Monday, May 31, 2010

CMCA Biennial, New Roadwork Paintings

Roadwork: Cleaning Up 10" x 10" oil on panel (on loan for the show from a private collection)

I am quite honored to have a painting hanging in the 2010 CMCA Biennial Juried Exhibition at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art in Rockport. The opening reception was Saturday and stays up until July 17 . The painting (above) is of our local roadcrew in Stonington. To view the show on-line visit CMCA's website.


Roadwork: Discussion, Route 1, Ellsworth 10"x 15" oil on panel

Here are a couple of new roadwork paintings. The first is from Ellsworth, on the Route 1, Route 3, main drag. The motel sign is a familiar landmark in that area (made from fluorescent light tubes). The second painting is a view from my studio looking at Main Street and the Town Hall driveway from the paving of Route 15 last summer. I spent about four days following those guys around and I'm grateful for their patience. In this painting they are uncovering the manhole covers that get paved over.


Roadwork: Raking and Shoveling 10" x 10" oil on panel



Today, in the studio.

Michael took a few photos of me in the studio. I'm working on a new boat painting. Over the winter I did several small paintings as studies for these bigger versions. The little one is on the wall. Charcoal studies for landscape are on the wall behind. My winter studio in the gallery has shrunk, as we need the wall space for the new work arriving for the summer. I'll be moving to my smaller home studio at the end of the week.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

RED

Tea & Kisses, oil on panel, 10" x 10"

Here are few paintings that were in the RED(again) show at Isalos Fine Art this last week. In the middle of winter I love painting red and orange things so I had a few paintings for the show. The painting above is actually kind of a collaborative piece. I had a conversation at a New Years party with a friend who is a potter and she mentioned she was thinking of doing some red pieces for the show but hadn't been in her studio lately. I mentioned I had been painting red boats but didn't think I would have a red "Tea" painting for the show and we decided if she would make a pot, I would put it in a "Tea" painting, so Tea and Kisses is the result. The actual cup, saucer and dish are by Carole Ann Fer. These pots, as well as a few others of hers, are in the RED show at Isalos. She is one of the owners, and shows her work, at the Dow Studio in Deer Isle.


Lifejackets, oil on panel, 10" x 15"

Well, one boat is red. I liked the orange life jackets is each boat. I've never actually seen anyone wear one of these in Stonington Harbor, ever.


Red Boat Study #4, oil on panel, 6" x 6"



Red Boat Study #2, oil on panel, 6" x 6"



Red Boat Study #3, oil on panel, 6" x 6"



Asia Keene Study, oil on panel, 6" x 6"

This is a little peapod in Stonington. It's often kept in a place that doesn't get the afternoon light that I like, so while it's caught my eye for years now, I haven't painted it until now. I liked the gray reflections with the red.


3 White Boats, 3 Red Buoys, oil on panel, 7" x 5"

Yes, one of the buoys is really a reflection.


Blue Boat with Red Tire, oil on panel, 10" x 10"

This is actually a painting from last year when I was in B.C. Very nice tire fenders painted red.

Happy Valentines Day and thanks for looking.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Windmills and Contrails

Second Island, Windmills, Dark Clouds, oil on panel, 10" x 10"

Sand Beach, a favorite spot for residents and visitors to Deer Isle, is where we go to see the sunset. The distinctive profile of the leaning tree on Weir Island is easily recognizable in paintings, photographs and prints by dozens, if not hundreds, of artists. Sadly, the tree fell down last winter, changing the profile of this popular ‘motif’.


Windmills & Contrails, Second Island, oil on panel, 10" x 10"

This summer a new landmark appeared on the horizon: the three windmills on Vinalhaven. Painters have the option of editing man-made objects out of their landscape paintings, or celebrating them, as they often do with lighthouses or bridges. I haven’t really formed an opinion of the windmills yet.


Windmills & Contrails I, oil on panel, 5" x 5"

I haven’t decided if I like seeing them there or not, but there they are. They tower hundreds of feet above Vinalhaven, but are low on our horizon, inches from where the sun sets in winter. Bathed in orange, their red lights pulse on and off as it gets dark.


Windmills & Contrails II, oil on panel, 5" x 5"

Often the windmills are surrounded by brightly-lit contrails or lines of purple clouds. In the snow and fog they fade in and out or disappear altogether.


Second Island from Sand Beach, oil on panel, 10" x 8"

On Weir island a new tree is beginning to lean towards the water.


Weir Island, Sunset, oil on panel, 7" x 5"