Sporting Classics

The May/June 2013 issue of Sporting Classics magazine has a very nice article on my work and some of my adventures. A warm thank you to editor Chuck Wechsler and the writer of this feature Susan Ebert.

Impressions of New England

The Bennington Center for the Arts in Bennington, Vermont has had the Grand Opening weekend for three of their shows: Art of the Animal Kingdom, Small Works, and Impressions of New England.

My painting Summertime Treasures in the Impressions of New England show running from June 8th to August 25th was inspired by a little girl I saw on a Martha's Vineyard beach. Her fascination with the shells she found reminded me of spending time on the beach when I was her age.

If you are in the area, swing in to see the work in these shows and to see a wonderful display on covered bridges. For more details on the show and the Bennington Center for the Arts, see www.thebennington.org.

Final Touches

With the main part of the painting complete, all that is left to paint is the top and bottom 1/2" which have been covered by the modified easel railing. I moved the piece to my side table and propped it up on my large drawing board.

Above you can see my palette as I work on the top edge of the painting. Next is the bottom edge and the signature. When it comes to signing a painting, I try to keep my signature light and relatively small. I find a large garish signature can throw off the balance of a painting and distract from the illusion of "being there" which the artist is trying to create.

As for showing you the finished painting, you will have to be patient. I'll be posting it once it is scanned, sometime near the beginning of July. At that time I will also reveal the title. Thank you for following along as I worked on this 2014 SCI Foundation Conservation Artist of the Year painting. It will be auctioned at the SCI Convention in Las Vegas next February.

Now it is time to work on painting ideas. You probably won't be surprised that I will be thinking small for the first several paintings.

Seeing Red

As I was eyeing painting the foreground, it looked too white to me. Yes, it had a burnt sienna - raw sienna wash, but it was too light.

So, last Thursday evening I grabbed cadmium orange and alizarin crimson and did a turpentine wash over the entire foreground area. My thought was this bright color would show through and create pockets of the brilliant reds of the autumn tundra. The next morning I did question my choice but after putting in the detail now know I made the right decision. There are pops of color throughout the foreground and texture-y elements which create the effect I want.

Saturday I continued working on the foreground and on Sunday worked on my list of other areas throughout the painting. There is still some work to do, especially on the big bull, but I want to call in a couple pairs of eyes from my artist friends. After working on a painting so long, enlisting a fresh perspective, objectively looking at the piece, and discussing the details, helps in adding the finishing touches.

Once the painting is finished, I will have it scanned and then post it. Much of the detail is lost in taking these quick photos with my handheld camera.