…on a jet plane

we are leaving…
for the Land of Enchantment…
for a reunion with dear friends,
a show opening
AND honeymoon,
all wrapped up in one.

The laundry is done…

the sheets

and folded…

The Last of the Summer Light

and the packing has begun. My artist’s eye is excited to experience new colors on the horizon, and my hard working fingers are looking forward to letting the brushes cool down for a bit.

A personal word of thanks to all who have sent such kind words to acknowledge our wedding announcement. It is just that sort of support which has brought us all forward and I have a deeper appreciation of the meaning of friendship because of you.

Ta for now,  H

Father and Daugher Portraits

Working quite late in the studio tonight, but I’m at this computer rather than at the easel. There’s a lot of “business” stuff to this full time artist deal and it allows me to stretch some other creative muscles. Tonight, it’s writing.

No, not this blog, Painter’s Notes. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you will have found your way to this logo,

notesLink

It appears at the bottom left of each of the large format image pages, which are found when you click on a thumbnail in the Portfolio section of my website. The logo takes you to the little journal writing that I do for each painting. Long story, written up somewhere in the archives here, but for now, let’s just say that once I got started…I wasn’t allowed to stop.

I am not a writer, and the “I have to do the Painter’s Notes” task does tend to be put off until it can wait no longer. Tonight is that night. At least for the five new paintings that are going out to Santa Fe. Well, they have already arrived, ahead of our flight next week out to the land of enchantment.

As I begin, it puts a smile on my face to see the images of The Bogcutter and The Smock side by side…

The Bogcutter 72

The Smock

Our son Jon, and his daughter Zoe.

Jon originally posed for this painting almost 5 years ago. Zoe is 4. She was just a twinkle in Papa’s eye when he hefted the bogcutter on his shoulders and let me sketch away. I’m so grateful now, for the reference photos I took way back then. Everybody changes over a five year time span, but I, unknowingly, caught him just before his life was to shift forever.

That painting sat on the back burner while I gathered up the courage to attempt an honest portrayal of someone I loved. Man it took guts, for me at least. The nudge of that AAC article was the extra shove I needed. That, and watching the passage of time move into warp speed.

The portrait of Zoe was a much more serendipitous affair. She simply wanted to paint next to her Mima. And when I got up to fetch her some clean water…it was all about the raking afternoon light. I wondered if a then 3 year old, would understand the concept of modeling. She loved trying out the new word and was so serious about her craft that the camera, clicking away behind her to capture the fleeting light in her hair, was no distraction. She was a natural at taking direction and held that dear little hand still so I could record the shadow on the dimple.

OK, now it’s later and I may not make it much longer tonight.
But, it’s a start. I’ll let you know when to click on that logo.

Tools of the Trade

By way of a bit of a nod and a thank you to both Follansbee and Chris Schwarz (Lost Art Press)   who have recently posted this portrait of Peter on their blogs…

The Master Carver's Tea 72

thereby flooding my humble website with new viewers…I throwdown this sneak peak at a brand new painting…

Tools of the Trade –  24 x 20

Tools of the Trade

There are lots of clues in this painting to the other works which will be on exhibit in just a few days at the Sugarman Peterson Gallery in Santa Fe. In the meantime, I’ve got some shipping and handling to do…and a fair amount of shavings to sweep up.

 

 

 

 

More on hubcaps, and more…

Hubcaps-preview-9-6-14---010-sbe_480

Looks like that Hubcap show, Second Time Around, at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley is a huge success. They have had well over 2400 people through just on the first weekend.

The Exhibit will be up through March 1, 2015 and it would be a beautiful day trip around this time of year. They have produced a new video which I found interesting so I’ve made a link here…Click for Video

Meanwhile, my days are filled with wrapping and shipping two groups of paintings headed out west. The Sugarman Peterson Gallery show opens in less than two weeks…oh my…and Gallery 1261 is having a new show which opens later in October, more on that soon.

Then, I have a large batch of panels in mid-prep in the garage workshop. The electricians have lit up the place, and it has been wonderful to throw the big carriage doors open to the beautiful fall weather, turn up the tunes, and work the day away.

So, though I will not be picking up the brushes for at least the next month, I will be working just as hard at the “behind the scenes” business of making art.

Stay tuned and fire up those rakes.

Looking Back

Looking Backweb

One of the reasons that this painting is titled, “Looking Back”, is that these fishing vessels, and the small commercial industry that has flourished on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, are fading into history.
I was just reading the Vineyard Gazette and Mark Alan Lovewell has an article that caught my attention and made me take a second look at this painting.

I’ll attach a link to the article here….Click to read VG Article.

ml_four_kids

The article describes the transition from big sea dragging for fluke, which Tim Broderick and family were working with their boat, Four Kids, to Oyster farming in the nearby Menemsha Pond.
I like the forward thinking of their new venture, and, after years of mourning the decline of the big boats in Menemsha, I’m seeing new shingles going up, like the wholesale business of the Menemsha Fish House and I am hopeful that the village will continue to support the islanders.

I almost left that boat out. This composition required a lot of tweaking to get the major elements, buildings, boats and docks to line up, to fit on the panel and to be as close to reality as possible. In real life, those boats swap mooring positions daily, so it wasn’t too much of a stretch to nudge the Four Kids up a few feet and let her dock in front of Larson’s.

four kids detail

And now I’m glad I did. Seems like as fast as I can paint these vineyard scenes…life has a way of changing it all up anew.

The original oil painting, Looking Back  92″ x 48″  is available at the Granary Gallery, just up the road from where the boat is still flying it’s flag.

Ready for the next show …

spg announcement web

I am pleased to announce this upcoming show at the Sugarman Peterson Gallery.

It’s been an exciting venture to work with gallery owners Michael and Christie Sugarman, and their enthusiasm feeds the creative spirit. They have been representing my work in Santa Fe for a year now and, to celebrate the anniversary of our collaboration, we are putting on a show !

The Master Carver's Tea 72

Master Carver’s Tea   Oil on Panel   24 x 30

 

Spurned on, artistically speaking, by John O’Hern’s words, in this summer’s cover article in AAC magazine, I took the challenge to explore the “Figurative” muses which have been nudging just over my shoulder for a while now.

The Bogcutter 72

The Bogcutter   Oil on Panel   28 x 34

 

The blog entry from June explains the origin of the nudge…Click Here to Read

And here we are, after an intensive period of weeks of complete immersion at the easel, I’ve begun the journey… which has been patiently waiting for me all along.

the sheets

Bringing in the Sheets   Oil on Panel   24 x 18

 

The other part of this adventure is that Herself and I will get to tag along with these paintings and hitch a ride out to New Mexico. Our bestest pals D and S are going to introduce us to their new wild west homestead and escort us to the Santa Fe opening, which will be Friday, October 3rd from 5-7:30 at the Sugarman Peterson Gallery. If, by chance, you find yourself in the high desert please stop by and say hello. We will be eager to meet new faces and seasoned patrons alike.

There are two more paintings which are drying in the wings…I’ll put them up here soon.
Stay tuned and stay frosty my friends…the winds of change are freshening out there !