Bonds Lake and Kayakers

Familiar with kayakers frequently entering the water at Buckhorn, a pair of visitors from Canandaigua entered the water at Bonds Lake when we first arrived. Sherrill Primo and I were mentoring a new plein air painter and we drove further into the park to a quiet view of a smaller lake, a few fallen trees and the richness of nature.
IMagine my surprise when the kayak couple entered this water as well. I had taken photos of them earlier, planning to use them if needed. This time, the lady kept her boat still for me to observe it in scale with my picture. I wound up turning her around, because who wants to see a painting of someone paddling out the right corner of a picture?

The drama of the day was during clean up. My very wet and globby palette took a dive, face first right into the painting. A great deal of thick paint-red, orange, yellow- stuck itself to the water  areaas well as extra speckles all through the picture. A palette knife comes in handy-scrape it off!

I did get home later than I planned.

Perfect Kayak Day, 9x12 oil on birch c.2018

Same old angle, new view

Rainbow Mist, looking towards Canada

I can walk along the Niagara River and see views of the mist rising from the bottom of the gorge for close to a mile. It never fails to amaze me and I have painted it from slightly different angles in different sizes and media.
This particular painting is unusual as I included the skyline of Niagara Falls Ontario. Usually, manmade structures are omitted or barely visible.

Rainbow Mist, 9x12, oil on birch panel c. 2018

Buffalo Garden Walk in the Community Gardens

The annual Buffalo Garden Walk is one of the 'must do' things in WNY. Instead of working in a private garden with tinkling waterfalls and spectacular floral and fauna, the Buffalo Society of Artists sponsors a community gardens paint in for kids, mostly kids anyway. Paints, paper and shade are ready in this neighborhood garden where anyone who wants or needs fresh vegetables can pick them. The cherry tomatoes I chose were turning color as I worked. What a nice way to experience nature.

Vermont Street Tomatoes, 16x12 pastel, c. 2019

Gallery windows in Buffalo

Two adjoining galleries wrap around North Street in Buffalo to Linwood Street. Art Dialogue Gallery has a window facing the street that is always interesting to view. I had parked in front and took this shot of Bill Wilson's sculptures. 

While I was there, Don Siuta asked if he could use my painting in the North Street windows of Artists Group Gallery. Leaving, I took this photo of it at the very moment a cyclist rode by and her reflection landed precisely on the beach of the painting. Coincidentally, it is titled "That Moment" which was meant for the moment of sunrise on the ocean horizon. This picture caught another 'moment'.

That Moment, 40x20, oil on canvas, c.2015

Frank Lloyd Wright Boathouse

 

The start of a painting is a drawing - this is on a black toned canvas and it is in the shade of a building

 

Note how the light and shadows change, especially on the boathouse.

The Wind At FLW Boathouse, 12x16 oil

 I chose to leave the foliage off the tree to keep emphasis on the building.

Note how the shadows are longer in this afternoon photo and there is no light on the front. The wind is evident from the furled flags.

Wind at FLW Boathouse, oil on canvas 12x16 c.2018