Cross Fork Creek 11x14 oil on RayMar panel

Cross Fork Creek 11x14 oil on RayMar canvas panel

This is a slightly different version from the reference painting "Sparkle". I wanted to add that early morning atmosphere with the lingering mist in the background. Its more about how I feel being on a stream and the anticipation of what the day holds .

Sparkle

Sparkle (study) 5"x7" oil on RayMar canvas panel.      (SOLD)
I did this small painting to work out an idea for a larger painting. This stream is one we fish in Northcentral Pa. We take turns working the good stretches of the stream, while my brother was working an area I happened to turn around and this is the view I saw. The glare on the water had caught my attention and I wanted that to be the focus of the painting. I have a feeling the trees in sunlight are competing with the glare on the water for attention. In the larger (11x14) painting I will try subduing the brightness of the trees a little so the water will be the brightest area of the painting and drawing your eye to the area I wanted you to look at in the first place.

Three weeks ago we were on a stream in the Poconos and I bent over to take a water temperature reading and my camera slipped out of my vest and into the water rendering it totally useless. I had borrowed my brothers camera to shoot this and other pictures of paintings that I have been working on.

Blue 12x16 oil

Blue 12x16 oil on linen

This is my brother Phil's dog Blue, part Husky part Border Collie. He has these light blue eyes and an intense stare that makes people nervous. When you go over his house this is what you see looking out the door. It was unnerving the first couple of times I have to admit. I placed him in an outdoor setting as if he was guarding his territory.

Valley Forge 5x7 oil

Went to Valley Forge Park yesterday to enjoy the nice weather. Took the paints with me in case a scene presented itself to me. I figured there would still be some reminants of snow left behind so I wanted to include that in the picture. I wanted you to get a feeling of spring edging in and winter melting away. I found a parking spot next to this cannon overlooking these fields.

I have been wanting to paint these cannons for a while now, so this is my first attempt. It felt good to be painting outside again.

Peaceful Morning 8x10 oil

Peaceful Morning 8x10 oil (SOLD)

This was from a trip we took to Saucon Creek. The creek is an hour and twenty minutes away, so we head out while it is still dark and it puts us on the stream at sunrise, my favorite time to be out. I like the slightly orange light at that time of the morning and the way the light starts cutting thru the trees. Thinking of spring.

Sunset on the Lake

Sunset on the Lake

We were headed home after a day of fishing and as we circled the lake were treated to beautiful sunset.

Piling Up

Piling Up 8x10 oil

I painted this during the blizzard on Saturday. I liked the way the snow was piling up on the railing. Everything else was was in soft focus do to all the blowing snow.

Moonlit Backyard

Moonlit Backyard 8x10 (oil sketch)

I was awake at 4:15 this morning and noticed the moonlight shining on the wall. I got up and put the coffee on and set up my paintbox next to the window in my studio. I wanted to try to capture the moonlight on the snow in my neighbors yard. The fence that surrounds her yard provided the contrast needed to showcase the moonlit snow.

Its enjoyable doing these exploratory sketches where you don't have to worry about producing a finished painting. They(sketches) help you learn about subtle differences in value without being bogged down in detail. This is an important ingredient for setting the mood in your paintings.

I do a lot of these sketches which never make it to paintings but they are a valuable tool for learning about light. Its the constant pratice that helps you produce finished paintings.

Well, thats how my morning got started. Enjoy the rest of the day.

Cherry Danish

Cherry Danish 5"x7" oil

I wanted to get a little pratice painting food so Sunday morning on the way home from the grocery store I stopped off and bought a danish. I was really looking for something with blueberries in it but I had to settle for cherry.

Oh yea, it tasted good too, after I was done painting it. Maybe I'll find the blueberry next week.

Turkey Dinner

Turkey Dinner 6"x8" acrylic (SOLD)

This was our Christmas dinner. When we took the turkey out of the oven and saw how good it looked I grabbed my camera and took some photos. The turkey tasted as good as it looked.

I put together a demo of the painting below this post.

Turkey Dinner Demo

In the top photo you can see how I block in all the shapes of the painting trying to get the color and values (lights and darks) close to what they will be in the final step. You can still see the pencil sketch of the roaster. I put a hint of a reflection from the roaster on the table.

Middle Photo

At this stage of the painting I start defining the forms of the turkey and the roaster. The legs and wings start taking shape and I work on the roaster with a variety of greys trying to give it a shiny look. I put in the reflected light from the turkey on the inside of the pan, reenforcing the shiny look of alumnium.

Bottom Photo

Now its a matter of readjusting the colors of the turkey with different yellows, oranges and browns to fine tune the shapes and give the skin that roasted look. I add the highlights to give it a moist look. I make some adjustments to the pan and the painting is finished.

I hope you enjoyed this demo, it gives you an idea of how a painting is constructed.

Christmas Ornament

Christmas Ornament 7"x5" oil   (SOLD)

Last night I set up my easel in front of the Christmas tree and painted this ornament. I had the lights in the room turned down so I could observe the lighting from the tree. The only trouble was I had a hard time seeing the paint I was mixing, so I had to keep going in the kitchen to see if I was mixing the colors right. I spent about two and a half hours on it before finishing up at 11:30.

Quiet Time,Cardinal

Quiet Time, Cardinal 7"x5" acrylic
During snow storms the birds find refuge in the tree right by our front window. It gives me the chance to observe the birds up close without them being alarmed.

Early Morning Action

Early Morning Action 6"x8" oil  (SOLD)

Moon over the Lake

Moon over the Lake 5"x7" oil

I went to the lake before dawn on a cold ,cold December morning to watch the sunrise. I wanted to be in place to photograph the changes in the sky as the sun made its appearance. I remember my fingers being numb that morning because I forgot my gloves. The moon was going down so I decided to photograph that before it dissapeared. This painting is based on the pictures I took that morning.

Spring Creek Afternoon

Spring Creek Afternoon 5"x7" oil (SOLD)
This is one of the streams we fish in Northcentral Pa.

Annual Small Works Show

These are the two paintings I have in the show this year. The image of the covered bridge was used for the advertisement of the show in Nouveau magazine.

Halloween

Halloween 8x10 acrylic
I always wanted to do a painting with a candle lit pumpkin but never got around to it. Tonight I had originally planned on doing a still life with a round hanging lantern lit with a small candle. It has the same shape as a pumpkin, and thats what sparked the idea for tonights painting. Does it bring back memories of when you were young?

PS: If you click on the picture you will see a witch ready to fly in front of the moon. Thats what the one trick r treater(witch) is looking at. I separated her from the others so you would wonder what she was looking at. Enjoy your Halloween.

Hidden Brook

Hidden Brook 11x14 acrylic (SOLD)

Day Lilies II

Day Lilies 2 8"x6" oil (SOLD)
This is a close-up of the day lilies that grow in our front yard. I posted a painting I did of these ( a far away shot) on a rainy afternoon on June 20th . This is a more intimate look at them.