New Gallery in Connecticut

"Sunday Afternoon NYC", oil on linen, 24 x 24

My gallery in Albany, NY has just opened another gallery in New Canaan, CT.  Sorelle Gallery will mark its official opening with a reception on Friday night, June 6th, from 5 to 8 p.m.  There will be many of the gallery artists on hand to discuss their work on Friday as well as during the open house on Saturday.  There should be some of my cityscapes as well as recent landscape work but there will be a lot of diverse work from 20 or 30 artists for people to enjoy.  So stop by if you are in the area!

Mist Along the Canal

"Study for Mist Along the Canal", 9 x 12, pastel on hand made sanded paper

Yes, another misty painting.   I like fog (unless we are sailing in it).  This is going to be a larger oil painting.  I think I will be able to refine the shapes of the trees a bit more when I do the oil version.  This paper has a lot of texture so it can be hard to get really refined edges.  I like the feeling overall but will probably do a small version in oil before I tackle the larger one.

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.  

"White Umbrella"

"White Umbrella", 9 x 12, oil on panel

This is an oil version of a pastel painting I did a long time ago.  I've always loved this image.  I hope to make a trip to New York soon to collect some more cityscape references.  In the meantime, this painting as well as my recent cityscapes and tonalist landscapes will be on view at Sorelle Gallery starting this evening.  There will be a reception starting at 5 p.m. so if you are in the upstate New York region please come by!

Spring Mist

"Spring Mist", 8 x 8, pastel on sanded paper

The mist and fog theme continues . . . This work will be shown at Sorelle Gallery starting Friday, April 25th.  There will be a reception on Friday evening from 6 - 8p.m.  Stop by if you're in the area!

Moonrise Over The Stables

"Moonrise over the stables", oil on panel, 9 x 12

I have been busy painting and getting ready for the trip back to the US next week.  I will have several new paintings of cityscapes and tonalist landscapes like the one above on view at Sorelle Gallery next week.  I will post opening times and schedule tomorrow.  This painting was inspired by some sketches of the stables across from the racetrack in Saratoga Springs.  There is a timeless quality to the old barns where they keep the horses in the summer.  I may do more paintings from here if I can get them to let me past the security gate!

Foggy Afternoon

Study for Foggy Afternoon, oil on panel, 6 x 8

This little study started as an exercise in atmospheric tonalism.  There are two key ways to create atmosphere:  close values and low chroma color.  I picked one color (green) to use as my jumping off point for all the values and masses in the painting.  All the colors are mixed off of the one green puddle of color.  I was careful to keep the values separate but close.  I like the brushwork in this study.  I also like the underpainting showing through in the foreground as it adds a little sparkle and interest.  After spending the last several months painting in an indirect manner (lots of glazing and waiting) it was liberating to start and finish a study in one sitting.  I used a larger pastel painting of this scene from a few years ago as my guide to composing the sketch.  I may take it a bit further and create a new composition for a larger oil.