"Two Out One In" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

"Two Out One In" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

Cherries, with their shiny reflections, are one of my favorite subjects to paint.  I also love to place them on a window sill to create strong, interesting shadows.  I spent a fair amount of time thinking about and then adjusting the curve and movement of the stems.  This arrangement creates a nice circular flow and brings all three cherries together.

This 8 inch square painting is available for $95.  Click the Buy Now button below or click here for other payment options. 

"Before Hours" - 12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Before Hours" - 12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas

The Art on Main gallery is connected to two shops -- Eclectique and Le Gourmet Jardin.  I came in to work early one Saturday morning before the other shops opened.  As I glanced down the hallway to Ecletique, there was soft, morning light coming in through the sliding glass door.  I just couldn't resist trying to capture that morning glow.  Because Ecletique sells vintage finds, there were interesting (and challenging) objects to paint. 

I started with a bright orange ground and primarily worked from back to front.  I usually try to get the basic shapes, colors and values correct before adding the final details.  Claire, the owner of Ecletique, was thrilled that I painted her shop and decided to buy the painting... a happy ending for both of us  :)

"Fluffer Nutter" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

"Fluffer Nutter" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

Lately, my son has been on a "fluffer nutter" kick.  We've been going through jars of fluff and peanut butter pretty quickly.  Considering that I really like marshmallow, I don't mind taking a spoonful of the stuff every now and then.  If you pair it with some quality chocolate, it is really yummy.  I don't know how long this fluff kick will last, but I'm riding the wave for now.

I loved the combination of colors in this set up...the bright red lid next to the bright green.  The light blue color on the label with a splash of yellow just adds to this happy mix of colors.

This 6 inch square painting is available for $60.  Click the Buy Now button below or click here for other payment options.  

"Tipsy" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Tipsy" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

Last Saturday, I sat outside Art on Main and gave an oil painting demo.  Our gallery is just down the street from the Westford Common -- folks were parking all along Main Street on their way to the annual "Strawberry 'n Arts" festival.  The weather could not have been more glorious!   I was really happy to sit outside and paint for a couple hours.


I started with a bright yellow background knowing that a good portion of my canvas would be covered in a purple shadow.  I paid particular attention to the reflections and shadows on the shiny red cherries...one of my favorite subjects to paint.

"Maggie" - 12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Maggie" - 12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas

This is Maggie, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.  This pet portrait was presented to the owner as a birthday gift from a friend who commissioned me to paint it.  I'm happy to report that she was thrilled with the painting.

I started the painting with a bright orange background.  I picked orange mainly because Maggie's coat has red/orange overtones and I wanted to punch up the color a bit.  I also picked a grey-blue for the background color since blue is the complement to orange and makes the colors glow a bit more.

I love to paint animals and am happy to capture your furry loved ones on a canvas as a permanent keepsake.  Click here to learn more.

"Night Game at Fenway" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Night Game at Fenway" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

 
This painting is based on a photo that my daughter snapped at a Red Sox game.  The Sox aren't off to a great start this year but they won this particular game with a walk off home so it was a really exciting finish.  

I was inspired by the bright lights and the halo created against the dark sky.  I started with a fluorescent green background that I allowed to shine through at various points.  I always try to keep my brushstrokes loose and fresh and I think I did a pretty good job in this painting.

"Sunset on Federal" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

"Sunset on Federal" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

I recently went to Newburyport, a lovely coastal town on the north shore of Massachusetts.  I passed this scene as the sun was hitting the steeple of this church on Federal Street.  

To begin, I covered my canvas with a solid layer of orange for a warm undertone.  I mainly worked from background to foreground by filling in the sky, distant trees and then the buildings working my way forward.  

In other news...congratulations to Laura Araujo who is the winner of my monthly give away!   If you want to become eligible, sign up for my mailing list by entering your email and clicking the subscribe button on the right side of this site.

This 8 inch square painting is available for $95.  Click the Buy Now button below or click here for other payment options.

"Calm" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

"Calm" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

The main reason I wanted to paint this scene was that lovely reflection of the mast in the foreground. I started this painting while sitting in my car. and attempted to paint it "plein air". Painting on location is very difficult as the light, and in this case, the water are constantly changing and moving. In fact, I kept chasing the tide as the foreground changed dramatically from the time that I started to when I stopped. When I got the painting home, it was a mess...all the values were too similar with little distinction between the far trees, the water and the foreground. Ugh.

I let the painting sit for a few days and thought about how to fix it. I started by darkening the background trees as well as the foreground grasses. I also darkened the foreground water just a bit to give some contrast to the white reflection of the mast. With just a few brushstrokes, the entire painting came together rather quickly. I really wish I had a before and after photo since the results were quite remarkable. I'm really quite happy with the final result.

This 6 inch square painting is available for $60. Click the Buy Now button below or click here for other payment options.

"Cool as a Cucumber" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

"Cool as a Cucumber" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

I was slicing cucumbers the other day and paused to really look at them.  They are incredibly beautiful. I was struck by the subtle color and pattern of the seeds in the center. I also love how the soft green/yellow interior contrasts sharply with the dark outer skin. Lovely. Just lovely.

This 6 inch square painting is available for $60. Click the Buy Now button below or click here for other payment options.

"Sunny Day at the CCA" - 12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

The town of Chelmsford has been busily renovating their old town hall to turn it into an arts center...the Chelmsford Center for the Arts. Their renovation is nearly complete and they are getting ready to open their doors to the public. For the inaugural art exhibit, they've asked artists to submit works of art interpreting the building itself. This is my entry. It will be fun to see the other entries and everyone's individual depiction of this iconic structure.

I started by painting my canvas a bright purple color. I chose purple primarily because it is the complement of yellow -- the main color of the building. (Complements are pairs of colors that are opposites on the color wheel). If you place complementary colors near each other, they tend to make each other appear brighter.

"Bettyann's Barn" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Bettyann's Barn" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

I was inspired to paint this barn because of the long and complicated shadow created by the forsythia wreath. This is one of those paintings that just flowed right from the start...I really didn't have to fuss too much over any one thing. I paid careful attention to my values noting that the barn interior was the darkest value, the wreath, shadows and pavement were medium values and the barn itself was the lightest value. I really like the abstract quality created by the large, bold shapes and simple color scheme. This painting is hanging at the Art on Main gallery through the middle of May if you want to stop by and view it in person.

Speaking of Art on Main, be sure to stop by on Thursday, May 3 from 5 - 8 p.m. for our monthly "Wine and Nibbles" open house. Our May guest artist is Italian artist Esilda Evans Corbin.

"Cathy's Forsythia" - 12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas

"Cathy's Forsythia"  - 12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas

I never know when inspiration will strike but I'm usually inspired by the way the light hits an object or perhaps by an interesting shadow or reflection. In this case, my friend Cathy had a vase of forsythia sitting in her living room. I was struck by the light in the vase along with the contrast of the deep blue curtains and the bright yellow flowers. I was also inspired by the reflection on the tabletop. To me, this is a very peaceful and meditative painting.

This 12 inch square painting is available for $175. Click the Buy Now button below or click here for other payment options.

"Last Traces of Snow II" - 6 x 12 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD



"Last Traces of Snow II" - 6 x 12 inches - oil on canvas



This is a 2nd stab at painting the marshes at Plum Island. For whatever reason, I've always gravitated towards painting on square canvases (which may explain some of my quirky personality traits), but this time I decided to take a big leap and used a rectangular format. I survived the experience and may even try it again some day :)

In other news, I was very pleased to receive an Honorable Mention for my painting "Afternoon Snack" in the Westford Regional Art Event. My second entry, "Cat Nap", sold shortly after the show so it was great news all around.

Finally, congratulations to Leslie Thomas who is the winner of my April give-away! For those who don't know, each month I randomly select someone on my mailing list and give them a gift.  To sign up, enter your email address on the right side of this blog and click the subscribe button.

"Leaving Boston" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

"Leaving Boston" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

I recently made an early morning trek into Boston on an overcast, rainy day.  I always love seeing the Boston skyline and all the iconic buildings.  If I can't see the famous Citgo sign, I look for the Prudential Center or the Hancock tower.   There was a lot going on in this scene so I focused on simply painting the shapes and colors and tried to simplify things as much as possible and let the viewer fill in all the details. 

This 8 inch square painting is available for $95. Click the Buy Now button below or click here for other payment options.

"Last Traces of Snow" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Last Traces of Snow" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

I went up to Plum Island in Newburyport, MA a few weeks ago to do two of my favorite things - painting and birdwatching. There was a crowd of people with binoculars and spotting scopes and sure enough, just across this inlet, barely visible in the tall grass, was a Snowy Owl. For those who aren't "Birders", the Snowy Owl is a pretty rare and wonderful bird to see. I stayed and watched for quite a while and I could see his head moving but I couldn't get a great view of his body. I really, really wanted to see him fly. They are huge birds. So, I decided I'd "kill two birds with one stone" :) and set up my easel to paint right there. Not only did I have a lovely view to paint, but I could keep my eye on the Snowy Owl. Long story short: that damn owl sat in that tall grass and NEVER moved away from that spot. Below is a picture of the Snowy Owl:

"Wake Up!" - 16 x 16 inches - oil on canvas

"Wake Up!" - 16 x 16 inches - oil on canvas

This is Cooper - my nutty dog.  He absolutely adores my son.  I don't know how Cooper will survive when Jason goes off to college in the fall.  I'm going to have one depressed pup hanging around the house.

This painting is a bit larger for me, 16 x 16 inches, so it took a while to complete.  The quilt was fairly tedious to paint with all the color changes.  I had to make sure the folds and wrinkles translated from one color square to the next.  Every painting is a learning experience and I know I picked up a few more tricks after completing this one.

"Early Spring" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

"Early Spring" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

Sunday was a magnificent day with bright sunshine and unseasonably warm temps.  I just had to get outside and take advantage of a perfect day to paint plein air.  I headed over to one of my favorite local spots -- the cranberry bog in Carlisle, MA.

I set up my canvas on the side of the road and happily painted.  I chose this particular scene for a couple reasons.  First off, I love those two big evergreen trees that overlook the bog so these are really the focal point of the painting.  I also like the thin, horizontal slices of color that I could see in the distance --- the yellows, purples and blues.  I actually fabricated the sliver of water in the foreground to add a bit of color and interest.  Above is a photo of the actual scene - as you can tell I used a bit of artistic license to punch up the color.

In other news, congratulations to Trina Teele who won my March give away!  For those who don't know, each month I randomly select one person on my mailing list to win a gift...anything from a pack of greeting cards to an original painting.

This 6 inch square painting is available for $60. Click the Buy Now button below or click here for other payment options.

"Forge Pond Shadows - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Forge Pond Shadows" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

This is the painting that I completed during my book talk/painting demonstration at the Westford Museum last week. I thought the demo went very well and we had a lively discussion with a group of about 15 people. It is, however, very hard to talk and paint at the same time...very hard! I was able to finish the painting in the back of the room during the 2nd presentation. I donated this painting to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell for their annual fundraiser.

As you can probably tell, I started the painting with a bright orange background. I like the color combination of the yellow-green grass and the bits of orange. The shadows across the parking lot are what initially attracted me to this scene along with the slice of light gray-blue water that separates the distant trees from the foreground trees.

In other news, Art on Main is having our monthly "Wines and Nibbles" on Thursday March 8 from 5 to 8 p.m. with guest artist Rory Gallagher. We got snowed out last week so hopefully mother nature will cooperate this week with milder weather. Everyone is welcome so join us if you can!

"Judee's Curtains" - 12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Judee's Curtains" - 12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

This painting is a commission from the woman who made the curtains in the windows at Le Gourmet Jardin.  As you can tell, I made sure the curtains were prominently displayed per her request.  In actuality, the curtains were somewhat obscured by reflections, but, that is the beauty of being an artist, I can modify reality any way that I choose.  As always, this shop is so fun to paint.  I love the architecture, the colors, and all the interesting shapes inside the windows.

In other news, for those who live in the area, Art on Main is having our monthly "Wine and Nibbles" on Thursday March 1 from 5 to 8 p.m.  Rory Gallagher is our new guest artist -- stop by and say hello!

"Pond Shadows" - 10 x 10 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Pond Shadows" - 10 x 10 inches - oil on canvas

I created this painting as a donation for the Chelmsford Center for the Arts upcoming "10 x 10 Silent Auction Benefit".  The event is 100 days before the grand opening of the completely restored Chelmsford Center for the Arts in Chelmsford, MA.  All works of art start at $50 and everyone has 100 minutes to bid.  The event is on Saturday, March 24 from 7 - 10 p.m. - click here to read more if you are interested.  Sounds like a fun evening and there should be some really nice artwork.

You can probably tell that I started this painting with an orange background.  I didn't fuss much and just tried to let the paint flow.  I was especially happy with the rocks as I was able to suggest them with just a couple of brush strokes.

This painting is my warm up for the demo I'm giving on Thursday Feb 23 7 p.m. at the Westford Museum.  So, if you attend, you'll see me create something very, very, very similar...hint, hint.  :)