paint on the canvas.  I am really happy with it and I believe it tells the story I wanted to tell.

The Sunset

8"x8" acrylic

Sometimes something comes into your life at exactly the perfect moment and you just know it was meant to be.  I saw the photo this painting is based on quite a while ago.  It was taken by my high school chum and neighbor, Bonnie Calvert Narvid who now lives on a boat!  Today it was the perfect painting for me to do.  It has much more meaning to me.  Painting can truly be therapeutic!  Whenever I am painting from a photo I have to pick and choose what I will include, what I want to suggest, what I need to add that isn't there in the photo. The other challenge with a photo like this is that, the reality behind the photo is so spectacular it is hard to come close to the beauty with a panel, and some wet chemicals we call paint.  There is the feeling of the air, the smells, the sounds and the emotions they invoke.  That is what I tried to convey.  I hope I came close.  Thank you Bonnie.

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A View Out the Window

8"x8" acrylic

I did this for a DPW challenge to paint a view outside of a window and include the window.  I had taken this photo at the Met, so it fit the bill. I definitely think I will do this in oil.

Colored Glass

This is from a DPW challenge from a few weeks ago and I am just now getting it done.  I was motivated because I wanted to practice doing the "glass thing," but also because I loved the colors on this and the composition.  I am pretty happy with it and would like to set up some still lifes that have similar properties.  I need to go bottle shopping I guess!

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Ramona's View

9"x7" oil

Firstly, I want to thank you for looking at my paintings and taking the time to read my blog.  I know it is a commitment to do that, and I really appreciate that you give my work this attention.  This painting is from a vacation photo taken by someone who means a great deal to me.  This is a pretty personal story.  Ramona is my daughter born to a different family.  She wasn't adopted, because she was in my heart from the day she was born, and although our hours together are significant, she has a loving family of her own.  Life throws us some interesting curve balls and my relationship with Ramona has a few in it.  Ramona is now married and I am painting this for her.  It is her memory, but the painting reflects my love for her...everything in this painting has a symbolic meaning for me.  I should say that there are a lot of subtle color variations in this that I just don't think are there on a computer monitor.  The location is Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico, near the Tulum Ruins.

SOLD

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Reflections On Summer Fun acrylic 6"x6" #304

This was a Daily Painters Challenge to paint this image upside-down. It was a lot of fun and is really, very much a right brain exercise and fits in with my Fun In the Sun series. Go to:
http://dailypaintworks.com/Challenge/EBC65232-CC25-4F34-A409-E5589E3C2036
to see other artists' interpretations.
SOLD