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.

Fly Rod and Mountain Laurel

Fly Rod and Mountain Laurel 8"x6" oil $65.00

I liked the way the sun was sneaking thru the mountain laurel and highlighting the reel and line. We just got done crawling thru the thick mountain laurel and when I looked over this is what I saw. The flyline looked like it was glowing the way it was backlit by the sun.

Red Bridge Pool, Tulpehocken Creek

Red Bridge Pool, Tulpehocken Creek 16x20 oil $450.00

Available at Delaware River Gallery,Yardley,Pa. E-mail www.delawarerivergallery.com

The top picture shows the plein-air sketch I did at the stream that morning. The brush is thick along that part of the stream so it was a challenge finding a spot to set up my easle and still have a view of the bridge. I liked the subtle reflection of the bridge in the calmer water and the flyfisherman who waits for the trout to rise.

Enjoy your night.

Work in Progress

I have been working on this piece off and on for about three months. Its an 18x24 canvas. Its finally coming together. I had the hardest time getting the proper lighting down , when I put in the shadow of the covered bridge then the lighting suddenly started making sense. When you work on a piece too long you don't see mistakes you should be seeing, so it helps to put it away for a while and see it again with fresh eyes. The drama of the painting is the brown trout coming up to inspect the anglers fly. This is the Tulpehocken Creek in Reading,Pa., its about an hour and a half away. Last year I had gone up there to get some material for some paintings, I did a plein-air sketch downstream from this spot looking up toward the bridge. I'll show that in the next post. This morning I was going to go to a stream I scouted last week but the weather is raining and windy,not ideal weather for painting outdoors. The weather is supposed to clear up by 3:00 this afternoon so it might be worth the hour ride. This year I set a goal to paint a number of trout streams on location, last year I failed miserably, it seemed like I was always running out of time, either the weather didn't cooperate or other commitments kept me from doing what I had planned. Well, we will see this year.

Talk to you later.

Backwater Study

Backwater Study 8x10 oil

This is the same area as the last post except now I'm painting from the bank looking down at the water. This was painted two years earlier, as you can see its full of water now. I was trying to capture the feeling of a hot humid morning. I did my best not to overwork the reflections in the water.

Enjoy your your night.

Bridge Over The Delaware River

Bridge Over the Delaware River 8x10 oil (comes framed) $325.00

This is a spot I come to early in the morning in Washington Crossing. Its a backwater area right along the Delaware River thats usually full with water but because of the droughts it only has a little strip of water going down the middle. I liked the reflection of the bridge and the sky and how it contrasted with the wet mossy creekbed. I set up my easle right next to the water and while I was painting this I kept hearing a commotion in the trees high above me. A flock of crows ended up chasing a bald eagle out of the trees and up the Delaware . I never would have known he was there if it wasn't for the crows harassing him.

Enjoy your weekend.

Invaders

Grackle 5x7 oil

The Common Grackle is one of the first birds to arrive in the spring. They come in droves raining from the sky bullying the other birds at the feeders. In this painting I wanted to show their aggressive nature so I placed the bird right in your face wings flapping and that scowl on his face. This is the view the other birds get as they are chased away. I could have painted the feathers in detail and placed the bird further back in the picture plane but that would have taken away from the emotion of the scene, I want you to feel what it is like when they drop in for a visit.

The one thing I do like about them are their irredesent feathers when they are in sunlight. I'd like to try to capture that one redeeming quality about them. Well, I got to go now, I have to stock up on bird seed! Hope everyone enjoyed this weekend ,what nice weather.

Flyfishing trip to southcentral Pa.

This was one of the three streams we visited yesterday. I did a sketch of Big Spring Run, my brother Tom managed to catch this nice rainbow trout. We have been fishing together since he was 14 years old. Thirty years later we are still going strong.

Little Lehigh Creek

Little Lehigh Creek 9x12 acrylic $210.00 unframed
The Little Lehigh is in Allentown, Pa., its about a hours drive from us. Its loaded with trout and they are very finicky. Tiny flies tied to light leaders is whats needed to catch the educated fish that live here. It gets fished hard all year so they have seen everything. In this scene a trout rises on the far side and catches the flyfishermans attention.

Early Morning Commute Series

Misty Morning 6"x 8" oil (SOLD)

What interested me was the reflections on the road from the lights of the passing cars. The lack of sharp edges helps re-enforce the soft atmosphere of the morning.

Sunrise Falls Twp. Lake

Sunrise Falls Twp. Lake 9x12 oil Not for sale.
This lake is about 25 minutes away and right around the corner from where I work. So its a good spot when you only have a few hours to fish. Usually we hit it at dawn and sometimes after dinner we work it till dark. I like the quiet mood and the sense of anticipation in this painting.

Enjoy your day.

First bass of the year

My wife and I went up to a local lake yesterday to do a little bass fishing before the rain started. On her 3rd cast she caught this nice bass. Fishing and bowling are her favorite interests and she is good at both. Unfortunately last year I spent more time trying to develop my art and neglected the time we spend together in the outdoors. I also wanted to do a project last year of painting a number of trout streams on location and I failed to do that too. I guess I have to manage my time better. Anyway, at least the fishing season is off to a good start.

Flyfishing Trip, Pocono Mtns.

We spent the day at Devils Hole creek catching native brown trout. The hardest part was the long hike thru ,around,over and under the mountian laurel,boulders ,fallen trees and steep mountain sides. The scenery and fishing was well worth it.

Early morning commute Series

Hope on the Horizon 6"x8" oil (SOLD)

I'm going to start a series of paintings dealing with the images I see traveling to work in the morning.

Yes, thats how I get my reference material, I'm always careful, and its faster than sketching. In this painting I was thinking about dealing with cold winter mornings and how a piece of sunlit sky can put a smile on your face and add a sense of hope to your day.

Dwight Schrute

Dwight Schrute 5x7 oil

I am not a portrait painter,but I couldn't resist trying. The Office is the only show I look foward to seeing each week,they really make me laugh. I wonder who he is watching?

Last of the moon paintings (for a little while)

Winter Night 18x24 oil

The top picture shows a page from a sketckbook showing my observations on how the moon illuminates a snow covered landscape. I was interested in learning about how moonlight affects objects at night and the kind of shadows that are created. The bathroom window gives me a perfect observation post. The painting was invented out of my mind, but I used the information from what I observed that night as the value plan for the painting.

I hope you enjoyed the series of paintings on the moon. The next full moon will be April 9, I'll be looking.