I recently learned that the beautiful Burning Bush shrub is on the “prohibited species” list here in New Hampshire. We have two on our property, bought and planted before this species became an outlaw. This one is growing freely in front of an old barn I came across in the Berkshires region of Western Massachusetts, where the plant is also an unlawful menace. Despite their supposedly invasive nature, the two I have have remained only two for the past 20 years…and in the fall, they’re the most powerfully colorful part of the yard. “Burning Bush” 20 x 20.
Across New England today, and beyond, the weather is entirely not conducive with what we hope it will be for our July Fourth celebrations. Empty beaches (due to rain) and canceled fireworks take away from what is normally a hallmark of summer. And while a flood watch is in effect up here in New Hampshire, I took advantage of the bad weather to put the finishing touches on a piece that imagines a sunnier Fourth. “Independence Day” 24 x 20 o/c.
This farm complex up in New London, NH (the Lake Sunapee region of the state), struck me as similar, in ways, to Stonehenge in the way the buildings cast long shadows in the late-day sun. Like that giant stone landmark, the angles of shadows are cast differently as days, months, and seasons progress. “Sundial” 48 x 36 o/c
How long it takes to complete a painting is an often-asked question. Time to complete varies from piece to piece. In some, the stars align and the piece seems to be “done” fairly quickly. Others are a bit more of a struggle. Some take forever. This piece, for instance, took 10 years to complete. That’s a long time for a small piece. It was done fairly quickly–too quickly–10 years ago. It’s been around the studio most of that time, with brief stints at this gallery or that. Recently realized the piece was never finished. It was pale, washed out, and void of color, so I put it back on the easel, and finished what I started, a decade ago. “Treeline” 24 x 12 o/c
The summer homes along the shores of the Cape and Islands sit, in many cases, just a few feet above sea level, just beyond the high tide line. In some parts of these shorelines, erosion brings these structures even closer to the sea. There are many homes in Chatham, and other parts of the Cape and coastlines south of Boston, that have lost the battle and have been taken by the sea. There’s an undeniable beauty to an oceanfront home, but there’s also an undeniable risk. “Island’s Edge” 48 x 48
With dune conservation being much more of an issue in present times, than it was when I was a kid, many of the coastal areas of New England stake “Keep off the Dunes” signs at the base of these fragile, shifting sand masses. With childhood summers spent running to the beach down (and over) these dune paths, it’s difficult at times to abide by those well-intentioned signs. There are, however some dunes where foot traffic is still allowed, and heading up and over these hills of grass and (often very hot) sand rewards you with the ocean and beach on the other side. “Beach Path” 20 x 20 o/c.
I grew up on the campus of a small private school in Massachusetts. The grounds were beautiful…a small apple orchard, expansive lawns and meadows, and most prominent were the many huge, deep red Beech trees that had been planted over a hundred years before. I climbed many of these trees, built tree forts in a few, and fell out of more than one. They’ve maintained a fond place in my memory, as have many aspects of that campus. This piece, based on a scene far from that campus, features a reference to the memory of one of those stately trees. “Beech” 40 x 30, oil on canvas.
An upside to being an early riser, sometimes before sunrise, is ability to actually see the sunrise. It’s not a time of day for everybody, but I find those first few minutes of light to be the best part of the day. While on a drive along the beach road recently, just after sunrise, I came across two cottages I’ve painted often, both glowing in the low light of sunrise. “Morning Light” 36 x 16
I’ve never been to Italy, but this piece left me feeling like I just spent the last three or four weeks there. The commissioner wanted to capture his family’s ancestral home not far from the Adriatic Coast. The property is now abandoned and overgrown. The land around the house was a bit barren, but decades ago the meadows were filled with olive trees, which were reimagined for the piece. I “drove” past this place many times, via Google Maps and Street View, and worked up several charcoal sketches to bring the place, and composition, back in time. Out on approval with the commissioner…”Olive Grove” 66 x 48
Living on an island, as I did many years ago on Martha’s Vineyard, there are times you feel trapped by island life. It’s often difficult, and expensive, to get a boat back to the mainland. And despite the beauty and uniqueness of the Vineyard, sometimes you just needed to get off-Island. And that wasn’t always easy, or possible. This place is in on the Vineyard, in Tisbury. Painted several times…and in this case the fence reminded me of those days you didn’t have the freedom to go where you wanted. “Fenced In” 48 x 36 o/c.
