30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 30 - "Evening Dunes" - 12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas

"Evening Dunes" - 12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas

DAY 30!!!  The final day of the 30 day painting challenge!  Overall, I'm really pleased with the paintings that I created this month.  Many thanks to all of you who followed me in this challenge and sent words of encouragement or bought a painting.  Available paintings can be viewed here.

Since I love the beautiful sand dunes on Plum Island, it seemed fitting to paint them once again as the final painting for this month.  I rushed to the dunes around 5:30 p.m. knowing that I'd have about an hour to paint before sunset.  I had to work quickly as the light was dimming fast. Purchase info is below.  

In other news, I'll be giving a painting demonstration at the Parish Center for the Arts in Westford, MA on Thursday, October 9 from 7 - 8:30 p.m.  For more details, click here.

I am also teaching an oil painting class (also at the Parish Center for the Arts) that begins on Thursday, October 16 and runs for 6 weeks.  For complete details and to register, click here.

"Evening Dunes" is a 12 x 12 inch oil on canvas painting with the sides painted black so framing is optional.  $175  Click the Buy Now button below to purchase by credit card or click here for other ways to buy a painting.

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 29 - "Blue Skies" - SOLD

"Blue Skies" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

Wow.  Day 29!!!  One more to go and the challenge is finished!

I sat on the beach and painted this scene on a peaceful afternoon.  I didn't have any shade so it was a challenge to "see" my colors and values in the bright sun.  Just another one of the hazards of plein air painting.  Purchase info is below.  

In other news, I'll be giving a painting demonstration at the Parish Center for the Arts in Westford, MA on Thursday, October 9 from 7 - 8:30 p.m.  For more details, click here.

I am also teaching an oil painting class (also at the Parish Center for the Arts) that begins on Thursday, October 16 and runs for 6 weeks.  For complete details and to register, click here.

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 28 - "Shipyard" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Shipyard" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

I had planned to paint some boats on their cradles in this shipyard but this scene caught my attention instead.  I really liked how the cars were illuminated in the morning sun against the dark buildings. Purchase info is below.  

In other news, I'll be giving a painting demonstration at the Parish Center for the Arts in Westford, MA on Thursday, October 9 from 7 - 8:30 p.m.  For more details, click here.

I am also teaching an oil painting class (also at the Parish Center for the Arts) that begins on Thursday, October 16 and runs for 6 weeks.  For complete details and to register, click here.

"Shipyard" is an 8 x 8 inch oil on canvas painting with the sides painted black so framing is optional. 

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 27 - "Fishing Boats at Dawn" -SOLD

"Fishing Boats at Dawn" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

One of the challenges of plein air painting is that the light changes so quickly.  Unlike a mid-day scene, the colors in this painting are fairly grey and subdued but everything gets brighter and more defined as the sun rises.

I first block in the basic color and value of the large masses (sky, water, land, and boats) before getting down to the nitty gritty details.  Even though the boats are quite small, they take the longest time.  I have to fuss around to get their shapes correct and to make them look as if they are floating on the water.  Purchase info is below.

In other news, I'll be giving a painting demonstration at the Parish Center for the Arts in Westford, MA on Thursday, October 9 from 7 - 8:30 p.m.  For more details, click here.

I am also teaching an oil painting class (also at the Parish Center for the Arts) that begins on Thursday, October 16 and runs for 6 weeks.  For complete details and to register, click here.

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 26 - "Approaching Storm" - 5 x 7 inches - oil on paper

"Approaching Storm" - 5 x 7 inches - oil on paper

I picked this scene to paint because of the ominous sky as well as the receding line of telephone poles which I really love...feels kind of retro to me.  Purchase info is below.

In other news, I'll be giving a painting demonstration at the Parish Center for the Arts in Westford, MA on Thursday, October 9 from 7 - 8:30 p.m.  For more details, click here.

I am also teaching an oil painting class (also at the Parish Center for the Arts) that begins on Thursday, October 16 and runs for 6 weeks.  For complete details and to register, click here.
"Approaching Storm" is a  5 x 7 inch oil on paper presented in a standard 8 x 10 inch mat.  $60 Click the Buy Now button below to purchase by credit card or click here  for other ways to buy a painting.

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 25 - "Solo" - 6 x 8 inches - oil on linen - SOLD

 "Solo" - 6 x 8 inches - oil on linen - SOLD

Day 25..woo hoo!  Only 5 more to go!

This was actually a very complicated scene with many boats behind this sailboat.  I just loved the beauty of the shape of this particular boat and the highlight on the sunny side and how it made a nice reflection in the water.  So, I didn't want a lot of extra "noise" as a distraction.  Purchase info is below.

In other news, I'll be giving a painting demonstration at the Parish Center for the Arts in Westford, MA on Thursday, October 9 from 7 - 8:30 p.m.  For more details, click here.

I am also teaching an oil painting class (also at the Parish Center for the Arts) that begins on Thursday, October 16 and runs for 6 weeks.  For complete details and to register, click here.
"Solo" is a  6 x 8 inch oil on linen with the sides painted black.

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 24 - "Peachy Keen" - 5 x 7 inches - oil on paper

"Peachy Keen" - 5 x 7 inches - oil on paper

These two peaches were sitting on the kitchen windowsill just asking to be painted.  Unlike nectarines, peaches, with their fuzzy skin, don't have sharp highlights and reflections.

As you can probably tell, I started with a bright blue background and I allowed little bits to show through.  Purchase info is below.

In other news, I'll be giving a painting demonstration at the Parish Center for the Arts in Westford, MA on Thursday, October 9 from 7 - 8:30 p.m.  For more details, click here.

I am also teaching an oil painting class (also at the Parish Center for the Arts) that begins on Thursday, October 16 and runs for 6 weeks.  For complete details and to register, click here.
"Peachy Keen" is a  5 x 7 inch oil on paper presented in a standard 8 x 10 inch mat.  $60 Click the Buy Now button below to purchase by credit card or click here  for other ways to buy a painting.

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 23 - "Beach Day" - 5 x 7 inches - oil on paper

"Beach Day" - 5 x 7 inches - oil on paper

Another dune painting but this time I sat on the beach and painted with my palette on my lap.  The day was kind of overcast but there was a gentle breeze so it was very pleasant.  I love the beach but I'm not a hot weather fan so my favorite beach days are in the fall.

"Beach Day" is a  5 x 7 inch oil on paper presented in a standard 8 x 10 inch mat.  $60 Click the Buy Now button below to purchase by credit card or click here  for other ways to buy a painting.

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 22 - "Dunes in Purple" - 10 x 10 inches - oil on canvas

"Dunes in Purple" - 10 x 10 inches - oil on canvas

I finally stopped long enough to take some photos to show the progression of how I created this painting.  So, if you are interested, scroll down.

"Dunes in Purple" is a  10 x 10 inch oil on canvas.  The sides are painted black so that framing is optional. $150  Click the Buy Now button below to purchase by credit card or click here  for other ways to buy a painting.

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 21 - "Sunrise" - 5 x 7 inches - oil on paper

"Sunrise" - 5 x 7 inches - oil on paper

I started by painting my paper purple as I knew I wanted a strong yellow color for the sun and if you put purple next to yellow, the yellow appears even brighter.  As usual, I sat in the marina parking lot and painted this early in the morning.  It is so quiet and peaceful that time of day.

"Sunrise" is a  5 x 7 inch oil on paper presented in a standard 8 x 10 inch mat.  $60 Click the Buy Now button below to purchase by credit card or click here  for other ways to buy a painting.

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 20 - "Gillis Bridge" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas SOLD

"Gillis Bridge" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

Day 20!!!  Two-thirds of the way through the challenge and the countdown for the last 10 paintings begins!

There is a bridge over the Merrimack River that connects Newburyport, MA to Salisbury, MA.  The bridge opens up when a boat with a tall mast wants to pass underneath.  It's a pretty well traveled bridge so the traffic really backs up when this happens. 

I chose a rather unusual composition as I really wanted to paint those puffy clouds.  I stood on the boardwalk and painted while people came by and said hello.  Everyone was in such a good mood as the day was sunny and bright.

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 19 - "Marsh II" - 6 x 8 inches - oil on linen - SOLD

"Marsh II" - 6 x 8 inches - oil on linen - SOLD

I have to say that this painting looked like a complete mess until it finally came together!  I'm very happy with the final result but struggled with the smooth linen surface as well as my subject.  Marshes are just plain hard to paint! 

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 18 - "Farmers Market Pickles" - 5 x 7 inches - oil on paper

"Farmers Market Pickles" - 5 x 7 inches - oil on paper

Today was cloudy and damp so I looked inside for inspiration.  If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you know I like to paint (and eat) pickles.  A friend (Lou Ellen) gave me this jar of pickles that she picked up at a local farmers market.  Those little thoughtful gifts can just make your day!

I started off with a pink background as I thought the pink would make a nice foil for the green pickles.  I hope you enjoy this painting as much as I'm enjoying these pickles!

"Farmers Market Pickles" is a  5 x 7 inch oil on paper painting which comes in a standard 8x10 mat.  $60  Click the Buy Now button below to purchase by credit card or click here  for other ways to buy a painting.

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 17 - "Quiet Harbor" - 6 x 8 inches - oil on linen - SOLD

"Quiet Harbor" - 6 x 8 inches - oil on linen

I started off by painting my canvas a soft pink color.  Pink and orange are my preferred background colors for landscapes.  I wasn't feeling particularly bold which is why I only gave the canvas a light wash of pink.

I'm always amazed that I can paint the same view many times and it still feels fresh because the weather and time of day give it a completely different look.

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 16 - "Overlook" - 11 x 14 inches - oil on canvas -SOLD

"Overlook" - 11 x 14 inches - oil on canvas

I stood on the boardwalk leading down to the beach and painted this view on a glorious, sunny afternoon.  It was quite breezy so I had to weight down my tripod so that it wouldn't blow over.

A passerby asked me why I only included a small piece of the ocean.  My answer was that I wanted to paint the dunes and the beach grasses which were way more interesting and colorful.

Below is a selfie of a very happy artist  :)  If you look at the painting, I hadn't put the sky in yet which is why it is orange. 

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 15 - "River View" - 11 x 14 inches - oil on canvas

"River View" - 11 x 14 inches - oil on canvas

I stood on the edge of the Merrimack River and happily painted the afternoon away.  I was primarily interested in doing a cloudscape so kept everything else fairly simple so as not to detract from the lovely sky.

"River View" is an 11 x 14 inch oil on canvas painting with the sides painted black.  $195  Click the Buy Now button below to purchase by credit card or click here for other ways to buy a painting.

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 14 - "Church Steeple" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Church Steeple" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

I don't have much experience painting architecture "en plein air" and wanted to challenge myself to see how I could do.  

When working from photos, it is very easy to translate a two dimensional image onto canvas but much harder in person.  I decided that I needed to keep things simple and just concentrate on the angles, shapes and values.

I stood on the sidewalk and painted during an overcast morning.  It was fairly chilly so I relished a hot shower and cup of tea when I got home.

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 13 - "For the Birds" - 5 x 7 inches - oil on paper -SOLD

"For the Birds" - 5 x 7 inches - oil on paper

What a delightful morning on the Merrimack river in Newburyport, MA.  I'm not sure what kind of birds were feeding in the foreground because by the time I finished the painting, they had moved on.

"For the Birds" is a 5 x 7 inch oil on paper painting.  

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 12 - "Marsh" - 6 x 8 inches - oil on paper

"Marsh" - 6 x 8 inches - oil on paper

As I mentioned earlier in the month, I've decided to try out a few different painting surfaces.  This painting is done on Arches oil paper which is specifically designed for oil paints.  In the past, I've created my own oil paper but wanted to try this out for comparison.  The surface is very smooth which takes a bit of getting used to.

"Marshes" is an 6 x 8 inch oil on paper painting.  $75  Click the Buy Now button below to purchase by credit card or click here for other ways to buy a painting.

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 11 - "Road to Plum Island" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

"Road to Plum Island" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

I've always loved the road that approaches Plum Island with the line of telephone poles and the soft hills in the distance.

I painted this in my car which is pretty much my usual plein air painting technique.  I've gotten pretty good at balancing my palette/easel on my lap and keeping my brushes and other tools accessible.  I can't think of a better way to spend a morning and was quite happy with the final result!

"Road to Plum Island" is an 8 x 8 inch oil on canvas painting with the sides painted black so framing is optional. $95 Click the Buy Now button below to purchase by credit card or click here for other ways to buy a painting.

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 10 - "Morning Marina" - 6 x 8 inches - oil on linen - SOLD

"Morning Marina" - 6 x 8 inches - oil on linen - SOLD

Today is day 10 which means I'm exactly 1/3 of the way done with the 30 day painting challenge.  I'm still feeling very inspired so hopefully that will continue and I won't get burned out by the end of the month.

I once again tackled a cluster of boats.  This is my third attempt and I'm getting more confident in my approach.  I started with a solid white band in the shape of the boats as an entire group.  I then carefully added shading to carve out the individual boat shapes. 

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 9 - "Still Life with Bananas" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

"Still Life with Bananas" - 8 x 8 inches  - oil on canvas

Ironically, the reason I wanted to paint these bananas was because I thought they looked really cool in a shiny orange bowl.  When all was said and done, I didn't like the orange color and decided to paint it blue instead!  Oh well, so much for my original inspiration for this painting.

"Still Life with Bananas" is an 8 x 8 inch oil on canvas painting with the sides painted black so framing is optional. $95  Click the Buy Now button below to purchase by credit card or click here for other ways to buy a painting.

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 8 - "Dunes in Pink" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Dunes in Pink" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

I started this painting by giving my canvas a wash of pink acrylic paint.  The bright pink bits that you see are areas that I didn't cover and I love how they create a lot of "bling" on this painting.

I've always been enamored with sand dunes and I'm not exactly sure why.  I sat in my car and painted these dunes in the early morning.  I didn't fuss over this painting and was really happy with the end result.

"Dunes in Pink" is an 8 x 8 inch oil on canvas with the sides painted black so framing is optional.SOLD

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 7 - "Evening Marsh" - 6 x 8 inches - oil on linen

"Evening Marsh" - 6 x 8 inches - oil on linen

I drove out to Plum Island to paint marshes in the early evening.  I stood on the side of the road with my easel set up as the sun was setting.  There was a gentle breeze and it was the perfect evening to be outside.

"Evening Marsh" is a 6 x 8 inch oil on linen with the sides painted black so framing is optional. $75  Click the Buy Now button below to purchase by credit card or click here for other ways to buy a painting.

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 6 - "Cloud Dance" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

"Cloud Dance" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

This is a really happy painting.  I love the bright colors and the puffy clouds.  

I painted this in my car.  I'm getting pretty good at setting up so that everything I need is within easy reach as I balance my palette/easel on my lap.  

The painting flowed pretty quickly until it came time to add in the boats.  They are quite small and I was very particular about making sure the shapes looked accurate so it took a long time until I was satisfied.

"Cloud Dance" is a 6 x 6 inch oil on gallery wrapped canvas with the sides painted black so framing is optional.  Click the Buy Now button below to purchase by credit card or click here for other ways to buy a painting.

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 5 - "Merrimack Sunrise" - SOLD

"Merrimack Sunrise" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

I got up early and headed down to the harbor to paint.  The morning sun was so bright I could only look up occasionally to catch glimpses of this scene as I tried to capture it on my canvas.  

To make the yellow sun appear even stronger, I added bits of purple to the sky and made sure the water was a shade of purple. These complementary colors vibrate when placed next to each other in a painting.

30 Day Painting Challenge - Day 4 - "Misty Harbor" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

"Misty Harbor" - 6 x 6 inches  - oil on canvas

A summer squall passed through during the afternoon and dropped torrential rain in Newburyport.  I drove down to the harbor after dinner and tried to capture the gray, overcast mist that was left behind.  I grayed down all the colors and kept my brushstrokes loose and impressionistic.

"Misty Harbor" is a 6 x 6 inch painting on gallery wrapped canvas.  The sides are painted black so framing is optional.  $60.  Click the Buy Now button below to purchase by credit card or click here for other ways to purchase a painting.