Fenway Park

Fenway Park 12x16 Oil

When i heard my nephew was getting married, I knew just what I wanted to paint for a wedding gift. Raised in New England, Kevin is an avid Red Sox fan. He was uprooted to Colorado many years ago as a child, but his passion for the Red Sox remains strong. For several years our son got tickets by 3rd base and we spent many a game sitting  by the Gulf sign. I set out to include the sign and the "green monster". The red fan attire and "green monster" established a perfect color harmony. Afternoon sun provided some nice shadow effects. The painting was really fun to paint and got a warm reception when presented. Kevin's wife has even taken to cheering for the Sox.

Update: They now have a baby boy- a Red Sox fan already!

A Good Friend=priceless!

A Good Friend- priceless!  12x12 oil

While friends from VT were visiting us in Boston, my 2 year old granddaughter and her little buddy displayed an amazing independence as they toured the city with us. When we got to the Boston Common, the girls walked over to the Brewer fountain and climbed up on the edge where they sat and chatted without a care in the world. It was such a natural move for them that it symbolized, for me, what being with a friend should look like. It felt like a youthful version of seeing 2 elderly people on a park bench. They felt no sense of danger or social barriers. Their tiny figures juxtaposed to the 3 figures of the goddesses in the fountain gave the scene a timeless quality. Painting it felt like preserving a moment in time, somewhat like the bronze figures that  grace the corner of Park and Tremont Street. I wanted to focus on this juxtaposition, so minimized the crowds of people and cropped the fountain to extend off the edges.  Bright colors and light  make the girls the focal point.

The Boston Public Garden Delights!

"Elo and the Ducklings" 24x30 oil

My 2 year old granddaughter, Elouise, lives near the Boston Public Garden. I think she thinks  of the Garden, the Common, and the Esplanade as her backyard. We have frequented the "Make Way for Ducklings" sculpture since she was born. Her first spring, summer and fall was spent sitting on the blanket and watching other children climb and play on the ducks. We would pose her on a duck for a photo now and then. By the following spring she was walking and couldn't wait to explore them by herself. I have loved them for a while, but have never spent so much time there until the past two years. The sculptor, Nancy Shon, has brought much delight, not just to children, but to adults too. Robert McCloskey's book delighted generations and inspired the sculpture. The book is a piece of my childhood, and it and many visits to the sculpture inspires me as an artist. My first painting of the ducklings was without  Elo, but now I am adding figures in to my landscapes and Elo is a favorite. I find the duckling compositions work from many different angles and the subject  matter has great appeal. The sunlit bronze reflects surrounding colors and is so tactile. I hope my painting inspires viewers to visit them too, or to recall a memory made there. They'll keep you forever young!

"Make Way for Elouise"

"Make Way for Elo"  12x12 oil

Our son and family live in Boston near the Public Garden. Having our first grandchild near the swanboats and ducklings is especially rewarding for me as I spent many days there with my grandparents when I was a child. The sculptures are the work of a Framingham artist making the ducks an even more special connection. After working all summer on a commission for someone, I was eager to get back to doing something I held close to my heart. And what that was was so obvious when I saw Elo with the ducklings on" grandparents day". Her red coat reflecting in the brass, their similar heights  and stances made this call out to me. The day was overcast and dreary so I decided to infuse the painting with reds to warm it up and unify it. The reds harmonized nicely with the greens of the brass. After 2 months on my last painting, I was able to complete this in two 3 hour sessions. I enjoy the spontaneity, the color harmony and, of course,  the subject matter in this painting.

"Beacon Hill Trifecta!"

"Beacon Hill's Trifecta"  12x16 oil

My winter Beacon Hill painting...

As I completed my most recent Beacon Hill painting, I was excited to learn that my winter version of Beacon Hill, completed recently, was just awarded first place in oil painting and Best in Show at Norwood 's Art in the Park. I spend a lot of time on "the hill" since my son and his family moved here last fall and I find it a visual feast. Being enamored of historic architecture and antiques,  this is my newest painting paradise. While I sought to impart the cold, mysterious snowy atmosphere to the winter scene, I wanted to give the view from MT Vernon Street the same warm and glowing feeling I experienced that hot spring morning. My son and I had just finished breakfast at the bakery at the bottom of the hill and were walking back to his place. The view of three steeples lining up and being illuminated by the strong light when looking down the hill was impressive. I like the constant contrast of the old flat brick facades with the rounded brick facade portions added later. I initially was planning to include an overhead branch in my foreground, but decided that the composition was even better without it. Instead I decided to include  the "no parking" sign on the lamp post that is so Beacon Hill. The pure cad red right out of the tube popped it immediately to the foreground.  I kept colors strong and warm, with many gradations in my red bricks to bring out the forms and move the viewers eyes through the painting. Having completed 3 seasons so far, I look forward picking my "summer scene".
Adding an edit as I learned that this painting also received first place in the 2015 Foxboro Art Association show.