"The Narragansett 2"

This painting was done in my studio from information I had gathered on site. It's still not what I wanted, so I will make another attempt.  Then I ask myself the question, "Is it possible to ever get it right?"

"The Narragansett"

A few weeks ago I attended a plein air workshop on Block Island with painter Pamela duLong Williams.
The workshop was very helpful in pounding in those academic rules that I tend to forget so easily. One thing I tend to forget  after laying in my darks in the beginning, is to go back and re-establish those darks again throughout the painting process, when I tend to let things get a bit muddy. And to keep my darks rich! I also worked on planning my paintings better in the beginning with small thumbnail sketches. This is a thumbnail of "The Narragansett", one of the large hotels on Block Island on the Great Salt Pond.



 My first attempt at painting, which is oil on wood panel.

"Just a Nip"

Cut up orange pieces are fun to work with if the lighting is right passing through the orange, giving a translucent appearance. I have been experimenting with reflected light off this black coffee cup. I find it helpful to keep in mind that the cup is still a black cup regardless of what bright object is reflected off its' surface. I must paint the oranges in a low key, with the colors leaning towards a darker grey on the color scale, to make it believable. The blue background is complimentary to the oranges in the painting, creating a more harmonious feel.

"Max" the dog

A few months ago a dear friend on Facebook wrote to me asking if I would do a portrait of her dog, Max. After receiving photos and information about Max I was eager to go. I knew what he smelled like, where he slept, his likes and dislikes of the outdoors and a well-rounded sense of who Max was. With all of his mixed- in good looks from various breeds of dogs, I thought that Max would be best portrayed in a celestial-type painting that included whimsical design. He's a real sweetheart, so why not paint him with trees, little Max's all in a row and the stars. He was very well- behaved and quite the patient sitter!