Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Three Dumpsters

Twice in as many days have I found myself in a parking lot with a little time on my hands. In both cases a cursory search revealed, in a remote corner, a dumpster or two, occupying that liminal space between the gritty asphalt and the rampant foliage asserting Nature's claim to our unproductive and neglected bits of turf. I tried to get a coherent image using only pen and ink on white paper, relying on texture and hatching to indicate a value scale.
Ink drawing of a dumpster next to a parking lot, with wild foliage in background.
Ink drawing of two dumpsters in a chain link enclosure  next to a parking lot, with wild foliage behind them.

Monday, September 9, 2024

The spooky house next to my dentist

Actually, it is perfectly respectable, home to doctors' offices, small businesses, and condos, but very striking in its Addams/Hopper/Bates-y way.

ink on toned paper drawing of spooky old house with mansard roof and wrap around veranda. White ink and toned paper give it an ethereal,  ghostly quality.

ink on toned paper

4" x 6"

Friday, September 6, 2024

Backyard Snow has now been accepted to the Workshop13 6th Annual Northeast Fine Arts Exhibition of Traditional Realism in Ware, MA.

Oil painting. Thick snow swirls amidst trees and play structure, simultaneously obscuring and defining the objects and the space between them.

It was on a waitlist - if other accepted entries couldn't make it for some reason, it would be selected. Now I can call off my Kind Hearts and Coronets operation.

Workshop13 Grand Hall
13 Church Street
Ware, MA 01082

Show Dates and Times:
September 28 to October 13, 2024
Fridays | 4 to 7 pm

Saturdays & Sundays | 1 to 4 pm

Opening Reception:
Saturday, September 28 | 1 to 4 pm
Awards, 3 pm

https://workshop13.org/calendar-event/northeast-fine-arts-exhibition-2/2024-09-28/


Wednesday, September 4, 2024

 Breakwater Afternoon will be part of the Workshop13 6th Annual Northeast Fine Arts Exhibition of Traditional Realism in Ware, MA.

Late afternoon light illuminates a seaweed covered stone breakwater linking the beach with the bay. Across the water a headland juts beneath puffy clouds.

Workshop13 Grand Hall
13 Church Street
Ware, MA 01082

Show Dates and Times:
September 28 to October 13, 2024
Fridays | 4 to 7 pm

Saturdays & Sundays | 1 to 4 pm

Opening Reception:
Saturday, September 28 | 1 to 4 pm
Awards, 3 pm

https://workshop13.org/calendar-event/northeast-fine-arts-exhibition-2/2024-09-28/


Thursday, August 29, 2024

Rail Road Crossing

I had about 30 minutes during which I did a pencil sketch, then messed around with it at home. The X shaped sign reminded me of James Gurney's analysis of the Rembrandt windmill and putting light against dark, dark against light, light against light, and dark against dark; so I tried to get something like that going. I ended up getting more into the overall flow of light, with the RR signal acting as a kind of photonic antenna or Van de Graaff generator.

Ink sketch of rail road crossing signal, with interlay of light and shadow using black, gray, and white ink on toned paper.

Pencil sketch of rail road crossing signal

More on the James Gurney Windmill Principle:



Monday, August 26, 2024

Breakwater, Morning; Breakwater, Afternoon

The same subject painted from opposite sides in the morning and afternoon. I just realized, it kind of reminds me of the Sphinx, who asked that riddle about who walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon and three in the evening. I'll have to go back and do an evening version.


Morning light creates luminous reflections and refractions in water behind rocky, seaweed covered breakwater on pebbly beach.


Late afternoon light illuminates a seaweed covered stone breakwater linking the beach with the bay. Across the water a headland juts beneath puffy clouds.

Thursday, August 22, 2024

My work on display at Burnett Gallery

Ego at Endo
Where I Stand
Three Women etching

I enjoyed seeing the show as a whole - interesting selection of artists, well curated and hung by @adeleggil et al. Worth a visit if you are nearby.

Burnett Gallery
The Jones Library
43 Amity Street
Amherst, MA 010023

Library Hours
Sun 1-5:15 (closed in Aug) Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat 9-5:15 Tues, Thurs 9-8:15


Gallery wall with three artworks displayed: Oil painting of bearded artist in studio with skeleton, oil painting of easel, palette table and paintbox seen from above, etching of three women on porch of house overlooking valley.