Salem's Abby Road! First Day of school 2021.

              Salem's Abby Road - First Day of School 2021

              oil painting -24x36

Remote learning was hard and unprecedented in my lifetime. It was especially hard for the students.. As a former teacher myself, I am so amazed at the teachers that persevered through covid, with the daunting task of remote learning and constantly facing the unknown of-“WHAT’S NEXT?” I was in awe of Miss Powers as she provided daily inspiration and love to her students  through it all. I was happy to be retired and able to be there for Elouise. She missed her friends. She missed Salem. 

After 18 months of remote learning and being away from friends and classmates, Elo and her friends finally returned to school in Salem. They were together again-at last!  Elouise and her friends met to walk to school together. The exuberance they displayed and the joy at being together once more was a feeling I wanted to capture. Hopefully, the situation that caused remote schooling,(covid), is in the rearview mirror. Hopefully they will always feel excited to return to school in the fall. The excitement on this day  I felt needed preserving: So I painted it.

An added bonus is Webb Street’s resemblance to Abby Road. Thanks to Don Seiffert for taking his life in his hands to capture the moment with his camera and for sharing his photos of the girls from that morning. Thanks Don for allowing me to take liberties with your photo.  (Sorry to the young man I eliminated. ) The resemblance to the Beatles  Abby Road  album cover was too good to pass up. I changed the colors of the houses for a more harmonious painting. I used  reds to help move the viewer's eye though the scene. To establish a sense of the times, one girl is wearing her mask, one has hers dangling from her wrist and the others have theirs in their backpacks. Little did I know the controversy that would result from the masks! 

I hope to preserve a bit of history for the girls. Each girl (as well as Elo's teachers) received a print of the painting.

I hope this painting brings you a smile. We all need one.

Magical moments in Rockport.

When Frozen was my grand daughter's favorite movie, she insisted on wearing either her Elsa or Anna outfit no matter where  we went. So when hiking around Rockport and Halibut Point one day, she dressed like a princess. When she walked out to the end of the path, she became captivated by the ocean and the beautiful view. I loved the composition, the juxtaposition of the blues, and the wonder she experienced  as a young impressionable girl. I hope she continues to love nature and remain in awe of it as she grows.

I blocked in the underpainting using transparent oxide red. Once values were established, I began blocking in large masses. I used the rocks to lead the viewer to the focal point. The warmth of the rocks complimented the sun illuminating the figure. I reserved the most detail for the focal point-the dress and figure, a little looser in the vegetation and rocks and let the water and sky remain fairly loose as the backdrop to the scene. 

I love to  preserve special moments in a painting as I feel it conveys much more of a feeling of time and place than a photo can.

 

It's an annual event!

Merry Christmas!

Each year spurs another little holiday burst of energy. I especially like painting the Christmas balls with their reflective surfaces and cheerful colors. The snowman provides a happy greeting for people as they walk into my gallery of paintings. These little paintings each represent a different year and are fun to use on Christmas cards.

Hull Lifesaving Museum Juried Show

9x12 gallery wrap oil Evening Solitude

11x14 oil-Dynamic Trio

I was encouraged to submit paintings for a show "Sea and Sky" to be held at the Hull Lifesaving Museum in Hull, MA. My painting buddy, J.T. Harding, said he would drive them down and submit some also, so I said "great!". What the Hull Museum website didn't say was that it was a juried show. I probably would have chosen different paintings had I known. I liked that these were opposite; one very calm and evoking a feeling of solitude and the other loud and wild and portraying the crashing surf. I found out yesterday, however, that these 2 paintings were juried in, so I guess it's sometimes best not to know. A gentleman who purchased a painting from me last month said he was in love with my purples. Maybe that was what this judge liked too. When I am in love with a place or an experience, I hope that it comes through in my painting; Maybe that is what the judge liked.

The lone dinghy

 While taking a scenic drive around Cape Cod one day I spotted this dinghy drifting about on it's anchor. There were several small boats similar to it and they all seemed to dance about on the water as the ripples and wind gently rolled in. The effect was very relaxing and soothing and I decided right away to try to convey the trance like feeling in my painting. I decided to eliminate all the other boats and surrounding details and focus on this one boat, the ripples, and the reflection in the unending surface of the water as it receded from view.  I used a palette knife for most of the painting, quickly applying thick layers that wrap around the edge of the canvas to give the water a continuous feeling.

My Little beachcomber buddy

"My beachcomber buddy"-16x20 oil

We have our morning walks as well as our evening walks to round out each day. This particular morning we were heading back towards the Ocean Club and Elo was hunting for shells. The sun was starting to bring a sparkle to the water and a glowing aura to her little figure.
I use the repeating diagonal to bring the viewer through the painting and to establish a sense that there is much more before and after what is seen. I purposely omitted any horizon line or distant figures or landmarks. In addition the diagonal brings us right to the subject. The perspective of the viewer, looking down on the child's head,and shoulders reinforces that this is a small child. She is absorbed in the ritual of seeking the ocean's treasures; a universal appeal shared by those fortunate enough to experience ocean beaches.
I used a blue orange harmony which works to create the warmth of the early morning sun and the sparkling effects the sun creates on the water's surface. The long shadow also hints at the time of day.

Contemplating Cape Cod

Our evening walk- 12x16 oil

Each summer we vacation on Cape Cod with family. My granddaughter provides me with unending inspiration as she discovers and contemplates the wonders of the ocean. During this particular evening walk, she went and stood in the water gazing out at the diminishing light and gently rolling waves. The scene was so serene and peaceful, I wanted to capture the feeling to share with viewers.
Dusk creates a much subtler light effect than strong sunlight. My goal was to give her that effect with soft transitions of color and value when moving from warm to cool as I modeled the figure and her clothing. Attention to detail in the figure is juxtaposed to a looser feeling in the water as it flows and swirls around her. I wanted the water to be "quiet" so it's movement would reflect the soft sounds of the lapping waves and the peaceful mood I wished to create.