'Sand Painting' 9x12 oil on birch with plenty of authentic beach sand in the paint.

Back to Long Beach, Long Island. This is the jetty directly to the East of Ohio Street and the first time I strayed from my usual rocks. It attracted me because the ocean had piled the sand so high on one side while it was deeply carved on the west. Later in the week a hurricane was out at sea, causing the surf at high tide to push this particular sand right over the rocks, making it more even on each side. The pleasures of plein air: documenting change.

Setting up, preparing my palette and unpacking my supplies proved to be the source of the title, a fresh palette of paint (and probably more paint than I usually use as I was planning two) acts like a frisbee when buffeted by the wind. Not bungeed down yet, the wood palette landed fairly sideways in the sand. Sounds safe? No. Enough sand had been carried in the air and kicked up that the paints were fairly tan. I used it anyway after scraping some of the worst lumps and gained a painting with an awful lot of texture. My main brush took a beating as well, pushing around the paint wore out a fair number of precious hairs, leaving me with a ferrule full and a brush partly worn.

Sand Painting, 9x12 oil on birch board

Impact Artists Gallery features 3 solo shows.

The month of August is mine. At least at Impact Artist's Gallery it is partly mine. The first long wall, shown above, around the corner and then another wall and you will see all my favorite flowers, vegetables and various botanicals. Along with Paulette Jurek and Joan Hambleton we have filled the gallery with our three person show titled "Empower".

'Fourth Friday at Trimain' was our artist reception with the standard table of brownies, cheeses, wonderful dips and pita which kept several people in the gallery for longer than usual, it was a classic hot August evening, but I just felt cool, finally seeing these particular pieces displayed together. Lots sent their regrets as it was a big night for events in Buffalo and Niagara Falls, but I was still pleased to have had visitors coming in steadily for the entire time of the reception. Lucky for me, Bobbie, Chris and Sandi, along with one of her roommates also were there and they got to visit the Buffalo Artist Studios area as well.

2015 Art Calendars-All Niagara images

2015 Calendars are printed, sorted and packaged into cases and refills, and nothing has changed except the beautiful images. This year, all the represented paintings are of Niagara Falls and the river. I have had requests for this for several years, but by the time it was printed half of the paintings are gone.

You can email me, phone or click the links on my webpage, same prices as ever. Click Here!

Check, cash, credit card, paypal or bitcoin, they are $12 in person, $10 for a refill. By mail and online I collect a bit more for postage and packaging ($15 and 11), but all prices include sales tax. Purchase several calendars by mail and the price goes down, 5 for $65 includes postage and taxes.

The theme is Niagara Falls, and although there is a lot of water, there is still a variety of colors, scenes and locations in the park.

Plein air sand

Late in the day, families pack up, as beach blankets and umbrellas are set up for the day and used from morning to sunset. These late afternoon umbrellas attracted me as their vibrant colors contrasted with the slightly overcast sky.  There are a series of spots near the center which are sand from the day of the painting. I could easily brush them off, but they are too authentic! Pure plein air with proof!

Beach Sentries 11x14 oil on panel

Youngstown Yacht Club

 A photo from last week's 'Art on the River' evening. If I can't be outdoors at the Youngstown Yacht Club on a warm summer evening, paint anyway.

This annual event is on the Thursday before the Lewiston Art Festival, a good warm up for me. I bring a few items to show and sell and my freshly minted calendars, but it is a rehearsal for the list of things one needs as a business person...charge card materials, packaging papers and bags, receipt book, pens, business cards and flyers, notebook, iPad, clips, wire, tools, tape, water bottle, sign.....

Thanks to Beverly and Donna for the invitation to show and for the photo!

3rd and Niagara, Niagara Falls Painting story

I found a photograph of myself on the 'Niagara Painters' website, we were painting this morning in downtown Niagara Falls.

A young lady from Boznia Herzegovina came by to chat, she was practicing her English, and asked me why I chose the 3rd Street scene. I said I liked the street because I used to live right there ----> on the painting.

She answered, 'I live right there.' She's upstairs from the old Sheusi Brothers furniture store, I lived in the cottage behind, but I knew about the apartments, the Murphy beds, built in cabinets and elegant woodwork. I wonder if, after 30 years, many of them in neglect, some of the elegance remains? For her sake, I hope so.

Kenan biennial 'Niagara Frontier Art Exhibit'

  Last summer my wrist and hand overdosed with pastels. In fact, I damaged tendons by having three summer residencies where I painted all day, even painting nocturnes. Actually it was 2 1/2 residencies, the third was not completed due to overuse of my gripping thumb. How the lovely colors and sensual marks of my loved pastel sets could become so difficult is still hard to understand. 

By Fall, I began wearing a brace and figured out novel ways to handle a paintbrush as well as a palette knife, but the pastels stayed in storage while I worked carefully with oils. Eventually, I was wearing the brace 20-22 hours a day, and not improving much, visiting hand specialists who administered different shots (some worked for a while) and various tests for carpel tunnel and other injuries.

After several months I retrieved a pastel commission from storage and slowly completed the late winter gorge scene. Such joy to commune with my colors! After delivering it, I needed to do this new pastel painting for myself. Views of the curve of Niagara Falls always intrigue me, individual boulders and favorite islands have been repeated in plein air yearly in paint and pastel. I just needed to be a pastel artist again.

I usually complete a large work in about a week's worth of studio painting, but this took more than two months. I paced the use of my hands, experimenting with working left handed, always aware that I didn't want more pain, but enjoying the pastels, the sound of mark making and richness of pigment and texture. I loved the process and the painting and entered it into the Kenan biennial 'Niagara Frontier Art Exhibit', one of my favorite local shows. 

Accepted, this work of ...what, a year?....hangs proudly in the Kenan dining room, right near a digital collage by Carl Schifano until August 29.

Horseshoe Racing, 22x28 pastel 2014

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