Sea Weed

Another try..This is on a full sheet of paper..The painting had a great feeling of openness and space, thanks to aerial perspective; however, once I placed the sea weed, it felt crowded. If I did not put the sea weed, I would have not captured that day, with Gabe finding small treasures in between. The aim of my paintings is not to be pretty, but to express beauty in the feelings they trigger. I hope I have achieved that!

Sea weed

Small Paintings 10X14

The top one is another take on the apple orchard..
The bottom painting is another Blueberry barren by the sea...

Small Paintings

Another quick sketch

Sketches

Sketches done from my window in Machiasport overlooking Jasper beach. I owe Robert Pollien for this technique.

Looking towards Grand Manan

Another sketch on hot pressed paper..Very quick brush strokes to accurately describe the mood of the day!

West Quoddy Trail

Two Quick sketches on hot pressed paper. I have been trying for years to tame this paper..I just bought another Arches block. I'll keep trying!

Another try

Blueberry barrens experiments

Which one you like best?

Study

Seagull

A quickie.. Trying to get back to painting is difficult! This started as wash of blue, green, and red all over the paper..I let my subconscious dictate the flow of pigment. I wasn't planning to paint a seagull.. Then I used a sponge and wiped the white area.. It looked like a seagull, so it became one.. A nice exercise..

Schooner Head

I abandoned this painting earlier  as it got muddy.. I was going to throw it away but instead decided to call it practice, and finish  it.. I had a different vision for it, but oh well, portfolio better than trash!!

Monkey

Tree on the barrens

Fall

Two Lights

From a sketch I did at two lights state park..

Door

A fresh version of a painting I did in March..

Two Old women

Thunderstorm over Fort Williams

Fort Williams again..
Maine's most photographed and painted place..
I like the lighter cloud in the middle of the sky at the top..This was achieved by wiping the paint with a paper towel...I did the sky first as it was my main interest..I did the foreground last..I got bored at the end, and did not feel like putting any more details..Overall, I like it..

Late summer storm

Going from cheerful, warm colors in the last painting, to earthy, troubled, cold colors in this painting..Maine is always changing..You could spend a great warm day at the beach, with blue skies, and sparkles over the water, to rain, cold, and grey!!!

Carole

I was mainly interested in the personality of my friend, Carole..I focused on the eyes..The rest was applied very loosely..I did use a grid for the first time..I think it helped to achieve accurate facial details..However, it's hard to erase..Not sure if I'll try a grid again..We'll see..Three colors used: Rose Madder, Aureolin yellow, and cobalt blue...

Jude At the Lighthouse

Abandoned door

NC Wyeth Reproduction...Kiwan Style

Once Upon a Memory

Memories of people who passed, of people who came into our lives..All mixed with the freezing cold wind, and the blue Atlantic!!! The orange on the rocks is not exaggerated at all!!

Machias Barn

I took this picture driving home from work in 2006..The barn is now destroyed...I am sad that a lot of history disappear everyday because people are unable to maintain their homes..I hope I could maintain this history, and may be someone, someday, would say, I used to drive by that barn everyday!!

Maine Winter

My last New Year's resolution fell short..I wanted to do 52 paintings! I had a lot of dramatic changes in my life this year, that I am surprised I am still painting! When I was a boy, my dad always told me, "Don't try to defy the sea! The sea is always stronger than you!" I grew up on the mediterranean, and I started going swimming there since I was 10. I always swam in the wild waves, and got crashed on the rocks now and then..Maine's sea shore is very similar to where I grew up..I wouldn't dare to swim in this weather though! The painting reveals a cold snowy day, but you still see color between the gray! This is where Winslow Homer used to paint, and I do feel that I have some of his influence in this painting!

Storm

I was driving back from Lake Erie in 2005..It was a major storm and my Wrangler was about to be blown away! This painting has a lot of powerful meanings to me..

Cows

This is from a photo I took from Westbrook road (I think)..The sun was trying to shine between the dark clouds..The cows seem cold..One of them was looking at me as I took the photo.. I had to eliminate some trees and cows for compositional reasons..