SAW,

93  F  some clouds, humid

Saw is getting into gear, or is it me?

#579  SAW entrance, looking south.

7-29-15

11x14

When I mix the sky, there are often two tones, a warm and a cool, the cool will usually have a blue and a red, and maybe some muddy paint, but just a trace, the warm might have a yellow, and a touch, just a tiny touch of the mud too. I find the right color by mixing, comparing with nature, and changing the color, I've mixed enough sky, and I've kept my pallet fundamentally the same, so, I can at least start in the ball park of what I want.

I chose the scene for the dramatic and dark shadow raking across the foreground.

Here is where I finished.

My scene.

There are sculptures all over the place, maybe I'll paint some.

Tomorrow my van is in the shop, so I'll paint around here and make more panels.

On the road to SAW, Cemetery Road.

87  F  some clouds, humid

This is my first Salem2Salem painting for this year, and although I didn't get on a plane to get here, there was a journey.

# 578  Cemetery Rd. 

7-28-15

9x12

After a day taking care of the home front, I was able to get out, intending to go up on SAW hill, but I made it as far as this spot before I had to stop.

Another road into the sunset.

There were a lot of cool things about this scene,  there not here yet, but the stage is set.

This is where I ended up, drama and clutter, but organized.

Here is the scene at about mid point, the sun actually cooperated and moved out of my eye.

Here is my spot, there was a little traffic and some farming, but nice.

On Saturday, August 1st there is Pizza night here at SAW, and there of course will be exhibits and open studios, I'm shooting to have some decent work ongoing and maybe some surprises, so if you're local come on over and say Hi!

The Germans are here!

90  F  hazy.

Last year at about this time I was headed to Germany to participate in Salem2Salem, art exchange. Here my blog from that trip, it starts here:
http://www.mattchinian.com/2014/08/journey-arrival-and-welcome.html
This year it's here in Salem, NY, one town north of us in Cambridge, and the German, as well as American Artist from points much farther than me have arrived in our Salem.  It was a reunion for many with a few new artists thrown into the mix. Being in my back yard will make a very different experience. Tonight Alane and Hope came with me to the opening reception, and were able to meet  old friends and make new ones, and what can be better than that!

It's otherwise been a whirlwind: starting at 6th Lake in Inlet, NY. On Saturday, afternoon we helped our friends celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary and Emma left for 2 weeks of overnight camp before we returned to Cambridge. In the A.M. I got one painting done at the beaver pond:

#577  Hess Pond from Ned's rock.

7-25-15

8x10

Here is my spot.

Here is the "Money Shot".

This will be my home away from home @ SAW, I put up the wet paintings from the Adirondacks. Now it's time to push some paint!

4th Lake & the back bay, new challenges @ home.

68  F  some clouds.

Today, I went down to Inlet,  Arrowhead Park, where 4th Lake meets the channel (to 5th Lake). The kids were about and I thought I'd paint where they could wander the streets.

#575 4th Lake from Arrowhead Park, Inlet, NY.

7-24-15

11x12

There were enough things I liked about the scene and the spot, but there were some inherent challenges as well.

I'm not sure how I missed on the value of the mountains.....

Well lets just say there were some distractions.....

All in all not terrible, but fuzzy.

The scene at the start, orderly.

By the time to take the sight-size shot: disorderly.  Maybe that was the lesson.

The "Money Shot".

Hope gave names to the duck family......
















Later, before dinner, I went out back.

An equally strange thing happened, except this time it was my composition, it was strange because it was different, at least for me.

I walked away thinking I really screwed up, I most of the shapes the same size.



#576  Back Bay (6th Lake)

7-24-15

14x16

The scene has potential, maybe the squarish format didn't help, or maybe I really wanted to include the telephone pole and should have trusted that instinct.

See what I mean?

Beaver pond + lake = water!

62  F  some clouds (A.M.)

There is nothing like the mountain air to make for a good night's sleep, I got up early and went out before anybody was up.

#573a Beaver Pond (Hess Pond) Inlet, NY

7-23-15

9x12

This is the scene at the start, it was about 8:00 A.M. I liked not just the reflection, but the foreground and how they played together.

I had forgotten my pallet knife, I had plenty of brushes and the painting had a mind of it's own.

The nature of the moving clouds over head made things change from light to dark and back again, oh well, just deal.

This is my spot for this morn.

Here is Ollie, sometimes I think he'd rather be sleeping.
















Later in the early evening.....

This was the scene from about mid-way through.

There was a reasonable amount of light left for the evening.

The light is made from the dark.

Like in the morning, clouds were moving and changing up the scene. Patience is rewarded, sometimes.

This is where I ended up.

#574  6th Lake from dock

7-23-15

12x16

When in doubt, paint from the dock......

My pallet.







Thanks for reading my blog!

6th Lake

62  F  some clouds.

We made it up to the Ball Cabin on 6th lake, after a lot of other stuff.......

#573  6th lake from dock

7-22-15

10x8

I felt rusty after 3 paintless days and my brushes started to harden up. It's like I'm facing the canvas, not knowing what to do, just drawing a blank.

I often fight the notion that there are "things" to be painted when there are only shapes, values and colors.

I enjoyed the water, who wouldn't but the dock was vexing, it wanted to be hard-edged and illustrated, I had other plans, and we never agreed.

My scene, I know why I picked it, but any direction would do, and the clouds were awesome this evening.

Along the Hudson, Rodger's Island

80  F  some clouds, humid.

I was going to go to Glens Falls, but only got as far as Rodger's Island.

#572  Hudson River @ Rodger's Island

7-18-15

14x16

I started with the darks and not the lights, which made for a very different beginning.

I forgot to take progress shots, here is where I ended up.

Here is the scene at the start, I really liked the darkness in the water, so dark, and the bright light off the piers so bright.

Sight-size shot.

My spot, the kind I like with nobody around.

My pallet.