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.

Short Turnaround 

It has only been a couple of months since the last rehang of the gallery, but the group decided to move up the next new show in order to have fresh work for Spring Break and holiday visitors. Unfortunately, that meant I only had a couple of new pieces finished. The two pieces are very different from each other. One has some humor attached and the other is rather pastoral.

Who's in Charge
 Based on a photo of one of my daughter's newest cats, this is a light hearted study on determining who is the Alpha.

 

 

 

 

 Planting Hay

The other is  from my other daughter and son-in-law's "rural" property in Maryland. Each year a local farmer plants and harvests hay on some of the land. The bucolic country scene spoke to me of renewal and replenishment.

I have been frantically working on another large piece, but it won't be finished in time for the rehang. Look for it in the next posting.

More from the Galapagos

 The trip we took this past summer to the Galapagos Islands gave me a wealth of inspiration. I have completed three more paintings for the next gallery show. Hiking through the rocky terrain on one of the islands we came upon a number of marine iguanas. After they come out of the water, they climb on the warm rocks to rest. They seem to have no fear of us. This guy seemed to be saying hello. I decided to call this painting Welcome to My World.

On another island we took a tour to a farm where the giant tortoises congregate at that time of year. There were hundreds of them all around us. This one was resting under a tree. Hence the name Under the Lemon Tree.

 The third piece was from a different island. There are a lot of unique birds in the Galapagos, but I was especially moved by this scene of a pair of swallow tail gulls nesting in the sand. His manner of caring for her--protecting--feeding gave me a title Devotion.