A Few New Paintings

These three are in the Members Show at Spring Bull Gallery which can be seen through October 27th, 2024.

If you can’t get to Newport, RI -all paintings can be purchased direct from our gallery. We ship UPS.

24”x24” May the Seas Lie Smooth Before You

12”x24” May a Gentle Breeze Forever Fill Your Sails

8”x8” Warmth in the Sun

 

Coastal Rhythms is the new show at Spring Bull Gallery . Juried by artist Shaun Rock- all three of my entries were accepted!. The show is up from August 3rd to September 15th, 2024, with an opening reception and awards on August 10th, from 4-6pm. 

                                   Surfer’s End -12x16- $650

Buoys lll -24x12- $1050

Castle Hill Lighthouse- 16x12-$650

Let’s Meet at the Beach

 

Two chairs and an umbrella- all set up for a great day at the beach. I got in the ocean yesterday and even though it was only 55, it felt so invigorating. This painting will remind you of the long days of summer. Take time to do the things you enjoy- time is moving fast!

16x20 painted in oil on a deep gallery wrapped canvas.

Above & Below

 I love looking at things from different perspectives. 8x8 oil painting on a cradled wood panel.

The Red Bucket

 

I love the shapes and colors of umbrellas at the beach- I also love to paint stripes. This painting is 8x8 on a cradled wood panel and can be purchased though my Daily Paintworks gallery. Also can be seen at Spring Bull Gallery in Newport, RI through June 12, 2022.

Driftwood Beach II

 Driftwood Beach is such a surreal place, so unlike the beaches full of play and umbrellas. Here you must walk carefully, as roots and branches are underfoot. The strange shape of the fallen trees take on human form when you look at them a certain way. A little 6x6 oil on a cradled panel now available in my Daily Paintworks gallery. Just click on the link!

Driftwood Beach I

 

This small painting of a section of Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island, GA is a study of blues and tans. As calming as this color palette is, there is something surreal, and otherworldly about this whole place. Due to 200 years of erosion the soil became unable to support the trees, which then fell and decayed over time. Sun-bleached and preserved to walk among, photograph, paint, or just enjoy the uniqueness of this place.

When the Sun Breaks Through

 When the Sun Breaks Through is another beach painting. 8x16 which is that double square format I like quite a lot. The promise of a good day, even though the start of the day is full of clouds. There’s always blue sky somewhere…wait for it. Headed to Spring Bull Gallery in Newport, RI for Artist Members Exhibit Spring 2022. April 30th until June 12th, 2022.

Fun in the Sun

Fun in the sun. Still thinking up a title for this 8x16 oil painting. I used multiple  photo references to get this composition the way I wanted. Playing with color kept it exciting.

The Sand Shovel

 I have a collection of kids beach toys which are great objects to paint; their structure appeals to me. I painted this a while back, but thought it might appeal to those of us waiting for summer! Available on my DailyPaintworks for $95, which includes free shipping in the US. 

Dune Shadows

This 10x8 oil painting captures the path to the beach- always a new experience; will there be calm or waves, low tide or high? My footsteps quicken, I can’t wait to get to one of my most favorite places- the ocean. Update: SOLD!!!

Process & Surprises

What do I love about process shots? It's a little like a makeover- starting with a blank canvas- the possibilities are exciting. Do I want drama or security? Neutral daytime or jaw drop night? 
The same thing can happen when I start a painting. 
And... I might change midstream. That's more about what the painting process is for me, to trust and let the painting take me where it wants to go- letting go of preconceived ideas of what it will be all about. 
The result may be a surprise!

Simplified the foreground and lightened the shadow. I did a lot of looking, walking away then coming back into it, scraping and applying more paint. These photos show 5 layers, there were more that I didn't photograph. I hope this breakdown helps you to understand the many stages a painting may go through to reach the point where I can put down my brush and call it finished!

Adding more color, deciding to add the ocean behind, exploring with different shapes and grays.

Tried some tans and grays but didn't get too far.

 I wanted to get the values down- now with oil paint- and I fell a little in love with the pink. Kept the painting like this while I worked on other paintings and became ready to let go, and continue with the process.

I toned the canvas, 11x14 gallery wrapped, with burnt sienna acrylic, then got my composition down with thin oil paint- my typical mix of ultramarine blue and cadmium red light.

Seabirds from another angle

Here is another interpretation of the beach, the ocean tides and the birds that are along the shore. 

I'm very excited as this painting and the one from my post of 1/29/19 were purchased by a couple for their new seaside home. 

Just the perfect location I had hoped for. 

20 x20 gallery wrapped canvas. 

Inspired by the beach...again!

Another day, another gull. What has me excited is the possibility of exploring on a larger format the abstract shapes of the water, the shoreline and the sand as patterns are formed with each incoming wave. 

Loved working within the range of beach colors. Soothing, calming and always a source of inspiration.

Painting in Series- Gull 4

I'm having so much fun with these little seabirds and it reinforces what I've learned about painting in series- that each painting becomes a springboard for the next. In a sense, this is a relief, I don't have to rack my brain about what to paint when I allow it to evolve naturally. For example, painting a reflection one day may lead me to a deeper exploration of that reflection with the next painting.  Of course, it isn't always possible, or practical- but I'm experimenting and just letting it go where it wants!
I'm including a photo from the beach at Hilton Head, where we go each day with Cooper. He loves to chase the birds, so my photo references are never close enough to get any detail. I read from another painter to use cat food to get the gulls to come close. That wouldn't work as long as Cooper is with me, but it's an idea I'd like to try!

Two More from the Shore

I am really enjoying the chance to play with the abstract shapes in the water and in the reflections. Although I am working from photos, I am interested in losing detail in favor of obtaining a closer relationship with the vast space of the ocean and the birds along the shore. These are on linen, 6x6.

Gull 1

Working on a series, small in size, six to start. I set these parameters for myself as a discipline, for too often, I hate to admit, I can get off track with my art. I want to paint so many things, which is great, but I think it's good to rein it in every now and then. So here we are- these are all 6x6, oil on stretched linen. I am enjoying the abstract nature of the seashore, reflections, movement in the water, and of course, the classic form of the lowly seagull!