Golden Dusk

Golden Dusk, Oil on Linen Panel, 11 x 14

Hope everyone is staying warm!  I am thinking of summer as you can see.  I can't complain really since I've been in Florida for most of this terrible winter and am returning next week.  I am working on several new cityscapes and landscapes and hope to finish them before I leave.  Stay tuned!

Early Morning on the Beach Path

"Early Morning on the Beach Path", 9 x 12, oil on panel

This is a larger version of a 6 x 8 plein air oil sketch done earlier this winter.  It is on the grounds of the Bonnet House facing the beach.  I reworked this a few times and in doing so lost the transparency of the dark areas.  I like it overall but wish I had held off on those darks in the foreground.   I had to resort to opaque paint to lighten those dark shadows.  Lesson learned (but I will probably do it again . . ).

New Cityscape Study

Study for "Broadway Drizzle", oil on linen panel, 8 x 8

The reds are a little over saturated in this photo.  This is a study for a larger painting that I am starting today.  The larger piece will be 20 x 20.  I am going to emphasize the glow from the windows with a lot of glazing and transparent layers.  I will post a progress shot this weekend (hopefully)!

Cool Morning

Study for "A Cool Morning", 9 x 12, oil on linen panel

This is a plein air piece started in Newport a couple of weeks ago.  I did not spend enough time working out the composition before I started so I have struggled with it for the past week or so.  My main area of concern was the bottom right corner.  I had to make up the rocks and tree there so that the composition was more than just three horizontal bands.  I think I will let it sit for a while.  Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday weekend!


Revised painting as of 9/3:  I had to move that big boulder in the right hand corner.  It was heavy ; )

Morning on the Marsh

"Morning on the Marsh", 9 x 12, oil on linen panel

This is still a work in progress.  The building is an old convent in Newport.  The actual scene had a road running straight to the convent with the marshy area on the side.  It wasn't that interesting so I used my artistic license to change it (thank you Donald Jurney for that license)!  I have been trying to use instagram more often because it is easier to post images from my iPhone.  I will try to remember to post here when I post on instagram as well.  Or just come over to IG and follow me!

A Rumor of Autumn

Study for "A Rumor of Autumn", 9 x 12, oil on linen panel

Don't Panic!  It's not Autumn yet!!  It's not even close.  I painted this study plein air in the Blackstone River Valley last week with Donald Jurney and a few other fantastic painters.  You can follow all of them on instagram (@donaldjurney, @paulbatch, @briandmartin - I know I am missing a couple but you will see them on Donald's thread).  The orange colors in the foreground are the underpainting showing through.  I actually did not intend to make the scene look like Fall but Donald suggested the name and I decided to let it stay Autumn.  I still have work to do on the water and the tree on the left but I am going to put it aside for a while.