FIREFLIES

Finally, I have completed a nocturnal painting that I like.  Here is Fireflies.  I fell in love with a painting seen at the Amon Carter Art Museum in Fort Worth Texas.  It was The Old Stage Coach of the Plains done by Fredric Remington.  It took my breath away.  Since then I've wanted to do a nocturne.  I love seeing fireflies at night.  They light up the landscape like stars light up the sky.  I intentionally left the stars out so the fireflies could have their moment to shine.

Title:  Fireflies
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Size: 8" X 10"

SUNSET ON BAYOU DRIVE

Here is a painting of a sunset on Bayou Drive in Florida.  It has a tonalist influence which I have been studying for the last three years.  American landscape artist and tonalist George Inness is my main inspiration.
Title:  Sunset on Bayou Drive
Medium:  Oil on Canvas
Size:  8" X 10"
SOLD

HARBOR BEACH CLUB NORTH END PALMS

This painting was done on site at Harbor Beach Club in New Port Richie Florida.  One of the Friday artists invited several of us artists to come and paint on this beautiful beach.  The sea provided the well needed breeze to withstand the summer heat.  It was a beautiful day.

Title:  Palms on the Beach
Medium:  Oil on canvas
Size:  8" X 10"
SOLD

Sunset on Bayou Drive

This is a Pastel of a Sunset on Bayou Drive.  It is one of my favorite places to paint.  The salt marshes are up against the Gulf of Mexico and provide an endless supply of inspiration for paintings.  I had it scanned and a Giclee done of it for a customer.  The original is 15" X 33".  Giclees can be ordered larger or smaller.  To order contact me through email.

Panoramic View of Cloud Study

Here is another Cloud Study done at the same spot in Howard Park a week later.  There was rain happening in the North.  Quite a Vista above one of the Gulf Coast Inlets.  

Cloud Study 1

This Friday while at Howard Park I concentrated on doing a Cloud Study.  I was grateful for the abundance of Cumulus and Stratus clouds.  They seemed so stationary until I sat down to paint them.  Then the movement became very apparent.  There will be many more studies before "Going Big".

Taking In The Sun

5 X 7  Pastel

Last Friday the Florida Landscape Artists met at Howard Park in Tarpon Springs FL for our Friday outing.  It was quite breezy but we can't complain since the breeze makes it tolerable to paint outdoors in Florida in June. I appreciated the clouds that hung over the stretch of land which made for an interesting composition.

A Sunny Mid-morning in May

11" X 14"
Pastel
SOLD

This painting was done at Honeymoon Island.  I wanted to learn more about color schemes and read a great chapter on how to do a "Compound Complimentary Color Scheme"  I kept my color wheel within reach and picked Orange, Orange Yellow, and their compliments Blue and Blue Violet.  This was the results.

Early Sunrise

12" X 12"
Pastel

This early sunrise was done from a beautiful inner coastal spot in Belleair.  It is hard to believe these colors could be accurate but if you live in Florida it is common to see spectacular sunrises with colors very much like this.  That is one of the many reasons I love living in Florida.

Fanciful Forest

11" X 14"
Pastel

This painting was done at James E. Grey Preserve in New Port Richie.  I got a little carried away with the color.  It went from Realistic to Fanciful which is unusual for me.  But I liked it and had fun with it.  It's healthy to try new things and this was new!  One viewer thought it looked prehistoric and expected to see a dinosaur come around the corner.

By The Bank

5" X 7"
Pastel

Another pastel done at Kapok Park.

River Bank With Lillies

5" X 7"
Pastel

Kapok Park is a new discovery for me and it's a treasure of a park.  Not only is it about five minutes from home it is home to many beautiful birds; Limpkens, Owls, Wood Storks, Cranes, Wood hens, and many more.  There are walking trails that weave in and out of a variety of wooded areas and ponds.

Misty Day in May

12" X 16"
Pastel

This year the Florida Blueberry Festival held in Brooksville, Florida had a three day Paint Out called "Brush With The Blues".  My good friends, the Powells, let me set up in their screened in porch since it was misty out and that would not do well with pastels and paper.  So I picked this sight from their porch.  Saturday night was the show's reception and they announced the award winners.  I received a 3rd Place ribbon and $100 cash prize.  Oh Happy Day!

Between the Bushes

9" X 12"
Pastel
SOLD

This painting was done at Bakas Equestrian Center in Tampa, Florida where they have therapeutic horseback riding stables.  Many of the horses are donated to the Center and they are trained to help disabled people.  We were in the area where the horses could roam free.  They were VERY friendly and often came up and wanted to be petted!  They were very curious and examined the pastel trays and easels that were set up in their area.  One thing we learned was the pond had alligators.  One of the artists was set up 20 feet away from me.  She was by the bank of the pond.  One of the ranch hands came by and told her she needed to relocate.  There were four baby alligators close to the bank where she was standing and she was directly on the mother's path.  She very quickly relocated 20 feet to my right!

Dusk At The Oaks In Early Spring

12" X 16"
Oil on Linen

This is one of my favorite paintings for many reasons.  It is a sunset in early spring.  The sky was a sheet of gray for two nights.  The trees were just about to bud but there was no sight of them.  The sunset didn't offer vibrant colors those two nights.  And the trees had no leaves to make them look alive.  The grass was just beginning to show some life.  But it all had a beauty of its own; the beauty of the beginning of Spring.
This painting may not be a show-stopper but it captured the experience I had studying this view.  I watched and studied the sunset each evening for eight evenings while attending Deborah Paris' Landscape Atelier in Clarksville Texas in April.  There were nine students for the eight days and three more over the weekend.  Deborah is a Tonalist Master and is an excellent art teacher as well.  Along with her teaching she shares her extensive art library and knowledge of art history.  We focused on the American Landscape artists of the 1800s.  The first two days we did Field Sketching.  We observed and studied what views got our attention and gave us the desire to paint it.  Then we asked WHY.  Not an easy thing to do but necessary to understand the art process.  The remainder of the days we spent painting from our sketches and value studies.  All of us grew as artist by leaps and bounds.  It was a pivilage to study with an art master and teacher and a real pleasure to paint with dedicated and serious artists.

Under the Trees

11" X 14"
Pastel

This painting was done at a small but beautiful park in New Port Richie.  There are many birds and ducks that live there and are fed daily by the local residents.  I've done many pen and ink sketches here.  It is one of my favorite spots to paint.