Salon View, National Gallery

12 x 12 Oil on Archival Board

Trying my best to have the viewer feel as though they are in the room with the magnificent artwork... Walking on those old wooden floors, hearing the muffled voices that echo slightly. My idea of heaven!

The Joy of Music

6 x 12 Oil on Archival Board

Music and art combined to make a very special summer day not too long ago.  Artists Pat Dougherty and Megan Davies displayed their African paintings at the Africa House in Lynchburg.  On a beautiful Sunday a group of singers performed and I snapped photos like crazy.  I finally got around to painting one during a break from the Christmas commissions I am furiously completing. The joy of the music was so evident in their faces, and that was what I was trying to convey in this study. 

Canoe x 3

6 x 8 Oil on Archival Board

 

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Three people fishing in a canoe..an unusual site here at the lake.  Most people have very fancy, super fast fishing boats, so it was nice to see people enjoying the peace and quiet.  No motors, just the sounds of the water lapping, birds chirping, and occasional fish jumping (usually far enough away that they don't get caught :-)  Another moment in time...

Beach Walkers

8 x 8 Oil on Archival Board

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This is my friend and her daughter walking along the shoreline.  I was behind them snapping photos:-)  Lots of my favorite things to paint:  people, shadows, water, sand....Nothing better!

Art in the Making

8 x 10 Oil on Archival Board

 

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Sitting on the rocks above the ocean, listening to the crashing waves, smelling the salt air, feeling that cool breeze; there is nothing like it in my opinion.  That's why I keep painting it :-)  This is a group of artists enjoying the moment.

Beach Zen

8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord

On-going paintings in the beach series.  I never seem to get tired of painting scenes like this.  I think it has to do with growing up on Long Island (NY).  Being surrounded by water, I spent everyday at either the ocean or the bay doing exactly what these two are doing.  When I was really young, I went to a day camp for six years, five days a week all summer on the Great South Bay.  The camp was pretty progressive for the times.  We grew vegetables, put on plays, had arts and crafts, had music, sailed, and swam three times a day in the bay.  Then came sleep away summer camp...Not a great experience.  No salt water, only a lake with leeches.  After the first girl came out with a leech on her, I knew I had to get out of there :-)  It was an eight week camp, but my parents had to pick me up after two weeks.  When I was a teenager, we spent a huge amount of time at the ocean at Jones Beach, or Fire Island.  Then later, with my kids at Amagansett.  There is no better way to grow up.  I now live on a lake, but I have to say I miss the smell of salt water.  When I paint these scenes, I can feel the sun and smell that beach smell....

Niagara Falls Couture

8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord

All the while I was painting this I was thinking about the Rolling Stones song "Shattered."  "People dressed in plastic bags. What kind of fashion?"  This is part of my cousin's road trip and such fun to paint!  It's the Maid of the Mist, and I remember fondly being on it on one of my trips as a child.  Here is a study in preparation of doing a larger piece.  I haven't worked out everything, but I like the spontaneity of it.  Once again, the colors here are not accurate to the actual painting.  When I can, I will take another picture and post it.

Summer Coffee Break

12 x 12 Oil on Gessobord

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I would think Monhegan Island, Maine, is a great place to work for the summer.  We did notice that they seem to attract a lot of young Irish people who come to the US to work for a while.  We noticed this in the Hamptons in New York, as well.  I would think it's a great way to travel while making some spending money.  Kind of like summer camp with a lot of hard work involved.  These kids were taking a much needed break on a bright, chilly morning.  I know I've said this before, but the light on Monhegan is spectacular.  There is something so different about it, so I guess that's why you see so many artists all over the island...the light and the beauty...Ahhhh!

Spring Sailing Season Begins

12 x 12 Oil on Gessobord

Well, the sailing season has begun, and yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day for the races.  The colors this time of year are so vibrant, and Smith Mountain Lake really shines in the Spring and Fall.  In the summer there isn't enough wind, so no races...  The downside right now is the pollen, however.  It is covering everything.  I put my newly varnished paintings outside to dry..Big mistake!  I had to bring them right back in when I saw a mist of yellow descending.  Maybe it would have provided more "atmosphere" though :-)

Whose Kite is it Anyway?

6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord

A quick study of Spiderman above the City.  I gave myself a time limit and just kept my brush moving.  I'm not sure why, but as I post my paintings I see all sorts of issues I want to correct, and WILL correct on this one...Things I don't see when I'm in the "zone."  This, however, serves as a starting point for other paintings.  Just a beginning in my "thought process."  With these, I'm always really glad I start on small boards.  If I decide to do a larger painting, these are good references...Mostly in what I need to correct or change.  I do like the energy in this little piece :-)

Three on a Bench with Popcorn

8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord

A very hot day at the Winter Park, Florida Art Show...If you have never been, it is worth the trip.  There were so many wonderful artists displaying their work.  I'm always on the lookout for people to paint though, and I loved these three.  Popcorn, galore! 

Putting In at Low Tide

8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord

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These two people were about to spend the day kayaking.  The tide was really low and made for some interesting shapes and colors...and smells.  You can't miss that fishy smell when the tide goes out.  This is Boothbay Harbor, Maine.  We were on our way to the Monhegan Island Ferry dock.

Bedford Centerfest

9 x 8 3/4" Oil on Gessobord

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This was Bedford Centerfest at lunch time.  The streets were full of people out to have a good time, and what attracted me to paint the scene was how colorful everything was.  I was sitting at our artists' co-op booth watching people parade back and forth.  It really reminded me of NYC during my daily lunch break.  I would sit in Bryant Park and be fascinated by the people.  I still am, and I suppose that's why I paint what I do...People going about their daily lives.

Pool Cool

16 x 20 Oil on Gessobord

It's so interesting to watch people play in a pool.  This boy was really too big to climb on someone's shoulders, but I think he was trying to impress the girl on the side.  I wonder if she was impressed?  I really wasn't caught up in the people in this painting.  I wanted to focus on the pool water.  The colors are so different from any other water source, so this painting is really about the water...and summer.

Beginning of Summer

12 x 24 Oil on Gessobord

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OK..Technically it's not summer yet, but I just got back from a week in Florida where it most certainly is summer.   Hot and humid, and rain every day, which made me feel like painting the beach.  My favorite season is not summer, and I avoid going to the shore during June, July and August.  Love the Fall and Winter, though.  That's the best time because all the children are back in school, and you pretty much have the beach to yourself; and in the Fall the water is still warm enough to swim.  Yikes, I sound old.  I think I remember my parents saying the exact same thing.  Uh Oh.....

Entertainment at the Gallery

12 x 12 Oil on Gessobord

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This was a scene from a recent gallery show where three of my paintings were hanging.  My main objective was to paint the man in the forefront who had a bemused expression on his face and was in the process of turning to look at me as I was taking his photograph. The Juror spoke about each piece she chose for the show, and when she got to mine I snapped the picture.  She mentioned that my subject matter was "unexpected" as she spoke about my piece called "Just Another Pretty Face."  If you scroll down, you can see it on this Blog.

Tourist Heaven

11 x 7 Oil on Arches Paper

This tour bus passed us as we were walking from the hotel to the MET.  If I could have flagged it down and hopped on, I would have.  We thought we knew where we were going, but wound up walking way out of our way...What felt like miles out of our way.  I really loved the man looking up with his mouth open.  In the city, that's probably not a good thing.  One never knows what might fall in :-) 

Layer Upon Layer

14 x 11 Oil on Canvas Board

I really love this view at the Museum in NYC.  What really attracted me to this scene were the silhouettes on the third level.  I'm not crazy about canvas board because it seems to absorb all the oil and I had to do layer upon layer...as in the name of this painting :-)  I'm extremely happy with the way this turned out considering the architectural angles and the fight with the canvas...I think I might do it again on a different surface just to see the difference in the way it turns out. 

Seven Seated Figures at the MET

11 x 14 Oil on Gessoed WC Paper

What attracted me to this scene was the row of six people sitting in this great hall at the MET along with the seated sculpture.  Perhaps each of these people would have preferred being on a pedestal, too :-)  One of my favorite parts of travelling is coming home and reliving everything in paint.  It doesn't get any better than that!

Fair Food

6 x 8" Oil on Gessobord

Not an epicure's delight...Fair food, always popular, always lines for the never ending variety.  This ribbon potato vendor was very popular at the strawberry festival.  The first year we went to a festival in Virginia, the longest line was for pork rinds.  Up north, it's hot dogs.  It's amazing what we consume :-)