Peggy's Cove

Oil     6"x 8"     Canvas Board

I painted this from a photo taken last summer in Nova Scotia. Besides the attraction of the famous lighthouse, the rocks around Peggy's Cove are amazing and just beg to be explored.

Plein Air Light and Shadow

Oil     10”x 8”     Canvas Board    

Oil     8”x 10”     Canvas Board

After I got home from the workshop, I was determined to put into practice what I’d learned about light and shadow so I tried a couple views of this little garage at different times of day. I still have so much to learn, but I feel like, at the very least, I have a better idea of what I need to work on. Now I notice buildings as subject matter much more than I used to. It’ll be interesting to see if I go back to painting pure landscapes any time soon.

Plein Air Workshop Paintings

About a month ago, I took part in a plein air painting workshop taught by one of my favorite artists, Tim Horn. I’ve admired his work for a long time and finally got the opportunity to sign up for one of his workshops. It was held in Door County, Wisconsin amid beautiful scenery. Tim’s demos focused on how to clearly show light and shadow with warm and cool colors and strong value patterns, so we pretty much gravitated toward painting buildings and structures instead of ordinary landscapes. I learned so much and had a great time with fellow artists. I’ve been trying to apply what I learned and I’ll post my efforts in the days to come. Meanwhile, these are paintings from the workshop. The top one was done on the last day…starting to get the idea. Below is a quick one done toward the end of Day 2, and the bottom one was our first “warm-up” exercise painted outdoors in the bright sun.

Who Are You Calling Chicken?

Acrylic     24”x36”     Gallery Wrapped Canvas

The idea for this painting came to me as I looked at the array of whimsical objects I have sitting around my house and I could almost imagine a conversation between two of them. The cast of characters witnessing the confrontation grew (mostly dog toys found at the pet shop) and it became a “dramatic” little narrative on name-calling. Who among us, when we were kids on the playground, hasn’t nervously stood by waiting to see how this was all going to unfold?