Not far from the studio, sitting on the edge of its several-hundred-acre tract, this old farmhouse maintains the rural feel of its past, long before the neighborhoods and golf courses popped up not far down the road.
I recently picked up a tube of cadmium chartreuse…a bright, intense yellow/green. Thought it would be an interesting color experiment to see how a hue that strong, in small amounts, could influence the palette. This small 12 x 12, which will be painted in larger format, was the result, with just a little of this color tinting the grass and, the magnesium blue facade of the barn, and horizon. “Chartreuse” 12 x 12
This recently completed commissioned piece is out on approval. The large format, 70″ x 32, presented a composition challenge where the set back structures needed something in the foreground to appear to scale. The fence posts in the foreground provide a reference point to give proper scale to the rest of the composition.
I’ve worked with a buyer on a commissioned piece, and offered two preparatory charcoal sketches as options. Completed and put out for preview the first piece, and now the second…”North Meadow” 48 x 36.
My commission process always starts with a charcoal composition study…or studies. From there, the preferred piece is begun, and if necessary, a second is offered. I’ve found that many have found the process of choosing between options to be difficult. But I like the buyer to have the same experience of looking at options, as they would if viewing work in an exhibit.
In addition to select prints and original oils, an assortment of charcoal preparatory sketches have been added to the Holiday Sale Page.
Sometimes it’s important to strip away the clutter of life…especially when chaos is everywhere…and find a place where things are simple, quiet, and free of unnecessary stuff. This piece, recently completed, contained unnecessary stuff, which has been stripped away, to create an entirely different mood. “Tranquility” 48 x 48.
Everyone once in a while, a painting goes down a path it shouldn’t have…led by me, and with good intention, but not-so-good outcome. A recent piece, “Late Fall” was such a piece. In the previous piece, there were two things wrong…the shadows were too much (almost looking like hot rod flames), and the foreground road never should have been included. Set on a new path, and completed…”Late Fall” (as it should have been in the first place) 40 x 30..
I’ve always loved the Yankee practicality that prevailed decades, maybe a century or more, ago, when farm buildings were built where they were needed, rather than where they might look best on the property. Today’s architectural site planning is largely aesthetic. Siting a property is about curb appeal, much less so function.
Came across this place in a small town in the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire. The barn was built at the crest of a hill, with a steep pitch behind it. Apparently built there to take advantage of the contour of the land that allowed easy entry and exist for farm equipment and animals. And building on the pitch instantly provided a sub level. Pure practicality. “Hillcrest” 36 x 36
This recent commission is out for approval with designer and client, and represents a good example of the process. My approach to commissions differs from others, as it works best when the desired parameters are few and broad…ie, reference to other works for palette, and other pieces for composition. From there…let the process be what it always is…and when the piece is done, hopefully everyone is happy. I have found that when someone likes the work, and hopes to have a piece that is of a certain size, or recaptures the qualities of another piece that may have sold, letting a piece come to life the way all work does works best. “Late Fall” 40 x 30
