Merry Christmas Apples

My son Will picked these apples from our orchard this fall...we were supposed to eat them, since they were wonderful organic fertilized by our horses apples...however I just kept admiring them in this basket beside the back door of our barn...turning all sorts of strange colors...so I did make one or two pies but basically I did what I really wanted to do with them...and now they will last forever in this painting...Merry Christmas!... oil on canvas 36x36" larger than life

Fatal Wound

We were taking a walk on a dirt road in the woods when we came apon this dead fox...the animal was so beautiful I wanted to take it back to my studio to paint it...however this idea was discouraged....so I picked up the frozen carcas and moved it off the side of the road thinking I will return with my paints...seeing it there, it's little black paws and lovely fur was very moving...as if it had just fallen asleep...when I returned it was not there...fortunately for me my husband had taken a good photo to work from....oil on canvas 24x30"

Me and the Walnuts

After painting the walnuts and quince many times I thought this was the last horizon...me painting them...oil on canvas 20x20"

Sam at work again

Always a new angle on the guitar playing Sam...I have to catch him in mid chord...oil on canvas 30x30"

Woman in Winter

It's fun to see what happens to a sculpture when the snow falls...a different view on things...the garden all frozen around her...4' tall bronze figure

Last weeks Life Class Model...

These paintings were from last weeks life class...not so inspired by male model with muscles...sleeping pose looks a little bit female? 36x48" watercolor and gouache on paper

Reflections

Not to change the subject but I really liked this image and I wanted to show it to you...Went to a life drawing class this week but didn't think nude men were such a good subject to blog...I have to take some photos of recent work...Tomorrow is Winter Walk in Hudson NY, wish you were here...we will have an opening at 510 Warren St Gallery...I am exhibiting some of the snow paintings from last winter...this Block Island reflection from Payne's Dock is a watercolor and gouache 22x30"

The Mill and Housatonic River Reflections

I painted this study from the bridge...a sunny autumn afternoon...I like the composition and colors of the reflections in the moving water...oil on canvas ...24x36"

Self Portrait I In the Studio

So here I am looking into the mirror and seeing all the things around me, which are many, I could paint self portraits endlessly because I am an easy model....not easy to paint though...found this canvas in the basement...the mice had chewed on the bottom of it so I just filled it in with more paint..oil on canvas (chewed that is) 24x36"

Two Studies of Walnuts and Quince

I picked these walnuts up along side the road...still in their bright green skin...and then Jean Francois gave me the Quince...so here they are in all their glory...oil on canvas 16x20"

Sam with Guitar and Case Reflections

I have a great model every Monday morning...Sam comes to the studio to play...so I try to see what I can see....I really love the guitar shapes and the shoes are good too...just realized the reflections in the case were actually the paintings on the gallery wall...gotta love it...Braque did a more thorough job...oil on canvas 30x30"

And yet Another White Urn with Flowers

Here you can see another view of this most marvelous still life....I could not resist...it was actuallly outside on a table in the sun...I love the little fig that dropped off the vine....oil on canvas 30x30"

Most Amazing Arrangement

I arrived at the studio the other day to find this urn filled with a glorious arrangement of inspiring food and flowers....figs and garlic and artichokes and peonies, turnips and cabbages and too many other wonders...left by Crocus Hale Florist...oh thank you great one...I felt like I was painting back in the 1700's in Holland...all that was missing was the bee on the blossoms...oil on canvas 24x36"

Dories Cove Looking South and North

What a difference a few hours makes in the sky on Block Island...Afternoon silver clouds on a dark sky,looking south....then early morning pink clouds on the horizon looking north toward the mainland...put them together and you have a typical day at Dories Cove...see earlier blog entry for the sunset, looking West! watercolor and goauche 22x30"

The Last of the Nasturtiums

There is something about a Nasturtium that really attracts me...the color? shape? the way they seem to dance? well whatever it is these watercolors were my response to those beautiful annual blooms now gone with the winter freeze...watercolor and gouache 16x20"

Bouquet in grey

I liked these flowers because they looked so fragile and warm against the cool background...another quiet,moment in the studio mixing colors on the canvas..oil on canvas 36x36"

Front St. Housatonic Mass

Caught in the act...I started this study on a warm sunny morning...however it was so windy I had to go inside...then I went back out this cold grey afternoon to work on it...ended up back out in the sun this morning with no wind...sometimes I wonder what it's all about...the desire to paint yet another view of Housatonic...more love and beauty I guess...36x36" oil on canvas

The Nasturtiums and Guitar

I painted this last week after I had done a bunch of watercolors of the Nasturtiums...I wanted to do an oil...it took me quite a while to figure a way to compose the painting so that it would inspire me...Sam was playing in the studio that morning and I had been studying a collage of George Braques which was filled with guitar images...so...this is what came of it...oil on canvas 36x36"

The Depot

<
This is where they stored the freight awaiting the trains...now empty, would make a great studio? wool blankets for WWII were made here in Housatonic...among other things...now mostly art, which does not seem to need a train to move it...yet... old blue station in the distance as well as mills,one used for most popular, Country Curtains,other one mostly abandoned, patiently awaiting an architect and lots of money... the water tower holds its own...I was really trying to find an angle to paint it...so the depot did the job... oil on canvas 30x30"

Housatonic River View

A beautiful october day and I am standing on the bridge painting the local color, listening to the rushing river around me...I never tire of this old mill town...24x36" oil canvas

The Bluffs and Gull

Can you see the gull? I was looking down at it...another beautiful day by the sea and the bluffs...eroding more each year...a different perspective...but always so inspiring to try and capture the bliss of just being there 22x30"watercolor and gouache

Going ,Going ,Gone...

One evening spent down at Dories Cove on BI....just watching and painting as the sun set into the clouds...I put the sun where ever I wanted it which is why it does not seem to move....but it really did move and so did my paint brush....watercolor and gouache 20x24" 16x16" 12x16"

The Spring House

This is the actual "Spring House" on Block Island....there is also the hotel named after it...I remember coming here to fetch water with Doris Andrews many years ago...no one uses it anymore..the path to the water is over grown with weeds...I love the red roof and shape of the building...watercolor and gouache 22x30"

Two Chairs,Looking out to sea and Looking at the Harbor

There is something about an empty chair that makes me want to paint it...or perhaps really just sit in it...but if I paint it I can always go and sit in it....want to join me? watercolor and gouache 22x30"

The Sunflowers at my House with the Heirloom Tomatoes

After enjoying these crazy blossoms for a while I decided I had to paint them....the table seemed  bare and so I added the tomatoes and the fork....oil on canvas 36x36"

Two Boats, Two Harbors

These paintings were done last week on Block Island..I was out there with some students painting for the week....we had glorious weather and a great painting time...These boats caught my eye...The "Gee Willie Make It" the fishing boat in the Old Harbor with all the other fishing boats, is the one we go out on every summer to fish with Captain Bill....always catch something .... I love all the fishing boats and their stories ...The other sail boat in New Harbor, the "Kemmo Sabe" as in "The Lone Ranger and Tonto" is a beautiful sloop? Don't know if you call them that...owned by a nice guy named Bill( Bills and boats must go together?) who was kind enough to not move her for the duration of this paint job and let us come aboard.....not so easy to build a boat with paint..I learned alot... watercolors..22x30"

Sunflowers Black and White

Always a good idea to see what happens without the color, which is so powerful a factor...have to think outside the box...I like the challenge...also the results that are so different...

The Cow Corn Field

Not the people corn field...I love the ripe corn with all of its tassels ...so many colors and shapes... oil on canvas 3'x4' a fairly large canvas

Most Recent August Bouquet

It was a rainy day and we could not paint the landscape so we headed into the studio...why am I drawn to these flowers? Flowers are like good friends to me....they always comfort and inspire me...and on any given day comfort is always welcome...36x36" oil on canvas

Drawing of the Chair

So I thought a drawing was in order....if you look closely it is just a bunch of scribbles...this is about 24x36" on paper with a black China Marker

Distant View of the Corn Field

So this canvas is 3'x4' and it catches the wind like a sail.... when the storm hit I had to hold on with all my might...I am still working on this but you get the idea....oil on canvas

The Corn Field

Went to the corn field with only my black watercolor and tried to capture the complexity of the scene....quite a challenge...next time I am bringing a large canvas and some oil paint....watercolor on paper16x20"

Porch at Balsam Hill Farm

Well here we are at a beautiful old farm house in Sheffield Ma....Mt Everett in the distance....bucolic scene...Is there a better view than that from a summer porch? oil on canvas 24x36"

Two Chairs Talking

My show at the Front St Gallery opened up yesterday...well I had the opening....thanks to all for showing up and making it a success for me...this painting of two chairs was a real favorite...watercolor 22x30"

Lotus in the Lily Pond

There is nothing like a lotus blossom.....well in this case the lotus plant....I watched this water lily open in front of my eyes....the reflections in the pond were particularily beautiful ....oil on canvas 24x24"

Early Morning Deck at the Surf Hotel

This deck was offlimits since the hotel had closed so I had to paint fast(that was different, not really)the patterns of the railing were fun and I was glad my favorite ferry was still at the dock....not for long...oil on canvas 30x30"

Young Bulls at the Farm

A bucolic scene it was....distant hills....bull calves eating.....gorgeous summer day.....oil on canvas 36"x36"

Chickens at the Farm

I  spent the morning with the chickens pecking around my feet....they had alot to say for themselves....it was a fine summer day and the light and shadows were lovely....oil on canvas 30x30"

Gulls at the North Light

an incredible afternoon at the lighthouse...the gulls were going crazy...the sky was blue..the lighthouse was powerful in it's stone presence out there on that spit of sand dunes....the afternoon light was intense...the roses were blooming....I did the best I could.....watercolor  22"x30"