"Break Out" - 7 x 7 inches - sea glass collage - framed

"Break Out" - 7 x 7 inches - sea glass collage - framed

I just want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a joyous, healthy and creative new year!  Many thanks to all of you who send words of encouragement, have purchased my art, and for those who live near Westford, MA, have supported the Art on Main gallery. 

Ok, I'm a little afraid to announce this, but, tomorrow, I start another "30 paintings in 30 days" challenge for the month of January.  This will be my 3rd challenge and the first two were really tough!  I got completely burned out by around day 22.  So, I'm going to keep it simple and try to stay focused, motivated and simply enjoy the ride....hopefully, you will too!

Congratulations to Cindy Williams who won my art give away for December.  I'm giving Cindy one of my 2014 desk calendars.  I only have a handful left and am offering them at a sale price of $12.  So, click here if you're interested in purchasing one. 

"Break Out", was created using sea glass that I collected -- mostly from beaches in New England.  This piece is very different from the piece that I posted yesterday (which has already sold).  It is much more bold and graphic.  I love the subtle shades of colors; there are at least 7 or 8 different shades of greens and browns. 

"Break Out" is a 7 x 7 inch Framed Sea Glass Collage.  The frame is 1 3/4 inches deep.  Click the Buy Now button below to purchase using a credit card or click here for other payment options. 

"Spring" - 7 x 7 inches framed sea glass collage - SOLD

"Spring" - 7 x 7 inches framed sea glass collage

Ever since a trip to France about 10 years ago, I've been fascinated with collecting sea glass.  I spent an afternoon on a Mediterranean beach finding a couple handfuls of smooth, tumbled sea glass in a range of pastel colors.  I was in awe and couldn't stop!  When I got home, I put together an abstract collage that hangs on my wall and it is one of my treasured souvenirs from that trip.

This obsession with sea glass has ruined my ability to go to a beach and simply relax and enjoy the experience.  I'm always walking with eyes down looking for colored bits of tumbled glass.  So, over the years, I've garnered quite a collection and I'm always looking for creative things to do with it.

"Spring", was created using sea glass that I collected -- mostly from beaches in New England.  I spent a long time arranging the pieces to come up with a pleasing composition.  To add a bit of whimsy, I also wrapped wire around a few pieces near the top.  This unique piece comes in a frame that can either be hung, or, just sit on a shelf.

"Spring" is an 7 x 7 inch Sea Glass Collage.  The frame is 1 3/4 inches deep.  

Brady Way - 24 x 30 inches - oil on canvas

I finally completed the large house portrait that I've been working on since mid-November.  It was very slow going, especially in the beginning.  I spent a long time on the drawing to make sure all the architectural details were as accurate as possible.  It didn't help that I got side-tracked with Thanksgiving and other holiday celebrations but I persevered and kept chipping away at it.

This past Saturday, I delivered the painting and am very happy to report that the family was thrilled and delighted with the final result.  They plan to hang it in their foyer and found a perfect spot.  The painting looks really nice against their walls which are a soft yellow color.  Below is the final painting.  For those who missed it, you can view the portrait in progress by clicking here.

"Brady Way" - 24 x 30 inches - oil on canvas

2014 Desk Calendars: Don't forget to order (or pick up) one of my 2014 desk calendars - they make a great holiday gift.  I only make a limited number and once they're gone, they're gone!  They are available at Art on Main, or, click here to order by mail.

House Portrait Progress - Holiday Open House at Art on Main

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends.  I was pretty good and didn't over stuff myself with too much turkey this year.  But, the holiday season is in full swing so there are plenty of opportunities ahead!

I've been diligently working on a house portrait commission.  My progress has been slower than I'd like but at this point it is in pretty good shape.  I thought I'd share my progress and will post a copy of the final painting when I finish it.  Hopefully, it will be well received.

For those who live in the Westford, MA area, Art on Main is hosting their annual holiday open house on Thursday, Dec. 5 from 5 - 8 p.m.  This year, Sweetpeas Bakery is graciously providing sweets for our reception.  Stop by and say hello!

Ok, on to the house portrait:

I started by dividing my canvas into sections using a red colored pencil.  Using a blue colored pencil, I worked, section by section to transfer the image from my reference photo on to the canvas.  The house has a lot of architectural details so this process took a long time as I wanted to get the angles, proportions, window placement, etc. very accurate from the start.




I usually coat my canvas with a solid colored background as I don't like to paint on a white surface.  In this case, I decided to use a variety of colors for the base.  I didn't want a solid wash of color to hide my initial drawing as it took way too much time and work!



I decided to work on the house first.  I focused on the front entrance as this was one of the more complicated sections with an overhang, pillars and steps.


Once the house was moving along, I wanted to start work on the landscape.  I started by filling in the water to the right of the house and then worked on the front lawn.



At this point, I've got oil paint on most of the canvas.  The landscaping and background trees still need some work.  I also have additional details to fill in on the house primarily on the right side as well as all the windows.  The front lawn color will also change a bit as well as the addition of leaves that will be scattered around.  So, there is still a fair amount of work to go so I'll keep chipping away.