End of Year Show

It is time for the November show at the gallery and this year we are introducing something new. We call it Gallery Squared. Each exhibitor was asked to produce art on 10" square wooden blocks. This is in addition to the regular pieces that are to be exhibited this quarter. I have produced two of the squares. "Are you talking to me?" is based on the facial expressions of my mother's Pekingese, and "Where is that 'Paws' key?" is from my curious little Cockapoo discovering a keyboard. While I wasn't thinking about it when I created these, it seems that the majority of my sales this year have been animals and birds.


"Amelia Summit Meeting" is from the scene outside the gallery's back window. There in a small golf course lake is a log where the local turtles meet to sun and?.

"Downtime" comes from a scene I observed in Rome last year. The drivers seem to spend a lot of the day relaxing in the carriages. Might make a nice retirement job.

"Mutual Admiration Society" is based on one of my daughters love for animals and the knowing response of a carriage horse here on Amelia Island. I hope I have portrayed the feelings that each has for the other.

Gallery Additions -

Another show is coming up, and I have been painting steadily to prepare. Four new entries include: Lucy -A painting I did of my older dog. She is now thirteen and recently diagnosed with Lymphoma. I guess the painting was a cathartic exercise as I came to grips with the future. She is now in the midst of chemo and is doing well--so far.
Feeding time was based on a fellow traveler who stopped during a tour of Dubrovnik to feed the pigeons.

It struck me how giving and nature-loving man can be when he stoops to aid the lowliest of the bird kingdom.

R.I.P. is of a little old church and surrounding graveyard located on an old plantation on Fort George Island in Florida. The location, perhaps from its age, takes on an almost otherworldly feeling of peace.

And, Eager Crew was from observations of the antics of local pelicans. These were excitedly greeting boaters on the downtown dock in Fernandina Beach.

Latest Additions to Gallery Entries

The Spring show just opened at the gallery and I entered four new paintings.
 Concentration was based on a long ago visit by my grandson. All of the surrounding world becomes secondary as a child examines the grains of sand spilling between his little fingers.









  Island Sunshine is a remembrance from an earlier dive trip. Everything becomes golden as the sunshine melts over the water and islands of the Caribbean.  







First Spring is based on a photo of one of my dogs when she was only a few months old. The warmth and wonder of a young pup's first Spring leads to a pause...if only for a brief moment.












The Door Guard came from last Fall's cruise.

Upon reaching the entry to a beautiful, old building in Dubrovnik, I was taken by the sentinel at the door. Unmoving as the tourists walked by, he seemed to say I am guarding my place.

Latest Show Entries

Due to some extraordinary circumstances, I missed posting the latest show entries. These were hung in the gallery in February. Two were from my Fall trip to Europe--one from Italy, one from Monaco--and the third came out of my head as I recalled a past fishing trip.

The Vineyard depicts the colors of Fall by a winery near Lucca. The yellows, reds and fading greens contrast with the stucco of the local structures. It was so peaceful during this quiet time of the year.





Sleeping Gull shows how warm sunshine and a beautiful garden can make one oblivious to everyone around. This guy was totally zoned out. As I walked through the gardens near the palace observing the marvelous statuary and lush plantings, the gull stood out as the most unexpected sight.

 




Who...me? came to me as I was looking through old photos of a fishing trip. When we unloaded our gear on the dock, the pelicans were extremely curious. It occurred to me that had I left things unattended they might have been even bolder. That might have led to what I decided to paint.

One more I almost forgot. I am also exhibiting Beach riders. This is another painting based on an old photo I found in my collection. It could be any beach (there are horseback riders here on our beach), but I think it came from somewhere else in the country. At any rate, I just like the silhouttes against the water. 

Fall Show coming up

The primary gallery where I show my most recent works is the Plantation Artists' Guild Gallery here on Amelia Island in Florida. Incidentally, I was just elected President of the organization. The guild changes the artwork in the gallery every three months and now it is time for the November show. Because this show falls in the holiday season, we always try to include some gift ideas. This time we will have a "show within a show" that features some $100 paintings. Some artists will discount paintings that have not sold at higher prices. I chose to paint a couple of minatures instead. These two are oil on  8X10 wood panels. First is "Welcome to the Islands" based on an old photo I shot on a scuba trip to the Caribbean. The second is "Island Docks". It, too, is based on a snapshot from a Caribbean vacation.                                                                                      

For the regular show, I will be adding "The Beach House", "Dawn on the River", and "The Intrepid Hunter". These are all larger oil on canvas paintings. Each of these was based on combining two or more images to tell a story. " The Beach House" is meant to depict the restful nature of a dwelling situated on sand with tropical vegetation surrounding it. "Dawn on the River" reveals the beauty of multi-colored skies at daybreak on Florida's east coast rivers--a sight seen only by early dawn fishermen. "The Intrepid Hunter" is Florida as nature intended--a quiet pond, water lilies, trees and a lone water bird searching for prey.

Getting Ready for End of Summer Show

Four new paintings are ready for the end of Summer show. 


 

 Almost Spring in Montmartre is a scene from the park area next to Sacre Couer Basilica. I spotted the young couple on the bench while I was wandering around Montmartre during my trip to Paris earlier this year. The promise of Spring with the green developing and the unique pink haze in the distant trees demanded a very soft looking approach. Midnight in Paris came from the same trip. A late night walk along the dampened street near my hotel revealed the streaks and sparkles of light that epitomize a drizzly city after dark.
 

Village Square is a composite of several locations that I visited last Summer in Italy. The anticipation of the day as the tables and umbrellas are ready for the inhabitants to gather is uplifting and welcoming. Tortola Tranquility comes from a photo I shot nearly 20 years ago on one of my diving trips to the Caribbean. As the day ends and the sun begins to set over the harbor, everything seems to be at peace.

Spring 2011

Spring show at the gallery New paintings I have completed  for the show illustrate my varying interests in the world around me. Two of them are revisits to earlier subjects. One is the last of my Italian works, and the fourth was inspired by a visit to the Jacksonville zoo.
The Italian painting is from the garden behind the villa we stayed in during last summer's Tuscany sojourn. I admired the way the pigeons took ownership of the fountain (when the water was off) in the midst of the rosemary plants. Their colors worked so well with the vibrant greens. The title was obvious--Pigeons with Rosemary.
The "Old Fishing Bridge" is based on a bridge that used to connect Little Talbot Island to Fort George Island on the road to Jacksonville. I originally painted this scene several years ago--when the bridge was still in place. It has since been replaced with a more modern structure that doesn't have the same character. Bridge fishing is very popular in the area and I felt I wanted to take another look at this on a larger scale.
"Sailing Home" is a combination of subjects I covered a few years ago after a visit to Martha's Vineyard.
 The lighthouse and the sailboat had been painted separately and I thought I would like to see them together.
I had captured each of them at separate times from the ferry.

Finally, on a warm winter day a few months ago I visited the Jacksonville zoo. When I saw the two endangered Florida panthers napping together in the shade, I knew they would make a good painting. I call this one "Nap time".




There is also one other painting that I recently finished. It was a commissioned portrait for a good repeat patron. I titled it " Russ Rides".