Two more Marsh Paintings

I never hesitate to let my influences be known...and these little studies were surely influenced by the plein air work of Jan Blencowe. I've been following her beautiful paintings of Southern New Englands' Wetlands these past few months. Jan just had two paintings selected to represent her homestate of Connecticut. Congratulations Jan!

These are also 5x7 acrylic on panel

Fun with Acrylics

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When I bring out my plastic basket of acrylic paints it's like visiting an old friend I've lost touch with...or perhaps outgrown. I use them this time of year to paint my holiday cards. I felt like just messing around and doing a few wetland scenes. I'm slowly but surely revving up to go out and paint the marshes plein air...until then, these are just imaginary excursions. 5x7 panels

Blue Delph

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Needed to give the cadmiums a day off....
5x7 oil/panel

Open Shell Yellow

4x6 oil/canvas

Obligatory Pumpkins

After all...it is October.
One thing about painting from life...life happens. I was just getting into this little 5x7 when someone showed up at my doorstep. She was here to buy a couple of paintings ( a good and worthy distraction )...when I got back to the painting a half hour later the sun had shifted an unreasonable amount...all values on the windowsill totally changed. How could it be? I considered wiping it all off, but went ahead and finished the little darlings off as best I could. God I'm having fun. Seriously.

Better Circus Peanuts

When I started this blog last year I had only peripheral knowledge of the "Daily Painter" movement. Duane Keiser was the only painting blog I looked at. I really just wanted someplace to post some of my smaller paintings and drawings in tandem with my website. I had not the slightest intention of actually becoming a daily painter, but here I am doing small paintings at least six days a week. I'm taking a moment to express my gratitude to all you artists who blog because your influence has really upped my drive to keep improving. I truly love looking at the variety of good quality art every day....
I felt like I was leaping over a stepping stone when I did this last 6x4 painting of this so very orange candy.
Painting on a daily basis was something my highschool art teacher told me I should always do...and that was a very long time ago..and you know what? She was right! I don't think she imagined that I would relearn that lesson 30 years later from a group of daily practicing artists residing all over the world...pretty cool!

The Gift

Thursday was a very long day. I worked all day in the flowershop then had to go out for the evening. When I came home around 9:30 that night there was a gift left for me at the foot of my chair where I paint. I have two cats and a basement full of holes! I was so tired, but knew I had to paint this at the moment 'cause I really didn't want to have to save the poor thing. Into the yellow dish he went. I don't like painting late at night because it really revs me up and makes it difficult to sleep. Glad I did it tho. Now I have Two small animal paintings. Not sure why I like to paint in twos so often, but it just feels right.
4x6 canvas

Here's some pics of the other creative endeavor. We had to do 80 of these hundred dollar centerpieces...they were placed on top of tall pedestals ...a lot of work. I disdainfully call them "round mounds"...big blobs of color...not really that creative when you get right down to it. At least not to a tired and jaded old designer like myself. I hope I never feel that way about my painting. I don't think I will. Flowers have certain limitations that makes floral design incomparable to the art of painting pictures.

Mushrooms and Acorn

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That little yellow dish I brought out for the sparrow has really caught my fancy. Here's another ...preparing for dinner, but just had to paint these first painting! I'll be doing some time at the flowershop for the next two days so look for the next post friday or saturday.

Early Morning Ageratum

I was out poking around the garden early in the morning and saw these little blue ageratum that must have seeded themselves last year and just now decided to show up. What really caught my eye was the shadows on the rocks. I dashed in grabbed my paint stuff --perched precariously on another rock and started. I think I had five whole minutes before those shadows dissapeared. Plein air work is so chancey. Difficult for a control freak like me. I notice that my outdoor paintings ( usually garden scenes ) tend to be much darker in value then the still lifes. Interesting.
I have a french easel I've never used. When I do these garden studies I wonder that I don't do more outdoor work.

Circus Peanuts

These had to be the most challenging objects I've ever tried to paint. I've had in mind to do a larger "scatter" painting of these candies since doing " Night at the Movies" two years ago. Someone sent me some in the mail thinking they would inspire to to do the painting if I actually had them in the studio. I gave them a try yesterday morning...something about that fake shade of orange with the blue shadows...felt like I was in way over my head. I think this is a good thing...can't improve without stretching...I will have to do more studies before even thinking about the larger piece. The panel is primed and waiting...emphasis on the ''waiting'' part!

4x6 oil

Sparrow

Out walking yesterday and I found this dead sparrow lying on the path. I was reminded of a painting I saw on Wet Canvas by William Wray last year, so brought it home and set it in this little yellow dish. It reminded me of how much I enjoy subjects like this even though they are not that popular with my friends and family...or most potential buyers! I did two paintings of octopus last year...the 'Dried Asian Octopus' is still my favorite painting to date. Guess I'm a little weird that way. I grew up in a family of men who love to hunt game. Although I don't enjoy hunting myself, I look at dead animals very objectively and often see much beauty there.

Last Pear

Here's the last in my little group of pear paintings. It's a stormy day here in New Jersey...great painting weather!!
4x6 oil

Japanese Rice Crackers

These two paintings perhaps mark a return to my "Scatter" style still lifes, most of which you can see on my website. They were fun to do and if/when the sun comes out I'll replace these images with a truer version.
4x6 oils

I had a bitch of a time trying to photograph these inside...It's going to rain the next few days here in the northeast.These images are close, but still a bit off... the nice subtle tonality in the backgrounds has been lost.I have this digital camera with all kinds of functions, but trying to figure them out realy makes my brain ache. I took classes when I got the thing, but that was three years ago...a year before I decided to pursue painting on a professional level. Perhaps I'll ask for a scanner for Christmas!.. Anyway I'm sure you don't want to hear of my minor troubles....but still it feels good writing about them and letting you know all is not perfect in Chuck Land

Rose Hips

This is an 8x10 oil on panel.
Sometimes I go outside and just wander around my gardens hoping something will catch my eye to paint...these two hips from my yellow rose bush were just the thing.

Back to the Pears...in pairs

5x7 oil on panel

Chambered Nautilus

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I've tried to paint this shell at least twice before with no success. This little one just flowed right out ...funny how that happens. A good lesson in 'not giving up'
4x6 oil/canvas panel

Yellow-Orange Gerber Daisy

Happy October! I put the pears aside to do this architypical daisy in a vase painting. I used to dread trying to paint gerber daisies, but practice has made them much less daunting..in fact a real pleasure.
5x7 oil

Pear & Feather

A fellow Blog painter has brought forth the idea of placing a painting for "trade" on a monthly basis. I'm putting this piece up for trade, so if anyone is interested please let my know by post or email.

this painting is a 5x7 oil on panel

A Pair of Pears

I've been doing these pear paintings the last few days. Figured I'd post them in pairs since that's such a common theme here at my Art Pages. These are 4x6s.. I was so pleased with these two that I have them hanging in the living room already..for a short while anyway.

Feather & Inkwell

A natural combo I think. This one was definitely about the shadow.
5x7 oil

Eggplant

I saw them in the produce store and just had to bring them home to paint..of course I'm not sure what to do with them now since I'm not at all fond of eating them. Perhaps I'll paint them again!
8x10 oil

BlueJay Feather & Acorn

Man I was tired today, but I couldn't let a whole Sunday go by without doing something. A 4x6 ...I'm just facinated by the color in these blue jay feathers. It was strange how the feather was blue-black yet cast a pink hued shadow. I love these feathers...hopefully I'll find more.

Gahlicks

I cooked dinner this evening for my family...it's my Sister and my Aunt's Birthday on Monday..Picked up these garlics to use in a recipe and decided they just had to be painted. I know they're such a common subject, but this is actually the first time I've ever tried my hand at them. ( I usually use that pre-minced stuff out of the jar)...anyway here's a quickie, 5x7 oil

Three Coffee Studies

A friend of mine brought me lunch( and snacks) couple of times when I was doing my outdoor shows this summer. I had a small watercolor of a cup of coffee that I told her to take as a token of my gratitude. Alas I've been unable to find it, so I did these studies with the idea of giving her one. She drinks more coffee then anyone I know...morning noon & even at night.



all 4x6 oils

Blue Shell Revisited

Well the days of Summer are drawing to an end. I went swimming in the ocean today..probably for the last time this year. I still have a few shells lying around from my summer 'small' paintings and this blue one beckoned to be done once again. I had to look it up to see what kind of shell it actually is...a Common Northern Whelk...a type found offshore, so you won't find them on the beach around here very often.

I prefer the second of these two paintings, I was determined to use a larger brush..hence less strokes, faster results and a fresher look.
Both 4x6 oils
( 2nd is the top/vertical piece in case you couldn't tell ;)

Here Come's the Sun(s)

Two sunflower paintings 5x7 each

Another drop of sunshine, I took a First Place award at the "Art a la Carte" show at the Riverfront Art Center in Millville. The painting is Marshmallow Flow. I've also been asked to be a judge at the Annual Juried Show at the Ocean City Art Center in November....a really nice show that draws artists from all over the mid-lantic region....pretty cool!

A Tree Full of Buzzards

OK I did promise this to be the next post...even though I was able to photo some new work today.

Wednesday I drove up to the Riverfront Renaissance Art Center in Millville to drop off a couple of paintings for their juried show on the theme of food. To get there is a 40 minute drive through the countryside of South Jersey. On the way I spotted this tree full of Buzzards and luckily I had the camera with me. I just love Buzzards for some reason, this picture just cracks me up.

As an added bonus I'm including a charcoal drawing I did around the age of 9 or 10. Unbeknownst to me a famliy relative had it for years and it came back to me when She passed away. Each year now I hang it for the month of October over the fireplace...a perfect Halloween drawing. Typical of the imagination of a ten year old boy...it's hard to see but I signed it in a "scary" squiggly scrawl :0. A fun and nostalgic piece. Perhaps a bit 'heavy' for the rest of the year though!

another from the files: Tomatoe Trio

Well it's been raining for two days and will continue for two more. I do not like to photo paintings in artificial light, so you'll have to wait to see my current work.
Here is an older piece from three years ago. I've learned to paint shadows much better since this was done, but I think it's still a nice painting -- 8x10 oil. I offered it for the very reduced price of 40.00 at the art show last week, but still no takers.
...My next post" A Tree full of Buzzards!"

Ramblin Rose

This is a commission from last August. The actual name of the rose is Alexander Rose..an old time rambling variety. When a friend of an associate needed a baby gift for a new girl named Alexander Rose, I was lucky enough to have one growing/and blooming in my garden. This was 9x12 oil on panel, sold for 150.00 to a very happy customer.
I did well at the outdoor show in Cape May "phew"...it was a wonderful venue with perfect weather, shady trees and a good mix of people interested in Art. Cape May is a beautiful Victorian Town on the southernmost tip of New Jersey. I was earnestly looking to relocate there about 10 years ago, They have a great Art League...then I injured my back and decided to stay put...still it's a nice place to visit and only a 45 minute drive down the parkway.
Some sunflowers are in the studio begging to be painted so off I go....


p.s.I posted the rose because I like to show an image with every post...and I have plenty on file :).

Stars & Granite------- Gargoyle & Salvia

I'm busy doing the Artshow in Cape May...here are two paintings of my garden from spring of 05' both 8x10. I'm offering them for 75.00 each at the show today.

More Wild Apples

4x6 oil/panel

If they're not growing in an orchard they must be wild right? I'm pretty happy with this one, I like using the leaves in a cropped and interesting fashion.I'm doing the outdoor mall show in Cape May this weekend. The weather should be beautiful and I love Cape May....cautiously optomistic about selling!

Wild Apples

4x6 oil/canvas panel

Finally...a sunny day!!

Green Acorn Series 2 & 3

I keep singing "Greeeen Acorns are the things to paint!" to the tune of 'Green Acres"...It's not easy being a bit daft...I can even get on my own nerves sometimes...But these have been fun. I just finshed a small apple painting...will post when the weather clears and I can get a decent photo.
both 4x6 oils

Stella Dora

Here is my labor for labor day...a labor of love of course! The little antique inkwell appears quite distorted in this.....well it's very unevenly shaped to begin with ....and really I'm pleased with it as it is.
5x7 oil/panel

Green Acorns

I thought the squirrels were tearing down a lot of Oak branches until Tropical Depression Ernesto completely covered my yard with fresh fallen oak. While spending most of the day raking and cleaning up I noticed lots of green acorns....here is a 4x6 study in oil.

Sprig of Coleus II

4x6 oil/panel

Sprig of Coleus

This started out as a view of the entire inkwell with a couple of acorns thrown in for good measure...somehow the importance of the leaf took over and the rest receded. I'm working on a second one now, but needed a small break.
4x6 oil/panel
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BlueJay Feather with Three Leaves

I like Literal titles also :)
8x10 oil/panel