I wish I had a river...

Well, actually I have many — the Nashua, Assabet, Sudbury and Concord Rivers now, and the mighty Merrimack and its tributary, the Shawsheen, which ran under Central Street in Andover, MA when I lived there. Much of the rich industrial history of New Hampshire and Massachusetts was built upon these two rivers.

I love rivers, maybe even more than oceans. And I love painting them. Here's a pair of small oils on canvas that I've entered into a juried show this coming Fall. 

Shawsheen #1 and Shawsheen #2. 8" x 8" and 10" x 10", respectively.

Back in the USA

Just returning from 10 days in Italy. Ten days with NO politics, shootings, or television at all for that matter. Used the laptop for work only. Here's a small plain air painting that I'll touch up (slightly wet when packed in my suitcase). My first try with water-miscible oils. I found them totally OK to travel and work with. 

A Day in Tuscany, approx. 8.5 x 9.5. oil on canvas.

Departure

Finally, Spring is here! It's wonderful to see the trees greening up and to hear the hissing of suburban sprinklers in the morning.

BUT! On a recent art-supply shopping trip to Cambridge, MA, I spotted this sunny, all-concrete scene in the H Mart parking lot. Couldn't resist the bright red signage and the orange car.

"H Mart", 12 x 16, oil on canvas, available. 

A Smallie

Here's an 8 x 10 (I think) that I'm almost finished with. It's a house in Massachusetts that played a part in the Underground Railroad during the Civil War. My reason for painting it has nothing to do with the war, however — it's part of my continuing study of architectural styles around the country and world.

"Early House"

oil on wood, 8 x 10

Available

3 Paintings on exhibit

See us at the Gallery at Villageworks, 525 Mass. Ave., West Acton, MA

April 14 – May 27, 2016

All available for purchase.

ArtFest II This Weekend!

This weekend I'll be joining 13 other artists at ArtFest II. Presented by Acton Open Studios, this event brings artists from Acton and nearby towns. If you're in the area, please plan to stop in! Also nearby: Acton Coffee House, Twin Seafood, True West Brewery.

Snow Day

I found this in my list of unpublished drafts. From March 22, 2016.

We had a New England moment — a snowstorm on the first day of Spring. Not too unusual; no one around here had been foolish enough to put away the shovels just yet.
I'm not scared of snow, but had to ditch some plans I'd made. Now I had NO plan -- sometimes the best way to start an unexpected Studio Day.
I confronted a monoprint I'd made recently on a piece of wood. I consulted Bill Creevy's wonderful "The Pastel Book" to reassure myself that this was really a thing, and attacked the little monoprint with a few pastels. I made myself stop when I got here:

Spring 1

Mixed Media on wood

8 x 10 framed

$300 + S+H 

More from Tripp Street

Here's a view of the back of a building on Tripp Street. On any warm spring day, this area is crowded with shiny motorcycles and the people who own or want to own them. This oil painting on wood, 24 x 24, isn't about the bikes, but about composition, and the sun & shadows. Enjoy! (looks a little off plumb here, but it's straight in real life)

Final few days

My solo show at the Lincoln, MA public library comes down this Saturday. It's been a great show, with four paintings about to be delivered to new homes!

Next up: ArtFest II, a show and sale in the gorgeous new Gallery at Villageworks in West Acton, MA on April 9 & 10. Announcements will appear here as it gets closer.

In the meantime, I'm busy prepping panels to paint for a two-person show this June in Provincetown.

Just completed: A Pond at Daybreak, Mixed Media, 9 x 12. Enjoy!

Public Hanging Today!

Hanging paintings in a public library, that is! I hope local friends will join me at the opening reception next Saturday!