The Plucked Chicken

A week after I painted the Blue Moon, the weather was lovely and the ride to Paint Youngstown again was sublime. With the coast Guard red roof in the background, this sailboat found its way onto my canvas, drawn with underpaints and I worked on the water and reflections before the weather changed the surface of the water. Well, it did change and the current turned the sailboat around before I was finished. The prow was now to the right. It wasn't going to come back to this position for a long time so I had to finish the picture looking at the opposite side and reversing in my mind using the underpainting as a guide.

I posted the painting on Facebook and it was forwarded by someone to the owner. I didn't see their comment but they came to the November NFLive event at the Niagara Falls Convention Center after Thanksgiving to see me.

The night before the show I had realized I should have a sample of my boat paintings in my table display and put it in an available right-sized frame. It was only a few weeks since it was painted so I offered to take care of it in the future as it wasn't fully dry for a few more months and I hadn't secured it tight enough for long term display. It went home that day with the family that owned the boat. And I learned where the name 'Plucked Chicken" came from. 

Plucked Chicken 16X12 oil on linen

The Blue Moon

The end of September serves as the end of sailing season, taking the boats in and readying them for winter takes up a lot of fall days at the Youngstown Yacht Club. The biggest sailboats are brought in last and by then, the dock is covered with propped boats on blocks and trailers, all with masts in the sky, creating an aluminum forest.

I had admired this unusual sailboat and was determined to find time to paint it. Turns out, "Blue Moon" is a work boat for the yacht club, ferrying in the race markers from the Niagara River and Lake Ontario. I learned that the following week when it went to work before I could paint it larger.

It's just 7" tall by 5" and this painting is a new favorite.

Blue Moon, oil on canvas panel 7x5" 

#worldwidepaintout2023

The annual WWPO is a good time with usually great weather that the NFPAP artists enjoy. We have always had it at the Niagara Reservation State Park. I chose a classic falls view and found myself looking around and through a lot of tourists. I love that people stop to appreciate, and maybe contemplate, rather than leaning in to shoot a photo and walking away. 

   Friday at Prospect Point

  Saturday at Three Sisters, looking upriver.

  My view 

  Where I stood on the first bridge to paint this.