patricia walsh studio

morning ride (bad photo)

2012-02-11T15:44:00.000-08:00

This is a pretty bad photo and I apologize for that....but today was actually like winter (almost like New England) - it was in the 40s and so windy that I couldn't take a photo outside. I believe I am a bit spoiled already.

morning ride 12"square

2012-02-08T14:45:00.000-08:00

I realized I forgot to post the final version of the "moss." Anyway, Hunting Island State Park seems to be a favorite place to bring your horse since I see them there almost every time I go. The beach is very long, wide and flat and seems to be the perfect place to ride..........thought I would try my hand at a horse and rider picture......ran out of time to finish today so I have lots to do tomorrow.

by Hwy. 21 - 10x8"

2012-02-06T13:34:00.000-08:00

Just a quickie........highway 21 is the primary route out of Beaufort towards the inland roads. This defunct store always catches my attention. And just so you know, I have been trying to edit my profile to reflect the recent changes in my life/location but keep getting an annoying error message which causes me to turn the computer off - I will figure it out at some point.

spanish moss - 12" square

2012-02-03T13:46:00.000-08:00

My first attempt at painting Spanish moss............a completely fascinating plant to me. I have not nearly done it justice but I intend to keep trying. Around here, it hangs from every tree, fence and pole, creating a marvellous canopy over streets and spaces. In addition to looking so neat, it catches every difference of light so its appearance changes from moment to moment as well as moving with each breeze and air current. I have more to do on this one but finished the window boxes.

window boxes 16x12"

2012-01-31T13:03:00.000-08:00

I have made some progress on this one..........went painting outside all day on Sunday & did two but they were kind of crappy so I am not going to post them.

fishing area - update

2012-01-28T13:45:00.000-08:00

Just an update on the "tropical scene" and then the start of a new painting...........the landscape is so wet I had to put it aside (even though I like working wet this was too much) plus I have to do some additional studies on scene. The "start" is of some window boxes in sunlight in the historic portion of the city of Beaufort. It absolutely amazes me that these flowers grow in winter! In addition to the warmth, I am quite happy with the amount of sunshine here; if it's not raining it is usually partly or mostly sunny. And then there's the shrimp.

fishing area 18" square

2012-01-23T08:20:00.000-08:00

A painting of the fishing area at Hunting Island State Park; obviously not completed. I totally adore the shapes of palmettos and they way they co-exist with the tall pines.

hunting island plein air 12x 9"

2012-01-19T12:31:00.000-08:00

I spent a glorious morning at Hunting Island State Park which is about 16 miles from where I live - I have roughed out a much larger painting and needed better color information. I still have to pinch myself when I realize that it is in the 60's and it's January. I plan on spending lots of time at this state park - it is an absolute paradise. You can't see it in this but the ocean is right beyond the land mass and palmettos and a really neat lagoon thingy between my easel and the land mass.

cape sky plein air 12x9"

2012-01-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

I did this small plein air last fall when I went painting with friends on Cape Cod. I actually had another painting I was just about to finish this morning when I had a terrible accident - I went in the house for just a second and my entire set-up blew over, spilling mineral spirits all over the nearly done painting causing everything to bleed together! Very upsetting since I was liking it and it is now pretty much unsalvageable.

backyard plein air 10x8"

2012-01-15T13:49:00.000-08:00

I certainly need to get back to constant practice outside! I set up outside in my backyard and chose a tiny corner of the very vast marsh that begins at the end of the yard. Nearly didn't post this but decided to anyway since I want to get back into the habit. The weather has been awesome down here and it is hard to realize that it is January - the temps have been between 58 and 78 degrees in the daytime buut I have heard that this is unseasonably warm.

early morning ride at Tybee - 14x11" (study)

2012-01-13T09:29:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been a long time! I am happily settled in my new residence in Beaufort SC. It was a tremendous amount of work to get here and I don't plan on moving again for a very long time. I promptly got the flu on New Year's day or I would have been back posting again sooner. I am still feeling a bit crummy and there are two bedrooms that are either filled with storage containers or excess furniture, but I am getting there and hope to be back to painting full time very soon.

at the edge - 12" square

2011-10-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

I am getting the hang of painting for half-days & doing business/packing/exercise for the rest - I feel saner for it. Anyway, the house is becoming emptier and easier to manage. I am flying to Savannah soon and will be exploring the area from there to Charleston so at least I can have some sort of a mental picture of where I am going (maybe an exact place too).........right now it feels as if I am stepping into an abyss - I am getting excited!

backlit girl completed - 11x14"

2011-10-06T13:04:00.000-07:00

Finished this one...............I am still packing but there are moments when I simply feel paralyzed and cannot go any further. The times when every single thing you can think of to do requires that something else be done first. I certainly know why people don't move much!

backlit girl - 11x14

2011-10-03T13:56:00.000-07:00

Still working on this one (started right before I left for NY) - it was so nice to pick up the brushes when I got back! I was totally exhausted when I got home yesterday and am really, really sick of driving to NY but we are nearly done with everything and the house is on the market. I have three entire weeks before I have to leave again and plan on painting as much as I can.

town landing plein air study - 12x9

2011-09-28T15:01:00.000-07:00

This is one of the studies I did while in Cape Cod last week.............when we started painting everything that is dark here was wreathed in mist and lighter in value. I had to change the painting completely but I still like the way this one came out. Back to NY again tomorrow for the millionth time!

house on a hill - 20x16 (not completed)

2011-09-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that this month is nearly over.........I am seeing rubbermaid storage containers every time I close my eyes but I am making true progress with packing for my move. I hope that I will be "home again" around the first of the year. My sisters and I have made progress on my Dad's house as well - it is going on the market October 1. Anyway, I just got back from a painting trip to the Cape with 3 other friends............wow, was it nice to paint plein air again. I feel like I have been inside all summer. I am nearly done with this one so I decided to post. I am using thicker paint these days.

hot sand - 8" square

2011-09-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

Using my iphone again........it really is a pretty good camera but can be pretty unsteady. Now that I have done so much packing and have decided to rent a storage unit until I move, I don't feel like the task is quite so impossible. So, I feel that I can allow myself to paint everyday again as long as I achieve certain "moving goals" each day. Of course this might change depending on trips to NY and unexpected snafus in the process but I am feeling less stressed about the packing. I can't wait to find a place in South Carolina!!!!

moving is a real pain!

2011-08-31T07:56:00.000-07:00

I finished this some time ago and several other things as well but have been unable to make my camera forward pictures to my computer. I am doing less painting than normal due to the enormous amount of packing I am doing. I quickly realized that I had to make that a priority or I would never get out of here. It is stunning to me just how much stuff there is in this place and how little of it seems worth moving. I am working on a smaller painting at the moment and, when I finish, will use my phone to take a picture. I also realized that I would become a monster if I did not take a few breaks from packing to either get outdoors or paint. Back to work.

progress update - to the waves 24x18"

2011-08-03T16:43:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post so you all know that I am still painting! I am getting close to finishing this one.

finishing things - tour bus 20x16"

2011-07-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

I have had this painting kicking around for a couple of years and decided to finish it............still a little straightening needs to be done (I just noticed it the photo) but I wanted to get myself in the habit of posting again.

Time flies!!!!

2011-07-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

I have sort of missed posting and decided to get a few things up...............I finished the top one a while ago. The lower painting was begun early this week but I had to finish it at home. I don't usually paint things like hay bales but the horizontal nature of the scene needed another element so I decided to put it in. It was a lovely evening in Little Compton and I met three other painters; the light was changing fast. I have been pretty much commuting back and forth to NY but have squeezed in plenty of painting in between. We are making progress on my Dad's house but, boy, is it a sad duty...............the first few days I felt disloyal, like I was dismantling him somehow.

signing off for a bit & a bit of Texas! 11x14

2011-06-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

I have been working steadily at my painting but am going to sign off this blog for a bit.......I will be spending a lot of time preparing my father's home for sale and then packing up in New England for a move to S. Carolina before the snow flies here. I feel a strong desire to move closer to the rest of my family who live near Charleston. I wil be posting haphazarly in the next couple of months. Following the South Coast Artist's Open Studio Tour in August, I will be concentrating on packing and relocating down south. I will continue to post but just cannot feel pressured at the moment to post on a regular basis. Until Winter, then.

marina study - 10x8"

2011-06-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

The only thing I have been able to do this past week is paint - unfortunately I broke one of my own rules and accepted a portrait commission from a neighbor who gave me a god-awful photo to work from. In addition to despising the photo, the fact that he is wearing a navy uniform in it (my father was in the navy) made me upset. The man was also wearing an expression that made him seem constipated and showed his teeth in a sort of grimace. Needless to say, I detested every minute of the three starts I made on the portrait..........I am glad to say I have now completed the portrait but I will be damned if I will post it! I will eternally remember my rule - never, never accept a portrait commission without taking the photo yourself (or at least liking the one the customer gives you). In between sessions of wipimg the damn thing down and restarting, I did this study.

completed gulls - 12x24

2011-06-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

I took this photo in the sun....yes, it is actually sunny for the second day in a row!

three gulls (step 1) - 12x24"

2011-06-16T14:09:00.000-07:00

I am having a rough day today..........losing your father the week before Father's Day is painful since you cannot even turn the radio on without hearing incessant commercials for Home Depot & grilling. Work is the thing that is the best medicine right now. I began this painting early today and made pretty good progress.

the herring run - 20x16"

2011-06-14T13:16:00.000-07:00

This is an old painting that I never finished. I did a couple of plein air things at this site the other week (none of which I wanted to post) but got inspired to finish this - of course I ended up re-doing the entire thing. I am not fully done yet but wanted to get myself back in the habit of posting again. I forced myself to go grocery shopping as well. Work seems to be the only thing that is keeping the tears and sadness away.

a tribute

2011-06-12T15:54:00.000-07:00

I don't really know what to say here beyond a quick explanation of why I have not posted for a bit. I am posting a recent portrait I painted of my father for his 90th birthday just a month ago. I am reposting this picture because my father suffered a fatal fall a week ago and I left immediately for NY. He died a day after I got there and I just got home tonight. I doubt I will feel like posting for a bit even though I can't wait to get back to painting tomorrow. We were very, very close and I am very, very devastated so I will close for now.

spring light completed - 12x9"

2011-06-04T09:34:00.000-07:00

Finished - the perspective of this house is quite challenging from this view........I drive by the house all the time since I live at the bottom of a steep hill.

OMG........spring light - 12x9"

2011-06-03T17:26:00.000-07:00

I am stunned I was able to get as far as posting! I am having some pretty severe computer problems, my hard drive is nearly full so I went out and bought an external hard drive. I have now backed my kazillion photos up but am still having difficulty in freeing up space despite deleting tons and tons of duplicate photos. I am getting annoying messages from windows and have not been able to figure out how to keep my photos accessible but off the hard drive! I do have an entire drive free (the D drive) but have no idea how to transfer stuff to it. Damn, I will have to go te Staples again!! Anyway, I have been painting outside and wiping down...........it is always an adjustment getting back outside. This painting is actually farther along than the photo but I didn't dare to do another thing with the photo programs!

up the river - 14x11"

2011-05-31T11:50:00.000-07:00

I have a few minor details to complete in this one but it is nearly done and it will have to wait for that since it is so wet.

rhododendron (?) study - 12x9"

2011-05-29T17:35:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a wonderful day! I left the house early so I could get a long walk in before painting so I went to Colt State Park in Bristol RI (there are lots of trails there). It was really foggy until 10 or so but it cleared up pretty well after that. Colt State Park is pretty big and one of those places that you could explore for a long time even though it can seem a little boring at mid-day in summer. I knew I would be able to find some flowering trees there and I did..............they were near the outdoor chapel and what I initially thought was a wedding was actually an outdoor church service which got quite loud. I had a great time being around people though and am really glad that summer seems to be here.

marsh en plein air - 10" square

2011-05-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

I got to paint outside today!!! Yipee......the fog burned off pretty early. The fog is supposed to come back in tonight again and I have to work at the gallery tomorrow anyway but I think the weather might have finally turned a corner.

heading home - 14x11

2011-05-26T16:32:00.000-07:00

This is obviously undone but I was so excited by what I learned today (in the studio) that I had to post it. It is a lesson about value rather than color or drawing. I was all intent on going out to paint today but the fog rolled in and stayed all day so I worked on this. When I layed in the underpainting I did what I have been doing when I can - laying in a pure transparent wash into certain areas (what I love about watercolor). I realized that the water was not disrupting my vision for the scene when I stood back to judge things and realized that I have been painting water way, way too light. I will now be able to add some highlights and darker sky reflections without adding the color blue (unless it is needed) and retain the totality of the painting.

Wow, I love my job!

line dry - 8x10"

2011-05-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

Through a parking lot near where I live during a sunny break in the weather a few days ago..........I am waiting for another one of those breaks at the moment!

earth ball - 10" square

2011-05-23T15:27:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, did I try to paint outside today........it just wasn't going to happen. It was in the forties again, windy and has rained all day. I am really trying to remain cheerful. This girl kicking an earth ball down the beach is from a photo........I will try again tomorrow.

Fogland Beach study - 10x8"

2011-05-21T13:41:00.000-07:00

Still here and still painting........in fact I haven't heard a single report of people disappearing so I guess the rapture didn't go down. This study is done on that neat cardboard I ordered from Guerrilla Painters. I don't like painting on panels for the most part but I really like painting on this stuff. I stood across the road from one of the dunes at the beach and painted beyond it to the far side of the inlet (you can't see the water so I guess I named this poorly).

just in time for the rapture

2011-05-20T15:46:00.000-07:00

Thankfully I finished this before the rapture happens tomorrow.............damn, it is hard not to be all snarky with stuff like this. Well, I had better get going on a new one since I only have till six tomorrow!

halfway there - 18" square

2011-05-18T15:17:00.000-07:00

Still progressing with this one and it is still raining. I tried to get decent photo but it is a little off nonetheless. My painting time was interrupted by a dental appointment and will be again tomorrow by my yearly physical (nice to cluster these time consuming appointments) but it will continue to rain so I will be "enstudio" again.

just beginning - 18" square

2011-05-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

This is really just the beginning of this picture but I feel very behind so I figured I would post anyway. Winter seems to have returned to coastal New England with temps in the 40's and drizzle........strange, to be fighting seasonal affective disorder in mid-May.

snow fence - 10" square

2011-05-14T13:55:00.000-07:00

I started this before I left for NY and just finished it today. I have painted this house several times - it's at Warren's Point in Little Compton. I am hoping the snow fence will come down soon but I probably won't be able to check since this is a VERY private beach and off limits after Memorial Day. Damn, by the time I get back there it will be after Labor Day and nearly time to put the fence up again! Summer is definitely too short.

flowering trees study - 8x10"

2011-05-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

I am back from all of my travels! It was impossible to paint for the 2 days I was home between the Maine - NY - Maine and the Austin trips.........way too much to do. My cat is finally getting over her insecurity at being "abandoned" for so long (I did hire a cat sitter). I was able to go out this morning with a friend and paint in her gorgeous yard. I tried a new panel from Guerrilla Painters - it is heavy brownish cardboard and quite different from canvas but I liked it. You can see the clip at the top right corner - the stock is thin enough that I had to clip it to an actual panel. Boy, does one get rusty after not painting much for 10 days! I have to get back on track now. It was a real shock to come from the near 100 degrees in Austin to Providence; when the pilot announced what the temperature in RI was I nearly cried.

portrait of my dad - 11x14"

2011-04-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

This is a portrait of my father who is turning 90 tomorrow...........I don't believe he ever checks this blog since I have to re-give him the address every time I visit. If you do check this Dad, sorry I ruined the surprise! It is really, really hard to think of a present for him since he doesn't ever want anything.......I usually give him a painting unless I see something really neat for his garden. I will be leaving for NY to visit him this week and then maybe go to Austin TX to visit my daughter who just broke her collarbone! I will attempt to keep up with posting but it may be difficult.

humid on the hill - 10" square

2011-04-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

A wretched photo but today has been a very interesting and dark weather day here............it is pouring and the wind is really strong again. I was experimenting with putting some structure into a mass of grape leaves/vines and assorted foliage in this picture. I can't wait until we have decent enough weather here to get out in the field again since it is really the way to learn how to actually paint these things...........photos are a poor substitute without the knowledge gained outside!

sunset on the beach house - 10" square

2011-04-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

I almost lost this one to the wind while trying to take a photo.........it seems like nearly gale force winds out there.

bristol porch - 12" square

2011-04-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

This was quite difficult and I am glad it is done! Our next show at Gallery Eleven Fine Art is: "This is Bristol," so I figured I had better do some actual paintings of Bristol. I have been hoping it would be warm enough to paint outside during my shifts at the gallery but we are certainly not there yet.

just a start - 12" square

2011-04-16T15:14:00.000-07:00

I have wiped this down a couple of times but am determined to get it right.....with architecture, it can be difficult to strike a balance between the linear and the shapes. Lots of starightening and merging left to do. The color palette is nearly completely dependent on warm/cool transitions so it is a bit difficult.

the last snow pile - 20x16"

2011-04-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

I finished this one for the most part......I am shocked that I did since I had to go to the dentist and that usually disables me with stress. It is beautiful outside and I think I might go out to paint tomorrow!

500 posts! (and completed painting)

2011-04-12T09:23:00.000-07:00

I just realized when I signed in that this is my 500th post on this blog. I have had mixed feelings about why I continue to post until I realized that I was doing it as a visual diary/website rather than as a marketing tool........so, I find it pretty invaluable at the moment. Anyway, I just thought I would mention it.

gull through the waves - 12" square

2011-04-11T15:22:00.000-07:00

Obviously, just a start...............I rearranged my studio yesterday and took a long hike at the Middletown RI wildlife preserve. Sometimes you just have to move and absorb and put the brushes down for a day - it was incredibly refreshing. This painting is also a thank you to my camera - I could never, ever get this information without my camera. Not only do things change really fast but I couldn't have seen far enough away to get the gull's foot through the water (I didn't even try to get this information, it was an accident). So, I am just thrilled that I did.

color study of flowers - 12x9

2011-04-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

Not my typical thing but I was out painting all morning and totally wiped down two previous efforts. It is always a bit if a challenge to get back into the plein air thing after a long season of studio work.......the changing light and motion of the natural visual world sort of shock one. The scene is of this amazing patch of little blue flowers blooming in Tiverton, RI.

hats - 12" square

2011-04-07T11:28:00.000-07:00

I finsihed this yesterday but didn't get a chance to take a photo or post. This morning I went to Warren's Point to paint outside for the first time in ages (it was a wicked long winter)! It was awesome to be out there even though I froze..........at least the wind was minimal and the temperature of 42 and the low clouds didn't bother me a bit. I noticed that my approach is different then it was the last time I was out........much less attached to habits I developed last summer and fall. The beach looked ravaged by the past months as well.

sunflower road - 14x11"

2011-04-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

Can you tell I am longing for this kind of weather? Actually, yesterday was quite nice and I went for a long walk at Second Beach. It was quite windy so I knew I wouldn't be able to paint there but soon...........today is pouring rain.

backlit - 16" square

2011-04-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

This picture is done for the most part and I am in a little bit better mood today even though it is freezing and we had snow last night. My neighbor even told me that he had heard on the weather report that we may get snow next week too - I guess I had better keep my eyes on my easel rather than out the window. Funny, but I remember learning in middle school that there had been a year without a summer back in the 1800's.........that has always stayed in my mind and tends to pop into it again when winter seems too long.

in the water - 16" square

2011-03-31T10:49:00.000-07:00

Not done yet but I wanted to get one last post in before the end of the month. Wow, what a week.......the trial I had to testify in is over (it was as awful and as big a waste of time as I remember) and I broke a tooth the night before! We are expecting a nor'easter tonight and it is very gloomy and cold. I can't stand being cold anymore so I jacked the heat up to 62 and am waiting for it to come on so I can finish this. Where is spring?

crowded beach - 12" square completed

2011-03-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

Not fully happy with this but went as far as I could with it - I will really have to try to do multiple figures on site (when it warms up). In the summers, Rhode Island beaches get really crowded and noisy and the parking fees are quite steep so I tend to stay away. From Labor Day to Memorial Day is my time to go for walks and painting. It does have to warm up soon!

crowded beach - 12" square

2011-03-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

This is an experiment - I am trying to retain the gestures of tiny figures against a rather complicated landscape while keeping the size relationships, values and colors accurate without getting picky. We shall see. It is a bit frustrating and there has been a lot of scraping and re-doing.....it may reach a point when I decide I have "learned enough."

all done - 14x11"

2011-03-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

I actually finished this on the last day I posted it and have moved on to other things. We are expecting a snowstorm tonight and it isn't supposed to get above the forties for the next 10 days.......I can't stand it!

ocean layers - 14x11" (stage 1)

2011-03-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

The step-like quality of organized heavy surf really appeals to me and that is what I am trying to do here......March is shaping up to be a really, really disorganized month for me. I found out that I have to go to court again on an old case from my former career......I hope that these cases will eventually disappear (one can dream) and they leave me alone!

girl with pointy shoes - 12" square

2011-03-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

I finished this and finished my taxes so I am satisfied to some degree. However, I continue to be horrified by the news from Japan and nearly as horrified by the insane reaction of our government and many of our citizens. How on earth can anyone support the use of any form of nuclear technology? I have always loved the natural world above everything else and it just sickens me that we, as humans beings, feel that we can toy with that world's very survival. I find this exteremely depressing and don't want to be correct in my assessment that western culture is on a suicide path. I try very hard to keep my political thoughts absent from this blog but sometimes (and way too frequently) events are just so monumental, I cannot help myself.

pointy shoes - 12" square

2011-03-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

Bad photo, bad day, bad week......I usually use picasa to upload photos but it wouldn't work at all tonight! (I had to use photoshop) I actually feel fortunate to have gotten to paint at all today since I have been so busy with business stuff this week. I am truly addicted to painting since I feel an enormous amount of tension when I am unable to do so. I shouldn't complain since my life is pretty awesome and the steady background noise on the radio is all disaster. I do not have a tv because I refuse to pay for advertising so I get all of my news and information from either the internet or the radio (probably better sources anyway). But it was WARM today and I do not have to do anything business related tommorow. Yipee!

little black dress - 11x14"

2011-03-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

I absolutely have to get going on my taxes so I may be a bit off the grid this week........I blew it off yesterday and went to Second Beach instead. I swear half of Newport was there with their dogs and everyone was happy. This scene is from the same beach ( a warmer day, however). I had to stop listening to the news from Japan......way too worrisome and scary.

into the fog - 9" square

2011-03-11T05:26:00.000-08:00

I love the look of kyaks and have thought of buying one but I would probably kill myself going out in a storm or something......I will just paint one for now!

Tiverton Farmers - completed - 12" square

2011-03-09T07:20:00.000-08:00

Today is finish stuff day! I have several things that are lingering and then have to organize my books to get ready for a tax appointment with my accountant (ick).

two boys - 14x11"

2011-03-08T13:27:00.000-08:00

This is the portrait commission I hope to finish this week. I had started a larger canvas but their heads looked way too big so I downsized it to this. I was really busy this week since I had to get ready to change all of my work at the gallery and no matter how organized I try to be, there are always details that seem to take forever - trips to the hardware store and things like that. So, anyone in the area who might be interested, you are welcome to the opening reception for "Spring Ahead" at Gallery Eleven Fine Art, 11 State St. in Bristol, RI from 5-7 PM this Friday...........hope to see you there.

the surf caster - 14x11"

2011-03-04T13:34:00.000-08:00

I now have an iphone! Have yet to totally figure it out (including the camera) but it is very neat. It is still damn cold here so I went to my photos of warmer days and imagined myself on this beach. I have always been amazed at the sheer size and emptiness of the southern beaches I have visited..........for anyone who knows New England, this emptiness would not be possible at Horseneck or Second Beach even in the midst of a blizzard.

Tiverton Farmers pt 2

2011-03-02T14:05:00.000-08:00

This isn't done yet but I have been working pretty steadily on it (as well as a portrait commission which I cannot post at this time). Today I finally bit the bullet and ordered an iphone from verizon since my 3 year old LG is about to die for real.......I am very excited about its camera. So, this picture should be done for sure by tomorrow. I worked a shift at the gallery today and, despite a strong wind and cold temperatures, it seemed as if there were more people out and about......the longer days seem to announce spring and my fingers are crossed.

Tiverton farmers - 12 " square

2011-02-28T15:53:00.000-08:00

Just a start but I wanted to get in a final post for February. I am really, really wanting spring to get here and totally jealous of most of my family who are living in areas where it has been in the 60s or 70s for a month. Just want to get in a quick poltical message here.........."united we stand, divided we fall." As a lifelong union member and a retired state employee (law enforcement) I am watching Wisconsin closely and planning artwork to celebrate what is happening there..............we citizens must wake up, turn the tv off and let our creative voices ring out if we wish to have a world that is worth living in.

wet sidewalk - 12" square

2011-02-26T14:00:00.000-08:00

I simply could not get rid of the slight glare on this one - dark colors are so hard and it is still really windy here so the painting kept blowing over. I worked at the gallery today and noticed a definite uptick in the number of people out & about...........a sign of spring? Oh, please, let it be.

progress on early morning

2011-02-24T12:07:00.000-08:00

I have been working on this today. Boy, I can't wait until this winter is over...........I don't even care if it rains tommorrow since the weather report said it would be 57!!!!! I thought it was much warmer when I went out for a walk - only wore a polar fleece over a turtleneck; way, way too little so I jacked the heat up to 62 & I am hoping for the heat to kick me into the painting zone.

early morning, late winter - 20x16"

2011-02-22T13:46:00.000-08:00

Yes, yes, another start..........this actually began as a portrait commission but, after I layed in the faces, I realized that the canvas was too large for the portrait. Since, I like to do my preliminary lay in with a mixture of burnt sienna and ultramarine on a bright white ground, I had to use it fast so began this instead. This scene is of North Tiverton, RI and I see it all the time.......it was a little duller than this until they painted the building in the foreground a rich reddish maroon (they are renovating). The area is quite boring in mid-day light but is very interesting early in the morning and late in the afternoon.

sitting in the sand - 8" square

2011-02-20T11:40:00.000-08:00

Another cold day today - I am itching to get outside to paint again! I did manage to finish this, take a two mile walk and work on a portrait.

finally completed - 12" square

2011-02-19T11:09:00.000-08:00

This picture has been on my drying wall for a long time. Today, I decided I would re-do the sand so it didn't look as dead as it looked to me. ......it's a bit better. Sometimes a picture is borderline - parts of it work well enough that you are not willing to wipe it down but something seems wrong. I am pretty ruthless now and don't save much - if I am unwilling to sign it or frame it, it goes.

winter thaw - 12" square

2011-02-16T13:01:00.000-08:00

Still working on this - I am not so averse to posting progress reports recently since I just don't like painting much smaller than this and larger pictures generally take longer. Anyway, I love the reflections of the melting snow on the sidewalk and it is pretty similar to the reflections on wet sand that I love so much - water on mineral so I guess it isn't surprising!

snow at the dock - 11x14"

2011-02-15T06:29:00.000-08:00

I thought I would add the mostly completed "Unrelated" to this post............it goes to the drying wall. "Snow at the dock" depicts the dock at the foot of State St. in Bristol. We certainly have had enough snow this year....... it is pretty hard to get the feeling of the motion of the flakes in the air but I think I sort of got it.

reworking unrelated - 16x12"

2011-02-12T13:50:00.000-08:00

This probably doesn't look a lot different than the last time I posted it but I have been working on it pretty steadily for the past two days! Ah, the frustration of being an artist - sometimes things just flow and other times you have to scrape and rework and scrape again. I try to leave a picture in a sort of neutral state when I am finished for the day......without obvious errors or areas I know I have to change. That is where this picture is (I have a few in that state). At least the days are getting noticably longer......yipee.

unrelated - partially complete - 16x12"

2011-02-09T14:33:00.000-08:00

I just started this last night and brought it with me to work on during my shift at the gallery today...........taking a photo is always a problem if I wait til near dark but there was little choice today. I went to the MFA in Boston on Sunday to meet my son and see the new "Art of the Americas" exhibit and saw these people near Mass Ave. I was struck by how four people could be so close to one another and remain so totally unconnected. It was a relatively warm day so the cold doesn't explain it............it wasn't even a bus stop so it just seems to be a city experience. These things always fascinate me. For anyone who lives near Boston, the new exhibit at the MFA is wonderful and the John Singer Sargents are unbelieveable - some I have never even seen in a book.

just to get it done!

2011-02-08T12:45:00.000-08:00

I am not too into this one and finished it more to see if I could make it work at the end....not a great reason to finish a painting but it is small enough so I didn't feel it was too huge of an investment. We all have these days, I suppose. Time to begin another.

frustrating week - local fish store - 10" square

2011-02-05T15:11:00.000-08:00

Normally I would have finished this by now but it has been an annoying week. I was a criminal investigator for years and, sometimes, I don't think I will ever be done with court and old cases. I have spent hours on one of them this week - reading hundreds of pages of legal documents and spending a minimum of four hours on the phone with an attorney. It is really amazing how quickly I can slide into my old life and equally as amazing how that life can exhaust and destroy creative energy and productivity.

over there - 12" square

2011-02-02T11:40:00.000-08:00

This photo came out much better than I thought it would since it is so dark and dreary today. I don't mean to complain since I know that much of the country has it worse at the moment but I am getting a bit sick of winter. No matter how much you try to appreciate it, it finds a way to make you hate it all over again. Thank goodness for seasons!

beach reflections - 12" square

2011-01-30T12:13:00.000-08:00

Just realized I forgot to finish her hand! That makes you realize how important the value of an area or object is to a picture.......since the value is correct, it did not stick out to me. After listening to Aljazeera about Egypt all day and finishing this, I have to get out and take a walk so it will have to wait until later.

beach grouping - 22x10" underpainting

2011-01-27T12:07:00.000-08:00

I am just beginning this one and am recycling a canvas as well. The texture of the dried paint underneath appealed to me so I decided to see if I can make it work. I can't do my usual underpainting so I am forced to discover new ways - who knows, it could be failed canvas times two! My entire neighborhood is white and they have been plowing the street so I should be able to get out a bit tomorrow. I am just soooo grateful I don't have to commute 75 miles each way to work anymore!

sunset ice - 12" square

2011-01-25T14:42:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the glare but we had snow ALL day again! It was only supposed to be "snow showers," implying spaces between bursts of snow but it didn't let up.........I began to drive to a Bristol Independent Galleries meeting but turned around when the unplowed road changed my mind. I have been experimenting with different types of under paintings...........loving the purity of watercolors and the way the white paper really makes things glow, I have discovered Gamblin's transparent colors. I did my usual sienna on most of the canvas but used pure transparent orange for the sky..........I think it worked well.

winter surfer - 8" square

2011-01-24T12:09:00.000-08:00

How people can go in the ocean around here this time of year is completely beyond me..........but they do. I really fought with this one and wiped it off several times before I got it. I nearly quit and started something else but am quite stubborn and refuse to believe I can't "get" something.

end of the road - 10" square

2011-01-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

Can you tell it's winter here? This is the view a block down from my house. I love the way you can find an interesting subject to paint in the glow of the sun on simple road slush............I mean it has everything.

nearly night - 24x18"

2011-01-20T12:41:00.000-08:00

Another larger painting I have nearly finished..........since this one is so dark and dark areas are especially difficult to photograph, I decided to get it done before dark. This scene is what you see from the sidewalk in front of Gallery Eleven.

play your number - 24x18"

2011-01-19T11:56:00.000-08:00

The weather is much better today and I was able to get a photo of this painting now that it is pretty much done (you will notice there is no yellow glare) - I will now put it on my "drying wall" and move on to another larger picture. In the next month or so I will fix any glaring problem spots that I see. I am guessing the people who owned this business never won the lottery.

gloomy

2011-01-18T13:51:00.000-08:00

Sorry about another bad photo but there is no fixing it today. I try to photograph outside and it is terribly disgusting outside here - it has been raining liquid frozen stuff for much of the day but is only raining now. I was hopng to finish this today (and still might) but thought I should grab the last of what little natural light remains and take the picture. I wasted nearly an hour playing with the cat who is so bored and depressed about the weather she has been attacking me from behind.

yet another progress report - 24x18"

2011-01-15T11:25:00.000-08:00

I will have to post some progress thingies in the near future since I have been into working on some larger pieces......I have three or four going at the moment in addition to a portrait commission. I really love painting architecture and have become pretty interested in abandoned and neglected structures.......post industrial areas of cities like Fall River.

city dusk (update) - 22" square

2011-01-12T10:05:00.000-08:00

This is a pretty awful photo but I won't get any better today - it is a real blizzard outside right now and there is little light. I had posted the underpainting before Christmas and picked it up again when I was starting to recover from "the bug" the other day. I was so horrified by the events of this past weekend I could not get into a peaceful, lighthearted beach figure picture. I fear this country is going mad - that we are living in opposite world. That Sarah Palin, Glen Beck and Rush Limbaugh are now trying to convince the American people that they themselves are the victims of this weekend's tragedy. It sickens me that so many of my fellow citizens refuse to think and are so suseptible to the cultivation of hate within themselves. I try to stay off the topic of politics on this site and will end it there but sometimes this society gets to me and I just wonder where we are going.

winter walk - 12" square

2011-01-09T12:02:00.000-08:00

I am unsure whether I like this picture or not - I started it sometime ago and then lost my feel for it a bit when the holidays got in the way. It might just be the flu (my daughter called and told me she had tested positive for it and must have had it here before she went back to Texas) and I might be better off sleeping rather than trying to paint! I might just sleep for a couple of days.

zicam isn't working!

2011-01-07T16:33:00.000-08:00

Unbelieveably, I finished this picture today and nearly finished another one...............I have been taking Zicam for three days but I feel absolutely awful today. After I finished this I went to bed for a four hour nap and then put another picture on the easel and made a bit of progress before giving up when I felt so hot I had to go out on the porch. I doubt that I will be doing too well when I get up tomorrow! I am keeping my fingers crossed that the Zicam will kick in while I am sleeping.......time for tea and soup.

at the edge - 12" square

2011-01-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

This isn't quite done yet but I felt so much pressure to post that I decided to go with it anyway. I brought my daughter to the airport for her flight back to Austin mid-day and always feel unsettled when she leaves so I went for a walk and then decided to take a picture before I lost the light.

shorebirds together - 10" square

2011-01-04T11:23:00.000-08:00

I am quite glad that the distractions of the holidays are over. I am done traveling, shopping and cooking large meals containing lots of meat! I always enjoy getting together with my Dad and kids and I even enjoy the cooking but the older I get, the less I enjoy the disruption of my routine - something I will have to watch out for or I might turn into a totally weird old woman instead of an only partially weird middle-aged one. Anyway, I have stretched a bunch of canvases and bought some zicam spray for the cold I feel I am getting so I am ready to go.

new ski place in the hood!

2010-12-29T17:04:00.000-08:00

I simply could not resist posting this! I stretched canvases for hours and then went shopping with my daughter at a shopping center near my house...........she took this photo with her i phone and it was just so "inner city" natural, I had to post it.

shell collector - 10" square

2010-12-28T12:22:00.000-08:00

What pleasure to be painting someone in a bathing suit! It is frigid out and we had a bunch of snow over the past two days. Since I did not have to go anywhere yesterday I didn't clean my car off and concentrated on shoveling the driveway and sidewalk. There was about a 3" slab of ice on my windshield when I went out today - took forever to get it off.

Almost forgot - beach figures - 10" square

2010-12-22T13:48:00.000-08:00

I nearly forgot to take a photo of this - amazing how quickly one can get out of the habit of recording work. I have nearly finished a bunch of stuff and have pretty much done all I can do to get ready for Christmas so I should be back to regular posting soon. My daughter is home and well and I have discovered that our new cat HATES snow. I wish all who chance upon this blog to have a very happy holiday season!

Gallery Eleven Fine Art - Opening Reception

2010-12-07T11:16:00.000-08:00

Gallery Eleven Fine Art will be officially opening on Friday, December 10, 2010 from 5 - 7 PM and all who can attend are invited to the reception. I am very excited; our space is beautiful and the response from people in the area has been wonderful since the unofficial opening the day after Thanksgiving.

underpainting and break - 12" square

2010-12-04T12:56:00.000-08:00

I will be posting less for the next month.......just feel like concentrating on larger work and not wanting to post "updates." So, I will resume regular posting after the holidays and hope you all have a wonderful hoilday.

gray day on Westport Harbor - 14x11"

2010-12-02T13:05:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love mixing grays..........and this scene was perfect for it. I do not love how short the days are this time of year but love the slantedness of it so I guess it is a trade-off.

hazy walk - 8x10"

2010-11-30T07:01:00.000-08:00

Boy, do I feel stressed now when I can't paint on a daily basis! I had a great Thanksgiving with my family in NY. I managed to get this study done but couldn't get a decent photo last night. I am truly hating Verizon as my internet provider as well........the service has not only been exceedingly slow but there have been many days I have not been able to even get on. I heard a report on the radio the other day that the US is 27th in the list of developed countries in internet speed and quality and we pay the highest rates; sound familiar (shades of healthcare)?