Pot with oranges

Oil on canvas, 6" x 6"

I'm heading out for Washington DC tomorrow so won't be posting until after Jan. 1. See you then.

Order's up-sold

Oil on canvas, 6" x 8"

Bundled up, catching up

Oil on canvas, 6" x 8"

Another New York scene- a chilly spot to read the paper, but he was dressed warmly. I was pleased with the way the green/gray/lavender color scheme worked.

Park here- sold

Oil on canvas, 6" x 8"

Christmas certainly has a way throwing a monkey wrench into your plans. Last week was a busy one, and the time I spent in the studio produced mostly wipers. I made up for it over the weekend, though.

This painting is from a photo I took the last time I was in New York. And by the way, I've passed the one year mark as a blogger! I'm so glad I've been doing this- when you spend most of your time alone in your studio, having the world see and comment on your work is really a trip. Happy holidays to all.

Hawaiian shirt-NFS

Oil on canvas, 6" x 8"

It's taken a little while to get back into my routine after doing the Foundry show, but now I'm back.

View from Bold Point-sold

Oil on canvas, 12" x 12"

I've really enjoyed doing landscapes in this square format... I'm sure I'll be doing more.

Sailboat at sunset-sold

Oil on canvas, 6" x 8"

Warren waterfront 3-sold

Oil on canvas, 12" x 12"

Morning , Pawtuxet village-sold

Oil on canvas, 12"x12"

We slept on our friends' boat one night and it rained heavily most of the night. The next morning I woke up to see the sun streaming across the landscape with the storm clouds still passing through. I grabbed my camera and took a bunch of photos before the sun could get swallowed up by the clouds that were left.

Pawtuxet sunset-SOLD

Oil on canvas, 12" x 12"

Pawtuxet is a quaint little village south of Providence. A river runs through it, with a waterfall (which disappears at high tide), ending in a very protected cove at the edge of  Narragansett Bay. This painting is from a photo I took last summer.

A lot in a small space

I was asked how I can fit so much in such a small space. I guess it's my background as a greeting card illustrator. I spent about 10 years painting everything from Christmas trees to witches to teddy bears, and they were all painted same size, i.e., approx. 5" x 7". Above are a couple of examples of my work. Not everything was so detailed; a lot of my pieces were much simpler. They were all painted with gouache. You just need a good pair of glasses and brushes with a good point to them.(:

The valet

Oil on canvas, 6" x 6"

He was waiting to park cars. She was waiting for her friends...

Summer evening on the hill-sold

Oil on canvas, 6" x 6"

I enjoyed painting the pretty pastel colors on this one, a  nice change from the dark interiors I've been doing lately.

Where'd they go?

Oil on canvas, 6" x 6"

I saw this guy sitting by himself, minding his friends' beers... Were they out smoking? Maybe the ladies" room? Don't know...

Are you serious?

Oil on canvas, 6" x 6"

Last week was so busy, between teaching, Thanksgiving, and getting ready for the Foundry Artists show, I didn't have much time to paint. Hope to do better this week. 

If you're in the Providence area, the Foundry Artist show opens Thursday night and is open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday for 2 weekends. There's a link on the sidebar. Come check it out. I'll be there the last couple of hours every day of the first weekend.

I've been tagged by Kelley MacDonald, aka Betty Crocker Jr. This means I'm supposed to tell 7 interesting facts about myself and then tag 7 other bloggers. It seems like all I ever do is paint, so coming up with 7 things worth posting is difficult. Here goes:

1. I used to work as an in-house greeting card artist and probably hold the world's record for most greeting card illustrations done in the shortest time (20 in one week). (They were all loose watercolors)

2. Some years ago, Chicago started a fad by creating large fiberglas cows and having artists paint them, then display them around the city. In Providence, home of Hasbro toys, this morphed into large fiberglas Potatoheads. I am responsible for creating Edgar Allen Poe-tatohead, delightfully illustrated (if I do say so myself) with images from his short stories. Poe lived in Providence for a while, so I thought it was appropriate.

3. I'm the middle of 5 kids, and since I 'm sure none of my siblings read this blog, I think it's safe to say I was my parents' favorite.

4. Next June we'll celebrate the 25th anniversary of our wedding and first and only house purchase.

5. I've traveled to roughly half of the lower 48 states, missing the deep South and midwest.

6. Foreign countries I've been in- Mexico, Canada, England, France, and Russia.

7. Next trip, right after Christmas- Washington D.C. (We'll be home long before the inauguration.)

Now for my tags: 

Janice Thurston

Jonathan McPhilips

Kathy Hodge

Kellie Jobson

Carol Schiff

Derek McCrea

Jason Brockert

Waiters at Joe's-NFS

Oil on canvas, 6" x 8"

Sheesh, it's been a busy week. It took me forever to finish this little painting. I painted the guy's face over and over; even now I'm not thrilled with it but it's better than it was.

One rose down

Oil on canvasboard, 6" x 8"

Lunch with a redhead- sold

Oi on canvas, 5" x 5"

Trolley on Kneeland-NFS

Oil on canvas, 5" x 5"

Lunch on Newbury- sold

Oil on canvas, 5" x 5"

A study in greens- sold

Oil on panel, 6" x 6"

I have a mini rosebush that I bought at the supermarket last year, to use in a painting. It made it through last winter indoors, spent the summer outside, and is now inside again. I pruned it pretty heavily, because it had gotten leggy, and figured I might as well do a painting of the flowers that I cut off.

The Avon- sold

Oil on canvas, 6" x 8"

The Avon is a wonderful old independent theater in Providence, near Brown University.

Mac on checks-sold

Oil on canvas, 6" x 8"

This was a demo for the class I taught on Monday. 

Kettle casting shadow-sold

Oil on canvasboard, 6" x 6"

Another kettle painting- my last one, I think.

Kettle and cup-sold

Oil on canvas, 6" x 6"

I have a thing for this little kettle. I love the squat shape and the dull, semi-reflective surface.

The margarita

Oil on canvas, 6" x 6"

A colorful woman with colorful drinks...

Kettle and lemon-sold

Oil on canvas, 6" x 8"

Pool player

Oil on canvas, 6" x 8"

The corner pocket

Oil on canvas, 5" x 7"

Farmhouse, autumn-NFS

Oil on canvasboard, 6" x 8"

If you want to paint landscapes, you're constantly on the lookout for places to paint. There are certain requirements- first, of course, there has to be a view worth painting. Second, a place to park your car. It's good if it's not very far from your house. And, it should be legal for you to be there.

I found this place to paint the other day which fit my requirements except I'm sure I was on private property, but I have a feeling no one will bother me if I go back there to paint.

Osamequin-sold

Oil on canvas, 6" x 8"

The second landscape I did the other day.

Sunlight crossing stream- sold

Oil on canvas, 6" x 8"

I went out painting the other day with a friend to Osamequin, a nature preserve a couple of miles from my house. Now that the leaves and marsh grasses have turned color, it's really beautiful. I did another little painting that I'll post tomorrow. I'm planning to go back later this week but with the rain and wind we're having right now there may not be any leaves left on the trees...

Autumn Rose

Oil on canvas, 6" x 8"

I'm pretty sure this will be the last rose from my garden this year. Too bad, that delicate pink goes so well with the autumn foliage.

Sunflowers and citrus

Oil  on canvas, 6" x 8"

Two brushes

6" x 8", oil on canvas

This was a quick demo I did for one of the classes I taught yesterday in Providence. These brushes, pot and can have been sitting on a shelf for months and I finally got a chance to paint them.

Shore siesta-NFS

Oil on canvas, 6" x 8"

I couldn't resist sneaking a photo of this girl at the beach this summer. The long graceful line of her body was beautiful, even though it really didn't look very comfortable.

Bartender, The Hot Club- sold

Oil on canvas, 6" x 8"

The Hot Club, a casual, laid-back bar on the waterfront in Providence, derives its name not from the qualities of its clientele or staff but from the fact that it actually used to be a boiler room. The wall of windows on the west side allows the late afternoon light to come streaming in.

Orange sundress- sold

Oil on canvas, 6" x 8"

"And for you ladies..." - sold

Oil on canvas, 6" x 8"

The corner of the bar- sold

Oil on canvas, 6" x 8"

A date at Rick's- sold

Oil on canvas, 6" x 8"

Rick's is a great place to go for cheap food and beer, picnic tables on the patio and bean bag tossing. I loved the way the sun came slanting in and framed the heads of this couple at the bar.

Table by the window-sold

Oil on canvasboard, 6" x 8"

I've missed painting people so I figured I'd do a few restaurant/bar scenes. I tried and tried to get a good photo of this. I've found that paintings that are dark are often the hardest to photograph because no matter how you try to angle it, the light always seems to bounce off the dark areas, causing flares of light where they don't belong. Scanning works best but this was too wet. 

Dappled-sold

Oil on canvas, 6" x 8"

A sunny morning in the backyard...

View from the Lobster Pot- sold

Oil on panel, 8" x 10"

The Lobster Pot is a restaurant in Bristol, RI. I dropped some work off at Gallery 297 in Bristol and then sat in the parking lot of the restaurant and painted this. 

Painting on the porch

Oil on panel, 8" x 10"

I painted this on the last day of my trip, on the porch, because it was raining. We were supposed to leave that day but couldn't because the ferries weren't running. If you're familiar with Block Island, below is a photo of the breakwater at Old Harbor near Ballard's. Not a good day to be out on the water.

Spring House Hotel-sold

Oil on panel, 8" x 10"

Another of the Victorian-era hotels. I painted this in the late afternoon. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me. As the sun set, a rosy pink-purple shadow started at the base of the building and, within what seemed like a minute, covered the entire thing. Now I know how I'd like to paint it if I go back again.

The Narragansett Inn

Oil on panel, 8" x 10"

The wonderful thing about Block Island is the Victorian-era architecture. There are a number of hotels built during this time that are still standing. This is the Narragansett Inn, at New Harbor.

Block Island again- sold

Oil on panel, 8" x 10"

Another view from the Southeast Lighthouse, looking a little more to the south. I loved the goldenrod and chicory (the blue flowers) beside the mowed path.

Block Island 2-sold

Oil on panel, 8" x 10"

We got out early on Wednesday morning, a beautiful day, and went to the Southeast Lighthouse. This is the view looking east from the lighthouse grounds.