Best In Show...

Two For A Buck

36x24, Oil/Canvas

Best In Show, Art Explosion, 2011

"Two For A Buck" is the first painting in what I hope will become a series of Vendors and Scenes from The County Fair. I delivered it today (still wet!) as one of my entries in Art Explosion 2011, a juried exhibition sponsored by Arts United of Fort Lauderdale. I am honored that is was awarded "Best In Show". The opening reception will be February 12, 2011, 6-9 pm, at Art Serve, 1350 Sunrise Boulevard.

Flamingo Reflections

SOLD

30x10, Oil/Linen

Handmade Frame

My first painting of the New Year 2011, Flamingo Reflections, will be featured at Flamingo Fest Art Exhibition to be held at Flamingo Gardens in Davie Florida. The event is january 15 & 16 but the artwork in The Gallery will be on display there until February 28. It is an amazing and beautiful garden with the flamingo lake and it is a place where all the birds in the aviary are rescues... They include White Pelicans, Bald Eagles, Roseate Spoonbills, a variety of Owls, and many others.

Flamingo Reflections was done mostly with a palette knife to keep energy and movement in the thick, lushly painted forms of the still bird.

You Talking To Me?

10x8, Oil/Linen Panel

SOLD

This cocky fellow's photo was provided by my friend, Dianne Robertson Roper. Oscar, here, was Dianne's Mother's pet Rooster.. sadly, Oscar is no longer with us, but his legend lives on with The Robertson Clan. My partner, Ken provided the title, "You Talking To Me?"... so with the help of my friends, all I had to do was show up and paint.

Flower Triptych...

12x36, Oil/Linen Panels

I did each panel of this triptych independent of each other using the same arrangement of flowers in a vase. It is basically a walk around the vase... I have to admit that I was pretty surprised when I saw how well they fit together as a whole. That is when it became a triptych.

While working on these paintings, I first blocked in the forms of the different colors by finding the middle tones. To start making sense of the abstract forms, and to define the flowers, I laid in the darker areas with a swift and loaded paint brush. The lightest areas came next followed by a dance back and forth with accents of darks and varying middle tones, warmer or cooler. I did the same thing with the background and negative spaces, using them to define and clean up the edges.

The next step will be to frame it. My question is, "Do I frame each painting individually" or "Do I treat it as a singular piece by building one frame with narrow dividers between each panel"?

Wet Paint, In The Studio...

SOLD
Key West Window Shopping

8x8, Oil/Linen Panel

When painting from a photo reference in the studio, I make an effort to hold onto the same process I use with my plein air pieces. This photo was actually taken on an overcast day, but I wanted the painting to show the brilliant sun light as seen on a typical Key West day. As in plein air, I first established my shadows , keeping my light source in this case, almost directly overhead towards high noon. This kept the front of the Conch cottage in shadow with the sunlight hitting the porch roof and the top of the picket fence. I let the sunlight wash out the sidewalk and pavement, blurring some of the edges with the heat starting to rise. Using the "Sargent Squint" helps me from getting caught up in too much detail while looking at the photo, keeping my rendering to the basics.

Incoming....

7x5, Oil/ Canvas Panel

Ibis aren't the most graceful of birds when landing, their ability for awkward gestures while landing is limitless. Miraculously they always seem to land on their feet and strut away with a calm pride. Guess they are not so different from me, I just don't have wings ...

Wet Paint, In The Studio...

Palm Sunset

5x11, Oil/Linen Panel

Private Collection

... A thin slice of a glowing sunset as seen on my return trip while walking the dogs. Fortunately I had my camera over my shoulder to take a reference photo.. a habit I hope the neighbors will get accustomed to seeing. I like the quietness of this time of day when some of the clouds are slipping into shadow, leaving their edges highlighted by the setting sun....

Wet Paint, In The Studio...

Setting Sun

3.5x10, Oil/Linen Panel

I am pulling together some small paintings as possible candidates for an upcoming small works show. For this one, I plan on putting it in one of my handmade fames that will be 4" wide poplar with a black aniline dye. My thought is to give this small painting a large glowing presence as if looking through an open window watching the setting sun...

Late For Work

8x8, Oil/Linen Panel

This rooster may have stayed too long at the hen house, missing his duty to announce the dawn from his post... but then again, he is a Key West Rooster, maybe he is right on time...

Birdsie, the Painted Dog...

"Feet, why do I need you when I have wings to fly?"- Frida Kahlo

This is Birdsie, a life size fiberglass dog that was commissioned for an upcoming private charity auction event in Jupiter, Florida. The auction will benefit a local wildlife center. The organizer of the event wanted it to be a Bird Dog, hence, Birdsie. With that in mind I painted her to have an ethereal space with the flying birds and resting birds, It can be either Dusk or Dawn with the subtle gradations of the sky with its illuminating horizon.

All the dogs will be painted by local painters and will receive a high gloss protective finish that will give them the appearance of porcelain and protect them from the elements. It will be a festive event for a great organization (waiting announcement)...

Wet Paint, In The Studio...

Stepping Out

20x24, Oil/Linen

... an intimate glimpse of life in the warm, comforting glow of the evening light....

Garden Party, Revisited...

SOLD
10x8, Oil/Canvas Panel

I revisited the idea of an earlier painting, "Garden Party" to do this zoomed in version yesterday. The original was 24x24 and seemed pretty complex when I did it two years ago. My goal wasn't to duplicate the first one. I wanted see how my process has changed and to create a little jewel of a painting with the same essence.. but different... reflecting who I am today as a painter. A reality check, if you will.

Painting The Dunes, Provincetown....

Low Tide, The Moors

8x8, Oil/Linen Panel

Beech Forest Dunes

10x8, Oil/Linen Panel

Dune Shack, The Provincelands

7x8, Oil/Linen Panel

I am just back from our annual trip to Cape Cod... as always it was wonderful and inspiring. For this trip I used the "Guerrilla Painter" Pochade that I recently received as a prize. It is the 6x8 Pochade, and it proved itself to be a perfect traveling companion and capable work horse.

Wet Paint, In the Studio ...

Teatotaler

16x16, Oil/Linen Panel

I found it amusing when I noticed in my reference photo from Ross' Grill in Provincetown, that the cook was actually filling her cup with hot water for a cup of tea... next to the sign that declares the "Best Coffee in Town".

Wet Paint, Plein Air...

The Bridge

12x12, Oil/Linen panel

It felt good to be outdoors painting Saturday morning with Janet Onofrey. We met behind Borders bookstore on The middle river. I was immediately taken by the abstract potential of the bridge and the way the sunlight illuminated the bank & sea wall on the other side. Well into it, I realized my painting was becoming more literal than I meant it to be... I then set about to "deconstructing" the landscape and found what I was after initially...

Wet Paint, In The Studio...

SOLD
Fiori Colorato

30x30, Oil/Linen

Once my colorful bouquet of Gladioli started opening, I decided on this cropped view with the light skimming across the top of the arrangement. I avoided getting too caught up in the tight rendering of the flowers with their individual petals. I focused on getting the forms and then built up the buds and the flowers using swift strokes of lighter and darker values. In the background I kept a subtle transition of colors, values and light.

Wet Paint, In The Studio...

Gladiolus

30x10, Oil/Linen

I picked up a bunch of mixed color Gladiolus earlier this week with the intention of painting them. After staring at them for several days... willing them to open... these pink ones were the first to finally show their blossoms, yesterday. Once I got them in the studio, they seemed to start opening quickly before my very eyes.. actually adding to the feeling of movement I am after.

Wet Paint, In The Studio...

Window Seat

24x24, Oil/Linen

SOLD

Sitting exposed at a table behind the glass walls of the restaurant, this woman found a peaceful and focused solitude with a good book... keeping the world outside with its passing reflections.

Mangos #3

17.5 x 10, Oil/Canvas

For this third and maybe final Mango painting... for now... I used a piece of blue stain glass for the background color and a reflective dark piece for the table top. I used Manganese Blue, probably my least used blue, for this painting along with my usual blues... Ultramarine & Cerulean. Manganese is a beautiful blue in the right application, just not my favorite for everyday use... seemed to work here though...

Mangos #2

12x12, Oil/Linen Panel

I wanted to lighten up and loosen up for this second mango painting in my continued effort to find air and movement in the surrounding light. I placed a lighter semi opaque piece of stained glass for the background. These still lifes are the perfect place to work out the ideas that have been floating through my mind without being concerned with the changing light of plein air nor the time factor (and personalities) with a live model.