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"Hay Rolls, Moo Lane"

“Hay Rolls, Moo Lane”

“Hay Rolls, Moo Lane”, this is a larger painting, 9″ x 12″, oil on canvas panel. $1350.00 USD

(Please note that this is 9″x 12″, more than double my normal size.) Today, I returned to Mermaid Farm to buy some vegetable plants. As I was backing up to turn about, my eyes caught the shadows draped across the lane to the dairy barn. I stopped, jumped out and took several photos. Looking at those pictures when I got home, I realized this was my next painting. I drove right back, set up and grabbed the only canvas panel I had left in my case, except, it had a painting from another day on it. Curses, if I drove back home the shadows would be gone. I found my larger case in the back with this one blank panel on it and went to work…

"Ford At Mermaid Farm"

“Ford At Mermaid Farm”

“Ford At Mermaid Farm”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. $750.00 USD

I came to get milk. The farm stand by the road was empty. I walked up to the dairy barn and returned for this painting…

"Far Barn Daylilies"

“Far Barn Daylilies”

“Far Barn Daylilies”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

I stumbled upon these the other evening when I went out to paint. Some of them had already decided they had had their day and were closing up. Others remained open until the last light had left…

"Quitsa Boat Launch"

“Quitsa Boat Launch”

“Quitsa Boat Launch”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

A cool place on a warm evening. A little breeze to keep the bugs at bay. Tide going out, exposing the darker edges of the marsh. A classically shaped boat to paint. All looked great. And then, the Idiot showed up. His mooring was just in front of the boat I was painting and his was of a newer unboat-like plastic shape. The captain came ashore in his kayak after the mooring was set. I couldn’t resist asking, since I’d seen the Idiot before. ” So, I’ve always wanted to know who the Idiot was!?!” His wife was on shore to help him in with the kayak and in unison they both said: “It’s not us!!! We are just the caretakers! The owner told us that his wife called him the Idiot and that is what he named his boat!” I asked if he was still married to her. No was their reply. So I guess he isn’t that much of an idiot after all I called out to them as they left! The sky had been fuzzy up until that point. The sun then dipped behind a wall of cloud to expose a massive thunderhead cruising probably 30 miles away. It was the cause of the heavy humid air and the breeze as it was sucking wind into its updraft. The best part was the warm yellow/orange edge illumination of the thunderhead the sun caused as it got lower and lower towards the horizon. When I lived in Texas with a clear 360º horizon, I would check the computer radar to calculate how far off the thunderstorms were when I could spot them rolling by in the distance. They can become so tall that at a distance of 50 miles, when it’s clear, they are still visibly impressive and enticing to paint…

"Butterfly Weed"

“Butterfly Weed”

“Butterfly Weed”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

Butterfly Weed in bloom was my excuse for driving around to Lobsterville to paint yet again. This area is one of the few rolling dune habitats which can be driven through. There is always some nice birding to do on the way as the dunes hold ponds and swamps between them as they slowly drain out into the West Basin marsh. Today was a Great Egret day with 5 adults and a juvenile fishing throughout the marsh…

"By Chilmark Pond"

“By Chilmark Pond”

“By Chilmark Pond”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel.$750.00 USD

This location was scouted in the fog a few days ago. With the sun out today, I guesstimated about when would be the right time to come paint it. I barely made it before the shadows engulfed the lane completely. I was correct in my assessment that it would be a happy subject to paint when the sun and shadows came out…

"Menemsha Creek Fog"

“Menemsha Creek Fog”

“Menemsha Creek Fog”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

Usually, I paint first and then, maybe, fish after. Today I was scouting near the Creek and found a fisherman below me in the water. Said he just had a large bass on, but it snapped his 12 lb. test line. That was all I needed to hear. It was too hot for waders, so I changed into my bathing trunks, grabbed my rod and jumped in. An hour later, my mind was drifting from fish to landscape and how beautiful it was down here with the fog in the distance trying to roll over all…

"Deere In The Barn"

“Deere In The Barn”

“Deere In The Barn”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. $750.00 USD

How many memories this old barn must contain. Cows, horses, chickens, raccoons, skunks, barn swallows, sparrows, doves, milk, eggs, hay, straw, grain, farmers, children, carts, tractors. The only tractor left seems to be a small John Deere riding mower peering out from the shadows within…

"Solstice Moon"

“Solstice Moon”

“Solstice Moon”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. $750.00 USD

I motored to 3 different locations to capture the moon rising. I got my bearings mixed up and came here to sort it all out and paint this view instead. Never mind that there were heavy clouds along the east horizon, I soon realized I might be in “the spot” after all. I almost stopped before the moon peeked out. A fisherman suddenly appeared, walking up by the tree in the painting, holding a 34″ striped bass he had just that minute caught. I resisted temptation and kept painting, eventually fishing after dark. I returned home canvas full but fishless…

"Solstice Light, Brickyard"

“Solstice Light, Brickyard”

“Solstice Light, Brickyard”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.

When I had thought about capturing the light at the end of solstice day, I did not have anything particular in mind. I assumed I would be down on the beach painting. As I rounded the last bend in the path to the Brickyard beach, I just could not ignore the strong sunlight streaming into the cool darkness of the woods. I left my gear right there, but had to walk the extra few steps to the edge of the cliff to assure myself that nothing better awaited me…

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