up the river - 14x11"

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"

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

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

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"

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

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"

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

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

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

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

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"

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.