Super Hero Abstraction

"Super Hero Abstraction", 6 x 8, Oil on Paper

Another little study in my super hero series.  I am eager to take some of these studies and make some bigger paintings out of them.  I love the pose here.  The issue will be to make the composition interesting but still simple and somewhat abstract on a larger piece.   I'll let you know how it turns out!

Maine Fog Color Study

Maine Fog Color Study, 6 x 8, pastel on sanded paper

I made a new batch of pastel paper today and wanted to try it out with some color studies.  I actually didn't plan this one at all but I like it.  It has a kind of "japonisme" feel to it.  If I were to do it larger, however, I would really need to work out the shapes of the foliage beforehand. We'll see.  

Belated Happy New Year!

"Study for Rainy Saratoga", 5 x 7, oil on paper

Hope everyone had a great holiday!  I'm off to a bad start with New Year's resolutions one of which was to post my paintings in a more consistent and timely manner.  I am currently working on four large (for me) cityscape/rainy scene paintings which will hopefully be ready for viewing in the next week or so.  My process has gradually shifted over the past year to a more deliberative approach which can be quite time consuming.  It is a combination of indirect and direct painting techniques involving layers of glazes, scumbles and often lots of scraping off and repainting! I now do more sketching than painting on location and use those sketches and value studies for the subsequent paintings.   Stay tuned!

Crossing Broadway

Study for "Crossing Broadway", pastel on paper, 6 x 6

Merry Christmas Everyone!  Hope you all had a great holiday.  It went very fast!  Time for me to get back in the studio and try to get a lot of work done before I have to leave for the Caribbean.  I have quite a few rainy day studies that I am now working up into larger sizes.  I hope to post some big ones soon!  Have a great Christmas week!

And It Kept On Snowing . . .

"From My Window", pastel on paper, 6 x 6

We have well over a foot of snow up here in the foothills of the Adirondacks.  It is very beautiful and "Christmasy".  I love watching the snow fall . . from the comfort of my studio!

Hommage to Ryder

"Hommage to Ryder", Pastel on Paper, 5 x 7

I am sure I've mentioned that Chauncey Ryder is one of my favorite dead artists.  He was born in Danbury CT in 1868.  He painted all over New England but he mostly known for Connecticut landscapes.  His paintings really feel like a November afternoon!  This is available is currently hanging at Sorelle Gallery as part of their Holiday Miniature Show.

Rainy Afternoon Saratoga

"Rainy Afternoon Saratoga", Pastel on Paper, 6 x 6

On with the rain . . . This little study of downtown Saratoga was painted from a sketch that I did in the car a couple of months ago.  I like the texture of the street in this study.  Pastel is particularly good at depicting rough and/or wet textures.   I'll be posting more of these over the next few days.

Cape Cod Pastel

Cape Cod Fog, Pastel on Paper, 11 x 14

This piece has been accepted into the 23rd International Pastel Society's online show.  It can be viewed in December at the IAPS website in December.  Tonight is the opening for the miniature show at Sorelle Gallery in Albany.  Stop by if you are in the area!

Tiny Painting Season

Cape Cod Mist I and II, Pastel on Paper, 5 x 7

It's that time of year again!  The galleries want lots of teeny tiny paintings to sell for the holidays.  It is a trend that has really taken off over the past few years and now every gallery has a Holiday Miniature Show!  These two pastels are from my family vacation to Cape Cod this past summer.  I love the atmosphere on the Cape.  There are misty marshy views everywhere you turn.  Both pieces will be available at Sorelle Gallery for the holidays.

November Haiku

"November Haiku", Pastel on Sanded Paper, 5 x 7

This pastel was done from a pencil sketch along a rural road in Saratoga Springs NY.  The landscape is dotted with these little red buds everywhere.  The composition reminds me a bit of the japanese prints that the early American Impressionists loved so much.  I don't know how well this graphic design would stand up to a larger format but I may give it a try.  This piece will be available at the holiday miniature sale starting at Sorelle Gallery in Albany starting next Friday, November 15th.

Fall is in the Air

"Autumn Sunset in Saratoga", Pastel on sanded paper, 12 x 12

It's hard to believe summer is almost at an end.   I feel like I had just started to get into the summer plein air swing of things the past couple of weeks!  Fortunately, I love autumn plein air painting even more than summer painting.  I still have studio pieces to get back to but am trying to get the most out of the beautiful weather we've had here in the Northeast.  The painting above is available at Sorelle Gallery in Albany, NY.

Oil Painting on Paper

"Newport Field Study", 6 x 6, oil on paper

I have been looking for an inexpensive surface to use for oil sketching.  I hate to use an expensive panel or piece of linen for "doodling"!  I hit upon the perfect solution this morning.  I took a piece of heavy etching paper and coated it with three layers of gesso.  The surface is smooth but there is enough texture from the brush marks to make it interesting.   This is basically the same process that I use for my homemade sanded pastel paper but without the addition of grit or marble dust.  I like this surface a lot - the paint kind of glides on in the first layer.  The downside, though, is that works on paper always have to be framed with glass which negates the cost saving aspect of using paper instead of linen!