Winter Sunset

Oil over Acrylic on 6" square Linen-covered masonite board

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This small painting is part of my resolution to myself to do a painting

every day except Monday (I teach all day).

I finished the figure paintingyesterday. I'll probably do another painting

this afternoon as it is only 1 pm. We'll see what happens!

This is inspired by a photograph, but the
rest is imaginary.

I wish it would snow!

Sunset Sky

This is another in the series of small gouaches that I have been doing

lately. I painted in oils all morning, and just couldn't keep from grabbing

the gouache by about 3 PM. This isn't the greatest piece I've ever done, but

it has a certain feeling that I like. I figure if I keep on doing them I can't

help butget better and better. Anyway, it is really fun.

Thanks for visiting today.

Sunset over St. John II

Oil on Board, 1o" x 7" SOLD

This is another view that I am obsessed with. Probably because

I haven't been there in three years. I love the Caribbean. If someone

were to ask me where I would rather go right now than anywhere on

earth, and I could choose any place, it would be the Caribbean. It i

a magical, beautiful place.

The colors in this painting did not come out well in this photograph.
They were much more luminous. The yellow was yellower, and the
pink was pinker.

I had a strange experience today. I get Chris Bolmeier's blog post.
She's a fascinating character. Does good art, can write up a storm,
has a fantastic voice - multi-talented. Well, she suggested watching a YouTube
video with Karin Jurik laying out her palette. I love those
things, so I did watch it.

It was uncanny. One by one, I watched her lay out every single
color I use on my own palette!! I should have had Twilight Zone
music playing in my head. Our work is nothing alike. (I admire
hers very much.) But, we obviously both love to have a lot of color
to work with, because she had about fifty, just like I do, and just
about the same, exact colors! Weird....but interesting.

Thanks for visiting today, and have a nice weekend.

Early Evening Boston Studio View ll

Acrylic on Paper, 4 3/8" x 4 1/8", $80.00 SOLD

This one was done from a photo I took out the window

of my studio in Boston when I lived there in the 80's.

I never tired of seeing the different sunsets. I know I

mentioned in my last posting of this view how fascinated

I was by the buildings. The way they seemed to glow here

is not my imagination. There was something about the fact

that they were all made out of bricks, and were up high on

a hill, combined with the fact that the window faced

due west, that created a sort of nimbus around the

building sometimes.

This was easy to create in oil with a glaze of

Gamblin's Transparent Earth Red. This is acrylic, so

I just sort of did the best I could with some burnt umber

mixed with some orange and acrylic medium. A different

animal completely....but I'm developing a fondness for them,

I have to admit.

I'm planning on trying oils over acrylic. I think

that ultimately I'll like the range that will give

better than just straight acrylic.

I'll keep with the acrylics for awhile, though, just

to really get the hang of it. They are fun.

Sunset after a Storm

Acrylic on Gessoed Board, 6" x 6" $100.00

This is another made-up picture. I guess it's the Caribbean. The

places that I have been there have made such an impression on me.

Particularly the skies.

This is one of my first acrylic paintings. You can probably tell....

There are certain aspects of acrylic that I like very much. For someone

who loves glazing as much as I do, the instant-dry factor is very

convenient. But, blending is problematical, and so is getting soft

edges. Spraying water on it, as I read David Hockney does, helps

a little bit. But it certainly is fun to play with. All in all, I think I'll

remain a big oils fan. I love the maleability of it, and the softness

of the edges that you can get with it like nothing else except maybe

pastel, or oil pastel.

Sunset in the Tropics

Oil on Gessoed Wood Panel, 6" x 8" $125.00

This is an entirely made-up painting, with a nod to Frederick
Church (whom I could never hope to equal). I have been to Jamaica
several times, but always to the north coast of the island. I love it
there. I think the landscape, above and below the ocean, and the people,
are beautiful.

I have also always admired Frederick Church's painted
"sketches" (amazing smaller paintings he did in preparation for huge
studio paintings - a typical 19th Century artist). I have had a book
of them that I got in a great sale at the National Gallery years ago, that
I have pored over many times.

So, here I am imagining that I am looking
at a sunset over the Blue Mountains in Jamaica. It's just a feeling I'm
trying to get, nothing exact - but I do think I caught something of the
humid atmosphere there, so I am happy about that!


P.S. I have decided to go through and put the prices under all of my
paintings, as I have been advised to do that, and also feel that perhaps
people are embarassed to broach that subject. I plan on opening up
my ebay store again, eventually.

Sunset over St. John

Oil on Linen laid down on board, 3 1/2" x 5" $80.00

This tiny landscape of St. John in the Virgin Islands, is one of

several that I have done of this same composition. The shapes

and colors of these clouds just fascinate me. The pink really

was this intense.

Sunset and Tree

Oil on gessoed masonite, 4" x 4" $100.00 SOLD

This was the view out the window yesterday - that
blue was so deep - and I had to paint so fast to catch
the firey pinks and oranges before they were gone.
I have learned that it is best to glaze the sky over
a white background when you have a situation
like this, so it was so nice that I could just grab
this little gessoed Gessoboard panel. I like the con-
trast of the asphaltum-colored treetop just barely
catching the light - and I love ANY color that
has anything to do with Naples yellow, like the
bright pink on the right that seems to be shooting
out of the side of the picture. I was happy with this.
It's just a little sketch, but I find it peaceful.

Sunset over a Russet Field

Oil on Gessoed 100% Rag Board, 4" x 5" $100.00