In My front Yard...

7:45 AM, 6x12, Pastel/Wallis Panel

Noon, 16x9, Pastel/Wallis Panel

I read once that John Singer Sargent would not spend time searching the landscape for his plein air subject matter. Instead, he would paint the first thing he saw that he considered to have potential. That seemed like a pretty good idea, so today I just opened my front door to see what I saw.

Wet Paint, Plein Air...

Markham Park canal

7.75x15, Oil/Canvas Panel

The calm of the early morning reflections quickly became fleeting due to the breezes of the warming daylight. A quick lay in gave me something to hold onto... as the greens progressed, I started looking for hidden color in the rushes and scrubs along the waters edge.

Freshly Picked

Freshly Picked

Pastel/Sanded Paper , 7x12

The Red Tomatoes, started from seeds by my friend Charlie along with a 'Yella' Striped Heirloom made for a fun spontaneous still life ... and later were excellent as a salad!....

Plein Air Round Up...

Markham Park, 15x7, O/L

Markham Park II, 8x6, O/L

Easterlin Park, 12x12, O/L

I am very behind in my postings, so here is a round up of some recent plein air pieces. I am working to get back in the plein air saddle in preparation for the upcoming 'Southeastern Plein Air Festival' in Gadsden, Alabama. This will be my third year to be included.. I am looking forward to meeting up with my fellow Southern Painters while there and a beautiful change of scenery!

Take A Chance..

46x48, Oil/Canvas

Judges Recognition, 2011 Arts United, United and Proud

'Take A Chance" is the third painting for my carnival series. It proved to be a complex painting to do.. as in my eyes are bigger than my appetite.. but with patience and three weeks of painting, my vendor has an abundance of goods to seduce the willing, fun seeking challenger.

Twist...

Twist

SOLD

20z10, Oil/Linen Panel

This piece, painted entirely with palette knives, will be available in The Gallery at Flamingo Gardens until February 28, 2011. It is framed in one of my handmade Poplar frames dyed with a black satin finish.

Carnival Series Continued

Awarded "Best In Show", Tri-County Juried Exhibition

Making Her Mark

36x30, Oil/Canvas

Detail

In "Making Her Mark", these purveyors of fun find themselves in a colorful and vibrant, yet transient booth. She is surveying the passersby to see who she can lure in to challenge with her dart... for a dollar, pop a balloon, take your prize and go...

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.