Spring colors

Spring colors, 6" X 8"

I am always in awe of the beauty of spring in New England. The trees are a beautiful muted green and orange color just for a short while when the buds come out. This lovely color can be seen on the tops of the trees everywhere you look. It is just a marvelous site. I painted this at the at the grounds of historic Stevens Coolidge estate. There was a white house and the light was amazing. I finished the painting in the studio later.

Title: Spring colors 

Dimensions: 6" X 8"

Medium: Oil

Surface: Ampersand panel 1/8" thick

Winter pond and tree

Winter pond and tree
 20" X 16", Oil on linen canvas, Sold

When you paint from nature, i.e. en plein air, you can observe many more details than a photograph. I have learnt to see so much more. 

In this painting, the foreground snow and tree, middle ground lake and background trees are clearly defined.

 The foreground is defined by the use of thick paint for the snowy ground, and the tree trunks.  

The lake and accompanying slope of the land in middle ground is depicted by the flatness of water and diagonals of banks of melting snow.

The hugeness of the tree is contrasted by the smaller distant trees.

The subtle color of the tree trunk in the foreground, which is not too dark and not too light, was the trickiest for me. I had to show the tree both in light and shadow. I did not want the main trunk too dark, but also I wanted it to stand out from the background landscape.

In the photograph, the tree looks very dark and sky looks too blue

Painting in the snow

Painting in progress

A photograph of the scene

Neighborhood house in winter

Neighborhood house in winter,
12" X 12", Oil on board

I painted this yesterday. Looking out from my studio window. This house and tree make a perfect subject anytime, any season. The March 14th Nor'easter deposited 18 inches of snow in one day. The snow started early morning and by the time I started painting, the houses and trees were already covered in snow. 

Courtyard at Rolling Ridge, North Andover,

Courtyard at Rolling Ridge, North Andover, 9" X 12", Oil on panel

This was mostly painted on location at one of Andover Artists Guild plein air events. I like the pink and orange colors of this historic house at Rolling Ridge Conference and Retreat Centre in North Andover.

Overturned skiffs

Overturned skiffs, 10" X 10" X 3/4" , Oil on cradled board

Boats lend themselves to an excellent subject because of their bright colors. This was the third painting I finished during a two day workshop with New England artist Caleb Stone. This was painted on location at the shipyard near Essex Shipbuilding museum, Essex, Massachusetts. You can see pictures of this workshop in my earlier blog post. 

Backyard tree

This is a painting of a tree in my backyard. It was a nice day in April, when I got a chance to paint this on location outside. I like the composition of this painting, the yellow sunlit grass and the bright blue sky.

Title: Backyard tree
Dimensions: 20" X 16" X 3/8"