I WORK EN PLEIN AIR, OUT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE… Welcome. I am back to painting again after a sabbatical that included a few pieces done for charitable fund raisers. I am continuing to make small, 6" x 8", landscape oils, but not every day. I am also working on larger pieces. Every time I finish a painting, I will place it here on my website. If you see something you'd like to purchase, email me. Thank you for enjoying my work and keeping me creating new pieces. Your interest stimulates and inspires me and has made me a better painter. Sign up for my emails and I will send you an image of each new painting. I love to paint and am happy to share my painting experience with you. Most of my work is impressionistic landscape oils, inspired by the beauty of the Island of Martha's Vineyard where I live.
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“The Crossing”
“The Crossing”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.
This is one of my favorite places to paint the boats as they sail by. I’ve had to stay out of the sun for a few weeks and this was my first chance to go and enjoy the sailors filling their sails…
“Quansoo Opening”
“Quansoo Opening”, this is a large painting, 30″ x 40″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.
(Please note that this is 30″x 40″, 25 times my normal size!)
Great News!!! …My new studio is now open by appointment. If you find yourself on Martha’s Vineyard and would like to actually see my work in real life, not digital! please call, text or email me and I will be happy to welcome you in. Five Zero Eight – Five Six Zero – Four Four Three Seven
Seven years ago this week, when I first began my Painting-a-Day adventure, I was not looking this far into my creative future. I was just thankful that I could keep making one more painting to place in front of yesterday’s piece. I found that I have learned a great deal about making a painting and what makes a painting great. I have had weeks without a sale and then months where everything I create is sold. I have made many new friends through my paintings. Thank you! I am happy and grateful to all who cannot resist buying or are actively collecting my works and to all who voice their appreciations of an image here or an image there. I know that I spend too much time on most paintings, working into the wee hours to come to completion, but if I’m not satisfied, I’m not sure anyone else would be either. Then there are days when the image comes out in a half hour, done! Magic, but I know I earned it! Other days I return depressed at not finding a thing to put on canvas. The problem with the paintings-a-day is that the process took over my life, but in a good way. Only, it had nudged out extra time for larger works.
Recently, I have given myself permission to take 2 days to work on some paintings, or to not go out at all to capture a new subject. On these days, I have begun to work on larger canvases in my new studio. After rummaging back in time for an image I have done, saved, seen or photoed while out scouting, I have found some which will make great, large paintings. Today’s piece is a celebration for me. This painting is the first large one I have done and finished in almost 5 years. I knew what the image was going to be the moment I saw it out in the field. I went out multiple times to its location to photo it over the past winter/spring and sometimes just to sit, and watch the light play as the sun closed out the day. It burned a hole in my consciousness until I completed it on canvas…
“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”, 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…
“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…
“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…
“The Followers”
“The Followers”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.
I have not painted at midday for quite awhile and this was a welcomed change. The weather forecast wasn’t very good for the evening. So I took advantage of this very pleasant afternoon. The sheep were absent when I began. It was nice to find them parading slowly back and forth when I looked up…
“Red Beach”
“Red Beach”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. $750.00 USD
A beautiful sunny day found me closeted in my van while I did this painting. The wind had died and it was gorgeous out. Not a soul was on the beach, nor in the parking lot. I soon discovered why. The no-see-ums were the force to be reckoned with. They were under my hat, in my glasses, on my hands, in my ears, on my neck, all over me within moments of stepping out of the vehicle. Retreat was my only option…
“Gay Head, Flip Side”
“Gay Head, Flip Side”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.
This image has been burning in my mind for a week or more. I went on location and tried to paint it, but it was too windy. I took copious photos as the sun went down. Came back to the studio and studied them all for a few evenings. Went back for a couple more tries. One time it was raining, but sun was under the cloud cover shining as it went down. No painting, then, either. Once more I went up and got a fast wash in on the canvas, but was too windy to do more. Tonight the festering was too much. I put it on the easel. Danced around it. Used those memories of studying, along with the washed in underpainting to pull it all together…
“At The Bend In The Road”
“At The Bend In The Road”, this is a small painting, 6″ x 8″, oil on canvas panel. This painting has SOLD.
After yesterday’s painting, I had Rosa Rugosas on my mind. Actually not really on my mind but in my nostrils. To me they are THE smell of summer at the beach. Fishing last night I had to walk through a hedge of them going and coming. Today, as soon as I finished one of my many golf course commissioned paintings, I went hunting for beach roses. I think I excluded 10 or more sandy paths between the little bridge and big bridge before discovering this one. It was delicious standing out with setting sun warming me, no wind and the scent of roses all around as I painted the glistening light off the distant water. I observed a lone boater fishing for blues and was serenaded by 4 Oystercatchers as they flew low overhead from pond to beach loudly discussing dinner as they hovered slowly past…