The Red Boat

"The Red Boat" on Cape Cod, Harwich, MA

When driving along Rte 28, this red boat and beautiful marsh scene beckon me at every season. I usually pull over and take a few photos or pull out the sketchbook. Sometimes I just sit and enjoy. When I went there this summer and saw that another boat was there with the formerly solitary red one, I felt like the mood was changing. I decided to paint the feeling it evoked before the addition of the second boat.  I loved the peacefulness and serenity of the place. The pop of the red boat was like a jolt of adrenaline.  Perhaps soon I'll do the new scene with the two boats.  It still has the wonderful red/green harmony and layers of receding landscape. I like it, too. It's just a whole different feeling.
I hope you like this one!

Beacon Hill is Quintessential Boston

Acorn Street, Beacon Hill, Boston, MA   16x20 oil on linen

When I was asked to paint a wedding present for a couple moving to CA from Boston, all sorts of ideas flooded into my head. The groom had lived in Boston and especially loved Beacon Hill. Perfect! My son and his family just moved to Beacon Hill last month. It was a part of the city that embodied all the elements of "old Boston".  The brick buildings, cobblestone streets, old fashioned lamp posts that are on day and night, the window boxes and iron work all exemplify my image of old Boston. Almost every doorway demands to be admired and photographed or painted. I was excited to have a destination in the new family neighborhood. I spent the first day photographing all the streets, crisscrossing up and down the hills and looking for possibilities for future paintings as well. I repeated my steps and process that afternoon so I could examine morning versus afternoon light. I broke out my sketchbook on Acorn Street and did some preliminary studies. I hoped this would be the setting for the painting. After contacting the couple to be sure this would be to their liking, blocking in the masses commenced. I took advantage of the lamplight to brighten the colors somewhat as the street is narrow and dark. I chose the spot where the ancient green vine grew up the building to capitalize on the red/ green harmony and echoed this harmony in the window boxes. The colonial American flag that flew above the street clinched my choice of scenes as it defined the character of the neighborhood, being  repeated on other streets around the hill. The flag provided a point of interest to move the viewer down the hill while letting other detail and color diminish in the distance. Although the street was very crowded with tourists on my weekend visits, I decided to leave the people out of it.  I wanted to portray it as I saw it on weekday visits; a quiet, well kept and serene neighborhood with a lot of history.  Next stop- Louisburg Square!

"The Ultimate in Peace and Solitude-" Lake Champlain, VT

"Afternoon glow" 11x14 oil

my painting spot!

Causeway crossing 11x14 oil

Majestic Solitude 12x24 oil

I was fortunate to spend a week on Lake Champlain in Vermont far north of  the noise and bustle of Burlington. In the morning I enjoyed watching the loons glide undisturbed as I had my first cup of coffee. I was even fortunate to observe a great show put on by a group of 11 baby loons. I decided to add loons to one painting as it gave it a sense of place. A few times during the week I saw a sailboat go by. In the evening my daughter and I enjoyed paddleboarding on the glass like surface all alone and undisturbed.  I decided to add the sailboats to the panoramic painting since they were the norm and I didn't see any other paddle boarders all week. I wanted to keep the focus on the distant mountains and the mood and feeling of the spot and not make the loons or boats the subject matter of the paintings. During the day I set up my easel and paints and painted in the morning facing the causeway that joined the mainland to the Islands. The sun would rise behind the Adirondacks which created a beautiful constantly changing skyline in the distance. The misty purples and blues were captivating and I tried to capture the serenity the place evoked. After a mid-day break for lunch and a long walk to photograph the surrounding area, I would return and set up facing in the opposite direction. Afternoons were for painting the rocky shoreline and the glow created by the setting sun. I exaggerated the blue violets with the warm oranges to heighten the effect. By the end of the week I was in love with Milton, VT.  I may have to return to paint some of the amazing sunsets that we enjoyed each evening directly across the lake.

It's all about the light!

"Afternoon Glow" 16x20 oil-Rock Harbor, Cape Cod, MA

One of our rituals when on vacation is to find the "perfect place" for viewing sunrise and sunsets. The hour before is a glow of great shadows, strong light and a warmth that inspires. Rock Harbor provides a multitude of great views with almost sculptural marshes, distant land masses that seem to dissolve on the horizon and a channel where boats come in at last light silhouetted against the purples, blues, reds and oranges of brilliant sunsets reflected in the ocean.  What caught my eye on this particular afternoon was the yellow orange marsh contrasting with the blue violets of the shadows and distant trees. The people strolling on the clam flats were all waiting for the sunset and gave scale to the painting along with the house being struck by a strong last light. I loved the abstract feeling of the distant masses juxtaposed with the detail in the foreground, but most of all, it was all about the light!

Bird Park Beckons

Welcome to Bird Park 12x24 oil

Painting the entrance to the park is a favorite of mine. I intend to paint all the different seasons, so I planned it for the late afternoon early summer sun. Inspired by the light reflecting off of the wrought iron gate, I headed down around 4:30 pm to get the right  angle. The summer afternoon sun makes the entrance glow with a welcoming warmth. Since the last time I painted this gate, a local boy scout working on his eagle project here, removed plantings and added new ones. On this particular day, other folks  were there taking photos and posing in the open gate on the right.  The reddish blocks along the walkway are a hallmark of the park and harmonize well with all the lush greenery and expansive lawns. The stone walls and iron fencing enhance the earthy tones and fit in beautifully with the park design. I used the panoramic format this time to accentuate the horizontal expanse of the entrance.

Lake Champlain

Lake Champlain Sunset- 9X12 oil

My daughter lives in VT and we spend many hours on and around Lake Champlain. By far, one of the most mesmerizing times is days end, when the sun sets. The lake glows with vibrant color and ripples create patterns of light in the water. The NY Adirondacks  become a bluish silhouette  and the vast lake becomes a hypnotic and seductive sight. This is one of many visual delights to be found by the shores of this beautiful, vast lake. It is a sight that I will always treasure seeing and I'd swear to you that no two sunsets are ever the same.

Sunflower surprise!

Sunflowers!  8x8

I arrived home the other day to a gift bouquet of sunflowers. After a cold and rainy spring, they felt so warm and cheerful that I knew I would be painting them before they faded. The next morning I set them up by the window and worked for several hours on an 8x8 painting. The flowers turned naturally in every direction giving multiple views of the same colorful "faces".  I decided to offset the dominant yellow orange subject matter with the blues in the negative areas. The small panel is a gallery wrap canvas, so the petals extend around the edges. They looked so happy that I, too,  felt happy upon completion. I think this painting defines a "sunny disposition".