Last week...

April felt more like May last week, and blossoms were bursting forth everywhere here in Trumbull, CT. I trekked over to the Historical Society three afternoons last week to paint a landscape with the magnolia tree. It is not quite done. In the studio, "Pansies and Copper" was completed and hours upon hours were spent finishing "Bountiful Blossoms". The former "Sea and Sky Meditation" painting was changed into "Golden Sail" with the addition of a sailboat. I had originally painted this with a fishing trawler in the distance, and then took it detracted from the sky. I recently decided that it really did need the boat, but chose a sailboat to add a vertical element to the very horizontal composition... I think it's finally done! I brought these three paintings along with three others to kthe opening of Gallery Three in Doylestown, Pa (my newest gallery representation). The other paintings there are "Cotswold Sheep", "Toward Hummock Pond" and "Last Light on the Farm" can be seen on my website.
I'm disappointed with the photo of "Pansies and Copper"... .was photographed under my tungsten photography lamps resulting in the colors being inaccurate. I have yet been unable to adjust them properly with photoshop.

Couldn't stay indoors...

The beautiful weather was just too much competition for the paintings in my studio yesterday... I ended up in the garden (which needs my attention anyway) and spent the day there and doing errands. This morning I sent off two paintings to be juried for the spring show at the Kent Art Association. I was only going to send one (Composition in Red and Green), but decided at the last minute to send "American Beauty" as well. I had thought this painting was done, but this morning it looked decidedly drab... it didn't have the light effect that I recalled from this scene across the street from the gallery in Kent. So I spent a couple of hours this morning adding light to it. You can see the before and after at right.

A full day of painting in the studio...

Too bad I couldn't have been outdoors painting on this beautiful spring day, but there are paintings in the studio that need to be finished. Richard Schmid says that flowers are like naughty children... so true... they refuse to hold a pose for too long! Furthermore, they often fade away before a painting is completed. So I needed to work on "Pansies and Copper" again today... it is close to being finished. The majority of the day was spent on a large still life that I have been working on for almost 2 months, "Bounty of Blossoms". The azalea is the only part of the painting that is pretty much finished... the oriental rug is quite challenging, and the porcelain cachepot needs finishing touches.

Today begins my daily painting blog for those of you who may be interested. My intent is to share with you what I paint each day (as I do paint most days), whether it is in or out of the studio. I'd also like to share thoughts on painting, as well as inspirations I may receive, so that this may be a journal of sorts.
I am so excited that spring has finally arrived, along with the plethora of pansies for sale. My latest painting in the works is "Pansies and Copper", a simple still life which I have set up in my studio.