Shore Road

Spring is here!
5x7

Vineyard Sunset

A very rapid study...had about a half hour before the light was totaly gone.
5x7

March Morning

This is the backview of the top floor of a house on Plymouth Place in Ocean City. My family lived there in the early sixties before we moved to Virginia. The window with the awning was my bedroom. I won't say how old I was, but I will say it was during a time in my life when I was afraid of the dark! It was a great place to live...right on the beach block! It was cold out there this morning, but the sun was bright and full of memories.
8x10

Fish and Fowl

Spent 6 hours today painting on this one. I'm doing it for the "Roof Tops" show in June at the Ocean City Art Center. When I heard about the theme I knew I wanted to do something with the fish-goyles that hang near the rooftops of the Flanders Hotel. It will need one more session at least. The pigeon was a bonus, I didn't even see him when I was taking the reference photo.
15x24

House by Seaview Ave. School

This one has a coating of sand from an errant blast of wind. Oh March! What was odd was that there wasn't any sand around that I could see...hmmm. I find I'm being drawn to houses with boards over the windows.
5x7

Over My Head in Ocean City

I kept saying to myself ..your in over head with this one...then the voice said...If you want to learn to swim, you have to dive into the deep end. First try at this house from last week was a wipe out. Second version here has a few minor perspective problems, but I felt that it was a keeper. 9x12

Green House

Painted on St. Patrick's Day of course!!

Finished Version Of House off Ocean Hgts. Ave

I've had two wipe outs over the last three days ( bad paintings that get wiped off )
This kind of thing happens. I went back last week and did a second session on this and finished it up when I got home. 11x14 oil/panel

Covered Foot Bridge

A quaint but no less challenging scene from Birch Grove Park. My output is slowing up this week as I begin framing the small stuff for a one day Art Show at Our Lady of Sorrows in Linwood. Then I'm framing up some of the larger stuff for my solo show in April at Atlantic Cape Community College.

Purple Spray Rose

ONe more rainy day study 5x7

Rainy Day Flowers

It's been raining the last few days so I found myself painting flowers again for the first time since last September. It was interesting to gage how my style has been affected by all these months of plein air studies. I began this one as a smaller piece, but the "legginess" of the spring blossoms demanded more room.
16x20 oil/canvas

Postcard from Egg Harbor Township

This one reminded me of a post card . I subscribe to three blog painters that use postcard to describe their paintings. Postcards from Puniho, Postcards from Detroit and Postcards from Provence. I really enjoy viewing these painters "postcards".
5x7 oil/panel

Somers Point

8x10

Yellow House

Squeezed this largish house onto a 5x7

Windy Bridge View

5x7

One Man Show in April

Atlantic Cape Community College will be giving me a solo exhibit in their Art Gallery for the month of April. The reception will be April 13th. I will be featuring the Still Life series plus a small sampling of some of my daily paintings seen here on the blog. Everyone is welcome!!

Second Version of House off Ocean Hgts.

I decided to do a more involved version of this. I intend to go back and spend one or two more sessions ...adding some details. 11x14

Old House in Scullville

8x10

The House off Ocean Heights Ave

5x7

Hello Waldor Orchids

The field in front is where Brighton Farms used to stand, now for a short time one can see Waldor Orchids the brother company that is still a thriving business. The urge for another version of this still in my gut. 8x10

Late Afternoon Slush Scene

The snow was fading fast by friday afternoon. This old building sits on the corner of Zion and Fire Rd. The way it's sagging I don't think it'll be around much longer.

Early Morning Snow Scene

A familiar site on the bike path in Linwood is this old train station...the tracks are gone, but the path and station remain. 5x7

Two Years Today

Wow I almost forgot that today marks the Second Anniversary of this blog. When I started this it was mostly as a personal journal and an accompaniment to my website. Then for a while I joined up with a Daily Painters website, made some sales and put more interest into it as a marketing tool. Now it seems I've come full circle. Getting caught up with doing small ( almost) daily paintings changed my work. I realized I wanted ( and needed ) to learn much more about painting with oils. For a time I thought I could simply think my way into good painting, now I understand it's about taking action. I beleive the practice I began eighteen months ago with daily painting is finally beginning to pay off. It's given me the confidence to begin exploring new venues (such as the plein air landscapes). Also I must mention my involvement with fine artists at Wet Canvas. The free adviceI get there is a wonderful tool for learning and growth as an artist. Who could guess that the internet could be such a resource?
I work a steady 20 hour week at the day job now, so I feel a bit more relaxed in taking time to explore new techniques. A lot of these changes have to do with the physical problems I've had with my back ...even the change from indoor still life to outdoor painting. Pain brought me to a place where I began painting in earnest and for that I'm grateful. Now that I've achieved some balance I think ( and hope ) my painting will continue to grow..and my spirit along with it.

Patcong Creek with Snow and Geese

an "on the way to work" painting...thank god I pretty much make my own hours. 8x10

National Geographic

This is Jack sitting in the lobby of the Virginia Inn shortly before my sister's wedding. The reference photo reminded me of paintings by Karin Jurick and Edward Gordon, two blogging painters who's style I admire...so I figured I'd give it a try ona rainy day. It's got some problems but it was a fun little exercise. 5x7

The Dilkes's House

The Dilkes family used to own this home on Bargaintown lake. When my Dad was a kid he would help them run thier concession stand every winter...they sold hot chocolate to ice skaters. Funny the last time I remember this lake frozen solid was in 1976. Another piece of trivia...the first time I ever used oils was when I was 18....I tried to do this view and ended up with mud...didn't return to oil paint until 25 years later...now ten years after that I thought I'd try it again...what's different now is there are big houses built all around the property...and the lake never freezes at all any more. Times they are a changing. 5x7

Sandpiper

It may seem funny but I actually believe that a higher power guides me in much of my painting. I went out today to do a beach scene, when I got there I realized I left my masonite panels at home, as I went to get back into my car I saw this perfect little specimen laying on the edge of the street. I don't paint every dead animal I come across, but birds are so beautiful... even in repose.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad

My Parents are celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary the day before Valentine's. I'll be dropping this present off to them very early on my way to the flower shop. Took over forty photos of geese in the local park to get this perfect pose. I thought they made an appropriate subject since they too mate for life.
9x12

Little Tug

Did this one from my car today..it was so windy I found it hard to get a straight line down. 5x7

Jupiter Beach Late Afternoon

This is the last in my little series of Florida Paintings.

Jupiter Light House

This was done as the sun was rising, the night spotlights were still on.. creating a somewhat dramatic effect

Second Sunset on the Loxahatchee

My first major encounter with gnats landing on the painting. They look like more birds flying with the vultures...still it was such a pretty view.

The Virginia Inn

9x12 oil/canvas

Here is the promised painting for my Sister's wedding present. This kind of stuff always makes me uneasy..will she and her husband like it? I keep thinking they might be expecting something more linear and hard edged. A friend once said to me, Chuck put down the crystal ball! Good advice I think.

Day Four...I think

Florida Camping Day Three

The sign said "No Idle"
"No Wake"...It didn't look right on the painting that night, but I'm going to try and add it again. I like signs.

Florida Camping Day Two

5x7 oil/panel

A Path in the Pines

An 8x10 study from my final day at Jonathan Dickinson State Park. I'm back a few days early. Will post more as I get them processed. Meanwhile It's time to adjust back to the cold north air.

Blog Closing for Two Weeks

I'll be heading to Florida for the next two weeks without any computer access. Will be taking the watercolors with as I did last year. I think I might just have to bring some oils too. I don't want to loose the rythm I have going with plein air painting. When I return there will be the Valentine's Rush at the flower shop then preperations for my one man exhibit at Atlantic Cape Community College Art Gallery for the month of April.

Walking with Sunrise and Seagulls

This is from a photo I took a few weeks ago, I asked my friend Jack to get out and walk along the beach and he willingly obliged. The colors are a little overly vivid..part of that is the photo, the other part: inexperience.

Wildlife Refuge

Taking my time with this piece...applying lessons learned with the plein air such as the value of values and lost edges to create distance and atmosphere.

note difference from overly intense first session

9th Street Bridge

This little sketch was done from my friend Jane's porch in Ocean City. Hopefully I'll be doing more from there in the future...the view is great!

Ocean City Music Pier

The weather has been very warm the last few days. I forgot how much colder it is on the beach and froze myself to the shivers doing this one yesterday morning. This building os one of the most popular painting subjects in Ocean City...I feel as though I've passed some rite of passage in finally doing a painting of it. Went back after I got home and fixed up some of the details in the architecture...it is a fine old structure!

Winter Beach Scene

Ocean City 8x10

Growing Pains

Painting #1


..........................................Painting #2

These are two 9x12 views of Patcong Creek with the Bargaintown Dam in the background. On number one I was pretty bummed when I saw the painting after I got home. Spent two hours perched on rocks to get that view, but the painting was all wrong..the values were off, the composition was a little stiff ...even the colors were funky. I posted a picture of it at the plein air forum on Wet Canvas where I recieved lots of good advice. A few days later I returned to try again..the view was quite different with a lower tide and a clearer sky. I was armed with knowledge, good paints and a delightfully warm afternoon. Needless to say I'm much happier with number two. If I had wiped off number one I never would have learned what I needed to know so it was well worth that two hours after all. I can't wait to paint this view when the grasses are green.

Congratulations Susie and Jerry

My Sister Sue got married last night at a beautiful B&B in Cape May...so here is a nice photo of a bunch of people that most of you don't know. That's me third from the left, back row. The requested wedding gift is a painting of the Virginia Inn. Hopefully I'll have it complete when they return from the honeymoon!

Faunce Landing Crows 5x7 oil

I was scouting for a place to paint yesterday and came upon these crows. Crows are cruel, but remarkabley smart. I like them despite how they kill baby birds. After shooting the reference photo, these three and several others all moved to one side of the road and stood in a line like they were waiting for me to pass...which I did. I want to paint more birds in the future. I guess I will have to rely on the camera to make paintings like this. A worthwhile compromise I think.

Wildlife Refuge

Here's a large ( 24x36) landscape just begun. The first from a photo reference. Well at least since 1992! Photo was taken same day I did this plein air piece. This place is a bird sanctuary in Brigantine...a wonderful drive!

Happy New Year

I'll post this self portrait even though I'm not liking it too much. I used to do these all the time..this is the first one in a while and it had about four other versions wiped clean prior. It's the first one since I took the mustache off last year. That was weird to paint ...as well as the ever growing forehead! I always start within the confines of the canvas. Anyway My birthday is in a couple of weeks but it always feels like it's on the first because of the date change. oh eight means 48!