Hustler Shrimp (beginnings) - 24x18"

It's been rough around here for the past few weeks.......12 days of rain and lots of flooding. We didn't get it too badly but there were still a few tense moments as I watched my land turn into a pond! I even made a movie of the scene because there were so many frogs and they were all singing/croaking or whatever you call it. Plein air was out of the question but I did manage to work in the studio - I have several paintings going at once and this is the newest one. I've been into shrimp boats lately and this one is Hustler Shrimp - they are one of my favorite vendors at the Farmer's Market.

The Crabber (getting there) 18x18"

I put this one aside for several months & it was right beyond my easel on the wall. All of a sudden I started looking at it again (out of the corner of my eye) and felt a strong urge to finish it. I worked plein air for a few days this week and then picked this up yesterday when the weather turned stormy and now am totally into it again. There's always a certain resistance in me when I pick up an uncompleted painting and it sometimes takes a bit of time to get back into it.............sometimes this happens because there was a problem that caused me to put it aside and sometimes there isn't. There wasn't an issue with this one - I probably just felt like getting out of the studio (can't really remember) or it needed to dry a bit. At any rate, I'm closing in now and glad that it seems to be fall here..........the air conditioner wasn't needed today!

some finishing

I sort of finished this 12x9 last year (and even signed it) but never framed it because something bothered me about it. The other day I realized that there were a few value issues and corrected them.

I am just about done with this 24x12" shrimp boat painting. Both of these photos look too dark to me on the white background I am now using on the blog............I'll have to figure this out soon.

shrimpers passing - 36x18"

This photo's a little darker on the right side.......with the thunderstorms we've had every afternoon it seemed too much trouble to move it outside for a picture of an unfinished painting that's kind of large (and quite wet). During the summer we generally see as many as seven of these big shrimp boats off the beach at Hunting Island. This summer the shrimp disappeared for more than a month and I haven't seen as many boats as usual but they're back now. Often the boats are so far off the shore that you can't get a decent photo even with a telephoto lens but on this particular gray and humid afternoon, they were close enough that I was able to get about a zillion photos.

by the bridge - 14x11"

Wow, I figured out a quicker way to upload using iPhoto! It was a beautiful day to paint outside and, since I will have a bit less time to do so until I am fully moved in to my new house, I had to take advantage of it. I supposedly close on Monday and then have to have some plumbing work done before I begin moving in in earnest. I really don't feel right, though, if I don't get out to paint at least twice a week.......working only in the studio without that outdoor time makes me feel edgy and unfulfilled. 

Thought I would post the "nearly done" photo of the marine scene I have been working on inside.....we  had a very unsettled weather week so today was the first day I could have really worked outside anyways.

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.

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.