Thursday, July 13, 2006

Sunglasses


After painting and selling the other sunglass paintings I felt I needed to do one out in the actual sunlight. Real outddor light is vastly different then an indoor spotlight. I even have one of those full spectrum bulbs, but nothing beats the real sun!! Now of course i keep thinking about how interesting the reflections might be on the real beach!!...Anyway these are from yesterday, today it's quite cloudy rainy and dark. I just completed a nice painting of a hydrangea in a jar on my windowsill, but its too dark to photograph...perhaps tomorrow. Anyway here are the real SUNglasses 8x10 oil/panel

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Summer Treats: Watermelon Study & Owen






Along with cherries I love to paint slices of watermelon...and then eat them.... so I dashed this one out rather quickly. I also had to share some with my cat Owen 'cause he just Loves watermelon! He kept trying to hop up onto the tabel where the stilllife was set so I made sure to let him have his own cat-sized slice. Such a strange beast! He also loves cantelope and honeydew.

Painting 9x12 oil/panel

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Same Place Last Year


..I didn't get a picture of myself at the CapeMay show this year, but I can show you last year's. That was the first time I had shown my work publicly in almost ten years....I was so nervous. New paintings and a new Tent!!! I didn't sell a lot, but I sold a couple of more expensive paintings that made it a much better show financialy then this years'. I know these outdoor shows can be unpredictable and when I do them I always keep my expectations pretty open...that way I can have a good time.Interaction with the public and other artists is always an interesting experience, and just spending the day looking at the Ocean is a pleasure.
..My next show is in two weeks in the City Of Ventnor which is the town next to Atlantic City here at the Jersey Shore. I'm looking forward to this one, my Fathers Grandfather was City Clerk of Ventnor for 25 years back in the 30s & 40s so I have a real feeling of roots in that town. Plus I lived there myself for 13 years back in the 80s. A nice town with a great boardwalk and a beautiful view of the Atlantic City Sklyline!
..Check in tomorrow for a pic of the Watermelon painting I finished tonight.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Not at the Beach


It's the 4th of July and I did my favorite holiday activity...painting. I really do not spend time sitting on the beach anymore.. especially during holiday weekends. These glasses were done from the cool comfort of my airconditioning! Heck I don't even like to go out at all during the holiday if I can help it...SO many people here at the shore...all of Pennsylvania it seems. I do feel blessed to live by the sea...its really great in September...less crowds! Then there's the beauty of winter storms and crisp Ocotber days...gosh I could go on and on. Even though I may gripe about the shoobies (what we call summer tourists here in south jersey ) The rythm of living in seaside resort has been a part of my life since I can remember. I will be out there with the crowds in a few days and I'm really looking forward to it!

Sunday, July 02, 2006

Two Little Cherry Paintings


SOLD


The photos of these are bit off...it was getting dark outside, but I was eager to keep up with the updates. I do little paintings of cherries like this almost every summer...Its not that I set out to, but as soon as they come in season they first inspire my stomach...then when I start washing them I just can't resist trying to capture that shiny dark alizarin surface and the little whip-like stems. Last year I did them as cards in sepia. These are 5x7 canvases.SOLD

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Orange Clams with Feather




Here's the one I mentioned yesterday...hot off the easel. A picture of my very messy setup as well...Oddly I'm pretty neat and tidy about most things.There's just something about painting..especially when I'm on a roll...that brings out the slob in me! This is a 9x12 oil on panel

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Beached Glasses


A 9x12 oil on panel of sunglasses...a subject I return to periodically. I actually have a large platter of sand on my worktable that I use for reference with these beachy paintings. I have another seashell work in progress that should be completed tomorrow, I'll try to remember to take a pic of the setup. I only have a few more days of oil painting before the outdoor show in Cape May. I have about a half a dozen more small panels I want to complete. The smaller beachy paintings sold really well last year.

Sunday, June 25, 2006

More Bivalves






It may appear that I am Sunday Painter these days, but I spent much time this week framing, organizing, preparing surfaces and other less fun aspects of being an artist. My first outdoor show is in two weeks...the Cape May Promenade...weekned of July 9th.
Here are three more studies of Angel Wing Shells...all 4x6

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Happy Father's Day


Here's a card I just completed for my Dad for Father's Day. It is a 5x7 charcoal study of the Des Moines in the port of VilleFranche on the French Riviera...the ship he was stationed on when and where I was born; Nice France, 1960. Thought he might like this...photo wasn't too great so I kept it kind of vague...not easy for a detail lover like me!

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

AngelWings on Board

.SOLD
Here 'tis just about complete...these are like the child of the much larger Clams II that I did this time last year. 24x12 oil/canvas.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

AngelWing


OK OK I know I try not to post works in progress on the blog...but here's the start of the Angel Wings...about and hour and a half. I love these shells..I did a painting of a really large one I found in Nags Head when I was fresh out of highschool..one of my very first shell paintings...now 28 years later I'm doing the second Angewing painting. These are really small...I was thrilled when I found them...they're actually are a bay shell...they live in mud flats. Very fragile and worthy of their name.

Feather and Mussels


I'm finally getting back into a rhythm with painting. Here's one just completed 14x18 oil on canvas. Started another of Angel Wing shells today...gonna be a goody I think...good start anyway

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Limited Edtion Giclee's



I just picked up my first batch of Giclees from the printer today. I will be offering these fine art reproductions for 145.00 unframed or 175.00 framed. They are archival quality and I'm thrilled with how they came out. 16x20 stretched canvas. Delancey Place and Beach Badges. I know these will be very popular with the summer crowd here at the shore. I've already had two requests for Delancey Place.

Sunday, May 28, 2006

5x7 Moonshells


Another small affordable :)

Little Clam Paintings





Two 5x7 oils of clams..getting ready for the summer shows!
Cape May Promenade July 8,9 & 10
Ventnor Library July 22nd
Ocean City Boardwalk 2nd weekend in August
Cape May Mall first weekend in September
....that's all
...so far.

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Multiple Mussels


.Both Sold



Here's two 8x10s of the Mussel shells I mentioned...it felt great to finally sit down and paint directly.

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Oldy But Goody


Here's a picture of a painting I did about twelve years ago when I first started painting in oils. It sold for a good price. Shortly thereafter I put the brush down for a long time. I was directing all my energy into acquiring a flowershop and pursuing my career as a florist. Throughout those 8 or 9 years of barely painting I was never able to shake that feeling I've had all my life...that I am an artist who was born to paint pictures!!! What a relief its been these last 14 months to know that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing!! God and the Universe smile at me once more.
Nancy'c Bottles oil/canvas 20x32

Mothers Day Delays

If you are out there and check in more then once, I must apologize for the neglect...it has been a very busy two weeks with the flower shop...no new artwork, but at least now I have the cash to pay for framing supplies and other much needed art stuff. I have a new still life set up of some lovely mussel shells. Will be onto that tomorrow. I'm having giclees printed up of two paintings...the sandals ( Delancey Place ) and the beach badges ( last post ) They will be in limited editions of 100 each and should sell for about 125.00 to 150.00 depending on the framing. Size will be 16x20 on canvas...I'm really excited by this. Last summer I was asked several times if I had prints of Delancey Place..it will be great to offer them this year!!
I will post new pics tomorrow..even if its some older stuff!!
...chuck

Saturday, May 06, 2006

Work in Progress ;Turn of the Century Beach Badges







My Family Tree stretches back three generations on both my mother and father's side in the cities of Margate and Ventnor. These are beach badges lying on top of a nautical chart showing the part of Absecon Island ( south of Atlantic City ) where Ventnor and Margate lie. I was worried that this looked like some kind of advertisement when I first started the picture...I'm very happy to say that I no longer get that feeling. The component of the painting I most like is how the sand almost appears like clouds floating over the map.
The picture is about 90 percent complete, I just couldn't wait to show it.

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

cool glasses






In spring I return to my love of all things "beachy' I have in mind a painting of sunglasses...here are a couple of sepia/watercolor studies. approx 5x7 in size