State house shadow-sold

Oil on canvas, 24" x 30"
This is a painting I started a long time ago (maybe 2 years?) - long enough that this view no longer exists for most people because there is a house in the way (the beginnings of the foundation are on the bottom right). I pulled it out the other day, looked at it and decided that there were just a couple of little things I needed to change- a few color/value adjustments- and now I'm fairly happy with it. It's a view of the Rhode Island statehouse in Providence from the East Side.

Shorebird and spring flowers- sold

Oil on canvas, 18" x 18"
I've been trying to work this bird into a still life for a long time. It never seemed to look right in anything else but I rather like this.

Lilacs at Smith Castle-sold

Oil on board, 8" x 8"
Ann and I went painting on Friday in Wickford, first at the town dock, which we eventually left due partly to the fact that a school bus full of kids pulled up (it's field trip time).

We then went to Smith Castle, which isn't a castle, it's an old farmhouse, but it's on the National Register of Historic Places and is open for tours. I was happy with this little painting, a backlit view of the house with lilacs in bloom and that lime green reflected up into the shadows.

The same bus full of kids was scheduled to show up there, which in a way turned out to be a good thing, because there were several docents on hand dressed in their period outfits (don't say costumes!) and we ended up chatting with them and taking a few pictures.

A bottle of red

Oil on canvas, 12" x 16"
JRS Fine Art, my Providence gallery of long standing and a fixture on Wickendon St., will be closing at the end of June. Jim just wants to have fun! So if there's a piece of art you've had you eye on, now would be the time to get it. Or just stop by to say goodbye.

Pansies and plums

Oil on canvas, 20" x 16"
I've really been in the mood for painting from life-- painting from photos can be so dull. These pansies were on sale so they became the subject.

The rose arbor

Oil on canvas, 12" x16"

Crackers and a sandwich

Oil on canvas, 20" x 16"
I had to fool around with this one, eliminating a lot of clutter in the background- chairs, blankets, towels, people. I decided to just keep the towel on the ground, the little cooler and the seagull in the top left. Together they make kind of a "Z" that brings your eye down and then back up.

A still life

Oil on board, 8" x 10"
I got together with some friends recently- plein air painters chomping at the bit to get outside- and we painted a still life. It was nice having someone else set it up, as that's always the hardest part. Composition, composition...

Tables in the sun-sold

Oil on canvas, 16" x 20"

The Church doors

Oil on canvas, 18" x 18"
This church is in Boston, near Copley Square.

The red coat- sold

Oil on panel, 8" x 8"
This is a quick sketch for a larger piece. I loved all the bits of red that popped up here and there. If you've ever been to New York in the winter, you know that almost everyone wears black. Those who don't are wearing gray or navy blue. So, my thanks to that one renegade woman who decided to wear red.

Hangin' at Rick's

Oil on canvas, 11" x 14"
Lots of paintings started, not so many finished. I think this one is done; the hardest part when using photos is not overworking it. That's not so hard when painting a landscape, but when you're painting figures it can be hard to know how much rendering to do, and how much to leave to the viewer's imagination.