Finding it down the street on the 1001st time.

48  F  Warm and sunny

                     Here I am painting along W.Main St. maybe just over 100 yards from my house.  I've driven by this spot thousands of times, and today the early afternoon light was bright on the houses on the north side of the street.  Sometimes the subject right in front of you is the one you pass over, and over a thousand times, and then the 1001st time, there it is, unique, unseen.  I don't know if I succeeded with this painting, the contrast doesn't feel strong enough and the middle tones of the lawns look dull and lifeless, but we'll live with it for a while and see.

   

               #924  W. Main St.                                            1-11-17                                        14x16

Light at the end of the day (x's 2)

This week was predominatly cloudy, but on Wednesday and Thursday, a little sun peaked out from the cloud cover and I was able to paint.

                        #904 RR Ave.                             12-9-16                                     9x12



                                    Here is the scene at the start,  a lot of contrast.


                                   On Wednesday I stopped here before the grocery store.

   
               #903  Burton Rd. Greenwich, NY.                             12-7-16                                       8x10

   Here is the scene when I found it and you can see how vastly different it is from the painting and the scene not long after.  I still don't know why that happens; the variables are many, but that's painting under the big blue.  I'm loving my new studio space, and had a great opening, with old and new friends visiting.  I think I'll enjoy actually working in there, and just made some new panels, it was warm and comfortable so I'm feeing great about it.  Thanks again for reading my blog, as always your questions and comments are always welcome!

2 blue houses, 2 new spots, a church and an election.

This was a week, as they say.

             #890  Mill St. Greenwich, NY                       11-12-16                                11x14

           I came to this place because there is access to the Battenkill, with old rail road piers in the water, and because Ollie was with me and he loves the water!

          The light wasn't right for the river scene, but when returning to the van I saw this.  A back lot view, with light on the blue house.

     First 2 light colors.

    Most everything is blocked in. I didn't get a good end shot.

On grey days, and there are a lot of them in November, I've been working on my new studio, and getting ready for my "Grand Opening", more on that later.  Last Thursday I drove up to Salem, NY, it's the town just north of us on State Route 22.  I couldn't help being transfixed by this scene, right at the traffic light (the only one in Salem).

                           Broadway and Main, there is probably one in every town in America.

           I was feeling like the buildings were too large and I wanted to move farther back, but that wasn't possible, I was also concerned that there wasn't "a way out", that is the viewer is blocked by the buildings to (metaphorically) get out of the scene, I guess one could go down the dark ally or between the other two buildings.

       #889  Broadway and Main, Salem, NY                   11-10-16                           12x16


     Money Shot.

Tuesday, November 8th, if you remember was election day. and of course I voted.  I'm also a custodian and courier for the Board of Elections in Washington County, a very minor job, but one I've done for a few years now (10, 12?)  anyway after I cast my vote, but before any results were in, I went out painting:

   A short while ago I was painting in the neighborhood, and met the farmer and owner of this property, He invited me to go up this farm road (a path between fields) to see the view.

      1st.

     2nd.

     #887  Tiashoke Farm S. Cambridge.                  11-8-16                                        14x16

     Later in the day, I went to a familiar spot in the parking lot of the Presbyterian Church.

        At the end the light fundamentally changes from a white to a yellow.

      #888  Park Place.                                     11-8-16                                               9x12

    This is Little Colfax Rd.  not far from my house, but it's a dead end, so I don't go up there, not at least until last Monday.

              #886  Little Colfax Rd.                          11-7-16                                   8x10

    Not much time went by before I lost my light, and stopped here.  Day light savings had just happened, an evil plot by early risers to get the worms meant for night owls!

A factory, a city street, a canal lock, and a tree.

43  F  overcast

      I had been looking for a tree, one in millions of beautiful trees, why so hard to find the one?



 
                         When I started there was some light, and the tree was lit up like Christmas, but the cloud cover came in and changed the scene.  The bright yellow orange leaves are still luminescent, even in filtered light, and I don't know why I don't do more of them!

                              #885  Shields Rd.                   11-6-16                          12x9

Yesterday I went to a friends open studio, on the way back I stopped at Lock #3 of the Champlain Canal, along the Hudson River, just north of Mechanicville.  

         
              #884  Champlain Canal Lock #3 Mechanicville, NY.     11-5-16        11x12

      I wanted to go on the other side of the railing, but there was a sign prohibiting it.  I didn't see a soul the whole time I was there!

                                      The sun came and went a lot too, welcome to November!

      This is in front of the building where AMP gallery is.  I had to bring in a panel rack, to display un-framed paintings, so I painted out front.  It was a problematic scene, one I wouldn't have picked otherwise.

                 As it was, not a bad spot to paint, I had a few visitors, and "Death Wish" coffee across the street.

     #883   Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY.              11-4-16                   12x16

          I liked the sun and shadows in this scene, and I felt like I needed a larger panel, this one is 16x20.

           #882   Pearl St.                                                 11-1-16                                            16x20


As always thanks for reading my blog!

Finished September Paintings

    September was a productive month, with 25 paintings done, here are 15 of the best, although a few are missing because I had trouble with the photo files. The weather was spectacular, with a lot of sun and warm temperatures, and somehow I was able to keep life at bay enough to focus on painting.  I had a lot of successes recently with the "Best in Show" award from the Trask event and a bunch of sales. I got a show at Saratoga Arts, scheduled for the spring of 17'  and joined a new cooperative gallery in Saratoga Springs NY, to be installed this week.  All good stuff and I'm happy about that, as long as I can keep painting!

                   843 Strand @ night, Old Forge, NY.                         9-1-10                                    11x12

              #844 Moose River                                         9-2-16                                             9x12

         #845 View from Bald Mountain, Old Forge, NY.                      9-2-16                         12x16

                       #848 Park Place                     9-5-16                                   14x16

                 #849 Spraguetown Rd, @ CR 52 Greenwich, NY.                   9-7-16                          12x16

              #850 C.R. 59 @ South Rd.                                       9-9-16                                 11x14

               #851 W. Main St.                                      9-10-16                                        12x16

                 #853 Hudson River @ Thomson                                 9-12-16                                   14x16

                                 #855 Home                                     9-15-16                          11x12 

                      #857 Stuben @ James St. Albany, NY.                         9-16-16                            14x16 

             #858 Charles River @ Watertown MA.                       9-17-16                             9x12 

                                          #859 N. Park St.                                  9-20-16                          12x16 

                       #861 South Rd. @ C.R. 59                           9-22-16                                 9x12  

               

                 #864 McCray Rd. Greenwich NY.                            9-27-16                               11x12

                #866 S. Union St.                                           9-30-16                                            14x16 

                          

                                         As always thanks for reading my blog!