Whenever anyone asks where the subject of a piece is, I have to often dig deep to remember where. And even if I know, for instance in this piece, the actual location was somewhere up by Lake Sunapee, New Hampshire. But I don’t think that’s what they’re looking for, but rather they want to know if the composition is based on a real place. Answer is yes, and no. Compositions start with real places, but are then morphed by memory, addition and subtraction, and on-the-fly changes from the time a sketch is begun, to when the canvas is signed. In that sense, my compositions are fiction. “Calm Sea” 36 x 36 o/c.
The barn across the street from the studio has been the subject of many paintings…from different angles, different light, and different perspectives. It sits at the top of a slope, and from that lower part of the meadow, the perspective looking up gives it this massive presence, and the sky becomes as much a subject as the barn itself. “Skyward” 36 x 36
Up here in New Hampshire, the low valleys and hollows of our local meadows collect rain in the fall, and when winter comes, freeze to form small frozen pools, which kids often use for ice skating. As Spring approaches, these begin to melt, and come summer, completely dry up…until next year. “Spring Ice” 40 x 30.
With it being March 1, hope is around the corner for warmer, sunnier days ahead… “Early Sun” 12 x 12
Juniper trees are abundant on the Cape, particularly along the shoreline, where the seem to thrive in sand and salt air. There are prevailing winds that come in from the Atlantic on the North side, and the Bay on the South. Unlike Junipers further inland, the ocean winds shape the trees as they grow, giving them a great sense of movement. “Westerly Breeze” 48 x 36 o/c.
There’s an old farm in town that sits on dozens of acres of meadow that was, for years, kept mown by a flock of sheep. The sheep are gone, as are the farmer owners, and the land is slowly being taken over by trees, shrubs and weeds. There’s something mysterious about these old places, now that they are uninhabited and sit waiting for what’s next. “Farmyard” 40 x 30
The heavily weathered pine or cedar used on many old rural structures tends to darken and lighten over the years, depending on where the sun hits, or doesn’t. When the light is right, the darker and lighter areas appear bluish from a distance, though up close, the colors are more literally shades of gray. “Eastern Blue” 14 x 14 o/c.
Architectural structures and open land can be at odds with each other, especially when that open land is turned into a mall, office building, or subdivision. In the country, though, rural structures–especially old ones with history–always seem to be a part of each other. Meadows, fields and open farmland seem to complement old barns, sheds, and farmhouses that were built on them. And conversely, the landscape also seems a bit more interesting because of these structures. “Maple Hill” 20 x 20
I was recently asked how I plan the palette for a particular piece. The short answer is…I don’t. At least in the sense of thinking about the palette in its entirety. Longer answer is that it’s more of a plan-on-the-fly approach, where one color choice leads to another, and then to another. Thinking about what color works well against another, is the overall palette warm or cool, or (as is most often the case) both. In this piece, and the pastel study done ahead of it, green was the goal. The sky was the starting point, and everything else color-wise just came along after that. “Greenscape” 40 x 30 o/c
Skies are complicated. When clear, they’re pretty simple, but clouds change that, creating textures and patterns dictated by atmospheric conditions, wind, temperature, and time of year. I found this location in Vermont a while ago. It was one of those moments when the cloud cover is clearing, and a blast of sun shines through, casting a spotlight on the landscape. “Break in the Clouds” 24 x 24 o/c.
