Setting Moon, Valley Forge Park

Setting Moon, Valley Forge Park 5"x7" oil ( SOLD )

On my last visit to the park I got there right as it was starting to get light out, and when I came around the one turn there was the full moon bright as it could be.

An Early Start

An Early Start 5"x7" acrylic
My favorite time to be out, just as the sun is coming up. This is a lake we fish at in the Poconos, the boat ramp is to the left thru the opening in the trees. I'll do small pratice paintings like this to work out the design, lighting, and colors, and if I like it I'll do a larger painting using this as my guide.

The Dam at Valley Creek

The Dam at Valley Creek 8x10 oil

Went up to Valley Forge Park at dawn this morning. If you like seeing deer this is the place to be,most of the fields have deer feeding in them. I like the orange sunlight that lights up the landscape this early in the morning. After getting my fix of looking at the wildlife and landscapes, I went down to Valley Creek to do a painting of the dam. The sun was just starting to reach this area when I started the painting.

Falling Spring Branch

Falling Spring Branch 6"x8" oil $80.35

I took a trip out to southcentral Pa. on Saturday to get material for some paintings. On the way up I stopped off at Valley Forge Park right before sunrise to get some pictures of the landscape and wildlife. The full moon was still up and with the mist laying across the fields it made for some interesting scenes. After about 45 minutes of looking around I was back on the road. I had wanted to do a painting of Falling Spring, so after searching around a bit I settled on this spot. I got the painting 90 percent done on location and finished the rest at home. I looked at some other streams in the area before I left. On the way home I stopped off at Valley Forge right before sunset.

Toms Creek, Pocono Mnts.

Toms Creek, Pocono's 5"x7" oil $50.00
This is one of the streams we fish in the Pocono's. We can spend the day working our way upstream taking turns in the runs and pools, one guy spotting for the other. Most times we start early so we are the first on the stream which means fishing trout that haven't been spooked yet.
Its a relaxing way to spend the day.

Pine Valley Covered Bridge

Pine Valley Covered Bridge 11x14

I was out last year looking at some of the covered bridges in Bucks County. This one has a small park next to it so it was easy setting up my easle right next to the stream . I worked on it from 9:00 till 11:00. By the end of the two hours the lighting had changed so I photographed the details of the scene and painted them in when I got back home. The important part, setting the mood of the scene was done on location. This was a bigger size (11x14) than what I usually use outside. I guess I was feeling brave that day.

Wet Morning Plein-air Painting

Woke up at 5:00 am this morning with plans on going out painting , when I looked out the window and saw it raining I thought maybe I'll stay in. As it started getting light out I changed my mind. I was itching to get out anyway rain or not, so I grabbed my small paintbox which is perfect for painting inside the truck.

I went to Core Creek Park which is about 8 minutes away.

I settled on this area I painted before in the winter. Capturing the overcast misty atmosphere was my goal this morning. Constant pratice in all types of weather helps you learn about the qualites of light and how they effect the landscape. These paintings were done on 5"x 7" canvas panels.

Enjoy your day.

High Water

Took the painting to the Delaware tonight to paint the water and finish the painting but was greeted with high water. In the bottom picture you can see the dark strip of blue water, thats the rocky point UNDER water. When the river level drops back to normal I'll try again.

Refining the Image

I worked on the clouds, started giving them some form. I painted the treeline in the back a cool blueish green to make it recede into the distance, and refined the treeline in front of it with warmer and a little more intense greens. I started adding the reflections in the water on the opposite bank. The other fisherman I wiped out and will reposition him later. I made sure I maintained the original idea of a shaft of light spotlighting the fisherman and lighting the treeline in back of them. Next I will attack the water and see if I can make it look like it has current and eddies and a sense of movement to it. What I should do is go back up there and study the water, make some sketches and write down what I see. Unfortunely it is pouring out AGAIN so this evening is out,and tommorow we are going up the Poconos fishing. So Sunday evening would be the next possible time to get back up there and they are calling for rain then too.

Well, we will see.

Enjoy your weekend!

The Block In

I have blocked in the four major shapes with thinned paint. Using thinned paint makes it easy in case you have to make adjustments to any of the shapes, its just a matter of wiping the area with a rag and readjust your shape. Now I'll start refining the different shades of greens in the trees, and try to build some volume in the clouds.

Sketching in the Composition

I thin some paint and indicate the major areas of the of the scene. As you can see I put in the clouds, knowing they are the lightest value in the painting. The horizonal line running a quarter of the way up from the bottom is the far bank, and the blank area right above that is the tree line. The two marks are the fishermen, and the rocky point with the vegetation. I've kept everything simple, sky, background trees, river, rocky point and fisherman.

Fishing the Delaware River

Saturday evening my two brothers and I went up to the Delaware River to do a little fishing. We were wet wading so I didnt bother bringing my camera (in case I fell in and ruined it). I had walked upriver a little and as the sun was going down behind me a shaft of light lit up the area my brothers were fishing in . Not having my camera I had to memorize the scene , I took note of what objects were the lightest, medium, darkest values. I went thru the same mental excersize I go thru when I'm painting. When I got home I did this 5"x7" sketch of what I remembered,which is only the important parts that make up the scene.

In the upcoming posts I'm going to show the progression of the painting as I go thru the steps from sketching the composition to the finished painting.

Curious

This is a pastel painting I did of a chipmunk. I tried to capture that curious nature they have.

Morning at Valley Forge

Morning at Valley Forge 5"x7" oil

This morning I went to Valley Forge Park, got there as the sun was coming up. Treated to a misty sunrise(something you never see staying in bed). There were deer in pratically every field you passed. Saw three foxes, one had a rabbit in his mouth as he ran across the road in front of me, I wasn't fast enough with the camera. Finally settled on a scene to paint before the sun got too high. The 5"x7" and 6"x8" panels are just the right size for early morning painting when the sun is moving fast and you are trying to capture the light before it changes too much.

I did another painting of Valley Creek at the white covered bridge but it didnt come out too good, I picked a subject with way too much detail, so I did my best to capture the lighting conditions without any detail, took reference photos for the details and I'll use the sketch for my color. In a later post I'll show the sketch and the finished painting.

I haven't posted since July 1st because I have a few paintings in different stages of development, and we have been doing more fishing this year, which is a good thing.

Enjoy your day!

Tobyhanna Creek

Tobyhanna Creek 8x10 acrylic $118.50

We fished this stream off and on for the last thirty years or so. Actually this is one of the first streams we visited when we started flyfishing. Back in the 80's we saw a guy fighting a monsterous brown trout on saltwater gear,(in the bait section) he was trying to horse him in and he ended up breaking him off. I wanted so bad to tell him to ease up on him but just watched as we heard the loud snap of his line, he reeled in the rest of his line and silently walked off. We looked for that trout each time we went there but never saw him again. Kistler Run empties into the Tobyhanna down stream around the bend, you can usually count on the brook trout to provide a little action before heading back to the car. Alot of good memories there.

Hidden Away

Hidden Away 6"x 8" acrylic $65.00



Many of the streams we fish take a bit of hiking to get to them. The water is usually crystle clear and the trout very wary so it takes a stealthy approach so you don't spook them. Its not just about catching fish either, these streams run thru some beautiful forested areas which are home to a lot of wildlife. After a day on the stream you come back refreshed, its a place you can lose yourself in thought and come back feeling good.

Day Lillies

Day Lillies 5x7 oil

We have had constant days of rain lately and today was no different. I looked out the window and saw the day lillies standing out against the gloom of the day. I set up the easle right at the window and painted from there(and stayed dry). I was actually working on a different painting and was going in to start getting dinner ready when I looked out and saw this. I ended up eating dinner later than usual. I guess this would be called a inside plein-air painting.

Delaware River

Delaware River 11x14 oil (comes framed)
This is an area that my brother and I have fished for smallmouth bass. On this morning I was here to paint. It was a humid July morning and the sun was trying to push through the overcast sky. While I was painting, fish kept hitting the surface, I remember constantly turning my head after each splash trying to see what it was and all the time wishing I had my rod with me. Oh, the distractions we go thru.  I was happy with this one, I had captured the atmosphere of the morning.

Oh yea, the next morning I went there with my rod but you would have sworn there were no fish in that section of the river. Thats the way it goes.

Sundays flyfishing trip

My brother Tom and I took a trip up the Poconos to do a little trout fishing. The first stream we fished was the Appenzel Creek. They had some Sulphurs (mayflys) hatchin ,I had a nice one on but the tippet got caught around the reel and the fish dove and SNAP! When we switched to a caddis fly we started picking up fish. We finished under this bridge where the water was deeper and held some fish. After lunch we went to Tobyhanna Creek and caught trout on the same caddis fly imitation.

Saturdays scouting trip

Went to Saucon Creek Saturday to do a little scouting and to get some material for future paintings. While I was doing this sketch (top picture)a guy ended up catching a brown trout right in front of the bridge. On the way home I stopped to do a sketch of Cooks Creek in upper Bucks County. Cooks Creek is one of the last streams in Bucks County to have native brook trout still living there.