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.

 Two New Pieces

With a shorter time span between shows at the Plantation gallery, I have only finished two new pieces to display. Both of these are from Italy. The first comes from a trip where we stayed on an agri-resort in the Puglia region. This was a great base for exploring that region of southern Italy. In between visiting sites around the region, I would wander the fields and gardens of the resort. One day I stumbled on a secluded pond with an interesting statue in the trees. I wanted to capture the peace and beauty of the scene. I call this one Garden Goddess.

The other is from a photo that one of my daughters shot in Florence. I was intrigued by the way the duck was standing on the wall as if proclaiming that this was his place. I also found the duck to be quite different in appearance from our local ones. I named this painting It's Just Ducky here in Italy.

More to come next time.

Time flies

It has already been three months since my last posting and I have completed three new oil paintings for the gallery--plus a few watercolors. Did someone say prolific?

First is one I call  Heron Discussion. We have a small statue of two birds on a tree stump and I have been looking at it for some time trying to come up with the inspiration for a story. Adding in a swampy area makes it come alive as though they are having a spirited conversation.

The second one is from our trip to the Galapagos islands in 2022. We were on an expedition cruise and one day, as we were exploring in a zodiac, I spotted penguins on a rocky islet. These two especially caught my interest. I named this one Penguin Mates.  

The third is something of an ode to some of the early 20th century painters who explored night scenes--especially one of my favorites, Edward Hopper. I had previously painted a young woman in a balcony scene and decided that I could paint her seated in a window with the viewers looking in from the darkened street. The pose spoke to me as lonely lost in thought. This one I titled Contemplating the Night.

 

 Has it been three months already?

Well here goes. This time I'm going to show three new pieces that are somewhat different. The first is based on an old photo I found in my files while searching for inspiration. I had filed this away some years ago thinking it might work at some time. I simply call it Water Lilies. It is so serene that I felt very relaxed while painting.

After finishing that one, I began searching for something different. During a less than stellar round of golf I began watching the airplanes flying in and out of our local airport as they cross over the golf course. The more I watched the less I paid attention to my dismal score. I began to think that some interesting paintings could come from what I was seeing. The first one I named Wings over Amelia.

I especially liked the silhouetted planes against the summer cloud formations. 

 

When I finished that one, I decided that another was in order. I painted a horizontal wider scene and called it Par for Landing. The plane coming in over the fairway just called for that title.

Next time will be some different subjects. Keep watching.

Once again another short turnaround at the gallery

Only got two new ones finished in time for the quick change out. These are both a little different from the most recent entries. The first one I call "Sweet smell of Jasmine". One day as I was exercising I looked out my window and saw the jasmine on the wall was in bloom. I could almost smell that sweet smell without even going out. I hope when someone views this painting that they too can imagine the sweet smell.

The other one is from a visit to London a few years ago. After touring Churchill's war room, I began wandering the neighborhood and came upon this lovely park. I named this idyllic scene simply "A Walk in the Park".

I am well into creating another different piece which I will place in the next show. Hopefully I will have time to produce two or three more before the next show.