third week of May - update

This type of update is working well for me since I have developed such a dislike of going on the computer! The top painting is in its final stages and measures 16x12." It is painted on a Raymar panel - a surface I am trying to use more and more - I still like stretched canvas better. Sorry about the tiny shadows at the top (it's still on the easel)......too wet to move to get a better photo.....the color's too cool as well.

This painting is also nearly completed but was so wet I had to put it aside for a few days..........it's 20x16" (and on canvas).

This 12x10" study was done plein air - a view of the only elevated area we have in Beaufort - from the marina. I tend to do these studies more for gathering information about color and experimenting with stroke/mark making than anything else.....also on a Raymar panel.

Coosaw Boats - 24x12"

When I first moved here I did a lot of exploring and found this spot - I took a photo so I didn't forget about it totally but could never find it again. That's what happens when you have soooo many new places all jumbled together in your head, I suppose. Thanks to my neighbor (who works for the highway department and does a lot of fishing) I was able to find the place again. I have more to go but thought I would get a photo up. I have been "plein airing" recently and have had the usual mixed results. I finally ordered some RayMar panels to try and I already like them better than gessoed masonite.

end of February!

Wow, did this month go fast! I am liking posting multiple things at once - seems to fit me better than those daily things.................so, I'll stick with this format. House on the hill is nearly done (have to finish the windows & straighten things up a bit). Sorry about the clamp at the edge but this is on a 12x16" panel and was hard to photograph without keeping it straight up.

I began this 14x11" painting months ago and (for some odd reason) never finished it.....I had similar colors on the palette and decided there was no reason not to finish it.

I have been working on this for the last two days and am making good progress.....It's 30x24" and I am totally enjoying working this size.

new computer/all thumbs

Sorry about the bad photo but I am just thrilled that I managed to get it here at all! I love my new computer but it will be an adjustment to figure a few things out.....luckily I have had an ipad & an iphone for quite a while so the operating system isn't foreign. iPhoto will be a bit more of a challenge but at least things aren't shutting down for no apparent reason. Actually this post is a combination of practice and missing New England (probably by the imminent purchase of a house and its concrete commitment to the south).....so I have been in the house and decided to work from a pretty old photo.

nets out - 14x11" & southern dock - 16x12" (beginning)

 

 

I've been into boats the past week and pretty much finished "Nets Out" - it will go on the drying wall for visual scrutinty. The painting of the boats at the dock was begun and put aside for a little while I dwelled on reducing the confusion that is present on the dock. I believe I know where I am going with it so it's back on the easel.

boats on a marsh study - 10x8"

This is a study from my trip to Cape Cod last fall...........have not felt like posting updates of larger things and realized that I hadn't posted this one in all of the confusion of moving. This week has been busy because I had to buy a new car. I realized that I had spent a fortune last year on my 2001 Rav 4 when I added up my expenses for taxes and wasn't willing to spend another dime. I was also becoming stressed just waiting for something major to happen - the car had 215,000 miles on it. So........I bit the bullet and am now the proud owner of a 2012 Prius!!!! It is so damn quiet, kind of spooky but it's beautiful.

a finish and a start

Finished the Crab House and began a 16x12" shrimp boat. There are shrimp boats everywhere here; little inlets and docks seem to dot every marsh.

to the landing - 16x12"

Lots of people fish around here and there are innumerable boat landings.............this guy was coming back early one morning to the landing on Lady's Island. Lady's Island is across the Intracoastal Waterway from Beaufort.

marina study - 10x8"

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.

heading home - 14x11

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!

snow at the dock - 11x14"

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.

sunset ice - 12" square

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.

nearly night - 24x18"

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.

gray day on Westport Harbor - 14x11"

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.

second prize at Portsmouth Art Guild & "boats lined up" at Sakonnet Point - 9x12"

I finished this study begun outside on Sunday and then dug through my archives to find the picture of the painting that won the prize. I neglected to post this a few days ago because, some days, I just don't feel like being on the computer - even for a few minutes!

morning boats - 16x12"

I am hoping to finish this painting today but continue to prepare for the open studios this weekend......every task seems to lead to another so finishing this might not happen.

red boats - 14x11"

I began this one plein air at Tripp's boatyard in Westport and have to finish it when the light ground has set up enough for me to paint the metal thingys that hold the boats up. I found myself laughing out loud when I was considering leaving some of them out for design reasons - I realized that at least indicating them was important or the boats would actually appear to float like some sort of fantasy illustration. It is the last two days before my daughter leaves for Austin so I am helping her get ready (in a limited way) - I will really miss her.

back on track

The cleanup is nearly done. Just a mention of the show currently on at the Bristol Art Museum - it is fantastic! Kathy Weber and Rob Rey are two of the painters - I urge anyone in this area to see it, you won't be sad that you made the effort.

tripps - 10" square

This one isn't done............I have been quite distracted by all of the clean up that the flood has demanded. Started one yesterday and wiped it off. The entire neighborhood is covered with dust and grit - I had to paint inside even though it was beautiful outside because of the dirt that was settling on the palette. I would have gone somewhere else but was trying to get stuff out of the basement in time for today's trash pick up. Even as I type, the keyboard feels gritty and I just cleaned it. Oh, well, it will be over soon.