The VISION of FINE ART

Melrose Arts Festival - Coming Soon!

2012-02-12T13:00:00.001-08:00

Please join me in at the Melrose Arts Festival in April. I will be exhibiting my artwork during the three day weekend event. I hope you have time to stop by. Please stay tuned for future updates.

Weekly Photo

2012-02-08T17:41:00.000-08:00

Look at this Amazing tree! I love the texture...the soft, cold snow on the rough bark. Beautiful!

Each week I will post an image of a subject I've photographed somewhere, sometime during my travels. It could be a beach, sunset, flower...just about anything. Stay tuned! Your comments are welcomed!

"SECLUDED" 6X8 PASTEL

2012-01-25T19:34:00.000-08:00

Here's another snow scene I've been working on. It's another view of the creek at the Goldthwaite trail...a place I love. It doesn't belong there. It's so quiet, peaceful...secluded.

I really experimented with colors. I exaggerated them quite a bit and unlike "Darkness Falls" boosting these colors worked. Maybe because purple is my favorite color, but I get such a great feeling looking at this painting. I love the trees. The touch of wind blown snow on the bark, the color in the water...The depth of the trees is probably my favorite. It gives you a dimensional feel you don't often get from a painting....I love it! Hope you do too!

"DARKNESS FALLS" 6X8 PASTEL

2012-01-25T19:25:00.000-08:00

Here's a pastel I've been working on which was quite challenging. This is from a photo I shot at Plum Island last summer. It was around 8:30pm and there is not a lot of color in the photo. NOT MUCH AT ALL! So I figured I'd bump up the colors a bit and give it a little life and I think I over bumped them. I was so intrigued by the photo because of the tone, the feeling. It's dark, gloomy, but it was an absolutely beautiful evening.

I've been very intimated by this photo for a while. I was going to do this in a 16x20, then 9x12, so I decided to go small. I like the painting...not my best, but I think I captured the time of day and think I nailed the values. I can live with that.

I've only been painting for a couple of years and already I'm sick of naming paintings "sunset," that's why I called it what I did. However it almost sounds like a horror sequel, but it work and reflects my mood. Enjoy

Paintings from Chatham...

2012-01-08T13:00:00.000-08:00

In an earlier post I mentioned posting my paintings from my plein air trip to Chatham, Cape Cod back in October, so here they are. I won't be finishing these...I have other plans for the year so I will not have time to go back and touch these up.

Since the end of the summer I concentrated on plein air painting in preparation for my trip to the cape. I definitely feel it helped. I went into the weekend hoping to be successful with my color mixing, identifying shapes and values and really becoming familiar with being able to evaluate a scene under pressure. Throwing away everything you normally study completing a painting and relying more on instinct and raw painting talent.

It is a very challenging process with really pushes you to the limit. Plein air painting alone is difficult...throw in some of the obstacles we came upon and you are really put to the test!

DAY 3 Chatham, CAPE COD - "Untitled" 6x8 on Gesso Board

I actually really like this painting...this was the last location on a wonderful weekend trip. This was another very, very windy location. This was a beautiful area, a gorgeous marsh to paint. We had rising tides, wild coyotes and wind gusts of probably 50mph. I literally had to hold my easel the whole time with my left arm as I painted. This was a very challenging location.

I love the colors in this painting. I feel I captured them well. I love the clouds and the depth of the marsh. I wish I had more time to finish it.

DAY 3 Chatham, CAPE COD - "Bridge Street, Chatham" 8x10 on Canvas Board

This was another great location in Chatham. One of the fondest memories I have from this location is talking to some of the wonderful residents from the area. So many people stopped with such kind things to say, very friendly people out enjoying a walk on such a gorgeous day. It was actually quite overcast and cool when we arrived, by the time we wrapped it up the jacket was over the back of the easel.

This is a tough one to let go. I love this painting. Maybe I will go back and finish it some day. The sky, the trees, the water, however I'm not crazy about the grass. I don't feel I've been able to accurately paint marsh grass yet. I really need help with it.

DAY 2 Chatham, CAPE COD - "Untitled" 8x10 on Gesso Board

This was a location that we could have painted at all weekend. An amazing place! Beautiful marshes, boats, GIANT horse shoe crabs...a stunning location! This is a place I could visit every day and just reflect. Probably the least windy days also. Robin did a great demo here which was a very helpful way to start the trip. I remember the excitement I felt...the nerves...adrenaline...a lot of emotion.

As for the painting...originally I loved it. The more I look at it, the more I find things I'm not crazy about. I REALLY struggled with perspective this week. I don't feel I captured the depth at all. I don't like my trees, I don't like the values, I think the sky holes are awful. I don't like the water, I hate the marsh grass....the thing I DO LOVE is the sky and the clouds. Those are most important...I spent so long struggling with clouds. As long as I have those right, I'm good to go.

So this concludes my wrap up of the Cape. An amazing weekend. One of the best weekends of my life. Robin worked so hard to make sure we had an amazing weekend and we all did thanks to her. As I said before it was a very important weekend for me...a very special weekend for me. A weekend I will never forget. Thanks for looking, I hope you enjoyed my post.

Chatham, Cap Cod Final Post

2012-01-03T17:41:00.000-08:00

Here's some more images from my trip to Cape Cod. I've decided to make this my last Chatham post. Enjoy.

Chatham, Cap Cod part 1

2012-01-02T18:29:00.000-08:00

As I stated in an earlier post, I was going to post some pictures from my weekend in Chatham, Ma during Robin's amazing plein air workshop back in October.

I can't begin to tell you what this weekend meant to me personally for a lot of different reasons. A lot of them I won't get into, but It was my first time back to cape cod since I was a child. It was very emotional and brought back a lot of memories.

I have over one thousand photos, so for obvious reasons I can not get into everything, but I just want to share a few pictures I shot during the trip. I have some paintings I photographed that I will post in a bit.

We arrived on Friday, but on Saturday morning we woke up around 5:30am and went out to observe the sunrise before we embarked on our first painting location for the weekend.

The unforgettable orange glow from the sunrise is something that will live with me for the rest of my life. I will never forget this morning.

The sunrise itself was not the most spectacular, however as I said the glow was something to behold....

Amazing clouds...

just look at the color in the sand...

Stay tuned...I'll post some more pics tomorrow highlighting our first painting location and my work...hopefully you'll approve.

Enjoy!

"Winter Glow" 4x4 Pastel

2011-12-31T08:42:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick little pastel I did. I figure if I keep painting snow scenes, eventually flakes will fall.

This is another painting of the Goldthwaite trial. I have enough material to create 50 paintings from the same location. I actually painted this because I have a really nice frame I wanted to put it in. I have recently started organizing my studio to make it a more conducive painting environment. I've added lighting and organized my material so I can reach my materials a bit easier. This was sort of a test, I guess.

As for the painting, this was challenging. I always find it hard to work on such a small board. I love the warm glow on the snow and the depth and variety of the trees. I'm really falling in love with painting trees. I love being able to show the form and texture of the bark....add a little touch of snow and it adds to their beauty. Enjoy.

The Importance of Art and Marketing...

2011-12-30T17:31:00.000-08:00

Recently I sold a painting and I'd like to share the story with you that is proof marketing works. Especially in the world of fine art.

For the 15th Annual Open studio tour, Robin allowed me to show my work during the weekend. I created an ecard advertising myself and the other students' work for the weekend. I sent the card to someone I work with who attended the show. She loved the work, had a great time and raved about the evening. She commented about my work to another person I work with who requested to see my blog ( I'm almost done designing my own web site) . I gave her the address and she purchased a recent painting I completed and posted on my blog.

Here we have the distribution of the ecard, word of mouth and the updated web site. Without marketing I would NEVER have sold the painting. Taking the extra time to create and distribute the card, forwarding my blog address and even the importance of updating it with recent paintings. Again, I created the card and the blog is free...these things are VERY important for a starving artist!!!

I owe it all to Robin. I've sold two paintings in my short career, both thanks her for allowing me to show at the Open Studio Tour.

"Ol' Red" 6x8 Oil

2011-12-12T17:21:00.000-08:00

Fish Pier Chatham, MA on Cape Cod

This is the first and only completed painting I have at this time from Robin's AMAZING Cape Cod workshop back in October! It was an incredible experience which I'll get to in a bit...

It's a 6x8 oil that was painted on the Fish Pier in Chatham. The wind was unbelievable! My brushes were caked in sand, my canvas has sand mixed in the paint (jokingly I call it mixed media!), my easel blew over a few times...by far the most difficult session of the trip. If you could paint that afternoon, you could paint in any condition! Plein air is incredibly challenging without these obstacles. Personally, I'm not crazy about it...I think the values are off (again) but there's something about it...I like the little red boat...I like the grass...AND I LOVE THE TEXTURE!!! LOL

I have about five other paintings I worked on during the trip. I will finish them up shortly and get them posted. I'll post some images from the trip and get into my thoughts about my incredible trip to Cape Cod!

"Warm Winter Sun 2" 6x8 Pastel

2011-12-07T16:48:00.000-08:00

Here is the second part to my winter creek series. It's actually the third painting I've done from this area...I just love it. This little painting was actually quite challenging...I'm still having trouble with my values. I had trouble with my shapes, colors...LOL. I think this one is quite a mess technically. Funny thing is the one thing I really concentrated on is the perspective. I do feel I I've been really struggling with perspective lately, but this painting I feel came together. You really get the feel of the creek going off in the distance, so I'm very happy about that. I also like my quick strokes...another thing I tried to accomplish. Someday I'll get it all together.

Holiday Open House

2011-12-04T14:23:00.000-08:00

I will displaying my art at the Muse on Friday, December 9th from 6-8pm during the Holiday Open House. Hope you can make it! Special thanks again to Robin for giving me the opportunity to share my work again. Thank you!

Amazing Sunrise...

2011-12-03T18:59:00.000-08:00

As you can see from the photo, my home is surrounded by trees...occasionally I'm welcomed by a beautiful sunrise and this time I was lucky enough to grab my camera. This was about a week ago at around 7am. The horizon literally looked like flames...the amazing pinks and purples in the clouds...breathtaking moment. Glad to catch it on film! Enjoy

"Fall Sunset" 9x12 Pastel

2011-11-27T16:03:00.000-08:00

Here's another pastel I've completed called "Fall Sunset." This is a photo I shot that I just couldn't wait to paint. Before I even snapped the shutter, I knew I had to paint it. Sad to say, I'm not sure I did it justice. I'm happy with it, but I'm not sure I captured the drama and the cool fall evening I remember so vividly when I was there. I guess the cloud struggle continues...these seemed so much easier than your typical nimbus clouds. I couldn't have been more wrong. I analyzed the image and realized how simple the cloud subject should have been...executing it was a completely different story. HUMBLED AGAIN! Regardless, I do like the sky....it was just more difficult than I thought it would be. I continue to punish myself by judging an image on whether I feel the subject matter will be difficult or easy, rather than just looking at is as simple shapes, colors and values.

The more I look at the picture of the painting...the more I see things I'd like to fix. The good news is I really concentrated on my values. I do feel they work and I captured them dead on.

I really enjoy the trees. They really capture the feeling of Autumn.

Overall, I'm satisfied. Hope you are too.

"Warm Winter Sun" 6x8 Pastel

2011-11-26T11:06:00.000-08:00

Here's a little pastel I've been working on. I like working with snow...soon enough we'll have plenty. I don't think it's great. I think the values are off. I've been having a very difficult time with values. I don't seem to be capable of gauging the proper values in my paintings lately. Not sure why. Any way...on to the next. Hope you like it.

PARKER RIVER II 6x8 Oil

2011-11-20T10:00:00.001-08:00

Here's a quick little plein air piece I painted at Parker River. I love the bold blue water...the sun was so bright. I still struggle with marsh grass, however I love the colors. The earth tones give a nice fall feeling. This was fun, I enjoyed painting this...wind and all.

Plein air painting continues to be a challenge. I've been out quite a bit and I learn something each time. It's a great experience...there's nothing like it.

Hope you like it!

"Footprints" 9x12 Pastel

2011-11-10T17:38:00.000-08:00

Here is a neat little pastel I did last week. It's late in the day at Plum Island...I needed another piece for the show at the Muse and I painted it because the picture was right in front of my face and I love the calm feeling I get from it.

The breakthrough here is even with all the clouds...I just did it! No fear, no intimidation...clouds and all. I don't think they are perfect, but I'm very, very happy with them. I love this painting...I love the sun coming from behind the clouds and lighting up the water. I love the trail of (my son's) footprints in the sand. I shot a lot of beautiful photos that evening.

The best thing about this painting is, that it was completed in about 4 hours. I started it last Tuesday and Finished in Wednesday, had it framed and hung Thursday. Ready for the show on Friday.

I hope you like it!

THANK YOU!

2011-11-09T08:48:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who took the time to visit me at the Artist' Muse Studio this weekend. It was an amazing weekend. A weekend I will never forget.

The people were great...I met so many wonderful people. Thanks for the support and kind words...it means a lot.

Again, special thanks to Robin for allowing me to show at the studio this weekend. Without her, this never would have happened. Your kindness, hard work, dedication, talent and experience light the way and gives me strength to move forward. Thank you!

Artists' Muse Open Studio Tour

2011-11-02T18:38:00.000-07:00

Robin Thornhill has graciously offered studio space for me to display my work during the 15th Annual Open Studio Tour at the Artist Muse Studio in Amesbury this weekend.

Please join me at the Artist’s Reception on Friday November 4th from 5:30-9PM

The Open Studio Tour
Saturday 10am-4pm and Sunday 12-4pm

Artists' Muse Studio, 9 Water Street, Amesbury MA

I hope to see you there!

Robin, thank you very much for giving me this wonderful opportunity and believing in my work. It means a lot, I can’t wait.

Finally...

2011-10-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

Here it is...finally...I've been working on this for a looooonnng time! I think my hard work paid off. I'm very pleased with this painting. This is my son Ashton at the beach building a sand castle...a 9x12 oil which has seen it's ups and downs. This is my third figure painting and I feel good because it looks like my son. You will look at it and say "hey, that's him!" I guess that's what you try to accomplish when you paint a figure. Especially someone so important to you.

However, that is not what I'm so proud of...for those who know me...can you guess???

That's right...the clouds! Are they perfect? No, not really, but they are definitely my BEST. BY FAR! Most importantly, I feel I've overcome my fear of painting clouds. I felt confident painting them and that is something I have NOT been able to do.

With me, every figure I've painted I get to a level of frustration...frustration that it won't look like them...frustration the clothes won't look like fabric...etc...OMG the legs on this one...I painted the bathing suit and legs over and over and over and over...probably 10 times! No exaggeration. I'm happy with them now!

I have photographed this painting in stages and If I can find them all I will post them and create a little step by step description of this piece.

Thanks to Robin for being very patient with me on another painting. This would not be the end result without her help and guidance. Thank you. Hope you like!

(BTW...NO I do not have a name for it yet and today my son saw this painting...he loved it, but said he loved my winter creek painting more! Which I just realized is not posted on this blog-stay tuned)

"PARKER RIVER" 6X8 OIL

2011-09-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

This painting should be called the "perfect evening" because that's what it was. I will never forget it.

Unfortunately I don't think I can call it that because it doesn't look like evening. I definitely didn't do the time of day justice. It was kind of a disaster evening...late start, lost screw to my easel, bugs...oh my the bugs...I think I still have bites...but it was worth it. Birds were flying just as close as the bugs were, Herrons about 15 feet away...Full moon and one of the most amazing sunsets I can remember....

As my plein air adventures continue, this one I'm not so proud of. The end result is ok, but far from my favorite. I like the clouds! LOL (for once)

I literally had a terrible picture to go by. the sun fell so fast that evening and you must leave the reservation by a certain time or they lock you in! I got a horrible solar flare from the bright sun so my picture came out terrible, I literally painted this from imagination and it really doesn't look anything like what I saw.

I'm considering it practice. I spent more time on this than my last plein air painting (see previous post) and quite frankly it was more time than I wanted to spend. Probably the wrong attitude to have, but I wanted to spend my time on other paintings.

I guess that's all I really have to say about it too! Enjoy.

"BEFORE THE STORM" 6X8 OIL

2011-09-04T15:01:00.000-07:00

I've been getting out plein air painting recently and have been finding it very challenging. Not frustrating, but challenging. The reason why i say that is because technically it should be frustrating for me...clouds, rocks, trees, oh my! Three things I have extreme difficulty painting. Maybe being out in a peaceful situation relaxes me...maybe not having time to think (LOL) helps me when I paint...not quite sure....

This was a painting I started the night before Hurricane Irene arrived in Newburyport. (See me "sunset on plum island post. This was started the same evening) It's a small oil and for those who know me, plein air is something that goes against everything my painting style stands for...In a nut shell...I'M SLOW and CAN'T mix paint! When you paint outdoors, you need to evaluate your subject immediately, you can't be indecisive and you need to "see" what you're painting.

The problem with painting out doors right now for me is, by the time I get out and get set up...LOL, it's dark! Dark by 7:15 now...I get out around 6, 6:30...by the time I get my easel set up and grab a brush, I'm packing up to leave.

This was started (blocked in) and I was done in about 45 minutes before It was time to go. I spent about another hour and a half on it at home. I shot a really nice picture about every 5 minutes because the sky was so amazing and I knew I didn't have much time.

I love the end result. Not sure if I'm proud because of the clouds? I don't think they are great, but I think they may be my best. Definitely my best in oil. I love the colors. The sky really was that vibrant. Again, I focused on putting a stroke and leaving it. I guess I was in the zone because I managed to keep my palette relatively similar to what I used that night. That made it much easier painting the final strokes. I usually spend so much time remixing colors to match what was already there and I end up creating a disaster. I love the horizon and the tree line...

I have a couple of unfinished plein air pieces I'm going to try to finish. Another reason why I think I was able to complete this was because I got nice photographs to go home with to finish it. Some of the unfinished plein air work I have, I don't have nice photos to compliment the final work. That will be challenging. I may post them regardless...I may never get to those.

Any way...This was fun. Maybe it was the night...not sure...I hope you enjoy it.

"Up the Creek" 9x12 Pastel

2011-08-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

I was certainly up the creek while painting today...Thanks to the hurricane, and Unitil...my power went out and I literally painted this in the dark with a flashlight. I was going to work on my oil painting, but I have a difficult enough time mixing paint with light, so I opted for pastels instead.

I was actually inspired by one of my favorite paintings while painting this...VERY impressionistic in my opinion. I focused on placing a stroke and leaving it. Look at it closely and you can see the chunks of pastel sitting on the canvas. I love that! Focused on bold earth tones and some touches of colors, you may not expect in certain places. (something I've tried to emulate, but have not done yet) I've been working on this for a while and I'm happy with the result. I don't really feel I captured the water pouring over the rocks, but I am somewhat happy with the rocks. The water...does it even look like water? I think the values are wrong. Wrong with the rocks...maybe the creek? Not sure. I really love the trees...I've been enjoying doing trees with pastel...I think I'm going to tackle an 18x24 pastel landscape with trees. That will be challenging. I think I'm done with oils, at least for a while....Hope you like it.

Sunset on Plum Island

2011-08-27T17:17:00.001-07:00

I couldn't wait to get out and check out the sunset last night before the hurricane arrived. I knew the sky would be breathtaking so i went out and did a little plein air painting on plum island. From this picture you can see how amazing the sunset was last evening. Funny how you can feel the the change in atmosphere when ominous weather is approaching. It was a beautiful night...very peaceful...calm before the storm I guess.

The Replacement...

2011-08-20T07:27:00.001-07:00

Oops I did it again...All week I've been looking forward to Friday class so I could work on my oil painting...I almost walked out of the house without my painting and sketchbook, Then I get to class only to realize after I set up, put paint on my palette that I have forgotten my picture. As always I tend to look for the easy way out. I was going to gesso some boards or read a book, but Robin talked me into doing a "quick" pastel. She gave me a small 8x6 board and a picture of a beach, so the "bang it out" process began. (Remind me to post some day regarding my arrogant "bang it out" comment) Thanks for not letting me do something else and believing I could paint a quality piece in such a short time.

I guess I spent about an hour working on this painting and I am very pleased with it. I love beaches, and I love painting them. Some day I may even do a series...who knows. One of the things Robin had us do in class was to talk about the one thing we love about the painting we worked on. I of course, came up with a couple...but I thought that was a great idea. The two things I love about this 1. I love the beach part of the painting...the sand, the water, the tree line...I love them. My favorite part of the painting. I'm even pleased with the clouds. I feel more confident each time I paint clouds. Clouds continue to be ONE of my nemesis'. 2. I'm very proud I was able to produce a painting in a short time, that I'm happy with.

More importantly I received the seal of approval and that is a great feeling.

Oh, as always it's untitled...I guess I'll call it the replacement until I can come up with something better...

Marsh at Sandy Point

2011-08-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

NEW

OLD

I posted this painting a while ago, signed and complete...at least I thought it was. Probably a cardinal sin in the painting world, but I couldn't help it...Everytime I walked by it, it drove me crazy. The foreground of the marsh was too light to be backlit by a setting sun. When I completed this painting I knew the foreground was too light, but I liked the way I captured the floral brush so basically I left it. So I decided to wipe out my name, redo the whole foreground and I like the results. I think I found a good middle ground I'm pleased with. Not too dark, not too light, still showcasing some of the gorgeous flowers blooming on that day.

More importantly I tackled a fear of mine...sometimes I really struggle with doing something twice, regardless of what the previous result is. I have a fear of not doing it as well, or making it worse. This was a big step for me and I'm happy with the results.

Oh, and yes, it's still not signed ;-)

Sunset on Salisbury Beach

2011-07-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

As I wrote in my previous post, I love sunsets...I also love the beach. When I first started this blog I said I'd be posting more than just pictures of my paintings and I haven't done so. SInce I have not had much time to paint, I figured I'd post this picture of a sunset I photographed at Salisbury Beach on Wednesday night. The colors were not that vivid, but the clouds were breathtaking.

Maybe someday I'll have time to paint this, but I've got to finish what I've started first. I'm still painting...trying to focus on oils and put the pastels aside for a bit. I feel I'm at a good stage with my pastel work and I'd like my oil painting skills to improve, so I have one pastel to finish and I'm going to focus on oil through the remainder of the summer and through the winter. I won't put the pastels down completely...they work very well with my lifestyle and I love using them. I'm going to try to get some work in this weekend...stay tuned!

Sunsets...

2011-05-15T16:43:00.000-07:00

What can I say about sunsets...a true gift...especially with the beautiful weather we're having today.

I haven't seen one in a while. Actually this is probably the last beautiful one I've seen. This was along the marsh coming from Sandy point two summers ago around 7:30pm. It was hot...around 85 degrees at the time. A good one gives you such a chill.

I've been dying to paint this...It's a 6x8 (i think) in pastel. I love the sky...I actually saw some deer along the marsh that night...not in this picture, but maybe I'll paint that next. Hope you like it...

View from a humpback...

2011-05-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

This is an image of one of the many lighthouses on Cape Ann I shot years ago on a whale watch, when my life was tame...before what it is today. I love lighthouses...something about their presence...after all these years still standing, not necessarily working like they used to, but none the less, still there...LOL.

This is a small one, but means a lot. I don't have a lot of time to paint (stay tuned...that's a post for another time) It's a 4x4 in pastel, but I love it. Do You ever have that feeling when you paint, even though it may not be your best work, but you feel the painting is just right?

This one speaks volumes.

Changes coming...

2011-05-15T16:34:00.000-07:00

I've been a bit busy lately...what can I say....lot's going on. I've changed the look of my blog, was kinda bored with it. I hope you like it. I have some other ideas so I'm going to be working on it a bit more lately. Comments are always welcome. Thanks!

Portrait

2011-03-24T17:52:00.001-07:00

This is a portrait I did in Robin's class last week. It's my first attempt at charcoal in 20 years. I was pretty pleased with it. I think it looks just like the model, minus the angry scowl :-) .My son said it was "AWESOME"...so i'll take it. He usually tells it like it is. Other words he's used to explain my art have been..."neat," "cool" and "awkward," so when I get an "awesome" I'm happy.

The Beach - 18x24 Pastel

2011-02-22T17:39:00.001-08:00

This is a large pastel that I've been working on for about 10 months...This is the Hampton Reservation...the clouds were so dramatic that day. Not sure if I captured what should have been, but I really struggle with clouds in pastel and oil so this is quite an achievement for me. I'm happy with it.

Untitled...6x8 Oil on Masonite

2011-02-13T11:53:00.000-08:00

This is another beach painting that I'm very, very proud of...I better be...I spent about 16 months on this one. It's a painting of my youngest son and Robin's daughter. It was a very long process that I almost quit on a couple times, but robin was so helpful in getting me through this painting! like my other beach painting, I love it! Funny, I don't have names for either (the paintings, not kids), so feel free to help me out. I'm going to begin work on another beach oil very soon, it's got water, clouds, kids-OH MY! Those who know me, know my struggle with clouds, so this should be an adventure. Any way, I hope you like this. Thanks for looking.

Untitled...9x12 Oil on masonite

2011-02-13T11:48:00.000-08:00

This is a painting of my son I painted about a year ago...I love it. It's one of my favorites. I'm very proud of the time I put into it specifically because it looks like him. I think I captured him jumping in the air pretty well too. I love the colors and the overall feel...It makes me happy and reminds me of the beach

Part 2

2011-01-06T08:26:00.000-08:00

This is part 2 of my house paintings...It's another 12x16 in pastel. I don't like it as much as the other, but I'm still very pleased with it. Very challenging...the branches...ouch! A lot of time went into getting those right. It's actually hanging next to the other house and they do look very nice together.

One of my favs...

2011-01-06T08:21:00.001-08:00

This is actually part 1 of my 2 part home painting set...and I absolutely love this one! This is a 12x16 pastel that I painted. I really took my time with this one and truly enjoyed painting it. Its actually hanging up in my house...feels a little strange, but I love it that much. My first attempt at snow and I love the colors, the touch of snow on the roof and seeing through the small window on the left to the back of the house. Hope you enjoy it too!

WOW, so soon?

2011-01-06T08:17:00.000-08:00

LOL, told you I'd be back soon!

This was my first attempt at plein air...it's an 8x8 in oil, that I painted over the summer. I love it. Much better than my clouds. Nothing spectacular, but I was pleased with the way I made the trees seem individual rather than one giant bush! I was concerned with that when I started and was happy with the end result.

Thankfully I haven't been purged...

2011-01-06T08:02:00.000-08:00

WOW, it's been a long time...surprised I still have a blog! I'm not going to make excuses, it's very hard to find time to paint with the expectations I have for myself as well as keep updating a blog. I'm a very, very slow painter (understatement)so even if I had the time to paint, I'd be lucky to put out more than 8 paintings a year. So, that being said, as most of us have, I've put together a very LOOONNNNGGGGG list of New Years Resolutions and while I've already failed at enforcing some, I've already kept up on one and that is painting. I've worked on some pastels this week, so for the short term, I'm somewhat satisfied. So, before I get to some of my new stuff, I'm going to post some of my paintings I've finished last year.

This painting you see here is a painting of a picture I shot last year at Plum Island during the Hurricane (can't remember which one) two summers ago. I brought my kids to the beach in the evening to see the large waves and feel the high winds, it was an amazing evening. I did not do the photo justice. It's a 12x16 in oil and my first attempt at clouds. I feel, I failed miserably! I truly don't like it and struggled mightily with it. I must have spent 8 months on it, no exaggeration. I almost trashed it a couple times, but was encouraged to continue with it.

Stay tuned...more to come. Promise!

NO, SERIOUSLY I AM!

2010-03-09T05:48:00.000-08:00

It's been a craaazzzy year. So much to talk about, not enough time. I am still painting and have been working on a few paintings. I've been using my pastels and oils and have come up with a couple of pieces I'm proud of. This is an 8x12 pastel of Sandy Point at Plum Island. Hope you like. I'll be posting more soon. Promise.

Still Painting...

2009-03-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

So sorry I have not posted in a while. I've been pretty busy. It's amazing what Spring brings to the table. You're pulled into a thousand different directions. I am still painting...the one thing I have managed to do consistently. I've been working on my oils and hope to have a few paintings posted soon. This is a new challenge for me since I've spent the better time of the last year using pastels.

I'm currently unemployed, but I'm very busy painting, doing some freelance advertising and design work, coaching two baseball teams and are looking forward to the 90 degree humidity, New England so graciously offers. I've never looked forward to the beach so much in my life. The beach offers a tranquility for me I can't explain. Maybe it's putting the worst winter of my life behind me, or maybe seeing how much fun my kids have....either way, It's right on our door step. I can't wait.

see you soon.

Jeff

"How Sweet it is Too"

2009-02-09T13:10:00.000-08:00

I've actually posted the Valentine's Day candy on ebay for those who may be interested in purchasing it:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260360004783&_trksid=p3907.m32&_trkparms=tab%3DSelling

When in Rome, do as...

2009-02-05T11:03:00.001-08:00

I've actually named this "How Sweet It Is Too," second in my candy series. If you remember my candy corn at Halloween.

I painted this because it seems everyone is doing it and I wanted to have some fun too. Only problem is, I really don't like it at all. Down to the photo I shot. Actually...I guess I like the background. That's about it.

It's a 4x4 pastel of some candy, my son kept eating while I was painting. I finished it in about 30 minutes. I think it shows. I just splashed them on the table and didn't use anything other than the room lighting.

It was a lot of fun. Challenging actually. Writing with large pastels is not easy. Sorry, I don't like the colors, shadows, highlights, writing, composition...I don't even think I like my signature.

I guess I'll bail myself out and call it practice for the next great work of art.LOL. See you soon.

"Rocks Village Firehouse" Haverhill, MA

2009-02-04T10:48:00.001-08:00

Hello Everyone...Sorry, I've been away. I've been working on this pastel during the week. It's 12x16 and it's the first larger painting I've started and finished in a reasonable time frame in a while. This is a little red house right around the Haverhill, Merrimack border. It's a photo I shot last summer. It's the historical Rocks Village Firehouse right next to the Merrimack River. It was build in 1861.

As I drove by the house stood out like a sore thumb. Luckily I had my camera and immediately thought "I have to paint that!" I must like the end result because I signed it. I usually take 5 months to do that. I painted this in about 5 hours I think. I'm very happy with it. I'm not sure if it's the painting or remembering what a perfect day it was. I hope everyone likes it. Thanks for looking.

Nantucket Patio

2009-01-18T06:23:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite painting so far. It's also my largest and required the most time. It still needs a bit of work, but it's almost there. I'm working on softening up the background a bit.

This is a picture a friend shot from the bed and breakfast they stayed at in Nantucket last summer. I saw the picture and immediately had to paint it. It's 18x24 in pastel. I've probably put in about 30 hours so far. It has needed to be fixed twice, which set me back, but I'm very pleased with the end result. Should I say "almost" end result. I love the way the colors pop off the page. There is something about Nantucket and Cape Cod. They have a very special feeling. A feeling I really tried to capture in this painting. I really don't think the picture does it much justice. It doesn't really pick up the texture in the bushes or the vibrant colors. I hope you like it.

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

2009-01-17T06:35:00.000-08:00

Yes, I love the winter, but I love the summer even more. Sprinklers, Lawns, beaches and sand....I'd take them any day over 16 below zero.
Yes, that is a minus in front of the 16.6.

Must paint more summer subjects!!!

One of my favs...

2009-01-17T06:20:00.000-08:00

I love this painting....

Maybe it's the subject, maybe not...It's from a picture of Plum Island in Newburyport, MA that Robin had in one of her first classes. It still needs a tiny bit of work, but I was pleased with the results. I'm also working on framing it too.

I guess you can figure out where I'm going...beach paintings....sprinklers....It is 3 degrees out in one of the coldest winters I ever remember.

It's about time...

2009-01-17T06:14:00.001-08:00

I have two wonderful boys. One of them has begged me to paint him a sprinkler since the summer. He has never let up, I've procrastinated for months. I finally got around to doing it and I got the seal of approval from him last week.

It's about an 8x9 pastel, I put together on a scrap piece of paper in about 30 minutes. He loved it.

I've already got my second commission from my other son. Stay tuned...

FIRST UNDERPAINTING!

2009-01-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've been away for a few days. I've been a little busy. Actually, I have lots of time now, just haven't had time to get to my blog. I'll get in to that later.

This is another Pastel (12x18) I did in Robin's class. It was my first under painting! It was a lot of fun. I remember i made a mess while I was doing it, but I really loved the end result. The Sky is my favorite. I chose this image from some photographs Robin had taken and I love its potential with the amazing depth and the dramatic sky. I was very pleased with it. I'm not sure if I would have been without the under painting. I think this was the third painting I did in her class. Again...no name. I'll come up with one later. Yes, it's not signed either. I'm framing another painting i did, it was actually the second one I did. I'll post that soon. Thanks! See you soon.

FIRST PAINTING!

2009-01-02T06:31:00.000-08:00

This is the first painting I did in Robin's class. It is an 12x18 pastel of a farm in Exeter I drive by from time to time. I never have my camera when I drove by, but this morning i did. Around 9am, the sun was shining beautifully on the field and from the road I could see the horses through the fence. The dew was dripping off the fence which I thought added a nice touch. I don't think I captured that very well, but again this was my first pastel and I think I bit off more than I could chew. I worked very hard on layering the trees and getting the texture right, which I think came out ok. I guess I should come up with a name for it...

The Aftermath...

2008-12-27T12:12:00.000-08:00

Christmas has finally come and gone...I've been putting stuff together for days, shopping ('cause I haven't done enough of that) and cleaning. In between, I've been trying to enjoy my presents from Santa. Pastels, Brushes, Paints and more...Soon, I'll put them to good use. Hope everyone has enjoyed their holiday also. See you soon.

Christmas EVE!

2008-12-24T06:30:00.000-08:00

A week ago at this time, I was in the dark. Literally with no power for eight days thanks to the Ice Storm. I'm thankful things did not turn out worse. Things could always be worse. Christmas Eve seemed like light years away, but wow it arrived fast! I was out at 5am this morning finishing up my shopping. It was very nice...It was snowing, no lines...what more could you ask for. All that's left is to wake up tomorrow and enjoy Christmas.

FIRST OIL, FIRST SHOW- "Perfect"

2008-12-23T11:37:00.000-08:00

Ok, here it is. My first oil in years. I mean yeeaarrsss! Let me first say it was almost perfect.

I will never forget finding this apple...This October at Applecrest Farms in Hampton Falls, NH. It was just sitting there on a branch all by itself, Meant for me. PERFECT! It even plucked off the branch perfectly, stem and leaves in tact. "Perfect" subject for my first oil. "perfect" name for my painting.

I honestly have no idea what I was doing. It is a 5x7 that took me about an hour. I guess I put the paint on rather heavy. It took about two weeks to dry! LOL! Seriously, I had it in front of a space heater for about a week.

I also entered this in my first show. The Exeter Arts Committee in NH had their Holiday Art Show on Dec. 4th. I picked the painting up yesterday. Yes, I picked it up, which means it didn't sell. I don't really care, the whole experience was a blast. I can't wait to do more. I hope you like it.

FIRST SELL - "How Sweet it Is"

2008-12-23T11:32:00.001-08:00

This was a 4x4 pastel that I did for Halloween. It was painted specifically for the season to see if I could sell it and guess what....It sold. I couldn't believe it. (the title seemed somewhat fitting at that point) I'm the last person who cares if I make a penny on my art, but It was rather exciting. I actually liked the piece a lot. The painting I mean, not the candy. The colors were so seasonal and the dramatic shadows were fun. I wanted to do something similar for Christmas, but I lost power for about a week and just finished Christmas shopping today. 'Tis the season to be Merry.

MY FIRST POST

2008-12-23T11:21:00.000-08:00

I wanted to make my first post brief, but somewhat introductory so here goes...I've been painting now for about a year. I received my first set of pastels for a class I registered in last year. The lessons were instructed by Robin Thornhill, an amazing artist, who some day, I wish to be half as talented as. During her class, I consumed a wealth of knowledge and realized how much I've been missing. I painted about a half dozen paintings in pastel and recently purchased some oils and created my first oil painting. Over the next few days/weeks, I'll put the items up to show you. Enjoy and thanks for visiting.