My 1st Paint Annapolis Award!

 So this happened…

Maryland Federation of Art

“Art On The Avenue” 3rd Place + SOLD!

2 more MFA PA Paintings

 These are both in acrylic. I feel really good about the house and am going to enter it in today’s architectural/historic Annapolis competition with m MD Ave, which will be closed off for the event in the late afternoon. 

-Sidewalk Surprise (King George St.).  02x16 inches unframed

Rooftop Party (Hillman Garage). Acrylic.9x12 inches

I need a better picture of this one. This was taken on the roof at night and so the colors don’t come through correctly. 

PAINT ANNAPOLIS 2025 Begins

 I can’t believe it’s here but it is! First event = done! I participated in the “Dueling Brushes” QuickDraw event, which is, basically—what can you do in 2 hours?

Here is where I was at the 2h mark. Tweaked some more since then. More pics forthcoming. 

At Play

Yay! Both of my entries got into @mdfedart’s upcoming virtual exhibition, “At Play.” See https://mdfedart-play2025.artcall.org/pages/web-gallery

I’ll be painting at Paint Annapolis 2025 in 2 weeks, so expect more art soon!

Mt. Tabor Etsy Review

 What a treat to get such a nice review!

Mt. Tabor = SOLD

It’s gonna be hard to let this one go. It has become one of my favorites. Painted in my car on a cold January afternoon, I’d always thought this was an old one-room schoolhouse, Nope.  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Tabor_Good_Samaritan_Lodge_No._59

 

Commission Complete

 I had fun transforming a photo for a friend into a more artistic rendering. I did a few different iterations to see what appealed and they chose the one closest to the coloration of the actual photo. The plan is to print it as a 14x14" print and gift it to the person depicted in the photo.

Outrigger
Digitally altered photo rendered as a digital painting using Art Set 4 and containing elements of watercolor, pastel, and ink

Follow The White Rabbit is at BWI!

 Follow The White Rabbit (18x22" acrylic on canvas panel) is now on exhibit at BWI as part of the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County's rotating exhibit.

Sailing

 I was walking up my basement stairs today and realized I don't think I ever posted some of my 14x24" sailing paintings. So, belatedly, here they are:

In The Lead

Acrylic on canvas

Overcast

Acrylic on canvas

Fall 2023 Update

 I’ve been having a little trouble with the Blogger app and this has delayed my keeping you all up-to-date. We’ll see if this posts all right. What have I been up to? Good question. What a blur since the summer. I’ve done some plein air painting, especially of the old Johns Hopkins Birthplace (Whites Hall) in Gambrills, MD and also played around with some architectural photos taken in NYC.

I was having trouble uploading photos, so let’s give this a shot… Ah, well would you look at that. It worked.

Over the River and Through The Woods
(Johns Hopkins Birthplace, Gambrills, MD)
12x16 unframed
Acrylic on canvas panel

Still Hanging On (Johns Hopkins Birthplace, Gambrills, MD)

12x16” unframed

Acrylic paint and acrylic ink on canvas panel

Treehouse Needed

6x14”

Acrylic on canvas

Apposition (Garment District, NYC)

Digitally altered photograph

Cisterns (Garment District, NYC)

Digitally altered photograph

Eye-Level (Garment District Cisterns, NYC)
Digitally altered photograph

Paint Annapolis 2023

What a fun week! This is the one week a year when I do not mom and I do not wife, I paint. No awards but I did sell a painting! And that’s plenty reward for me. 

She Left 🔴 | 14x18” | Acrylic on canvas panel ———SOLD———

After Hours  | 12x16”| | Acrylic on canvas

Mozart's Garden | 5x7" unframed | Acrylic on canvas

The Witness | 16x20" | Acrylic ink on paper

Treehouse Needed | 6x14" | Acrylic on canvas

The Student

Many thanks to my friend (and published poet!) Susan Sonde for inviting me to sit in on her art lesson with resident artist David Zuccarini at the Howard County Center For The Arts (Elicott City) last night and for his permission to occupy an empty space and take a shot at a quick study from life of Susan at work. 

Susan has a distinctive style of painting #portraits using shades of blue and grey with beige and occasionally shades of brown or purple, and so I tried to imitate her style a little here. My blues are a little too bright and the faces are incomplete, but I’m happy with it for a 2h #speedpainting (although  she disputes the size of her nose lol). What a great space and teaching opportunity for Howard County. They also have 2 exhibitions going on in the space right now. 

Speaking of exhibitions, I have a piece in Maryland Federation of Art’s  Spring Member Show right now at Circle Gallery in Annapolis. See Https://mdfedart.org for reception times and virtual gallery

SOLD!—Mélange II reception = success!

Had a great time at the reception. Lots of people to chat with and made a sale!

A couple of things….

 1 painting sold + 1 juried into MFA’s 2023 Digital Directions!

Small Wonders 2022 now thru 12/23/22

Juneteenth Harvest at Middle Plantation (Davidsonville, MD) | 5x4” | Acrylic on canvas. On exhibit at Maryland Federation of Art’s Circle Gallery (Annapolis, MD) as part of Small Wonders 2022 until 12/23. See https://mdfedart.com/portfolio/270/

What an great show! So much truly wonderful work. I am thrilled , honored, and humbled to have my piece included  with such high caliber work as I saw night at the lovely little reception at the gallery. 

UPDATE: ***SOLD***

Incidentally, here is the inspiration for the frame painting, although my figures are mostly women. A slave burial site was discovered near the plantation during road construction some 40-60y ago, according to a local historical marker sign. Since I’m order to get the effect of a “floater” frame that shows entire canvas I use a regular frame and turn it backwards, I have to do something with the back that is now the front, as it is generally in/poorly finished. So I’m this case I plaited it with the figures of women standing and climbing on the backs of their ancestors until they get to run and their babies are free people at the top. I put (faux, but good faux) leaf on the sides of the frame. 

2 New Juried Show Acceptances!

To wrap up the year, I have received 2 positive notifications from juried exhibitions: 

1- Small Wonders 2022 (Maryland Federation of Art, Circle Gallery, Annapolis, MD): 

Juneteenth Harvest on Middle Plantation (Davidsonville, MD)
3x4" (unframed)
acrylic on canvas

2- BWI Exhibit 35: Bright Skies (Arts Council of Anne Arundel County, Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Baltimore, MD):

The Lottery 
8x10" (unframed)
acrylic on canvas panel

Impact Commission COMPLETE

 I am so happy to have finished (and safely delivered) this commission. It was thrilling to confirm that it plays with the credenza below it exactly as intended. It has its own wall making for an ideal presentation while uniting and bridging an open plan kitchen/eating area/family room. 

It’s strange how letting go of such a piece is rather like re-homing a pet… I am confident it will be happy in its new home. 

This commission was a privilege and superior learning opportunity for which I am immensely grateful. 

Impact. 40x60” Acrylic on canvas

Beach Week 2022!

The first week of august each year = beach week in Fenwick Island, DE. I spent much of my time this year painting on the beach. I am working on learning how to use a palette knife to paint with acrylics in sun and heat and trying to loosen-up my style and not get so bogged down in the details. 

Electric Sunrise. 12x16” acrylic on canvas panel. 

The sun really was a striking color in the sky at sunrise, but more of a fluorescent pink/red. I picked up some new fluorescent paints on my way home from the beach and will give those a try. I realize the sun shouldn’t be darker than the sky. But this is the best I could do with what I had at the time. 

Here it is with the addition of the fluorescent colors. 

A Day At The Beach. 10x10” acrylic on canvas

SOLD! Thank you, Philip Simpson!

Sandpiper Squadron. 8x8” acrylic on canvas panel

I’m thinking I may add more birds…

Detail:

Sandpipers Racing The Waves. 12x16” acrylic on canvas  panel

Cloudy Day. 8x8” acrylic on canvas panel 

More progress on “Impact”

I keep chipping away at this one. By the time I’m done there’s going to be paint a cm deep on this canvas. It’s fighting me the whole way. I’m finishing up with the water soon and will begin adding the plants that will frame it.