Almost time for another new show

I have finished two new paintings for the November show at the gallery. The first was based on a photo my daughter sent me from her family vacation this summer. She enjoys taking early morning sunrise shots and this one caught my eye. The many colors of daybreak can be spectacular. I call this one Dawn on the Lake.

The second one came from a visit to Quebec City several years ago (and yes, that's me sans beard). While wandering around the old city, I meandered into a church yard that had a stone fenced area. I was curious to see what was there. Two inhabitants came to meet me--a donkey and a goat. There was an instant rapport. I have done two portraits of my donkey friend over the years since and both sold. I named this painting Mutual Admiration. 

Working on a few new ideas for next time. Until then....

 Two new and a good oldie

Still not up to my past level of production, but did recently finish two new pieces that I am happy with. First is a farm  scene that I pulled from some of my old photo references. Not sure where the location was though it kinda says middle-America to me.

The peaceful scene led me to the somewhat obvious title Down on the Farm.

  The second one is from a series of photos my daughter sent me of the new fox kits that were born on her and my son-in-law's property in Maryland. It is refreshing to see them playing and discovering the world. I call this one Sly Little Fox. I painted this one on a piece of aluminum to try something new and different.

 Finally, since the next show at the gallery is following a nature theme, I am bringing back an earlier piece that I painted when there was a small pond behind the gallery. I named it Amelia Island Summit. 

Until next time...

It's been a while...

I haven't had much time for painting or blogging for more than a year now. First due to becoming a full time caregiver while my wife battled cancer and then the funeral and aftermath dealing with the avalanche of estate calls and paperwork. Slowly I am starting to regain my art production. Only two pieces have been completed since the last posting. First one was another of the eagle studies. The two depicted flying close together reminded me of the aerobatic maneuvers of the military show teams. I named this one   "Just Like the Blue Angels" .

 

The other piece is a watercolor painting I finished just this last week. Using an old photo of my grandson as a model the title was obvious--"The Boys of Summer".

 

 

I hope to be back with more soon. Remember that you can always look back through previous postings to see more of my work. Till next time.

 Trying to stay warm

I may be in Florida, but it was 34 degrees when I took the dog out for a walk this morning. I intend to stay inside and work on art today. So, here are the three latest pieces which I will be taking to the gallery soon.

First is a scene from my daughter and son-in-law's home. Sunsets are a special time of day and even the dogs seem to recognize that. The colors and the winding down of activities are peaceful and relaxing. I call this one Sunset Finale.

The second came from a photographer friend of the same daughter. He produces spectacular images of birds and I had to ask him to let me try to capture the same feeling in a painting. This one is named Bringing Home Dinner. 

The final one is a revisit to a painting I did a few years ago of a young man playing music on the street. I saw him on one of my trips to Spain and Portugal. His enthusiasm and talent inspired me to showcase him on canvas. This one is a second attempt at that. It is simply called Street Musician.

 Until next time let's all look forward to warmer weather.

 Ahead of Schedule

Next gallery show isn't until November, but I have finished three new paintings so I thought I'd go ahead and post them. Two are for the show and the third is a commission piece that I just completed.

While on a tour in Canada a couple of years ago, I spotted this fellow on a crisp fall day. I don't know if he was having any luck, but I admired the determination and style. I call this Intrepid Fisherman.

The second one is from our trip to the Galapagos Islands. We were in a zodiak enroute to another hike when we passed by a small rocky islet with a couple of sleepy sea lions napping. My attention was drawn to the reaction of the one who seemed to be questioning why we were disturbing nap time. I thought I would name the painting Do Not Disturb!

My third painting was a commission piece. A lady who turned out to be a neighbor had seen my painting of Toby watching the dawn by the beach hanging in the gallery. She contacted me and asked if I could do a similar painting of her dog. We agreed to meet at a suitable beach location and I took a number of photos of him. After doing several sketches for potential compositions, I had her chose the one she liked best. I then spent several weeks painting this one. It is named simply Harley after the happy boy.

Currently I am reworking a couple of paintings I did several years ago. I think I can improve them. We will see how that works out soon.

Time for a new gallery show 

Three new paintings are ready for the new show opening in a couple of weeks. First is one from a recent golf round. As I approached the green, I spotted this hawk perched atop the flagpole. I immediately thought of the title, "Birdie on Number 8".  I had a lot of fun painting it.

 

The second one is also a local scene. There's something about early morning when no one else is around and the extraordinary colors of dawn come creeping in that wakes up the artist in me. I had to try and capture the oranges, purples and pinks in the painting I call "Walkover at Dawn".

The third one I named "Gull's Territory". I really enjoy trying to capture character. I find that allows the viewer to make up their own story. These guys obviously show that as they seem to be staking a claim to their perch.

Till next time.

Another opening another show

I have been very busy with other matters the past few months but managed to complete two more paintings. The first is based on a photo that my daughter shot while spelling me on the early morning walk with my dog. I title this Greeting Dawn on Amelia. Toby likes to watch the light change over the ocean as daylight creeps in.

The other piece is from a photo my other daughter sent me during a business trip to Italy. I was interested in the contrast between the animated exchange and the serene surroundings. I call this one The Conversation.

Hopefully things will calm down soon and I can get back to more painting. Till next time.