View From the Cockpit

"View From the Cockpit (BVI)", 6 x 8, oil on carton board

This is the view from the cockpit of the boat in our marina in Tortola.  The islands in the background are St. John.  Sorry to rub it in to all you snowbound people up North!  This is a quick oil sketch done on carton board which is a substrate that the European Impressionists used for their studies.  It is ultra absorbent and a little scratchy which makes it a little challenging to paint quickly.  I like the warm undertones that show throughout the sketch.

After the Rain

"After the Rain" (Road Town, BVI) 9 x 12, oil on panel

I had a fairly unproductive month due to the fractured foot incident but things are on the mend!  I have been working on some small pieces while laid up on the boat.  This is one of a few paintings currently in progress though this one is pretty close to finished.  There may be a scumble here or a glaze there before it is all done but I am leaving it for now.  I will post the remaining few pieces as they get closer. . .

Rain On Broadway

Rain on Broadway, 9 x 12, oil on panel

Forgive the bad photo here.  I only have my iPhone and it really does not seem to take decent pictures of artwork for some reason.  It feels a little strange to be painting cold, rainy street scenes when I am sitting in 85 degree heat in the Caribbean!  Unfortunately, my plans to paint some tropical townscapes have been postponed due to a sailing accident.  I missed a step and fractured my foot!  So, no plein air for a while.  It has been 10 days so far and I am able to walk short distances but am otherwise boat bound at the dock.  So, for now I am working from sketches and references I have of both New York and Saratoga.  Some of the Saratoga paintings will be included in my two person show in Albany later in the Spring.  More details to follow. . .

Illumination

"Illumination", 16 x 20, oil on linen

This is another Saratoga rainy day scene.  I am happy with it overall but need to let it sit for a while before declaring it "finished".  This will probably be the last cityscape I post for a while since I am in the Caribbean now. It's hard to paint cold rainy days when it is 90 degrees and sunny!

Rainy Day Grays

"Rainy Day Grays", oil on linen, 18 x 24

This is one of 4 large (for me) paintings that I have been working on over the past month or so in my studio.   I was not sure it was finished but I found myself doing lots of pointless noodling and it finally had to go - ready or not!  I am dropping this piece off at the gallery tomorrow so it had no choice but to be "finished."  The downside to working in an indirect manner is not only the amount of time it takes to complete the painting but how much that extra time creates and enables doubt and uncertainty to creep in at each stage. When painting directly, either in the studio or plein air, you have to make quick decisions and stick with it.  But, when working in layers you can glaze, scumble, have a snack, paint the whole thing over again, question the color choice, glaze, scumble, change the palette, throw your brushes, have another snack . . . well you get the picture.  I am satisifed for now.  It has a quiet kind of Hopper feel to me (though with brighter colors obviously).  Two of the other paintings were not allowed to leave the studio.  They are being punished.

Essex January Invitational

"LobsterFellas", 8 x 10, oil on panel

Two of my lobster guy paintings have been accepted by Art Essex Gallery in beautiful Essex, Connecticut.  This is a national show and will be covered by Art Collector magazine.  The show opens January 15th and runs through February 15th.  There is a reception on the 17th which I will have to miss since I will be on my way to the Caribbean.  But you should go!!

Chinatown Market

Chinatown Market, 11 x 14, oil on canvas

All four of my large paintings are still wet so I could not work on them today.  I found this older painting in my "discard pile" and decided to rework it.  I like it much better now!  I think some of the values in the original painting were off and the colors were over saturated.  Looks like I still have a couple of minor perspective corrections in this but I will have to wait a couple of days.