"The Apalachicola, Florida Maritime Exhibition" April 7th-29th

"Early Morning" 9x15 oil on linen will be one of my four paintings to be exhibited in the Exhibition in Apalachicola in April. There will be a reception on their second Saturday maritime celebration, April 14, from 6 to 8 pm.

"Mates" 12x16 oil on linen is another one the pieces that I have going into the exhibit. All paintings from all the participating artists (who are all ASMA members, American Society of Marine Artists) will be for sale at the Center for History, Culture and Art Center.

Both of these paintings are subject from the area around Apalachicola Florida.

"From Field Sketch to Studio Painting"

"The Oyster Boats"

This studio painting (above) is a result of painting a small piece (below), “Oyster boats” 6x9 oil, on location and taking information and reference to the studio to develop a larger work, “The Oyster Boats”, 15x30. The small sketch below was obviously painted at a different time of day and light, but it is the same location. There are things about studio paintings that are not achievable in Plein air because of the time restraint, but again, I try to treat them as similar as possible……my method does not change from field sketch to studio. I touched on this in a previous blog, “Plein air, Style or Process”. Plein air is not a style of painting, but the act of painting outdoors in open air.

"San Blas"

"San Blas" is a studio effort that evolved from the little Plein Air sketch below. I painted the study (6x9, oil on linen) last year at the Forgotten Coast paint out in Apalachicola, Florida. The studio painting is 12x24, oil on linen. It is very similar in feeling.......particularly the light. The energy and spontaneous brushwork in the sketches are often, for me, difficult to duplicate......so I don't necessarily try to do that. If it happens, then that's great, but each painting is a different painting, and the studies on location help me use the reference properly, and not just copy photo imagery. I try to pretend, or treat the studio paintings the same way, if possible, that I do the field sketches. The most important thing about painting on location or from life, for me, is the knowledge the camera cannot see what the eye can see. The camera will give you excellent information about structural details and such. The Plein air or life sketches give you a sense of place, accurate shadow value......things that have a tendency to get inky or dark in the photo reference......may it is just my poor photography!

Thanks of listening to may ramblings.

"A Proud Man"

I found this old painting in storage recently. It was not the first oil I painted after switching from watercolor, and other mixed media that I was using at the time for illustration assignments, but it was early....like 1983 or 84 ish. I did my first painting in oil in 83'. This is not a great painting, but I think looking at it again after all this time, there are some aspects of it that I still like. I can't remember the exact assignment...it could have been a study for a element in a montage of images. I did a series of famous American Indian chiefs for an outfit in Cheyenne, Wyoming back in the eighties. It could have been part of that. To much water under the bridge....to many back to back assignments during those years that all ran together.

Anyway, thought it might be interesting to look back at some of the old stuff every now and then. Some of it will never see the light of day. I kind of like this one....something about the skeptical, or proud expression on the man`s face.

Thanks for listening to my ramblings.