It's minus 20 degrees windchill so why am I posting a summer lighthouse scene??? It's because I love being holed up in my studio with the sounds of the winter wind and sleet hitting my window. It's so nice and cozy in my studio. As soon as I can, I hope to be back outside painting the silvery winter air but for now, I'm posting something I tried to repaint from a smaller plein air study.

"Blaze" 48"x36" Oil on Linen

"Blaze" is the latest in this on-going series inspired by my neighbors Sugar Maples. I'm playing with abstraction and expressionism and realism and color and edges, all the usual stuff on my list of important art issues. But this series is large scale (large for me anyways) and the work is all palette knife. I can't quite get that intense redorangeyellowish hue found on this amazing tree. I like the physical exertion necessary when working large. It's a nice change from my 6x8s.

Peonys in Buds

"Peonys in Buds"
14"x11"
oil on linen

Over the weekend I was finishing several different still lifes and also repairing this painting which I liked but not quite, know what I mean? I really wanted the peonys to pop and didn't feel they were as strong in the original painting as they could be. So what I decided to do was compress the value in the background as well as go a bit darker and cooler. Also I was more decisive with the lighting on the surface which the vase sits. Now I'm happy with it. Which version do you prefer?