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..

Down East Maine

Back to Landscape painting..The real painting is more wide..Taking photos is always tough..The colors are vibrant..I wanted to convey a sense of fresh late summer day..I remember it was always cold on those rocks even in the summer!!!

Behind Those Eyes 2

Another quick painting..I am starting to enjoy this..

Behind Those Eyes

I want to do a series called Behind Those Eyes..This is the first experiment..I did this very quickly, and without planning..Not sure if I like it!

Rugosa by the sea

This is from Portland Headlight..The rugosas are hardy roses..This one is surviving the salt and the icy winds..Amazing!

Quick sketch in color..

Van Gogh

Trying some acrylics for a change..

Bee Hives

I used to drive my wrangler on those dirt roads in Down East Maine...The bee hives are brought in every year to pollinate the blueberry barrens.. The colors on those barrens are strikingly rich and change year round, from dark marroon in the fall to greens and yellows in the spring, to pinks and reds in the summer!! Not sure if the sequence is right..!! This was a misty day after it had rained..

Trail's End 3

I have done this painting in two different interpretations if you go back to 2007 or 2008 0n my blog..This is a completely different composition..

Maine Landscape

I finished this tonight..I would say it took me a total of 2 hours..It is a simple but effective style..I chose not to work on the details on the front but rather keep them "out of focus", to draw the eye to the house and barn...The painting is out of my imagination, but after I finished, I thought I recognized the background..It is from the Kennebec road in Machiasport!!! The brain is an amazing thing!!! You could never tell the power of the unconscious mind!!

A Syrian

It is strange how artists go through dull period, but then bounce back as if they just painted yesterday..I bought this new easel so I could try bigger oil paintings at some point...However, I saw some photos online and I got inspired about painting people and traditions that I grew up with as a child..These traditions are fading away in the face of Globalization... Clothes are being substituted for Jeans and T-shirts, and food for McDonald!! I did this painting vertically on my new easel. Painting vertically is exciting but very difficult and challenging!!..I liked how the paint dribbles down...I tried to convey a picture in the most simple and free way...The trick is not to overwork it..I like it... Original Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fogline/5064819763/in/set-72157624102337504

New Sketch

I did this quick sketch on hot pressed paper, painting on a vertical easel: Extremely dangerous, not for the faint hearted..I had some drips that I tried to wipe, but alas..The hand behind the back looks awkward, but I felt that the sketch was crying for me to stop, so I did..It was fun, and a nice welcome back to the artist in me!!! This is the link for the original photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fogline/7586707292/in/photostream

Machias Farm Land

Okbari

I did this painting quickly today. It is of one of my friends who is a great Oud player. I tried to capture the light which was yellow with hints of red. I also had to capture his personality with the shoulder shrug. Not bad for not painting for a while, and for two boys running around and kicking the easle!!

Barn

This is from one of my travels across farmland in Southern Indiana..

Gaby and Jude

Lighthouse

I did this today..When I sketched this, it looked almost cartoonish..I didn't care about proprtions or perspective..I like the end result..

Hmmmm

Another painting on hot pressed paper..I am slowly adapting to the effects..Definitely no smooth transition between the brush strokes. Interesting!

Quick painting

This is a quickie on hot press paper..This paper is very dangerous!!!If you're a watercolorist, you'll know what I mean..

West Quoddy

I did this very quickly today..Not sure if I like it

Barrens

This another painting of the blueberry barrens between Cherryfield and Harrington..I really cannot describe those barrens in words...When you're upthere, you feel like you're in a desert of red..The earth meets the sky and there is nothing else around except occasionally a lonely tree..If you try to paint over there, you have to hide in your car as the wind would blow your easel away, as I had discovered before!!

I used to drive along this windy road along the ocean when I lived in Machiasport..Every morning the scene changes, but still amazes..It is so beautiful over there..Too bad you had to drive 2 hours to buy socks!!! Any way, I treated this with mostly muted colors but for some reason decided to do a bold blue shadow..I was going to leave the snow completely white, but I always give in to the urge of painting every bit of white space!!!I think it looks fine...