"The Peninsula"

I copied this Corot painting for the challenge and simply just for the beauty of it. I edited it to my liking and left it at that. There was a man in a boat to the left and a stick on the water's edge in the middle in the original painting. Perhaps other things also but I like where it's at. I painted it but it's someone else's composition. Thanks for visiting!

 "Autumn Splendor"

I painted this from a photo I took of a nice Fall scene in October. I pushed the color a bit but I loved the light and how it played across the grass and lit up the autumn splendor. Thanks for visiting!

"Island Beach" 

This island is formed when the Merrimack river splits around it heading towards a railroad trestle. It's a beautiful area with plenty of motifs to choose from to paint. This piece is busy but I think it works with the relatively non-detailed beach area. Some day I'll wade across and visit the island. Thanks for visiting!

 "Wildlife Pond"

This is Wildlife Pond in Beaver Brook Park in Hollis, NH. This was an earlier piece that ended up in the front window of an art gallery through our painting group I belonged to. It sold a few weeks later. I added the mountains for interest in the background. A nice, peaceful scene.

SOLD

 "Mountain Peek"

This is a scene from way up in the northern mountain country. I was cruising along on a highway country road and saw this opening in between the trees. Of course I had to stop and take some pics. I created this painting from those reference photos. It's too dark as usual as this is an earlier piece and I was just getting started and ended up copying photos for a while. I used acrylic paints at first but after a couple of years I saw that oil paintings were so much more rich and fine. Acrylic trends to be more hard and harsh. Thanks for visiting!

SOLD

"Morning Stroll"

This is my second painting I ever painted. It got some applause at a critique in an art group I belonged to. The colors were so beautiful that year in the Fall. I sold it to a friend who donated it to a small, local library. Thanks for visiting!

SOLD

 "Covered Walking Bridge"

This painting is one of my earliest and it was quite a challenge. A lot of precise rendering. The stark sunshine needs to be toned down but for an early work it's pretty good. Values are all off but it still has some charm. Sold to a friend. Thanks for visiting.

SOLD

 "Blustery Sky, Mine Falls"

A simple piece with a simple idea. I just wanted the stark contrast of the values with minimal color and just a slight hint of warmth in the sky to counter all the cool of the scene. Out of four small paintings I had in a gallery this is the one that sold. Thanks for visiting!

SOLD

 "House in Newburyport"

This one is all about the flowers. I colored it up a bit from it's original pass and it looked much better. I really wanted to punch up the light too. Sold it at a private school art show. Thanks for visiting!

SOLD

 "Front Yard, Summer Bloom"

A nice little house on a small street in the country a bit in Dunstable, NH. I was proud of this one as my skills were getting better. I love all the colors and broken strokes. I rendered the house with more detail as that is the focal point. I sold this at an art show. Thanks for visiting!

SOLD

 "Hollis Farm"

This is a scene along the side of the road in Hollis, NH. A beautiful, small town. I painted this from a photo and I was just learning so I merely copied the photo to the best of my ability. I ended up selling it at a Greely Park Art Show one year. Thanks for visiting!

SOLD

 "Serenity"

This is a scene I saw on my way to work at a new job one day. I went back to the area in Chelmsford, MA and took some snapshots. This was earlier in my career so I created a painting from the photos. The darks are too much but the composition and rendering are good so I'm happy and you can see the light in the work pretty good. Thanks for visiting!

SOLD

 "Lake Sunapee"

This was a commission for a friend. We hiked up the ski trail in Summer and I snapped some photos of what she wanted. Then when it came time to start the commission she wanted me to use several photos in a composite! I worked it out but when I finished she thought the lake would be larger. She was satisfied anyway. It was to be a wedding gift to her daughter out west. This is an earlier piece so I was still learning a lot.  I wanted to punch up the color and make sure the distant mountains looked misty and far away. I think I accomplished that. Thanks for visiting!

SOLD

"Meadow Ledge Farm"

What a beautiful barn and property. This place is a working farm with a wonderful store. I approached the owners and made a deal. I do this painting and they gave me some cash and $200 worth of goods in their store. What great products they had! Nice people too. The husband came out once and commented he's been meaning to wash the white boards. I told him I thought the dirty boards gave the barn more character. I paint what I see so that is what made it in the painting. BTW, he did not ask me to paint it white. Thanks for visiting!

SOLD

 "Shaker Village Trail"

I joined a plein air group here in NH years ago and we had a running agreement with Canterbury Shaker Village in Canterbury, NH where we could paint on their property w/o having to pay to get in. This is an area I found at the bottom of a hill and it was quite a bucolic scene. I love the orange/yellow tree to the right. This was entered into a show they did at the village and I ended up making a sale. Thanks for visiting!

SOLD

 "Christmas Snow"

This scene is actually deep in the woods right after a snowstorm. I went out the next morning just as the snow had stopped and the sun came out. The colors were amazing and the sky was such a deep blue. I snapped some reference photos and created this painting from them. I pushed the color as it seemed to need it. Thanks for visiting!

SOLD

 "My Sis Deb and Phoebe"

This was my first portrait that got me started in charcoal drawing of portraits. It's a very small picture but I wanted to see if could get a likeness of my sister. The dog, Phoebe, is just in a supporting role. It was quite a struggle but I definitely captured her likeness. When my sister saw it she bought it. That got me started in charcoal portraits. I don't do them this small. I do a standard size of 9 x 12 on Bristol vellum. I now have a skill in portraits. Next would be to try an oil portrait. Someday... Thanks for visiting!

SOLD

 "Dead End, Winter"

I sketched this scene near my home on a cold winter day. It's at the dead end of Moores Crossing Road in Bedford, NH. I liked the way the house stood out from some of the woods and the road leading down with the ranch style fence posts leading to the house. I sat in my car and faced the scene. It was too cold to work outside. It's very sketchy but the house grabs you as it's the focal point and has a bit more detail and careful rendering. As you move about farther away from the house the rendering diminishes as it's not necessary unless one wants to sketch it fully. I don't usually do that. I sketch like I paint - with a composition and a focal point or subject. Thanks for visiting!

SOLD

 "Nicholas"

This was a commission for a friend of mine. It was quite a challenge as I was given a few photographs and had to do a composite to get it going right. Would not normally do that but it was a friend so I said I'd try. When I finished and showed it to her she cried. I guess I was successful! Getting the eyes and the glasses were difficult as everything seemed too small. The shirt was tedious to render. After this portrait I now have guidelines and in them I don't do detailed garments unless they want it, then I'd have to charge more. Anyhow, I succeeded with this one and the artist and client were both happy. Thanks for visiting!

SOLD

"Peanut"

 This is my great niece that I decided to draw one day. What a challenge! The shapes of babies faces are so different and the hair was so thin and wispy. With lots of care and devotion I was successful in getting a very good likeness I believe. My sis ended up buying it. Thanks for visiting!

SOLD

 "Baby Jesus"

When I saw this image I felt I just had to see if I could do a good job on rendering it and do it justice. I think I succeeded. That hardest part was the little face of Jesus. The actual size of the image is about 7 x 5 so it's pretty small. I am very pleased with the drawing overall and I really like the softness in the folds of the garment and the scratchy look of the pile of straw surrounding the baby. Thanks for visiting!

SOLD

 "Midday"

This is a scene right along the Merrimack River in Merrimack, NH. Just past the trees is a steep drop-off. It goes down about 50 feet or more to the river which is relatively wide in this area. Not very deep though. I liked the two 'sister' trees on the edge and the colors of the distant trees with the foreground fall grasses. Nice little scene to paint. The sky was blustery and filled with sun and clouds. I hope I captured the sky convincingly. Thanks for visiting!

SOLD

 "Midafternoon"

This is a pic of a friend of mine who sent me some Fall pictures one year. It was a beautiful scene so I painted it. She has since bought it. The hardest part for me was the figure. I'm more of a landscape painter but I think I did a decent job. Love the color and the composition. Thanks for visiting!

SOLD

"Acadia" 

This is a recognizable place in Acadia National Park. There is such beautiful scenery along the coastline. All natural, all good. There is plenty of light and color in this piece. The dark shadows and bright rocks really show how bright and stark the sunshine was on this beautiful day. Thanks for visiting!

SOLD

"Countryside"

A nice path winds through this field that has opened up in the forest. I like the different colors in the verge and sky. This is a very small piece 4 x 6 and I enjoyed bringing life to a vista on such a small format. Thanks for visiting!

SOLD

 "Mandy On The Lawn"

This is a black lab I used to own way back when. She was very sweet and fun. I was out training her one day in a sit and wait position and snapped a photo. I loved the color of the grasses so I decided to attempt a portrait in the landscape. I like the looseness of the surrounding area with the detail of the dog. Thanks for visiting!