Moonlight on Mountain Pond

I spent a few hours in the studio the past couple of evenings matting drawings and paintings to see what I'd like to enter in my next juried exhibition.  Sometimes framing or even simply matting a painting or drawing help expose any compositional flaws.

Moonlight on Mountain Pond

There is a stillness in the wood

That is hard to comprehend

As I hike away from civilization, from the “should’s”

I leave the car and my worries behind

The daylight views are dramatic enough

But the night sky and the dance of moonlight and shadow

On clouds, mountain, forest and stream

Leave me spellbound

Like the sirens of myth

It is possible to become lost in natures song  

But the sound of my heart provides the rhythm

To the silence

Provides the anchor in the storm

The storm we all carry inside

In a few days

I’ll be back at work

Surrounded by activity and sound

The “should’s” will have returned in full force

In moments of decision,

I strive to remember

The mountains

The dance of moonlight and shadow

The silence

I am learning to be still

Pen and Ink Exploration

Pen and Ink - Breakers Two

I'm not sure what started me on this particular exploration of pen and ink but I do find it quite enjoyable.  I work in a variety of media: Watercolor, Charcoal, Acrylic, Oil, Pencil, and most recently Gouache, and Mixed Media experiments.  I'll write more about the differnt media in subsequent posts.

I do find that the different mediums I work with all inform one another.  For instance, I find working in pen and ink makes me think further about composition and design as the medium is so direct and unforgiving.  I know that I've barely scratched the surface of Pen and Ink.

I enjoy studying the many moods of the ocean.  The power of the waves.  The color and the shapes in the rock and in the surf, the reflections of the sun and moon, the mist, sea fog and foam, and , the movement of the waves create constantly shifting and new fascinations to me.  This is all purely the visual and doesn't even take into account the impact of the sounds and smells of the ocean.

The same composition of rocks and beach or a cove could literally be painted daily or throughout the day and every painting would be different.   Claude Monet studied the effects of light on subjects in series such as haystacks, Rouen Cathederal, Houses of Parliament and more.  The same subject in different light and atmospheric conditions held his interest (not to mention ours for more than a century) because the challenges presented and, therefore the subjects themselves were, in fact, different.  Sometimes subtle differences, sometimes dramatic differences.  

I remember reading a note from Winslow Homer describing one of his paintings to the dealer, describing in great detail the lighting effect of the clouds being 15 minutes before sunset and how different the lighting would be 15 minutes after sunset.  It's not something that the casual observer would even notice, but master artists such as Homer and Monet could never be described as casual observers of the world around them.

It's interesting to note that even people with little to no interest in art can, if they are familiar with the subject matter, can "tell" if a realistic picture "rings true" with their expereience.  They may not be able to describe what is right or wrong with a picture but their "gut" will let them know if something "isn't quite right."

Scarborough Barn

Old Country Church

Let it Go! Watercolor and Tracing Paper Experiments

These paintings are quick and simple experiments utilizing watercolor on tracing paper.  I occasionally paint on tracing paper as a quick way to get down some ideas for paintings.  This has always been studio work for me.  

To say that tracing paper is not meant for watercolor is an understatement.  However, I also find that not considering a painting for display is incredibly freeing.  The subject matter was inspired by Aiden Lassell Ripley.

The second painting is simply a view of the reverse side of the paper.  It shows the mirror image of the composition.  This can be done electronically through most photo editing as well, but I like to work with brush on paper.

The bottom painting view was a simply accident.  I placed the tracing paper on my easal on top of a previously completed landscape.  This shows how I might combine the compositions into new paintings.  It shows what some different color combinations would look like.  Once again, these effects could be achieved electronically but I enjoy the practice with the brush.

Rugged Coast

Rugged Coast

Gouache on Paper

This painting is a gouache on paper over pen and ink.  As I've written about before, I will occasionally experiment over earlier paintings.  The Yankee in me hates to throw anything out.  Working in Gouache is still relatively new to me.  I prefer transparent watercolor, but whatever can help me achieve what I'm trying to achieve, I'll give it a try.

I was watching one of James Gurney's video's about painting on location with gouache and he mentioned how gouache tends to dry a little darker than it appears when painting - something I found to be very true.  This painting was also over a sketch in pen in ink with a lot of shading, so that did not help.  None the less, my plan was to go for a stormy scene anyway.

The picture below shows my current method for sketching on location and even studio work where I will work out different ideas in the margins - focusing on different compostions in thumbnail sketches before attempting a finished drawing.   

In this particular instance, there are only a few compositional sketches in the margins.  In other cases, the margins will be filled.   Another advantage of this method is for on location work.  At times, I may see a subject I want to paint, with many other elements that could lead to other paitnings in their own right, or some elements for me to add to other compositions.  It's a great practice that I also find forces me to simplify my compositions.  Initially I pre-drew all the squares for composition.  I've decided against that as there are times I'd like to do portrait orientation compositions as well as landscape compositions. 

I've not reached the point where I'm doing proportial sketches to the size of the final paintings, but that is easy enough to do.

Charcoal and Tracing Paper Experiments

I occasionally like to experiment with tracing paper.  Not to trace compositions, but I enjoy the feel charcoal on tracing paper.  Using tracing paper and even newsprint was also recommended by noted illustrators Robert Fawcett and Charles La Salle for practice.  I enjoy finding instructional books by artists such as these for inspiration.  Andrew Loomis is another favorite of mine.  The effects that Loomis and La Salle were able to achieve in Charcoal were amazing.  And Fawcett is an acknowleged master of line.  They make it look so easy.  Any expert does.  

I also like to see what the composition looks like in reverse.  While looking at a few of my paintings and drawings in preparation for entering another juried exhibition, I also noticed the difference the colored background makes.  

In this case I imagined a stormy sea where visibility was quite limited.  This was done from imagination, through I do enjoy storm watching along the coast.  The first image is simply with a piece of white paper behind the tracing paper charcoal drawing.

In the second picture, I've simply moved the white paper to the right and left the natural color of the drawing board (brown) to show through.  It does demonstrate a different mood.

The image below is with the image reversed.  Tracing paper makes this quick and easy - of course this can be done even more simply with basic computer software - but for me I prefer to go "old school"

 I'll share another example of working with watercolor on tracing paper in my next post.

I continue to be reminded on a regular basis that in art, and in life, there is no substitute for doing the work.  Reading about drawing or painting does no more to make you an artist than reading about playing the piano makes one a piano player.

Breakers Two

Pen and Ink - Breakers Two

I enjoy studying the many moods of the ocean.  The power of the waves.  The color and the shapes in the rock and in the surf, the reflections of the sun and moon, the mist, sea fog and foam, and , the movement of the waves create constantly shifting and new fascinations to me.  This is all purely the visual and doesn't even take into account the impact of the sounds and smells of the ocean.

These drawings are half memory half imagination from my childhood explorations of Higgins Beach in Scarborough Maine, Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth, and my most recent trips to Pemaquid.

Tidal Pool, Incoming Tide - Pen and Ink

Crashing Surf

I am continuing to experiment with seascapes.  Despite spending many years along the coast, I still have a great deal of study to do to capture the power and movement and color of the sea.  This is a small watercolor with some use of chinese white as well as scaping with a razor blade to achieve some of the whites

This painting is not of an actual location, but is patterned after the rocks along the coast near Two Lights State Park in Cape Elizabeth Maine and Prouts Neck in Scarborogh, Maine.  

I've had the privilige of seeing a number of Winslow Homer's original paintings at the Portland Museum of Art as well as in Boston.  His seascapes are incredibly powerful - and make you feel as though you are really there on the cliffs by the sea.

Winslow Homer's studio is now owned by the Portland Museum of Art and tours are conducted on a regular basis.  The cliff walk around Prouts Neck is also open to the public.  Like many places in Maine, the trick is to find a place to park.  The cliff walk can be accessed from Scarborogh Beach which is an amazing beach by its own right.

Other artists whose work I admire in regard to sea scapes are John Stobart, Carl Evers, and Frederick Waugh to name a few.

As for the handling of water and light, I continue to be drawn to the works of Frank W. Benson, Aiden Lassell Ripley, and Ogden Pleissner.

I don't study other artists work too closely as I do not want to imitate anyone else.  However, there are times if I can not work out a solution to a problem that I will refer to other artists work if it's a situation where I can not physically go  to a location to work something out (for instance, if I'm working on a fall scene in the winter or vice versa).

Copying artists work in museums is also a time honored way of learning from previous masters.  You'll need to check with museums to see their policies and restrictions if you are interested in trying this.  I've never done it, but who knows, perhaps some day I will.  In a nutshell, any painting you do must be of a different dimension than the original so that there could be no danger any copy being confused for the original.

Scarborough Barn by the Sea

This was the first pass (in charcoal) of a subject that began nearly two decade's ago.   It is not an exact representation of the subject but a composition of design elements that do exist, just not exactly in this configuration.

The process of choosing a subject, for me at least, is almost unconscious.  Sometimes it's an instant connection with a scene - often related to lighting, color or other effects of nature.   More often, its a place that I have a connection with through family, friends, or that I have visited or explored on my own.

This is a subject that began first as on location watercolor sketch.  Once the sketch was done, I set it aside as I often do.  I am energized by painting on location and this also gives me a backlog of subjects to explore further when getting out on location is not possible.  It is also just good practice of both oberservational skills as well as painting skills.

Yesterday, while Julie was shopping, I did a couple of studies (rough rough rough) studies of clouds. with watercolors.  Never intending for a full painting to appear, but as practice and perhaps elements that I'll use in later paintings.  It took me quite awhile to mature as a painter - I always wanted attempts to work out "right" and to produce finished works every time out.

I was watching a documentary on one of my favorite bands, The Eagles, and there was a segment that just made me laugh out loud and helped me to relax some too.  Glenn Fry was talking about being nervous about writing his own songs.  He was talking with some of his friends (Jackson Browne I believe) and he shared his secret fear when he was encouraged to write his own songs...

"What if they suck?"

"They will.  They will for awhile.  Just keep at it and one day they won't suck so much."

Thank God for perseverance.  So much beautiful music came to us through his efforts!  I was just reading about someone asking Walt Disney the "secret" to his success.  His answer was along the same lines.  "There is no secret.  You have to dog it.  Keep working at it day and night till its done and done right."

I've always enjoyed watching people I've worked with who have the passion to excel and who have put in the work to do so.  This group includes artists, muscians, teachers, heavy equipment operators, athletes, and more.   When someone is able to make something look easy - you can bet that it isn't and that a lot of practice and experience has gone into their work.

"The will to win is worthless without the will to prepare."   Thane Yost

Whatever your passion is - dive on in.

After Ripley

One of my favorite artists, Aiden Lassell Ripley, spent some of his formative years studying the work of Velasquez and Hals while traveling throughout Western Europe, Spain in particular, and North Africa on the Paige Travelling Scholarship from the Musuem School in Boston at the turn of the century.

It is amazing what you can learn from studying other artists.  I much prefer to paint directly from nature, but there are times when studio work is the order of the afternoon.

This is a watercolor I did today, based on Aiden's work.  A poor imitation, but I learned a lot about composition and depth from this excersize.  A fun way to spend a little time between projects.  I

If you've never seen Aiden Lassell Ripley's work, check it out.  I am still amazed at the effects he was able to achieve in watercolor.

Evening Breaker #2

I've always loved the ocean.  The salt air, the sound of waves crashing on the rocks, the waves retreating back into the ocean rolling the rocks and sand.  A steady rythm, power,  and a vastness that seem to make everything else feel insignificant.

There are so many colors, both pure and reflected, and design elements that one could paint the same area of the coast day after day and never paint the same picture twice.  I particularly enjoy the coast during storms and other "off times."  

Though it has been many years, I still remember the power of the ocean when body surfing.  Literally being carried along, surprisingly fast by waves.  Learning to be patient and not to panic when held underwater by the power of the breaking waves.  The sting of salt water in my eyes and nose and the loud roar of the water of the breaker and the hiss of the wave stopping on the beach and retreating into the coming waves.

Below is a plein air seascape that I completed in Cape Elizabeth this past summer.

And a quick watercolor study from a sketch completed on location on Long Island, Maine.

Bowdoin Hillside Farm

This watercolor was created from an on location drawing trip to the neighboring town of Bowdoin.

I was struck by the hill rising and disappearing to the left - begging the question of what is around the bend and the contrast of the shadows spilling across the road and the field in the process of being plowed.

One of the things I've noticed in my travels throughout New England is how land is, or was, not wasted.  Rocky, sloping, and steep hilled land was, and in some cases still is farmed.  Toughness and persistence is required to earn a living in these conditions and climates.  I sense its far more of a calling than a business decision.

In Pennsylvania there is farmland as far as the eye can see.  So to it is here in Maine - the difference is the miles one can see in PA is so much greater as the land is so flat.  In Maine, in many places you will see a hayfield tucked in a corner of a property where the Spruce haven't yet found their way to the edge of a road.

The Spruce and Pine grow slowly, but are relentless.   When you drive along a road and there are many Birch and other opportunistic species of trees and few Pine and Spruce you know something has happened there - its not random.   Birch grow very fast, often after a fire or when land has been logged clear.   Pines and Spruce grow more slowly, but are relentless.  The acidic nature of their sprills also make it more difficult for other species of trees to survive.

Still the Pines and Spruce have their own charm.  I still vividly recall entering huge stands of Pine near my childhood home.  The undergrowth of the forest disappeared and their was an almost alienlike landscape of rust colored pine needles.  It was also so quiet until you heard the wind wistling through the pines.  So different than the sound of leaves rustling in the wind.

I only indicated a pine on the right of the painting.  The reality is that they dominated the road leading up to the farm.  The contrast betwen the dark spruce and open field was very dramatic.  One of the things I love about painting on location, is that the possibilities truly are endless.

A slight move up the road brings the farmouses into view and so many other subjects as well.  There was a tractor plowing when I was sketching so I'll try another version with that as well as fitting a sketch I did in PA with a horse and plow as well.

Sargent Watercolors

I saw a major show of John Singer Sargent's many years ago at the Boston Musuem of Art.  It included portraits and some of his work from World War One.  As is always the case, the original artworks were stunning beyond description - no matter how good the quality of reproductions.

In some cases, even in larger than life canvases - a single brushstroke "made the painting" come alive with light or shadow.

Personally, I've always been attracted to John Singer Sargent's watercolors from his travels thoughout the world.  In particular, his ability to capture a sense of light and atmosphere.  I have no idea of whether or not he ever intended to show his watercolors or if they were simply done for enjoyment or study purposes - I'm just glad that they have been preserved.

Even a mundane (or potentially mundane) subject comes to life under his brush.  A simple white building sparkles with light as seen below.

Bedouins

His ability to render whites in watercolor seems effortless - which no doubt came from years and years of study and experience plein air painting.

Like another artist I admire, Aiden Lassell Ripley, John Singer Sargent was not "stuck" on tradition. Even though much of thier commissioned work would likely be considered to be traditional, when traveling or painting for their own enjoyment, both artists painted beautiful yet substantial impressionistic watercolors.    Although the bulk of his watercolors appear to be translucent in nature, both Sargent and Ripley did utilize opaque watercolor (gouache) to achieve the highlights they desired.  It was the effect that was important - not the rules for getting "there."

Courtney Allen

One of the reason I love ducking into antique stores is that you never know what you are going to find.

My introduction to art was primarily though the illustrators of the golden age through my wife's family of artists as I wrote about here.  Inspiration better late than never

I came across this illustration study for a dust jacket by Courtney Allen a couple of weeks ago and I picked it up earlier today..

This painting was a preliminary study for the book cover for the book "Gold Mountain" by Charlotte Paul issued by the Peoples Book Club of Chicago in 1953.

It's roughly 9" x 12" and appears to be ink and watercolor/gouache.  Historical interest aside, I love the freedom and confidence of the execution of this painting.  One of the things that I enjoy about these types of paintings is that you can see the artists thought process.  How the eye is led into the center of interst - the figures disembarking in search of gold and , perhaps, a little romance.

I look forward to finding the original / finished dust jacket to examine the differences between these initial paintings and the final "product."  

Courtney Allen was a contemporary of my wife's great uncle (Charles La Salle) and the two most likely knew one another professionally as well as personally.  They were both friends and colleagues of the top illustrators in the country including Norman Rockwell.  They both lived and had studios in New Rochelle in the early 20's and worked for the major magazines of the day including Cosmopolitan, Colliers, The Saturday Evening Post, This Week, and True magazines to name a few.

I look forward to learning more about Courtney Allen and his life and career.  

Scarborough Barn

This sketch is an elaboration of an on location watercolor completed in Scarborough Maine more than a decade ago.  This is one example of why I do enjoy the challenges of studio work from on location paintings.  

I hope to be able to take various elements that do exist (though not in this exact composition) in a place and bring them together into a scene that people feel as though they've been there.  In this case, the ocen in the distance with a small peninsula and a barn on a sloping hill tucked amongst elm, spruce, and other hard and softwoods encroaching on what was, at one time, a working farm.

The trees existed, but for the purposes of the picture I reversed them.  I'll do another color study as the original painting was done in the fall.  The Ocean was not viewable in the acutal setting due to the heighth of the surrounding forest but it would have been where I've indicated it in the drawing.

Pemaquid Beach

I've managed to explore much of the coast of Maine, but somehow I'd never made it to Pemaquid before.  Julie, Ari, and I had a wonderful day at Pemaquid.  Before we left for the day, I decided to reorganize my paint box to strictly watercolor so that all the materials that I'd need would fit in my paintbox.  Brushes, paper, paint, water, palette,  tape, pencils, sketch pad, sponges, razor blades, pencils.   I wanted to reduce things so that I wouldn't need anything beyond the paint box.  Still a couple of things to iron out - but all in all I was pleased.  What I think I'll do next is get another paint box to prepare for acrylics and related materials.

After exploring and finding some sea glass.  I did this pen and ink first.  I finished the day doing a quick watercolor study of this same scene.  I'll use both of these to do a finished work eventually.

The next work was this watercolor.

Sometime I'm so caught up in the moment, trying to capture colors and the other elements of the subject that catch my attention, I forget to keep overall composition in mind.  All in all I was pleased with how the watercolor captured the mood of the day.  I continue to be amazed at how differnt the ocean looks both in terms of color and structure of waves and wind.  For the next trip I want to paint from the rocks at the light house.  The surf and mood was so different in the short distance from the beach to the lighthouse.

On a side note, my paint box was a gift from my father in law for Christmas of 1994.  It has literally been on all of our family adventure days and is nearly three years older than Ari.  I can look at the scars, scapes, and paint on the box and they bring me back to each adventure.  Another post for another day.

Nana's House

I recently took a trip Down East with family.  This post was from more than a year ago.  A picture drawn from strong childhood memories.  I was watering plants in the backyard yesterday, including a cutting from the lilac tree in front of the house (to the right outside this picture)

I hope you enjoy the picture and poem.

Pembroke

A few half buried fieldstones are all that remain

The house is gone

The Barn and Shed…

Gone

Gone. Not forgotten

I see Nana’s house

In abandoned farmhouses 

In bowed barns

In my dreams

I remember walking up the dirt road from one adventure or another

Taking the short cut up the hill toward the house

Avoiding the old well (Not really – Sorry Mom)

The tall grass tickling my hands

was laced with animal trails

At the top of the hill

The horses were shuffling in their stalls

Anxious to get out

The shed

A large barn connecting the barn to the kitchen

A magical place to me

Could that have been Santa’s sled?

Why one barn was “the barn”

The other the “shed”

I don’t know – it just was

The geese tap at the low kitchen windows

Hoping for some of our breakfast

Grampie looks up from his coffee

Shaking his head “No” at the geese

Morning ritual complete

The geese move on

The memory remains

I wasn’t yet six and he was gone

I prefer this memory

To those from the nursing home

Back to Pembroke, Masonic Lane

Dining Room

Sloping floors

Great for marbles and Matchbox cars

Enough room for seven story baseball card forts

As much fun to take down as to build

From kitchen to bedroom

Stairs narrow and steep

There was always a chill in the air upstairs

The only source of heat radiated from downstairs (or so I was told)

I’ve never gotten dressed and undressed indoors as quickly

Before or since

It was so quiet

You could hear yourself think

No T.V.

No Streetlights

Few cars

Lots of cats and dogs

Bald Eagles nesting by the river

The wind rattled the windows

Full of imperfections

Creating unique views and

Moonshadows on the wall

The house spoke in soft whispers and groans

As I drifted off to sleep

When my brother speaks

to his girls (Geese) and his pugs

I sometimes hear Nana’s voice.

The lilac in her dooryard has spread

To each of our homes

So has her hardy laugh

And her fierce spirit

The house is gone

So much more remains

Georgetown Inlet

This watercolor sketch of an inlet in Georgetown, Maine serves a couple of purposes for me.

One, I'd been so focused on pen and ink drawings I missed painting.  In addition to composition and design, I truly enjoy working with  color and paint- watercolors in particular.  For whatever reason, I find it more enjoyable (and more efficient) to experiment with watercolor than the other mediums I work with (Acrylic, Oil, Goache, Charcoal, Pencil).  The medium of watercolor itself, I find it to be the quickest medium to get ideas to paper.   Some of that is simple physics - water flows quickly and smoothly.  Another reason is the ease of transport and clean up of watercolor.  I also began my artistic journey with watercolor so that is the medium I've worked with the longest.

One piece of advice I would give, is take whatever advice that is given to you for what it is worth for your journey - not as gospel.  One of the most common pieces of advice that I recieved is that watercolor is very difficult to work with.  That once you make a "mistake" you cannot correct it.  If we go into anything convinced that we cannot correct mistakes, that we must be "perfect" - we are unlikely to try in the first place or to persevere when we encounter the inevitiable challenges that go hand and hand with learning.

Don't get me wrong, classes or advice from those more experienced can be incredibly valuable and can save you a lot of learning time.  Just don't be afraid to forge your own path.

This studio sketch (living room actually) was an interpretation of a sketching trip Julie and I took to Georgetown Months ago.  I look forward for going

It was a grey day when I was sketching on location but for the purposes of the watercolor I wanted I experiment with different effects that sunlight would have.  This sketch has also given me some different compositional ideas.

What I've started doing now is storing sketches and paintings (when possible due to size) together for future reference.  For now, my pen and ink sketches are all still in the original sketchbook as I often find when sketching on location I'll find a subject for a quick margin sketch that fits with other subjects (such as one page of reflections) for potential future development.

The Georgetown area is so beautiful, I can not wait to go back.  And talk about having a magnificent "office!"  We are so lucky to live in Maine.

Lands End

As I was leaving Bailey Island I was struck by the contrasts in the fading light with the fog rolling in after sunset.  The water was capturing and reflecting all the light it could, creating striking silhouettes of figures as well as the house.  

I've always enjoyed monochrome painting and experimenting with different values.  My early reserach into Charles La Salle and his circle of friends and colleagues from the "golden age" of illustration I was struck by their mastery of charcoal.  "If a picture doesn't work in black and white - color won't save it."  Blunt but accurate I think.  Color can mask a bit, but won't hide a weak composition.  I also experimented with drybrush technique on this painting.  I recieved so much encouragement and advice from the late Bob Harris who was a very successsful illustrator and portraitist.  I still can hear his voice and chuckle about him talking about knowing when a painting is done before it is "finished."

I learned quite a bit from this sketch and will do some additional compositional sketches with paint before executing a large scale charcoal and then a finished painting.  I've settled on this working method over many years.  I quite like it because I enjoy working in different media on different scales and it allows me to combine my love of outdoor painting (Plein Air) with the creative challenges of design and composition.    I can also have many subjects going at once in different stages of development.

Sometimes I paint outdoors just to get outdoors - but I may not have a great or interesting subject for a finished painting.  However, no matter what , the practice of painting and observing always comes in handy and helps inform future paintings and drawings either through a successful painting or parts thereof or in the experience of learning not to repeat a mistake or series of mistakes.

I'm never stuck in the pattern of start to finish in any set order.  Some ideas are simply set aside for further consideration.  Sometimes years go by until I revisit a subject.  I find it satisfying to have a body of paintings waiting for further develoipment that I can go down into the studio after a long day or on a night when the weather forces me indoors.  It helps me work on my favorite painting - my next one.

Baileys Island #2

Have spent the last couple of evenings/sunsets at Lands End on Bailey's Island.  It's amazing how different the sea is every day.  The first day the water was as smooth as glass and the reflection of the sunset was breathtaking.  Even got to watch a seal for awhile just off shore.

This sketch was completed from the parking lot.  It combines different elements that are present at Bailey Island, but not in the composition rendered below.  This composition combines the gnarled pine trees with rocks which dominate much of the landscape and on the horizon line is the lighthouse thats visible to the right of the island directly opposite the end of the road.

A sailboat happened by while I was sketching so I did a quick sketch of it, the outline of the memorial for those to who were lost at sea and the edge of the island with the lighthouse in the distance.

My wife laughed at me because, although I was at the seacoast I was sketching the pine trees in the parking lot - but that is sometimes how it works.  I found them to be so interesting visually that thatis what I was drawn to initially.

Am looking forward to painting some seascapes this fall and winter.

Portland Rooftops1

This is a sketch of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland ME, from Marginal Way.  I've always been fascinated by city skylines and rooftops.  This cathederal is also where my sister got married which is why I chose this subject to sketch.

The day itself had some incredibly dramatic lighting - clear skys one minute, rain the next and ultimately a thick sea fog which obscured the top half of the steeple.  I didn't have the time to try some of those different lighting patterns, but will another time.  As we say, if you don't like the weather in New England, wait a minute.

This was also a subject to work on how to indicate the substantial nature of the construction of the Cathederal without indicating every little detail (It couldn't be seen at this distance anyway - at least not with my eyes).  A few seagulls showed up and further illustrated the scale of the building.  They can barely be seen around the steeple on the left.

I'll adjust the building lines as necessary in any future subjects from this sketch but its enough for me to work on later.

Georgetown and Tenants Harbor, Maine

Here are a few working sketches that I completed while picking up some of my paintings from the Plein Air Painters of Maine show at the Georgetown Library.  It is such a beautiful area.

The sketchpad I use is a simple 11" by 14" Acid Free medium weight paper. This first page represents some quick sketches I made sitting on a granite bench right alongside an inlet.  I generally make a few quick compositional sketches of scenes I am considering as well as local sights that could turn into additional paintings or elements that I might add into the composition later.  In other words real local buildings or natural scenes that you wouldn't see from this point of view but that anyone familiar with the area would be recognized.

This was a grey day and quite windy, but enjoyable.  Two ducks kept me company the entire time I sketched.  One black, one white.  Both very busy fishing.  I'm going to change the mostly hidden modern car port for a lobster shack that I remember (or imagine I remember) from Higgins Beach.

I plan to adjust the patterns of the lobster traps in the final painting as I've begun at the bottom of the page.

The sketch below is of a working wharf in Georgetown.  I happened to stop by as the days catch was being brought up to the wharf and then loaded onto the waiting truck.  I'm going to move the boat unloading to the near side of the wharf in the final picture.

To the right in the margin is a sketch of some fascinating reflections in a small building next to me on the location of the sketch above.  I could see reflections as well as into the building and out the other side.  It reminded me of something that Andrew Wyeth might paint ( no pressure there :)  

I recently purchased the book Wyeth and Kuhners.  It was filled with many of working sketches leading up to the final paintings.   It was very interesting to "see" his thought process behind some of his finished paintings.  The older I get and the longer I paint, the more my appreciation of his work grows.

Old Mill Stream

This large watercolor is based on a nearby mill brook in Lisbon Falls, Maine.  The wollen mill was torn down within the past decade.  I'd always said I'd paint it, but I waited too long.

The rock wall in the foreground is part of the old canal system and actually is not visible from this view.  The two rock walls in the mid ground are part of the canal/power system for the old mill.  On this day the water was low but running rapidly over a breach in the dam.

This is one of the few spring paintings I've done.  There are so many colors in the spring as the trees begin to flower.  Not quite fall like, but colorful none the less.  I've simplified the overall composition while trying to stay true to the acutal location.

This location is actually quite a gem.  There is a walking path on the left with a view of the brook which continues along the Androscoggin River.

What happens in your studio at night?

Have you ever wondered what happens in your studio when you turn in for the night?  I went downstairs and Echo (one of our cats) came sprinting out of my studio looking very guilty...

I went to my drawing table and there it was - an abstract sketch that I didn't paint:  It isn't signed, but there is some incriminating cat hair on it.

What had spooked the cat?    

Was it the horses?   The B 29's?

Or the moose?

Echo came back to the studio and curled up in my lap - keeping one eye on the moose.

Will the Man and Moose ever meet?

I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring!

Don't have everything you need to paint? - don't worry

Here is a sketch I completed today at a local stream.  I've also included a page from my sketchbook to further illustrate some ideas I'll pursue later in the studio.

This sketch represents the bones of what I'll work from later in the studio.  A number of things added some challenges (some avoidable, some not) to this day of sketching.  

My brush carrier had opened and most of my brushes had spilled out in the car.  Rather than go back I decided to forge ahead.  Another "mistake" I'd made was setting up directly in the sun - but this was the view I wanted to capture.  The paints dried very quickly in the pallette as well as on the paper.  Oh yes - I also did not bring my easal or paper towels.  So basically I brought myself and a partially stocked paint box :)  I hadn't restocked since my last outing.

Many year ago, any one of the above factors would have caused me to get frustrated and potentially not to have done any painting at all.  I've now painted enough that the act of painting this on location has developed, for me, a visual memory of the scene/location that will assit in final painting.

I remember a quote attributed to Picasso.  Someone had asked him what he would do if he were to run out of red paint (he was in the midst of a painting with a great deal of red I suppose.)  His answer -  "Then I'd use black"  In other words - he's express his idea with whatever material was at his disposal.  One of the things I strive for is to not let the medium get in the way of what I'm trying to express or capture if you will.

As soon as I completed the sketch I put down the watercolor block and my paints to dry before packing up. (This wouldn't take long in the sun).    I took the time to grab my sketch book, turn around and sketch a  couple of different views of the waterfall.  I will continue to develop these ideas into a finished painting or drawing at a later time.

The above picture is sketchbook page which illustrates the method I'e been using lately.  The middle of the page is blocked off for a standard size 8 X 10 drawing.  I then section off the border, which if I do decide to complete and frame the center image - the border skeches and notes would be covered by the mat.  The boarder sketches and notes are ideas for other paintings or notes on the location at the time of the painting. The sketches are tiny, but help me save time to work out design elements before starrting a finished piece.

These sketches are enlarged roughly 50%

New Hampshire Memories

This painting is an experiment with an old charcoal drawing that I completed after a trip to New Hampshire with my wife and daughter.  Both the trip and drawing were completed many years ago. 

Like many of my drawings, there were things I really liked about it and some things that didn't work the way I wanted them too. What I've learned over time, is that by observing a subject closely,  there is more that I retain / notice from the location than I'm able to capture at the time. So I simply put it aside and moved on to other subjects knowing at some point I'd return to the subject.

This painting is gouache on paper (over the charcoal drawing).  I'm really learning to enjoy gouache, though I must admit that transparent watercolor is still my favorite!

Reflections

"Reflections" - Oil 18"x 24"

I've always been humbled by nature.  In particular the oceans and as in this scene - the mountains.  It's always amazes me how quickly the noise and concerns of everyday life disappear when entering the woods and exploring along a river.

I have fond memories of camping with family and friends, but I have equally fond memories of the times spent exploring alone and recharging to the rhythms of nature.

I thought about including other figures in this scene, perhaps a canoe or a cabin in the distance. However, as the painting developed, the emotion and mood I was reaching for was that of a solitary figure.  In terms of scale, the figure is a small portion of the picture, but for me it was a corner piece of the puzzle.