Le Pont Royal a Paris, Temps Variable

There's been some interest in paintings i've done in Paris, mostly along the banks of the Seine.  These go back a few years.  I'm feeling ready to brave the subway crowds with my gear and get out there again. It takes a lot of "sans gene" to schlep easel and wet paintings through the metro, and it takes "sang froid" to stand out on the quai. But there is something so amazing about that place, the colors, the bridges, and the history... it's almost worth it.

years ago i lived in jersey city, and the bus stop was just under my bedroom window. i remember at the time being very interested in japanese prints.
this painting was composed looking down from the window, partly from observation, but because the figures were constantly moving, it's partly made up.  it's one of the reasons painting from life is so challenging, surprising, and occasionally rewarding.
i'd never shown it anywhere before, so it was fun to pull this painting out and hang it in our "snow show" at studio 21 south.

Moo!

exciting news from the berkshires... an agricultural sale on etsy to a collector in new york . 

i did this cow painting in the muck,  looking over a barb-wire fence, a few years ago.  there were flies and interesting smells. Cows move around, which presents a problem. but as they all kind of take the same pose it makes for an interesting drawing puzzle. the thought of what i would actually do with a cow painting didn't occur to me until later.

i haven't been back since, but now that there is a market, maybe i'll pay those cows another visit.  now where did i put those rubber boots?

Here's a winter sketch from beautiful North Adams, painted from the kitchen window of my friend Katherine's house. Thanks, Katherine.

There were those blue shadows and the subtle tones of the houses... not much to say about it, really, except that it was a joy to paint.

Just added to my Etsy gallery...

Autumn Hillside, Berkshires

The end of autumn begs to be painted; those last bright days, still warm enough to stand in the sun for a few hours before the storms arrive and winter sets in.

There is so much going on, colorwise, that it's hard to be selective and to simplify. There are winter's violet trees, and still quite a bit of red from the oaks and a few stubborn maples. And what to make of the green fields, who still think it's summer?

I'm posting this painting and much of my smaller work on Etsy, my virtual studio gallery. I just started in January, and it's been a lot of fun so far.

A Dog in Winter

Sometimes you just don't want to go outside to paint in the snow. Sometimes, when you are a dog for example, you just want to curl up in a chair and hope that nobody makes you go out into the snow.

Bob, the bichon, has been a faithful model over the years. Though he does tend to shift now and then, once he's settled in he really holds the pose.  Also, the standard pay for a model is $12-20 an hr., but Bob is willing to sit for an occasional scratch behind the ear and dog biscuits. What a guy.

I just posted "Studio Dog" to my Etsy site, so you don't even have to come to the "snowshow" at studio 21 south to buy it!

Goodyear

My painting of the day:
a not quite "plein air" painting - mais non!- because i did it from the front seat of my car. the disadvantage of this is that things fog up, and you can't step back. but it sure beats standing in a slushy puddle in the middle of the street.
and yes, i could have taken a photo and worked from that. lots of people do, and they seem to like it. i'd rather...

This one will be on view at our snow-show at studio21south. hoping it's dry by then.