Frame Fix-Up

Back in the day, when you went to a picture framer they didn't always just cut and join pre-finished moldings. I really like the frames that truly were "custom" where the framer started with wood and created a surface treatment.

As purchased. Bottom and left rails with no finish remaining, deterioration on remander.

I purchased this painting a few years back. The frame's finish had suffered greatly. Two legs of the frame were down to bare wood. Possibly it had gotten damp and the gesso deteriorated, or perhaps someone started trying to (misguidedly) return the frame to "natural wood" and gave up.

Applying gesso

After a cleanup, new gesso was applied. A painted finish was built up with applications of various colors, along with some gentle distressing, to wind up with an "interesting grey".

Building the paint layers

There is no finish or additional work over the paint. When the painting is sent out for cleaning and re-varnishing I may need to adjust the frame color. Finishing will take place at that time.

 

Finished (sort of)

Hanging

Don't Sit Under This Apple Tree

Some of the houses on my street are located in what was an apple orchard back in the old days. Just about all the really old apple trees are now gone. This is what remains of what was the last one in the back yard. I feel that since they survived so long there is something undignified about hauling away their remains. Plus, they can supply sketching and painting subjects.

I took a number of photographs, and took my sketchpad out for some quick studies.

Since our lovely Spring weather turned, as is typical of New England, the ensuing watercolors were done indoors.

Plein Air and the Requisite Adjustments

Green fields, ominous clouds

In August, my friend Steve and I spent a plein air day on Route 30 in Westborough (proving that you don't have to travel far in order to find subject matter). The stretch between Nourse farm and Tufts Veterinary Hospital offer some good views (as well as spots to pull off the road safely).

Now that winter is approaching, we re-visit those pleasant plein air excursions by taking out the paintings, evaluating them and doing any necessary (or even un-necessary) finishing touches.

I find that my paintings are impressive when out in the field, but when they come inside the house they are lacking something. Perhaps it's the change in light, or the passage of time.

These excursions do provide material for painting indoors over the upcoming winter.

Steve packing up His works are far more vibrant with more exciting color than I dare to use.

I like to paint in style.

It looked good in the field

As painted outdoors

Some later reworking 

As painted in the field

With later work at home. Not that much was done; major differences due to lighting when photographed.

A Tropical Sojurn

On a cold, windy Saturday it was a nice respite to go a few miles up the road to Tower Hill Botanical Garden. While it wasn't a day for the outdoors, their indoor spaces were warm and tropical. We picked this spot for sketching, primarily because their was a convenient table and chairs to use as a workstation.

Not wanting to haul in any painting equipment, I took some photos and made a couple of sketches.

A Bacchante hiding in the foliage (at least from this angle)

He looks a bit like Harpo Marx in this sketch.

On Tuesday, made one of my sporadic appearances with a local painting group. Since a storm was imminent, wanted to paint something, anything that wouldn't include snow.

My watercolor version

Local Inspiration

For some reason I am fascinated by garages. This may be due to the fact that growing up we did not have one, or the fact that now that I have a two car garage, workshop and other stuff means that no car has been parked in it for the past 20 years.

When stopping at the dry cleaner's, I noticed this garage across the street, in the process of being updated. By the time I got around to taking a photograph, the doors had already been replaced.

But I was still intrigued enough to save it for reference, and did a quick watercolor sketch to cement it in my mind.

As usual, my first attempts always seem tentative in their use of color, and wind up looking insipid once dried.

I revisited the subject, using my artistic license (until it gets revoked) in order to add more signs of life and color. And best of all, it provided the image for this year's Christmas card!

Incremental Improvement (or, the long way around the barn)

You may have seen this painting before. The barn/antique shop belongs to someone I know, and I happened to see a photo on her Facebook page. I thought it would make a good painting subject, but when I was done, I wasn't too thrilled with it. While on a small framing binge, I was deciding whether or not it was worth framing.

I taped it to a board and started making a few changes. As usual with my paintings, I felt it needed some more darks, and other tones to break up the large white facade. I still wasn't happy. 

Then I took some artistic license and added yellow to the sign. Eye-catching, but somewhat distracting. 

A spot of yellow?

I painted the doors yellow to balance it out, as well as picking out a few more details. 

More yellow!

Small changes, but these gave the painting more life. Once framed I saw some more areas I could play with, but not now.

Safe in a frame - no more tinkering.

The lesson here is that none of my paintings are ever really finished.

Just Touch Up Some of the Gray, Please.

The weather was deceptively spring-like on Saturday, so a few of us went out for the first plein air session of the 2018 season at Potter Hill in Grafton.

This area has nice vistas as far as Mount Wachusett, but as usual, my focus was a little closer. The colors were not intense, as the day was not consistently sunny, and of course, due to this year's weather pattern, not much was leafing out yet.

As often happens, my paintings look ok until I get them home, where they look pale and insipid. I took some corrective action a couple days later. Improved, but I would still like more depth in some of the color.

"Hay Bales" as painted outdoors

"Hay Bales" after enhancement

"Wishing Well" as painted outdoors

"Wishing Well" after enhancement

Figure Painting Wrap Up

Marci I

Last session of the three week course at the Worcester ArtMuseum, Portrait and Figure in Watercolor with Randy LeSage (I did paint in week 2, but haven't got photos done).

Our model for the evening was Marci, who is also a blues singer. I am trying to be more forceful and adventurous with color, as well as looser with brush work.

Marci II

Preliminary quick sketch

Still doing a sketch before painting, in order to familiarize myself with the subject through observation, and find out the areas likely to cause trouble in the painting, since watercolor can be difficult, if not impossible to correct.

Marci III

As with many things, practice, practice, practice.

Next course is the same, but in oils. Hope I'm able to sign up for that one as well.

Let's Face It

Over the past few years I have tried honing my skills at figure drawing, primarily through the Worcester Art Museum's life drawing sessions in the galleries. Since they have been discontinued, I have signed up for a watercolor portrait and figure class with instructor Randy LeSage.

The experience with drawing has been helpful, as this is my first attempt at portraits and figures in watercolor. The model was Kate, and her fair coloring and delicate features made it a struggle for this first week's attempts.

In any event, onward and upward with the arts!

Like Day and Night

View from Fort Hill Street in Wiscasset

There are scenes that you may walk by frequently, and always "meant to take a photo" or think "that would make a good painting subject". It can take a long time for these inspirations to come to fruition.

The owner of a property near mine in Wiscasset, Maine, has been converting the hillside into an almost vertical landscape. When viewed from my street, you would see very little as it is at the edge of the hill. In addition, a number of trees blocked the view. With the removal of some trees, he now has more light for his yard, and it has opened up the view of that section of the village.

The inspiration for the painting came from seeing this view on a daily basis while out walking the dogs, although it took me a couple of years to get around to it. Looking down on the buildings from this vantage point made it seem more toy-like and whimsical than most of my other scenes. Rather than be technically realistic, I did take some liberties with placement and color to create a fun and colorful view.

Overlooking Wiscasset Village, Acrylic, 24 x 30

Painting finally completed, and won second place at the Artist Guild of Shrewsbury's annual show in November, 2017.

Second Place winner

Looking down from my street to the other side of the village, I was taken by the view of the food shop and bakery on the next street. Yes, while walking the dogs, at night this time.

Bad, fuzzy photo

I did a small watercolor sketch, with the idea of making a more finished painting at some point. Again, a hiatus of  two years before completing the second painting. Again, liberties were taken.

Watercolor, 8 x 10

Baker's Moon, Acrylic, 18 x 24

Does this artist's name ring a bell?

I happened to come across these two paintings listed in a Skinner's  auction catalog. The paintings, while pleasant and competent, might not seem that striking. The name of the artist, Edward Darley Boit, may not immediately ring a bell with most people.

Lot 1016: Edward Darley Boit (American, 1842-1916) Hillside Landscape

Lot 1362: Edward Darley Boit (American, 1840-1915) Villa, San Remo 

What makes them of interest is the connection the artist has to a very well known painting, possibly the most famous painting in Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Yes, those are his daughters in the famous Sargent painting.

The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit (1882)
John Singer Sargent (American, 1856–1925)