Bittersweet

Bittersweet, Acrylic on Canvas, 12"x12", NFS

This painting was inspired by the bittersweet vines that drape the trees on the Maine coast.  In autumn, as the leaves turn, the pale orange berries on the bittersweet burst open exposing brilliant orange-red seeds. 

Note: This painting is not for sale.

Orange Daisies

Orange Daisies, Acrylic on Canvas, 20"x16", $350

Upon arriving at my rental cottage on one of my trips south, I was greeted by a beautiful bucket of gerbera daisies sitting on the kitchen table.  I couldn't resist making a painting of it.  I went to the store to pick up a bunch of limes, oranges, and lemons, and set up this still life.  When I was done with the painting, I made ceviche with the fruit.

Note: To purchase, please go to my Daily Paint Works Gallery (icon at right).

Milkweed Pods a-Poppin'

Milkweed Pods a-Poppin', Acrylic on Paper, 10"x9", $100

This painting was an attempt to capture the energy and joy that I experience when I see milkweed seeds wafting on the breeze on a crisp, autumn day. I wanted to express the whimsy of bursting pods, popping seed-heads, and flying fluff.  I was happy with the result.

Note: To purchase, please go to my Daily Paint Works Gallery (icon at right.)

Watching Sunset

Watching Sunset, Acrylic on Paper, 6.5"x6.5", $100

I love watching the sunset over the ocean.  This painting was done while I was on Jekyll Island in April. I wanted to capture the fleeting feel of the sunset, as well as the shadows on the sand.  I think I was able to capture the mood that I was after.

Note: To purchase this painting, please go to my Daily Paintworks Gallery (icon at right).

Yellow Light - SOLD

SOLD - Yellow Light, Acrylic on Canvas, 12"x24"

It seems that Lake Champlain has a 1000 moods. They are all interesting - stormy, calm, in summer or winter, frozen or not, on gray days and sunny ones, at sunset, moonrise, or the middle of the day.  I especially like the many effects of sun and moon on the lake when there is also snow on the ground.  The opportunities for reflections, shadows, and wonderful, unexpected colors increases dramatically in spite of the vast range of possibilities in the other seasons.  This painting was inspired by sunset on the lake - it feels cold and inviting at the same time.  And there is a peacefulness that goes with snow and sunset.

Spring Poplar

Spring Poplar, Acrylic on Paper, 6.5"x6.5", $100

At the edge of our yard, there is a young poplar that always gets its leaves a week or more before the maples around it.  So it gets a wonderful bright green glow while the maples are still a deep rusty red.  When the sun first comes over the hill, it strikes this bright green beauty while the rest of the trees are still in shadow.  The effect is a wonderful splash of brightness to welcome the day. In this painting, I did my best to capture that effect. 

This was a tough painting to get right - the greens were especially hard to match.  It turns out, though, that the photography was even harder to get right.  I think this is pretty good, but it picked up a bit more texture in the upper left than I feel there actually is, and the dark red in the center left is a bit stronger than in the actual painting.

Note:  To purchase this painting, please go to my Daily Paint Works Gallery (icon at right.)

Portrait of a Tree - Autumn SOLD

SOLD- Portrait of a Tree-Autumn, Acrylic on Paper, 6.5"x6.5"

This painting was a stretch on several levels.  I started with an idea - I wanted to capture the essence of a tree in autumn.  What says tree?  I decided I needed a trunk, some foliage, and an anchor to the earth. Next I needed to figure out how to design that to get that core identity without getting detailed.  Then I had to decide what I wanted for a look - I decided to go for a fractured technique with palette knife, and keep it as abstract as I could. The colors, I think, say, "Autumn."  I am pleased with the result.

Note: To purchase this painting, please contact the Bryan Gallery at (802) 644-5100 or e-mail info@bryangallery.org.

Lemon

Lemon, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 10"x9", $100

This painting was an experiment in paint application and in the use of yellows and blues. I used a palette knife to apply the paint on gessoed watercolor paper. I like the way the lemon sits in its environment, its shadow merging with the surface it sits on. 

Note: To purchase this painting, please go to my Daily Paint Works Gallery (icon at right.)

Dandelions - Sold

SOLD - Dandelions, Acrylic on Paper, 10"x9"

Here in Vermont it is dandelion season - there are millions of dandelions everywhere you look.  After a long (and gray) winter, the golden yellow is absolutely gorgeous.  Plus, they have a wonderful honey scent - the bees know what they're doing. 

In this painting, I paired the golden yellow with a host of grays, whites and blacks (all made with red, blue, yellow and white paint - I almost never actually use black paint).  I placed the vase of dandelions in a bright sunny window, and set out to capture the blinding back light, the intense shadows and, of course, that gorgeous golden yellow.  Loads of fun.

Yellow Onions

Yellow Onions, Acrylic on Paper, 5"x7", $75

This painting is one of a series of onion paintings I did this winter.  I used onions as a readily available subject to experiment with a variety of color and paint application techniques that yielded a wonderful range of results. 

On this painting, I started out with a blue cloth under the onions (that was what was there), but as I painted, I realized that it really wasn't working. I changed the ground to green to see what that would do - it was exactly the effect I was looking for.

Note: To purchase this painting, please go to my Daily Paintworks Gallery (icon at right.)

Summer Heat

Summer Heat, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 4.25"x13.75", $250

As summer beckons, I was inspired to post this image - a sneak preview of days to come. This painting is based on a view of Lake Champlain in northern Vermont. Sometimes on hot days, the mountains take on the golden glow of the sunset. It can happen in the winter, too, but not as often.

To get the glow, I applied more than a dozen very thin layers of acrylic on 300 lb. Arches watercolor paper, drying each layer before applying the next. 

Note: To purchase this painting, please contact Frog Hollow at sales@froghollow.org.

Birches in Spring

Birches in Spring, Acrylic on Gessoboard, 6"x6", $100

This painting is based on our local landscape here in Vermont.  In the spring, it seems that everything turns green at once - in a matter of days, the trees go from gray to a thousand shades of green.  I love when that happens, though I find it really hard to capture in paint.

Note: To purchase, please go to my Daily Paintworks Gallery; icon at right.

Maine Coast

Maine Coast View, Acrylic on Gessoboard, 6"x6", $100

This painting of the Maine coast is based on a sketch I made some time ago.  I love the rocks protruding from the waves.  In the summer, the trees form a wonderful frame for the rough, broken landscape along the shore.

Note:  To purchase, please go to my Daily Paintworks Gallery; icon at right.