A Nice Try

Here's what's currently on my easel, a painting of Nice old town.  I painted this view on site several times last year.  What you see here are five or six story (or higher) apartment buildings on the side of a hill that slopes down to the tourist area where all the shops and restaurants are located.  You also can see across the entire city to the hills and mountains beyond.  If you turn around, you can take the stairs to climb higher to the Chateau Hill.  This view is from a little plaza next to the Chapelle de la Visitation Sainte-Claire. 14x18 oil on canvas.

Details Vanish

A view of Nevins Street approaching Douglass Street in Brooklyn.  Looking towards the lowering winter sun, one has to cover the light to see any details.  Details vanish into the shadows. 12x16 oil on panel.

Eye-Appealing Grit

This one's been on the easel for a week, so today I "finished" it: a view of Bond near President in Brooklyn.  This neighborhood is transitioning fast but still has eye-appealing grit.  12x16 oil on panel.

Drawing What's Around You

Even when babysitting one's grandson, there are opportunities to draw if you remembered to bring along a sketchpad or two.  You can just draw what is around you.

The Ever Changing Temporary Fence

A painting of a fence, a sidewalk, and a building on Carroll Street in Brooklyn, near Fourth Avenue.  This is actually a view of what it looked like over six years ago, even though I completed the painting today.  Google Street View of this spot goes back to June, 2009, with several iterations since then.  A plywood fence was present from at least 2011 to at least 2014.  The most interesting thing for me is how the temporary plywood fence changed over this several year period, going through several paint colors, graffiti, and different signage. This view is from April, 2013.  It's not just the buildings that change over time, but even the temporary structures.   9x12 oil on linen panel.

"NOPE"

A view on Bergen Street approaching Classon Avenue in Brooklyn.  Somebody found the graffiti on the left not to their liking so they painted it out and wrote "NOPE" underneath.  Anti-graffiti graffiti.  I'd like to think that I give the word "NOPE" a larger meaning, but I'm not sure what that is.  12x16 oil on panel.

Used and New

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the number of paintings I have, so I've been selecting unfavorites and painting over them.  There's something nice about working on a used surface.  I scrape it down a bit first.  Here's a new, freshly painted view of Sackett Street from Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn.  It's a late afternoon winter painting.  12x16 oil on panel.

The Shadows

The shadows created by buildings blocking the sunlight contrasting with sunlit areas have been appealing to me lately.  Here also the dark flag and diamond sign stand out against the bright sky.  The shapes of urban settings become exciting formal elements.  The view is Grand Avenue facing north towards Bergen Street in Brooklyn.  12x16 oil on panel.

Studio Sinks

Last summer I conducted a plein air class for the IS183 art school on the grounds of the Daniel Chester French studio.  On a very rainy day, we had to settle for painting indoors in the main IS183 painting studio.  During the length of the session, between visits to every student, I painted the studio sinks, which were already covered with plenty of paint.  9x12 oil on linen mounted to panel.

Though, Though

Today the sun was shining.  It was chilly.  And I thought I'll just go out and make a quick, little painting.  This simple thing took a while though, though I like it's... ah... simplicity.  Sometimes the simplest things are the hardest to do.  I was on the North path at Field Farm in Williamstown, MA, facing south.  9x12 oil on panel.