Tuesday, May 25, 2010

"Adirondak Chairs"


Oil  6"x8"  Canvas Board 

After work one beautiful day last month, I was dying to get outside to paint but I didn't really have time to drive somewhere and search out a good subject. So I set up my easel in the backyard and painted my two chairs in the late afternoon sun. This was just meant to be a quick study, and I didn't plan to post the painting. But after looking at it for awhile, I decided there was a freshness to the brushstrokes I really liked and maybe it deserved a little more attention. I left the chairs alone, but I thought whoever stopped to sit in them might enjoy a breeze off the ocean, so I added the view that I, myself, would like to see from my blue and yellow Adirondak chairs.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

"Old Red"


Oil  6"x8"  Canvas Board 

A little painting of one of my favorite subjects, an old Chevy pick-up. It’s parked on the edge of a field, about to take someone somewhere in the course of their workday. I wasn’t really going for the nostalgic feel, but I guess that’s inevitable with such a vintage subject. I’m thinking of doing a series of paintings featuring things that are red. Watch for more in the days to come.

Friday, May 7, 2010

"Stripes 2"

Oil  6"x8"  Canvas Board 

Well, this is what happens when you give in to the temptation to touch up one little thing in a painting that was otherwise finished. I ended up spending part of every evening this week on the painting, trying to get back to what I liked about the original version, posted last Sunday. But, I decided to persevere and try to learn something in the process of solving all the problems I created. I figured I didn't have much to lose. Finally, last night, I vowed to not touch it again with a paintbrush except to sign it. Even as I write this, I'm valiantly trying to keep that promise to myself. It seems like some paintings almost paint themselves. Some, like this one, take a lot out of us. But, in the end, I actually like it quite a lot.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

"Stripes"

Oil 6”x8” Canvas Board
In this third painting in my "Beach Series," I decided to leave the people out and paint some of the stuff they bring to the beach. These umbrellas come in all sizes and colors, but almost always have stripes. The chair had stripes, the towel had stripes...even the sea had stripes of lighter and darker blue that day. So "Stripes" it is.