A WINTERS EVE

A painting I did awhile ago just trying to capture the mood of a late winters' sky. These evening and morning scenes are something that I never tire of observing and am always inspired by what I see, then to capture the experience into a painting. I'm most happy doing these sort of paintings in oil as often there is quite a bit of tonal adjustment etc to get them right. Size is 16" X 20" - oil on canvas.
Other news is the opening today of The Best Of The Chesapeake exhibition at McBride Gallery from Sunday Sept 16 to October 7. I'm delighted to report that I won the Heritage Award for my watercolor painting 'Abandoned Barn - East View' posted earlier on this blog. This group exhibition features a wonderful array of art from around the country featuring the diversity of the Chesapeake so if you are in or near Annapolis, Maryland, I hope you will stop by and see for yourself.

FALCON EXHIBITION

Peregrine Falcon study: SOLD

Young Peregrine Falcon study: SOLD

Three of my original watercolor paintings are being exhibited at the International Hunting & Equestrian Exhibition in Abu Dhabi this week. Their website is adihex.net. Organised by the Emirates Falconers Club, this large exhibition attracts many visitors each year from all over the globe.

EVENING AT BEAVER LAKE

Often our evening walk takes us past this lake (and another slightly smaller one) through the reserve and back around to our home so I see this lake in all seasons. I often paint here so can partake in the ever changing days of spring, through the hot and humid days of summer, on through fall til winter comes around again. In this painting, the heat of the winter sun is barely felt although the lake has yet to freeze over and so still reflects the evening light in its calm waters. The sun will set in a few minutes then changing the landscape once again to something more mysterious. This is the time I most enjoy, being out in the late evening to witness the closing of another day. Evening at Beaver Lake is an oil on canvas, 8" X 10". SOLD

ABANDONED BARN - EAST VIEW

Finally I think this one is finished! I had put it aside for a few months like so many of my paintings so that I could come back to it with a clearer eye, this way I am much more likely to see if there is anything else I need to do to the work. I felt the need to work a little on the dried leaves of the foreground and also take out some of the lighter areas inside the two darkest rectangles as these seemed to be a bit of a distraction. I feel the work reads a little better now. Incidently, this scene is very much just as I found it with the large bucket sitting in the morning sun on the upper level of the barn like that. I went back for another visit recently and as it was the middle of summer, the place has a very different feel to it. I'm sure that there are a few new paintings to come from this subject, perhaps a view from the inside looking out - I'll have to see but for now I have work to finish for an up-coming exhibition - more on that later. Abandoned barn is 22" X 15", watercolor on Arches.

STONE

I found this stone along a rocky shore in Maine a few years ago and became fascinated with the whorl patterning and texture. I collected a few others when I was there (as I do when I go to other places around the world) and completed some paintings of them too. Although this one looks to be a very simple study, I wish that it had been as easy to paint! Done life size in watercolor on smooth Arches paper, I had to go slowly layering many thin washes to build up the desired tones. Actually the shadow was the most difficult part of the painting! I would like to do more like this but am a bit leery of the thought of copying Alan Magee who has done a wonderful series of such paintings both in watercolor and acrylic. Size is about 7.5" X 11".

SNOW AND SHADOWS

It has been so hot here lately with records being broken all over the place! Working out of doors is now a distant memory as I relish the cool of my studio. Painting this small study helped on a subliminal level to keep the heat at bay and I was left feeling somewhat refreshed (even if it was all in my head). All this hot and humid weather has been somewhat unbearable at times, still I can't believe I am saying this but for once, I am actually looking forward to winter! Hopefully then to get outside with a small box of paints and do more scenes like this. Snow and Shadows is 5" X 7", oil on canvas.

SUMMER SUNDOWN

This is another painting that had been hanging in the studio for awhile. Occasionally it would catch my eye and I would feel that perhaps it needed something extra (always a tricky thing to re-work a painting). After some time, a decision was finally made to do something so it was placed on the easel (still in the frame) and I got busy. Reworking didn't take long (I did post the original on my blog some time ago - if you can find it - good luck!) and comparing this final version to the earlier painting, I can see that there isn't much of a difference! Mostly a subtle lightening of the yellow and orange areas of the sky and some work to the foreground. Still, I think it is better for the redo and I'm happy at last! I have recently finished another similar painting so will probably post that one next. This oil is 7" X 12" and can be seen along with other paintings of mine at McBride Gallery in Annapolis, MD.