Happy New Year

Fireworks 11x14 oil unframed  http://patspaintings.etsy.com/

Fireworks being set off on a barge on the Delaware River in Philadelphia, Pa. I had made sketches while we were watching the celebration on TV last year.

Two plein-air paintings today

After taking care of a few things this morning I got a chance to get out and do a little painting this afternoon. Went up to Core Creek Park and scouted a few locations , didn't find anything right off so I went around to other side of the park and found a spot that had a green field in the foreground,a thin strip of trees and bushes in the middle ground , and a fog enshrouded background. I liked the contrast of colors the scene presented. All the time I was there geese kept taking off just behind the thin strip of trees. I put a suggestion of them in with a few smudges of grayed color. The good thing about overcast days is you don't have to worry about the sun moving before you finish.

After I did that painting I went over to Tyler State Park and went to the field I always visit. I spent about forty-five minutes on this painting too. Both are on 5"x7" canvas panels. I hadn't been out painting in a while, so it felt good to be out. I was lucky the fog stayed out all day, the forecast for tommorrow is heavy fog till 10:00 am. Maybe I'll go out in the morning.

King of The Mountain

King of The Mountain 12x24 Acrylic


$385.00 Comes Framed

Currently at Delaware River Gallery


19 East Afton Ave. Yardley, PA
215-321-3825

Winter Fields

Above you can see the on site sketch I used for my reference and the half finished painting. I decided to add a hawk in the tree in the upper right part of the painting. You almost don't notice him . And thats the way it is in nature, you suddently see a spot of color different than the surrounding color of the landscape and realize its a hawk. Like a gift of nature. A friend who veiwed this painting said she didn't realize winter could be so colorful.

Winter Fields 12x16 oil  http://patspaintings.etsy.com/

Plein-air sketch for Winter Fields

Another painting in Tyler State Park. This is a pretty big park, with alot of walking trails,open fields,woods. You have to do some walking to reach some of the scenic areas.

I visit this field all thru the year, each time it serves up something different. There is a parking lot right next to this field so it makes it convient for painting, just unload everything and start painting. On this day it was'nt so much cold as it was wet. A wet snow had fallen earlier in the day and I wanted to get out and see how it transformed the landscape. I enjoy moody days like this.

Winter Afternoon

Winter Afternoon 11x15 Watercolor $85.00

I came upon this scene on one of my walks in Tyler State Park.

Reference Material

Icicles 10x8 Acrylic

Every morning when I get up for work I"ll go over to the living room window and check the weather, and every once in a while I'll see a skunk or an opossum foraging in the lawn. One winter morning I looked out and saw these icicles being lit by the full moon. I grabbed the sketchbook next to the couch and drew in the scene and wrote down the value ( how dark or light) of each object. Later on I did this painting using the sketch as my reference.

Gathering Reference Material for Paintings

There are different ways of getting material or ideas for your paintings. How you go about it depends on how much time you have, or maybe the location you are at. If you plan to go out for the day looking for reference material then you can load up on your supplies. I will bring my paint box, sketch pad, and my camera. Some of the best times for interesting light comes at dawn and dusk, the times spent traveling back and forth to work. Theres nothing more frustrating than driving on your way to work and seeing a sunrise with unique lighting and wishing you were there painting it. If I see on the news that it is going to be foggy on the way to work, I will bring my camera and see if I can catch some scenes. It doesn't matter if the picture is not in perfect focus, because I'm only trying to capture a mood.

Bluefish

Bluefish 16x20 Acrylic
A day at the Jersey Shore.

Pop-R

Pop-R 7"x5" Acrylic
Another still life painting. I usually start the morning using this lure when we are out on the lake.

Last Call

Last Call 5"x7" acrylic http:// patspaintings.etsy.com
We have about 8 cardinals that visit the feeders. They stay right up till it gets dark. The last bit of sunlight spotlighted this guy as he got his last drink of the day. I like how the shadow of the unseen portion of the saucer creates the round shape of the saucer, in minature.

Warm Glow

Warm Glow 5"x7" oil

Sometimes I break away from my usual landscapes and paint a still life. The lighting of a subject is what I try to catch in my paintings. What interested me was the way the remaining wax glowed from inside. The flame was suggested by using thick paint, I think it gave it that flickering quality that you get from a dancing flame. (I had the candle set up in a dark bathroom)

Lunch Time

Lunch Time 5x7

Maria always has an apple with her lunch, the peelings she puts out for the squirrels. Its funny, if she is a little late they are patiently waiting there for her. One day I was picking Maria up from work and there was the squirrel on his favorite stump twirling the peel around trying to decide where to start.