Over the past month, I completed a series of paintings that explore the dynamics of forest streams. These paintings were inspired by many locations, but in particular, the hemlock ravines of Buck Hill Falls in NE Pennsylvania. Here, the water tumbles down through channels in Red Shale, cut into the rock over eons of time. I completed a larger piece, 24x36 entitled "Clearing after the Rain" and a series of small studies 8x16 and 8x12. A couple of these will soon be featured on the "new pieces" page.

As July ends, I have a number of new seascapes nearing completion. These new paintings will be exhibited for the first time at the Mystic Outdoor Art Festival in Connecticut in a couple weeks. This new series of seascapes were inspired by time spent in Avalon, NJ this past spring and explorations in Narragansett and Newport, RI in June.

My work was exhibited this past weekend at the annual Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show in Philadelphia. The show was well attended and I enjoyed the opportunity to meet and talk with so many. This show will be held again in September and my display can usually be found along the south side of the square.

This past month, I’ve been reading through the book "The Life and Works of Thomas Cole", written in 1856. Thomas Cole is generally viewed as the original artist of the Hudson River School. His love and wonder for American natural scenery, in spite of trips to Europe, was very deep. His connection to the intricate facets of forest streams, mountain views, and seacoasts was very personal. I’ve found his outlook about the natural world to be akin to my own and this reinforces my sense of connection to this important group of artists.

I finally completed the painting "Light upon a Forest Stream" and have added it to the "New Pieces" page. I didn't think I'd ever complete this one, but enjoyed the levels of detail and contrasts of lighting.  I also added an image of the painting "Light within the Wave".    Exploring the dynamics of surf on larger canvases puts me right there in the water.

Recently, I completed the painting "Morning Calm" 24x30,  and have added it to the "New Pieces" page. I currently have five paintings underway as I look toward summer weather and have been busy planning new ones. On a trip to Avalon, New Jersey this past spring, I was impressed by a wide range of unusual lighting conditions. These views have already inspired plans for new seascape paintings that I plan to work on in May and June.

I enjoyed a 3-day backpacking trip among the streams and falls of the Allegheny Mts this past month. The region has driven me to contemplate a series of small studies (8x12s and 8x16s) focusing on the water dynamics in forest streams. I’m also re-visiting a couple plans for large paintings of woodland f alls and streams. The increasing emerald greens in the eastern forests are drawing me to explore. I’m looking forward to a number of hiking and backpacking trips for June. I always return from such trips full of ideas and energized to paint.

Over the past month, I completed "Snowfall Among the Spruces" and "Wave Break on a Clear Morning". Both of these paintings have been added to the New Pieces page. Most recently, I completed a large, 24x48 study of foam patterns within a rising wave, as shown in the photo. I haven’t decided on a title for this piece yet. This week, I plan to complete a 12x36 exploration of a series of breaking waves. In the midst of this work, I’ve been slowly working through a summer stream painting, 24x36. I’ve been hopeful of completing this soon, but the fine detail is extensive and time consuming. I find the intricacies of such a scene to be most inspiring. In my mind, leaving out the detail would leave the scene devoid of its wonder.

Without snow on the ground, I feel driven to paint snow to make up for it. I may start a snow-scene this week. However, the warming weather has found me pondering forest streams and the rocky coastline of New England.

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As we progress through January, I am left with little inspiration from my immediate surroundings. Usually by this time, the trees and fields are filled with snow. This has a magical effect on the forest that I look forward to every year. With the touch of snow, winter beauty is astounding. It also fills me with nostalgia as I remember times from my childhood. It was always a time of adventure, riding sleds and toboggans down through the fields and amongst the trees, building snow forts, marveling at the fascinating ice formations on the forest stream with its low falls, and finally, the ever present smell of wood-smoke in the cool air.

Perhaps there is a positive aspect to our mild winter. Without the distraction of snow, I’m accomplishing a lot of work on seascapes, as well as autumn and summer forest streams. If I can complete these soon, before snow does arrive (It has to …. Doesn’t it???), that would be progress. But my current paintings are progressing slowly.

I spent this past weekend in Newport, RI and have returned with a wealth of new ideas. The sky was full of dramatic lighting, creating powerful effects on the surf. I dropped 4 paintings off at the Sheldon Fine Art Gallery on Bowen’s Wharf. "Receding Tide", "Storm Clearing at Dawn", and "The Rocks off Conanicut Island", as shown on the new pieces page of this website, are now on exhibit there and available for sale through the gallery. A new painting that shows the Newport anchorage from Ocean Drive, is also new to the gallery. This has recently been added to the new pieces page. Over the past week, I completed a smaller painting to further explore the effects of backlighting on a rising wave. This new piece is entitled "Rising into the Light" and has already sold.

While in Newport, I had another opportunity to visit the Newport Gallery of American Art. This Gallery features a wide range of work by the 19th century Hudson River School artist, William Trost Richards. He is my favorite artist and I am always excited to see his originals. I highly recommend this gallery to anyone interested in classic American art.

The sea is a constant source of fresh inspiration to paint. Every day displays scenes and effects that seem entirely new. I plan to have a new series of seascapes underway soon, even as I work to finish a couple autumn paintings begun in October. I know however, that once the winter’s snow arrives, I’ll be torn between painting snow and painting the sea. Too much wonder and too little time to paint it all. This is a fantastic problem to have.

I finally completed the painting "Autumn Maples" , 18x36, and have added it to the "New Pieces" page.  It seems that I usually use a vertically oriented canvas for forest scenes, but this is an exception.  The arrangement of leaves across the textured tree trunks seemed to call for a horizontal or "landscape"  depiction.  I have two more autumn paintings to complete from this past season as well as a summer forested stream.  With two commissions to complete along with a seascape or two, I have a variety of paintings in the works.   I hope to complete some of these before winter's snow arrives.  

Although the time for winter landscapes is here, I’m still working on 3 autumn forest paintings. However, With the coming our October snow, I picked up work again on a forest snow storm (20x30) begun last winter. Our long lasting loss of electricity and good lighting due to the storm  set me considerably behind in my painting. I’m beginning to doubt the completion of my 3 autumn forest scenes before the new year, perhaps one or two of them. I’ve observed a number of clear autumn mornings reminiscent of 19th century Hudson River School paintings by Sanford Gifford. I’ve started work on a small autumn landscape (8x16) to explore these colors. In spite of the inspiration of autumn and winter forests all around me, I miss the sea and must begin another seascape soon. I need to get back to the New England coast. I’m longing to climb among the rocks of Conanicut Island near Newport. Perhaps in December!