Late December

How to restart a blog....well?.....just post something.

Looking at this year on this blog, one might assume I slipped off this side of reality to who knows where. Actually, have been just busy and some of that has even been painting, a fair bit actually. Did two great workshops in the late summer and early fall. One in Alexandria with Rob Liberace centered around the figure. This was titled Velazquez to Sorolla, looking at their techniques and also encouraging us to try "historical" colors like true naples yellow, tin yellows, lead whites etc. I already do use some of these colors on my palette having found them useful.

The other was on Madeline Island given by Marc Hanson with the emphasis on taking field sketches and brining them back to do a large studio work. This was useful as  had already done a few of these. Only I had done only one small sketch and with memory and a reference pic, did the larger studio piece. Marc had us consider several sketches, pencil, paint, whatever, for composition, details, color as well as photo ref and notes, to consider returning to a spot, if possible, for more info if needed. To do what it takes to get the painting. Can't say the workshop painting was particularly successful, actually not so surprising but have done a few since that are better. The concepts are broad enough to take to any painting.

Either side of those events were a couple of plein air events at Snow Hill and Chincoteague Island. Both were fun and the turn out for the wet paint sales great. In the fall I was part of a three man show at the North End Gallery, something I enjoy doing every other year as it does give a chance to show a body of work.

But best has been the continued get-togethers with several artist friends. We meet at each other's homes, which gives us a diverse range from ocean to bay, fields to marshes, to enjoy painting and company and support each other. Also important is the ongoing contact through the internet that started to share the results of morning exercises but has grown to include any artwork, opinions, comments we wish to share. As the year ends, I am grateful for these friends and look forward to the coming year. Paint on!

Time for friends

One of the best things is having friends visit. The go-go's, of course think everyone comes to visit them and that is fine! This week fellow painter, Karen Quam Russell is here taking a workshop in Snow HIll. I am enjoying the morning and evening talks.

Late March

After a week or so of beautiful, warm weather met three friends in Bethany Beach for a weekend of painting and camaraderie. Good food, good talk and the weather? Turned cold and gray, which was actually not so bad for painting....the gray part. The cold, well, I wore most everything I'd brought all at once!

The view just from the cottage was wonderful. Sunday morning was looking at some sketches that Whistler had done that I always admired for their economy of effort but not bravura. With those in mind, not too tough a model to follow, I set up. This little sketch was of two who braved the blustery weather, I opted to paint out the window, out of the wind and near coffee.

Kiss'dMiss'd

After a day spent neatening and chipping away at stuff not needed, seven bags full, I needed a a little something sweet: 20 minutes on a 3 x 3" board and a glass of wine.

Horse skull

A couple days work done in the mornings with the natural light. Painted on linen on board. It was a natural linen coated with a clear acrylic ground. Like the color of the linen and a little still shows through. Dislike the acrylic ground as it is too rough. This landed up being a lot of small passages laid over and next to each other to build up the whites.

Twenty-five Minutes before Sunset

Literally, was sitting as the desk and noticed the cast of the light, grabbed the box and ran out past the car park. The skies were gorgeous and just slapped paint down. A friend staying a few days snapped a pic of my box because he thought it mirrored the painting.

Endless Night, Atlantic shore

Spent last weekend at Annie's beach house. Out walking the dogs it was cold, was happy for the flannel-lined jeans, (been calling them my "plein air pants"). On this evening, a front laying low off over the ocean created a band of darkness that seemed beyond black. Somewhere in that, between the relative bright of the surf and the blued night sky, hovered a horizon line but it was impossible to discern. I thought to take a reference photo, it came out simply black, so this was done from memory.

Been Busy

With a three day workshop here at my studio finished, check out Soupbones, one of the results is it has got be jump-started after the holidays to work!

This was a small painting started the last evening, thurs but finished a few days later.

Another one

also done with three colored pencil on a toned paper. First work of the year