"Hop Forward 3 Spaces"

Pastel on UArt, 18x12

Honorable Mention - NFPS Member Show, Spring 2012

Unable to paint at the beach, I did the next best thing and painted from memory and reference photos.  I placed these three gulls in the wet sand just beyond the wave wash as they often do waiting for the tide to turn.  Usually one or more of them stands on one leg, but even then they seem to be about ready to fly.

The reflections in the wet sand and the early morning sun on the foam adds the sense of color and anticipation that the games of the day are about to begin.

"Late Day, Winter"

Pastel on Wallis, 18x12

This view of one of the old trails in the woods near Pablo Bay.  Late in the day, the sun slants across the trail leaving long, dark shadows.  There are few oak trees in this section, and the pine trees give it almost the air of an ancient church with a high roof and great stained glass windows.

There were a few maple trees that still had some yellow and orange, but most of the color had gone leaving the evergreen and gray of our southern winter.

Received Honorable Mention - 2012 Summer JCVA Show (Jacksonville Coalition for the Visual Arts)

"Sense of Passing"

Pastel on sanded gatorboard, 14x10

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This painting was done from photos, drawings, and notes I made in the woods near Pablo Bay.  There are survey stakes all through the woods and new access roads being cut.  I wanted to get as much information and painting done here as possible - the woods may soon be a construction zone.

The day was overcast with few and infrequent breaks in sunlight.  The colors of winter dominated the scenes, but the gray overcast kept them muted and somber.

Everything seemed to be passing - the sun, the day, the weather, and soon the woods themselves.

I did make another confirmation as I worked on this piece.  I do not have to "explain" everything in the picture. The suggestion made with color and value does not need to be an explicit shape. I know this is true, but I still struggle with minimizing details.

"Fall Color, Falling Light"

Pastel on sanded gatorboard, 24x20

This painting was originally called, "Across the Pond."  The original drawings and reference photos were done on an overcast day.  The colors were intense, but with no clear source of light and no deep shadows, it was difficult to capture the atmosphere that had impressed me. 

The pond surface is covered with spatterdock, a variety of water lily with large leaves.  The intense green of the lilies on the blue/gray reflections of the pond stood out against the golds, reds and yellows of the brush and trees.  It is that drama that I have sought to capture.  In the middle of the riot of color, stands the lone, faded duck box tilted a little forward with age.  Here lies my point of interest.

I placed the work-in-progress out on Facebook for comments and was flooded with good suggestions.  The final work is a composite of many of those ideas.

"Across the Pond"

Pastel on sanded gatorboard, 24x22

The idea of this painting is a view across the old mining pond at the Jacksonville Arboretum.  The old duck box and the color in the poplar and maple trees caught my attention.  The painting was begun on site with drawings, color references, and reference photos.  The day was cloudy with no distinct shadows which proved later to be a difficult atmosphere for me to catch.

I received more response on this with suggestions than anything else I've put on Facebook.  This is the result of more than a dozen suggestions.  Some I could incorporate, some I tried but didn't think they worked, and some were beyond my skill in the medium.

I have not signed this - giving it a night to "simmer."