Ho Ho Ho

We all recognize this jolly gentleman...He hasn't stopped by our house yet...but I've seen him around town.. at the mall, on the street, even running in a local charity fun run...He's a busy guy. Hope your holidays are merry and bright!

"The Glance"

This young lady had such a strong cast shadow that I just had to try and paint her...even the subtle shift of values reads as a dark and a light under and on her chin and her cheek. That's one thing I learned this year.. among other things...but a lighter touch with the pigments can be just as effective as a strong hand.

Lady in red

I'll get back to my card sets sometime soon...but thought I'd post some of my newest work. This stately, well dressed, elegant lady looked stunning with her fancy sunglasses and jaunty red hat...I'm glad I had a chance to paint her and use all the red pigments on my palette! 15"x11"

More card sets

More cards for you to peruse...I had fun with the four seasons of Vermont Farms (above) and had a collection of wine bottle images that I did for a poster for a local Fine Wine and Food festival. And the roosters are always a favorite of mine to paint. As I said in the previous post there are 8 cards total (2 of each image) and they are photographs of my paintings put on a deckled edge, blank notecard (5"x7"). They are $21.95 per pack plus $3.05 S/H for a total of $25.00

Vermont Farms

A Fine Vintage

Roosters

Card Sets

Winter Birds

Today I'm posting some of my card sets which are for sale at two or three Vermont locations, but not anywhere else...so I thought why not here? I'll post some others in the coming days like rooster card sets, Sunflowers, Peonies, poppies, Irises and more...so stay tuned. If you'd like one of these sets just click on the Buy it Now button and I'll send them to you! The cards are blank with a deckled edge and are packaged in a clear plastic box. There are two each of the four images you see for a total of eight cards.
They are $21.95 per set plus $3.05 S/H for a total of $25.00 each.

Bouquets

Tulips

Glass birds

This post goes along with my last one about my work being licensed...these two images are on "stained glass" and are about 6"x8". I was so excited to get these samples in the mail..the reproduction and quality is really outstanding. It is so much fun to have my work represented on such an array of different products. The company that manufactures these is called Truth in Glass and hopefully they'll show up in a store near you!

2012 Calendar

This calendar is out there in the retail market somewhere right now, which is very exciting...I happened to find this one at Homegoods! I wish I knew which stores were carrying this calendar...I come to an agreement with my licensing agent for the use of my images for a particular product and that's where it ends...so if you find these items in and around your neighborhood, let me know so I can tell folks where they can buy this calendar! This is the backside....sorry for the crooked picture..

out of the dark

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving weekend...Back to blogging. This was done from a vintage photograph of my grandfather. I had a great time with the "wetness" of the watercolor washes and the very light touch of pigment. Dark doesn't always have to be dark...like his jacket was in the original picture.

Magic brushes

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving week..I'll pick up again next week with my blog...so I'll leave you with this image (15"x22") of a little girl painted from a vintage photograph...this was one of those paintings that painted itself...well we all know that doesn't happen...we don't have magic brushes like the brooms in Fantasia, but sometimes there is another force at work that just puts paint in the right places! Wish they could all be like that!

eyes vs. ears

The eyes of a painted portrait are so important...they make or break the resemblance to the person. I don't think anyone would look at a portrait and think the ear is a bit off...but then again...you never know.

peony varieties

Painting peonies...it's what I do every June...They are so pretty and I love their round buds and spiked leaves. It's incredible how many varieties there are..different colors, shapes, sizes etc...

unusual pigment placement

It is not easy to put blue in someone's face...but I do mix in Cerulean with Raw Sienna and Cad Red...here his cheek and lip reflect that choice....now it's all I can see since I mentioned it..but the green in his hair is fun as well...so many pigments...might as well sling them around a bit in unpredictable places :)

Gondolas

Venetian Gondolas...it's like painting cows in Vermont! Had fun with this one..not an easy subject, but a good exercise nonetheless. For those of you who emailed and commented on my last post..it is the interior of the fortified monastery of Abbey Lerins on Ile Saint-Honorat, France. I'll attempt that painting again.

what is it...

This piece is 8"x8" done from a photo that I've wanted to paint for years now...this was a first attempt, done with just two colors...burnt sienna and ultramarine blue. I was trying for several values. I don't know if you can tell what it is supposed to be...

observation

A quick interlude from portraits...a page from my kitchen sketchbook.. It is all about simplicity and capturing what's in front of you to keep the eye, brain and hand limber in observation.

design matters

A different painting of my same Grandmother. This one slightly off center, with a bouquet of daisies... the flowers I made up since they weren't in the reference picture. I'm exploring more portraits and playing with composition...sometimes an intriguing design or unique perspective is half the battle to a successful painting.

Boo!

Happy Halloween everyone! Have fun and be safe and this painting will keep its eye(s) on you!

temporary obsession?

Another portrait...at this point I think it's official that I've found a new favorite subject..the portrait/figure. I can't seem to stop painting them....so you'll have to endure seeing them here on my blog...not giving up on other subjects, though...just a temporary obsession.

Rug repair

I spied this gentleman repairing rugs in a store front on a recent trip. What a fascinating profession... weaving and sewing with all those colors of wool or cotton, matching shades and mixing hues... kind of like I do with the pigments from my palette!

strong light

This was a quick sketch done on a non watercolor paper...so the layering of pigments didn't work so well. I had to work fast, but managed the suggestion of strong sunlight and shadows on her face.

Blending pigment

"Birds of a Feather" 16"x12". I thought I'd try my hand at some other feathered friends...in terms of color.. these beauties have it all...so vibrant...how did Mother Nature mix these on her palette? Or did she let the pigments blend on the birds...?

paper pulp

This is a small portrait...the paper was 6"x8" and handmade at a small mill in Italy...ofcourse on paper that precious the paintings can't help but turn out good....(wink wink, recognize sarcasm here) I still have some Twinrocker paper from years ago that I'm "saving"...I should just use it...if you think about it..it's cotton pulp and water smooshed into a mold and pressed....hmmm

Cute hat

16"x12" portrait of my Grandmother...I never knew her, which may make it easier or harder to do a portrait...I don't know. But I love her hat and fancy wrap...I'm going to paint her some more, maybe with different color combos or closer cropping...we'll see.

"Brewski"

I had the pleasure of taking a Ted Nuttall workshop this summer...highly recommend it! This was one of the pieces I completed. 11"x15" "Brewski". I'm now taking pictures of unsuspecting people and trying to paint them!

Something new

Warmer climes of times past...but we are in for a b-e-a-u-tiful weekend here in the Northeast. This was a painting done from a photograph of the church in Old Puerto Vallarta it is 12"x12" and done on the "Fluid" watercolor paper. It certainly handles differently than the other papers I'm used to...but always good to experiment with something new.

Waving

These ladies were done in the Jeannie McGuire workshop that I took this summer.. Haven't had a chance to explore her techniques since then..but it was fun piling on the pigment...plus using opaque colors and white! I want to give a quick shout out to all the email subscribers who write me on a regular basis! Thanks for your comments!

museum visit

How long has it been since I posted a feathered friend? A while anyway...well this summer I went to a poultry museum! Over 200 different varieties...my camera was smoking at the end of that visit! So you can be sure that I'll tackle some of those images for future paintings!

measuring up

Now that fall is here and the sun is setting earlier..it is time to revisit the figure sessions again at our local art center. Looking back on the last 3 or 4 years..I can say that my recording of the human figure in graphite, charcoal, watercolor and various other media has improved. It's all about observation, relationships and measuring!

seasons change

A quick sketch of a peony shrub..this way done last year when the peonies were so early. This year I think they were right on time. Fall seems a bit early to me...but that's because summer just zoomed by!

Feedback

The show opening went well last night...there is quite a variety of work by numerous artists. It's always nice to hear feedback about your work...it seems my new direction was a pleasant surprise for people. So here's to continued growth and exploration of unique subject matter! (French fisherman 8"x8")

Shake it up

Well hello everyone! That was quite the blogging break...sometimes that's needed. I did this painting earlier this year and it will now be in a show that opens tomorrow. I wonder what the reaction will be to my expanding subject matter...I do have two floral pieces in the show in addition to two figures and one landscape! shaking it up a bit! ("Weathered" 15"x22")

show work

Hope everyone had a good Labor Day..I've put together 5 pieces for an upcoming show and this is one of the paintings..."elongated lilies" 22"x15". I'll be sporadically posting for the next little while, taking a short blogging break, but I will be photographing some new work and hopefully painting a bunch.

Double pose

Some more pieces where I've applied the pigment differently than usual...this was done during the Jeannie McGuire workshop...I got such a kick out of using white and mixing it with my other colors...I can see where I could get in trouble, though...never knowing when to stop for one!

Tag-line

As you can see the figure painting obsession continues...This was cool to do because of the graffiti.. I used a watercolor pencil and crayon to "write" in the letters behind the bearded guy. I even signed my name on the lower right side of the wall in a tagging style...well maybe sort of, but a graffiti artist I'm not (12"x12")

Making it up

This painting was done from a photograph of my grandmother...it doesn't really look like her, but it's been fun to have a really strong black and white image to work from..this way I'm not influenced by color choices and I can make it up as I go along...

one-minute

Here are some one-minute studies that we do to open up the drop in figure sessions...this was the first time I actually just "drew" with my brush...I like a few of these and there is potential for future exploration.

pigment play

This was an experiment in taking away pigment...the white shirt of the person under the umbrellas and the highlights of the items around the figures was all pigment applied and then later lifted with a damp brush. You can also see some of that in the figures by the water.

floral journey

Tropical Flowers...I don't know what kind they are, but they were such a beautiful color...I'm going to start back on a floral journey...teaching a workshop next week...so it's time to jump back in and leave the portraits behind for a little while.

camera reference

Here is a small study I did from my camera of a picture I took in Portofino Italy. It wasn't easy, because the camera kept shutting off to conserve energy! Next time..print the picture...it'll be easier!