Coastal Light and Calm

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite archival panel

"Becoming inspired requires that you be curious about, and attentive to, feelings that emerge to help you reconnect with your original self." - Dr. Wayne W. Dyer


This summer I've been doing a lot of exploration in subject matter, size of paintings, and added another color to my palette that I haven't used in over a decade. But I take the advice of "notice what you notice" (what do you really love to look at?)- and I have the good fortune to have done a lot of painting from life this summer!

I have always sold my plein air works as finished paintings, they are usually gone before I even think of using it as a reference in the studio for a larger, or different sized painting. Listening to Dyer's advice about becoming inspired made me realize I had already done just that. I love the big abstract shapes in nature, the effect that light has on color...that changes each hour, each minute of the day.

Making this little gem available before I take on a big one! This painting is available from my DailyPainters.com gallery (check out Newest Paintings) or contact me here.

The Perils and Pleasure of Plein Air/Split Boulder at Bluff Point oil sketch

6"x 8" oil sketch on linen mounted on panel

"Do not be timid and squeamish.....All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sometimes going out to paint en plein air is filled with risk. You can manage a lot of risk by just being prepared. It does get easier over time. But there are those outings where you know you'll have to put some extra thought into it. I've been wanting to bring my paints out to the end of Bluff Point (here in Groton, CT), where the big split boulders lay at the edge of the water. It's about 2 miles out from where you park your car so I knew I'd have to pack really light. I've narrowed down my gear over the years and I've written about my back pack & set-up in a previous post back in April. But there's no way I'm willing to haul that out for two miles on a warm day! So, I decided I'd put my little "pochade box" to use. Some folks call it a thumb box, as there is a hole in the bottom for your thumb to fit, so you can hold it while you paint. It holds a little 6"x8" panel, a tiny palette for your paint, and room for short handled brushes under that. Not much room, but not much weight either. I decided to stick to Tim Bell's limited palette that I had tried out the other day, which is a few tubes less than what I normally carry.

There's a bumper crop of poison ivy out there this year, so I made sure to watch out for that as well as trying to keep out of the brushy areas to avoid ticks! Found a rock to sit on that provided a decent view. The only thing I'd do differently next time is to bring a cushion (of some type) to sit on. I usually stand when I paint with my regular set-up (an 8x10" Open Box M). But with this tiny hand-held box, I knew I'd want to sit. I'd be out in the open with no shade, so I had to turn and get myself situated so that there was no sun hitting my canvas or palette. It can be done, but it wasn't easy. I wasn't sure I was going to be happy at all with this little study. I had hoped to use this as a study for a larger work. The air was perfect out there today & the fragrance of salty sea air mingled with wild honey-suckle is pretty wonderful. Like the fisherman who claims "Even a bad day fishing is better than a good day at......(you fill in the blank). I knew that I'd had a good morning whether I was happy or not with the sketch. I pulled it out of the box a few hours after I got home & looked at it from across the room. Yes, truth! The essence of that brilliant light that I was after was there after all! So, for the box I rarely use, I did find that it served me well to keep things really small and light for this little bit of exploration! I plan to get some more sketches out there. It is one of my favorite places to hike and has been for over the last sixteen years. We have a lot of family memories there.

So even though I wouldn't consider this one a 'finished painting' I did get what I was after. A good collection of color notes to remember the day by and serve me well as a good resource for a larger painting. I've added a little photo of the thumb-box (or pochade box, sounds like po- shawd) so you can see what a tiny thing it really is. I don't love using it, but it really serves it's purpose for a long trek!

His and Hers, Oceanfront; beach, Atlantic, Chincoteague/Assateague National Seashore

8" x 10" oil on gallery wrapped, stretched canvas, with sides painted

“The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach”

- Henry Beston

After several rainy, dreary days this week, I was feeling like I needed a day at the beach. So I painted one, remembering a wonderful visit to Chincoteague, VA last September. Even though I go down to paint at the annual plein air paint-out & sale, I always try to take a lot of reference photos to bring home with me. I'm going back there this year, and painting this scene brought back memories of what a beautiful place those two islands (Chincoteague & Assateague) are.

Price includes framing and shipping/insurance to continental USA. Please contact me for framing selections. International buyers please contact me for shipping fee.

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Price: $450 USD
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Foggy Day Wetlands, Spring Thaw

8"x10" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

"The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month."

-Henry Van Dyke

Early Monday morning I went down to the shoreline to the wetlands overlook at Waterford Beach, here in CT. I think this is the first outdoor painting I've done this year. A heavy fog had rolled in over night and mist filled the air, it was actually quite beautiful! And it felt GREAT to be back outside painting again! Contact me here, for purchase information.


**A tip for painters- if you are going to paint outdoors in heavy mist (or possible light rain), you will want to make sure you are working on an oil primed surface. I learned this from a friend in Ireland several years ago while painting out in a light misty/rain. He was painting on an acrylic primed canvas and it began absorbing water and resisted the oil paint like a batik. This was certainly not the look he was after, and was so disappointed. I was painting next to him, and using an oil primed linen mounted on panel (from Raymar) the water beaded up & I was able to push it away with the paint brush/knife. I've since seen this a few times and was glad I had brought along the oil primed panels! AND, it's a great idea to keep your gear light, just in the chance that the weather gets worse and you have to pack up pronto to head for dryer, safer ground.

If you're in Norfolk, VA at the end of the month, I have begun framing new works to take to London Square Gallery in Norfolk, VA; where I'll be doing a demonstration of my palette knife work on Saturday, April 30th. If you're in town, I'd love to have you stop in to visit!

Eden Roses In The Dragonfly Teapot - sold

8"x8" oil on gessoed masonite artboard

"One may live without bread, not without roses.”

- Jean Richepin

I thought we were expecting a line of thundershowers across our end to the state today...of course, it never materialized. By that time I had cut off several blossoms to fill this favorite teapot that I use for holding flowers. This variety of rose has a soft fragrance (but not overpowering) and is climbing part of our fence-line...draping over it just beautifully!