"Afternoon Stroll"

This area isn't far from my home and I walk this trail all the time. It runs along the Merrimack River in Bedford NH. It's a beautiful place. There are many views to enjoy along the trail and this is one of them. This was sketched mainly with charcoal pencils and a little graphite too. The two figures give just a hint of human presence in the vast scenery. This kind of scenery reminds me of times gone by. I think I'll be doing more sketches from this area. Thanks for visiting!

"O Christmas Tree"

This was a quick sketch I did originally without much background or shading. After about a year I went back to it and created a more finished piece. I used charcoal, sharpie pen, white conte´pencil, kneaded eraser and my fingers! It's an interesting mix of textures, values, mediums, and methods. I hope you like it! Thanks for visiting!

"Self Portrait 2015"

This is my first self portrait. I have sketched a few other portraits in the recent past though. I think it's a pretty good likeness. It's a new endeavor so I'm in the experimental phase right now. I'm just getting a feel for the mediums too. This is mostly vine charcoal with some compressed charcoal and a lot of kneaded eraser. I may try a self portrait every year for practice and to see how well I improve in my art skills and perhaps how well I age too! Thanks for visiting!

Not For Sale

"The Matriarch"

A portrait of the matriarch in my family. I put a lot of care into this piece and it seems to have come out very well. I did the whole piece in vine charcoal which is a little lighter and softer than regular charcoal.  Vine charcoal is very forgiving when it comes to erasing and making changes but it smudges very easily so one must be careful throughout the whole drawing process. Thanks for visiting!

"Shed in the Sun"

A plein air sketch of a nice rural scene in the town of Hollis, NH. It was a beautiful summer day and the area was very quiet. I have driven by this many times and always wanted to do something with the scene. On this day I was in the mood for sketching. I worked it up in the studio to finish things up and correct any areas I wasn't happy with. Thanks for visiting!

"Autumn River View"

This piece of work started out as a plein air piece along the Merrimack river near my home. It was the last plein air adventure I did this year because it was an early day in November and just happened to be unusually warm that day. I only had about an hour before it got very cool and I lost all my sun. I trudged on for another half hour and then called it a day. I've worked it up in the studio since then and here is the finished piece. You can see the remnants of an old bridge that used to be there. I really like the colors in this late autumn scene. Thanks for visiting!

SOLD

"Mostly Stripes"

Another colorful piece in the spirit of the harvest season. I realized most of the vegetables had stripes so now I had my title. It was tricky getting all the color and values correct on the shadow side of the vegetables, especially with the stripes creating two values - a lot of work. I love the way the colors glow in this painting! I'll have to do more like this! Thanks for visiting!

"Squash City"

Another piece in the spirit of the harvest season. I originally had an apple in there but I felt like I was squeezing in too much so I removed it. That means only squashes remained hence the title! It was fun painting this piece with all the pure colors that you see. I finished the majority of it in one session, then I worked on refinement the next session. I thought I was done until I noticed I forgot to finish the stems on two of the squashes! Done now! Thanks for visiting!

"My Cup Runneth Over"

This is the final painting in my Psalm 23 series. I wanted to portray a feeling of having plenty but keep the focus on actually drinking from a cup, or glass in this case, even though that isn't exactly what the saying means. It means having abundance that overflows in your life. I like the colors and the look of having had plenty. Thanks for visiting! 

SOLD

"Harvest"

In the spirit of the Fall season I have created a little piece that reminds me of the harvest. I really enjoyed using the pure colors of orange, red and yellow. The squash on the right was a delight to render with its subtle colors and interesting value range. Here comes the cool weather! Thank you for visiting!

"Elegant Trees"

These beautiful trees in the middle are so elegant and old. They stand about 60 feet high and are so magnificent to look at, especially at dusk when the sun catches the trunks near the top. This is in a local neighborhood in my home town of Merrimack, NH. I really enjoyed painting this piece. Thanks for visiting!

"Under the Tree"

A nice autumn scene where you can relax and enjoy the quiet of the country. I pushed the color for more impact and to indicate the fall season more. It's a simple piece with a simple beauty. Thanks for visiting!

The final plein air piece.

The original scene.

A short video.

"An Old Friend"

A recent sketch I did on site on Main st. Merrimack, NH. I sat in a lawn chair on the side of the road by a walkway across the street from the tree and sketched for two hours. It's a wonderful old tree that has real character and age. Most people probably don't notice it as it's a little busy in the area. I worked on it a little, later on at home, to finish it up. I am happy with the results. Thanks for visiting!

SOLD

"Merry Christmas Bedford Falls"

This is a scene from the famous movie 'It's a Wonderful Life". This was a very difficult execution. It was quite a challenge and took me a long while. I am happy with the results though. Thanks for visiting!

"Another Place in Time"

I painted this on a chilly morning in May with bright sunshine and a cool breeze. On the property is a nice old house and a pond next to that. A nice, quaint place. I simplified the scene and added some color to make it more interesting. The barn was my focal point from the beginning. Thanks for visiting!

"Reeds Ferry I, Winter"

This is a small sketch I did on a winter's day sitting in a chair in the snow. It was sunny and nice out so it was a pleasurable experience. I've always loved that tree and the hanging branch with the way it reflects in the water. This used to be an old ferry stop for boats to ship goods up and down the Merrimack river to points south including Boston, MA. Thanks for visiting!

"Trees in Mine Falls Park"

A plein air sketch of a group of trees in Mine Falls Park. It was an overcast day with even light the whole time - no significant shadows. Just enjoyed a nice afternoon sketching out in nature. Enjoy. Thanks for visiting!

"Watson Park"

A sketch of a river bank in a local park in Merrimack NH. I did this on site and kept a loose feel the whole time. I really enjoyed the experience. Thanks for visiting!

"I Shall Not Want"

This is the first in a series I painted on Psalm 23… "The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want". The basic necessities of life are depicted here - bread and wine. A staple of the time back then. I pushed the color for more excitement. Thanks for visiting!