Just Some Trees

Winter Trees from Deck

 

 

A warm day in February is much appreciated.   The snow that was still covering most surfaces had melted off the sunny back deck.   I grabbed my gear and conveniently stepped outside - easy version of plein air - no pack up!  

I decided to practice my tree structures with this loose and easy snowscape painting.   The oaks don't always drop all their leaves and they remain on the branches in orangy clusters.   In this case they offer a nice compliment for the blue snow shadows.

Exit 11 at Sunset

Exit 11 Sunset

Thunderclouds were passing through at sunset as we were driving toward the highway.   I took an Iphone picture of the dramatic, dark blue band that was backlit by the sinking sun.    I forgot about the picture until a couple of weeks later while looking for something else.  Once I saw the photo, I knew it had potential for a nice painting.

Angelic Statue

Angelic Statue

Cherubs and angels are plentiful in fine art, especially in the Rennaisance era and they always attract my attention.   I remember on one visit to the Boston Museum of Fine Art, I took pictures of as many angels and cherubs (both obvious and obscure) within many paintings that I could find    They were more common than you would imagine.  In addition to 2D paintings, they are often depicted in sculpture, an ethereal addition to gardens and arbors.   My inspiration for this painting began with a photo of a beautiful angel statue in a Florida butterfly garden.

I've been particularly moved recently by the sacrifices made by the many medical professionals who are treating victims of the current pandemic.   Nurses in particular play a special role in healing patients, a role that has always had my greatest admiration.  

I dedicate this painting to the many nurses - pillars of healing - who despite fires all around, remain calm, tend to every basic need, and even convince their patient without a hint of visible doubt that they would be okay.

Summer Sunset at the Marina

Summer Sunset at the Marina

This painting depicts a favorite spot where we typically eat our Sunday night ice cream cones.    With one hand on the camera and the other on my cone, I would often capture the same scene which you could characterize as everything from peaceful to pretty to downright breathtaking.    This little 4x4 attempts to capture a particularly spectacular sunset.

Plymouth Harbor Dinghies

Plymouth Harbor Dinghies in Progress

Prior to my open studio session in Plymouth, I walked over to the waterfront where I enjoyed this gorgeous scene.  It was "golden hour," when the late light is so warm and dramatic.  It was low tide and glow from the low angle - an orangey-gold glow on everything.    In the far distance under the footbridge (left), was the water of the Kingston Bay.  The footbridge leads to the very long granite breakwater that protects Plymouth Harbor.

Plymouth Harbor Dinghies

There you have the geographical backdrop, but the real center of interest for the painting was the cluster of dinghies tied up at this dock.  Where I was standing, the water below me was starting to darken, and that exaggerated the brightness of the warm light on the boats.  What a fun scene to capture!

Cape Cod Canal Sunset

Cape Cod Canal Sunset

It's seven miles long and was man-made just about one hundred years ago.  The Cape Cod Canal cut 62 miles off the water route between Boston and New York.   The previous route took mariners through treacherous waters around the tip of Provincetown to reach Buzzards Bay and Long Island Sound.

It was a modern day maritime marvel then, and it still is, but land lovers get to enjoy it as well.   Access to the shores of the
waterway has never been easier and people can walk, cycle, fish and of course, watch the scenic vistas.    This painting depicts an exceptional sunset with the Sagamore Bridge in the foreground and the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge in the distance.   

Sweetness of Summer

Sweetness of  Summer

What a fun and enjoyable project.   Painting children as I've said many times before can be challenging.  It's a fine line between the soft and sweet expression and achieving an adequate likeness.  Tots have neither wrinkles or angular features, like adults and painters use these as convenient facial landmarks.   Tots have faces with airbrushed angelic-like perfection.    So the painting process of them may involve painting, wiping out, and repeating - until the soft likeness is achieved.

A good reference photo can make a positive difference when creating a painted portrait, and this was a good one.   The challenges in this project, besides the likeness, were 1) transforming the greenish-yellow tones in the photo into a more summery color scheme, (making it lighter and brighter), and secondly, realigning the rectangular photo onto a square format while maintaining the balance of the landscape, parasol and figure.

Warm summer sunlight on young, healthy figures in back-lighting often have a bright red glow, especially in the ears, hands and feet.   I intentionally pumped up the warm flesh color to contrast with the nice summery blue - its complement. The toddler's shadow is stretched to the right bottom corner, balanced by the shoreline entering from the left, leading to the figure. The loop of the parasol handle is a good compositional element for leading the viewer's eye back up to the sweet smiling face.

This painting will hopefully turn a simple summer-day photo into a permanent family heirloom.

Blue Crab Circle

Blue Crab Ring

This painting was an imaginary design.   I positioned my crabs in a circle, trying to inject some variety in both shapes and color.   Crabs typically sink down into the sand and the swirling water around them can create sandy ripples.   In this painting the mounds of sand emphasize this curved armature.   The canvas itself was an odd, almost square shape and I thought having a circular design was a suitable offset.

It's summer and I love having Cadmium Orange on my palette .... it is a good color for mixing summer light, and of course blue is its complementary color. 

Fishing Off the Beach at Sunrise

Fishing from the Beach at Sunrise

Walking at the shore, it's common to see the little fish jumping out of the water in groups; bigger fish just behind them I assume - bluefish or stripers maybe.    This fisherman must have spotted the same dark swirl in the water.   He demonstrated just how beach fishing is done...wading into the surf, casting as far as possible with his long ocean rod, then walking up to the tideline to place it in the rod holder.   Yes, a beautiful scene for a painting!

The undertone for this painting was a pretty mid-value blue, sure to be a good complement for the reddish/orange sunrise.   At one point, this blue undertone had me thinking that I might not even have to paint the beach houses that receded into the distance.   Once the primary wave was painted though, its darkness created a problem with the darkness of the houses by contrast, ie that original blue undertone was too light.  So I added hints of shadow and rooflines.   The obvious center of interest rightfully gets its attention, but the beautiful beach at dawn is a perfectly colorful backdrop, even with a crashing, three foot surf.

Hot Vacation Week at the Beach

Hot Vacation Week at the Beach

Beach houses that are situated on the east facing shorelines of New England are lucky for many reasons.   One of the best reasons is that they have a perfectly clear view of sunrise.   As a morning person, I've noticed that often people will rise early and get right out onto the beach, especially the big family groups like in this scene.  It may have been too hot to sleep.   Perhaps they haven't gone to bed yet - ha.

 I liked this composition where the shade tent offered a dark contrast and some silhouettes against the orangey dawn.   I added some atmosphere to the shoreline figures to convey the humidity...more? less?   I'm all ears.... :)

Cliff Walk Paint Out - Revisited

Last year we drove to Newport, RI in late June for a weekend getaway and painting trip.  There were hundreds of scenes worth painting and settling on a location is tough.  As walkers we invariably find places to park and paint that would be easily be missed while driving.    This painting spot was at the halfway point of Cliff Walk at a dead end street.

Cliff Walk Newport - Final

The day was glorious - bright and sunny and just warm enough.  This scene faces northeast, so the sun and water glare was to my right.   It did get easier to see as the sun moved, but my eyes did take a beating.   I remember stopping to look around and thinking, what an amazing world, and how lucky are we to be surrounded by all the elements of nature we revere - sun, ocean, breezes, roses.   After painting, we walked the rest of the trail to the southern terminus before looping back to our painting location.   We then could apply fresh eyes to our wet paintings.

Here is a video snippet of the Cliff Walk Paint Out ...you'll have to imagine the smell of the roses and salt air!

Celebrating July 4th on July 3rd

Sparklers

Each year as we celebrate our great nation's birthday, Green Harbor really comes alive.   Summer holiday revelers pour into Marshfield, MA, especially the areas where land meets ocean.    It is a local tradition to have the fireworks extravaganza on July 3rd rather than July 4, a nice warm up for the Fourth. Words simply cannot describe this spectacle, nor can a simple 6x6 inch painting.   This annual party has to be experienced live and in person to digest the full, old-fashion experience.   This painting is merely a sliver of the scene, but one that I liked because of the greenish white glow of the handheld sparklers.   The figures are in a semi circle mezmerized by their sparklers.  Others are sitting on the seawall watching the non-stop fireworks.

Wild Winter Waves at the Jetty

Most of the time, living at the shore is pure delight.   A person becomes atuned to the rising and lowering of sun, moon and tides in a rhythmic way that becomes somewhat automatic.   This keen awareness can, and does become acute anxiety when harsh storms hit.

Wild Winter Waves at the Jetty

Why the house has been here for over one hundred years through dozens of historic blizzards, so what are the odds that we will get washed away?   Are the odds with us or against us!?!   The one certainty is that all are glad its over, and once a storm is over, it takes a tide cycle or two for the surf to settle down.  When the sun finally emerges, the surf is typically spectacular.   This painting depicts a wild and windy scene the day after a blizzard.   Waves crash into and over the jetties propelling white foam and spray many feet into the air.  Pheww!  Glad it's over!

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Blakeman's at Sunset II

Sunset at Blakeman's II

At the Duxbury Beach Reservation in Duxbury, Massachusetts, there is a seasonal fish shack called Blakeman's.   The place is just about as casual a restaurant as you'll find, a perfect dinner option for tired and hungry (even barefoot) beachgoers.     With the right timing, you may get to enjoy a gorgeous sunset over Duxbury Bay like the one that inspired this painting, as you consume your fish and chips.

The south facing side of the pavillion building is covered with colorful lobster buoys and in this scene, they are bathed in shadowy blue.   Non-shadows had an orangey glow that spilled onto the roof peaks, sandy gravel and seagrasses.   This blue/orange harmony is one of my favorites, especially for sunsets.  I pumped up the color by using the more extreme tinting power of Prussian Blue, contrasted with a cadmium red and yellow blend.

This painting was created for the Duxbury Art Association 2017 Exhibition commemorating its 100th year.  If selected, it would be part of a larger panel exhibit and/or auctioned to raise money for the DAA community programs.    Alternately, it could be auctioned off or put
on display by DAA, so I will keep you posted!

Haymarket II

Haymarket II

I always liked the painting I did a while back of the vendor area at Boston's Haymarket, which is just east of Fanueil Hall Marketplace in Boston, MA.   I liked it so much that I decided to paint a new version of it.
On market day, the street is transformed into a festive collection of tents and awnings under which dozens of vendors sell their colorful produce and more.   In this scene the orderly chaos was brightly lit from one end so I played up the directional light in warm tones, contrasting that with deep blue shadows.  This painting would make a nice momento for anyone who has fond memories of trips to Haymarket.

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Osher Ledges - Minot

Osher Ledges - Stage One

The location of this scene is the northernmost section of Scituate, MA, known as Minot.   Minot is only 15 miles across the water from Boston Harbor.  The Boston skyline was in fact visible in the far distance across Cohasset Harbor, if I turned 180 degrees from this easterly facing scene.

Osher Ledges - Stage Two

It was cold!   I had the layers; I was in the sun.  However, the wind was blowing from behind me and eventually, I had to wrap things up.    In quick paint mode, as discussed in the past, the result can be fresher, unfussy and more vivid.   I'd like to think that surrendering to the cold on this day, has resulted in one of those kinds of paintings.

Osher Ledge - Minot

As for the colors, the dark winter blue ocean was a stark contrast against the sun bleached ledges.    It was low tide and some of the boulders that spend most of the day submerged were dark and moss covered.   The angle of sun is so low that there is not much yellow influence, thus there is a distinct lack of green in the water. In fact, the ocean blue was leaning more toward purple than green.

Twirling Ribbon and Little Pumpkins

Studio Set Up Little Pumpkins

In late summer, painters sometimes lament that there is just too much bright green in the landscape.   We look for any other color than green and play that color up - to the extent possible anyway.   This year was different;  the lack of rain in New England has had an impact on the look of the landscape and the amount of green.   The tips of the leaves have prematurely turned a dry yellow.  Even the sound of the landscape is dry and "rustling" instead of moist and quiet.  

In the vegetable garden, the watering restriction has affected the amount and size of the tomatoes.  We didn't get too many tomatoes, like most years!

Monochromatic Underpainting

The pumpkin variety I planted seemed to thrive despite the arid conditions.   These pumpkins were not the monster-sized, county fair type pumpkins that require lots of water, but rather, the small ornamental variety called "Jack-Be-Little."   Approximately twenty-five little pumpkins were harvested from a mere six plants. I decided to set up a still life with several of these little fruits.

Twirling Ribbon - Stage Two

Using a larger 22 x 28" canvas, it was important to plan out the composition carefully. This still life plays up a complimentary scheme of orange and blue.   What would look nice with a bunch of little orange pumpkins?   Blue things, of course.  A rustic blue pottery vase, a clay pot, blue hydrangeas and a spool of blue ribbon were the elements that seemed to harmonize.    Several set-ups were attempted and rearranged before arriving at this arrangement.  A monochromatic block in was completed first.  In the stage two photo, see the mid-tones, some blues and oranges.

I applied a transparent dark wash onto the bare canvas.  The monochromatic stage photo above shows the wipe outs that established the structure of the painting.   This stage was worked over the course of two days while the transparent wash was since workable.

Since this was a studio still life, the painting method used was "indirect."   The indirect method means many thin paint layers of paint were built up over time to achieve a luminous glow that resembles a classical realist look.

Stage Three with Real Bittersweet

Once the painting was at Stage Three, it needed something more.   I placed the painting on the floor and positioned a length of fresh bittersweet over the front of an awkward area in the middle of the painting.   I liked it how the bittersweet masked the "not so great" spot, so I painted it in as a way to unite the two sides of the still life.  Over the next few weeks, additional layers were built up warm glow to the lights and blue glow to the shadows.   The complete, or at least nearly complete painting is shown.

Twirling Ribbon and Little Pumpkins

The last issue to address with a luminescent painting like this is capturing a quality photograph.   The extra oily glow makes it difficult to get a good, shine-free image.  A polarized filter and low light setting helps.    This image isn't too bad, but I'll probably work on getting an even better image.


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Colonial Block in Boston

Colonial Block in Boston

There have been many changes in downtown Boston from my high school days when I worked at Filene's Basement and knew the streets so well. Buildings have gotten taller and tourism has blossomed, but certain blocks remain relatively intact.  This scene depicts the corner of Union and Marshall Streets where the sidewalks are brick and the street is colonial-style cobblestone.   Several of the buildings have historic markers, and there are some well known restaurants here as the street is a half block from Fanueil Hall Market.   The Freedom Trail runs down the street and there is typically a constant stream of visitors following the sidewalk markers.

We were weaving in and out of pedestrian and vehicular traffic on our way to Haymarket when this dazzling sun and shadow scene stopped me.   Bell in Hand Tavern was on the corner on the left and the Union Oyster House Restaurant was on the right.    The five story buildings were casting interesting shadows and so were the figures.   The light was stunning and made for a good painting composition, but it's the people that make you stop and think.    Settlers walked the same paths in the eighteen hundreds and even earlier, going about their daily lives.    A few vestiges of the past are apparent, but its more different than the same.

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Brant Rock Oceanfront

Brant Rock Oceanfront

Low tide enabled me to get down amid the largest boulders along Ocean Street in the Brant Rock section of Marshfield, MA.   I've painted this scene before so the lines, angles and landmarks were very familiar.   It was a picture perfect day, warm, dry and breezy, certainly conducive for a good creative flow!

The 12x16" canvas had been toned in a middle value blue, a good complement for the warm, orangy light of the day.   The two foot waves rolled onto a stretch of beach in front of me in a four second rhythm, a most relaxing white noise.   Many people walked along the sidewalk above, but very few ventured down to where I was.

As for the painting, the darkest darks were first, then the lightest lights.   Next was the greenish blue water, followed by thick white waves, mostly painted with my palette knife.    Where the water met the sand, I interwove the two color masses creating the shoreline.   At the conclusion of the paint out, I hadn't even touched the blue areas.  Since the blue was a middle value, it served as the half tone without having to paint over it.   It amounted to a painting done with three basic colors, the simplicity of which I really liked.

Graceful Back Bay Architecture

Marlborough St - Back Bay

Hugh Maguire's book entitled "My First 40 Jobs: A Memoir" describes Marlborough Street in the Back Bay section of Boston, MA this way:  "Marlborough Street is filled with old red brick townhouses, condominiums, and apartments three to five stories high featuring countless bay windows, gables, turrets; and you can look inside some windows and see brilliant chandeliers shining from high-ceilinged, spacious rooms.   In front were tiny plots of grass bordered by high, black iron fences harkening back to the 1800's.   Tulips, roses, daffodils, hyacinth, crocuses, azaleas and rhododendron bushes brighten the eyes on these tiny lawns.  Dogwood and magnolia trees planted a century earlier on the sidewalks and on some miniature lawns turned spring in Marlborough Street into an unforgettable sight.   To this day I consider Marlborough Street the most beautiful street in Boston." 

I would be hard pressed to argue with him.  Marlborough Street has been the subject of several my paintings now, all of which have been sold.   This painting features a stretch of homes on Marlborough Street between Fairfield and Gloucester Streets, and the starring role goes to the home with the magnificent slate shingled turret.

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