Autumn Splendor - Taughannock State Park, NY Finger Lakes

The "BIG ONE" is finally done!  It is a 48" x 36" acrylic on artist grade stretched gallery wrapped canvas with the edges painted so that framing is not  necessary.  I worked on this piece for a month or so with 35+ hours spent on the actual painting and another 25+ hours spent on small studies, etc... I have a new found respect for artists who work in a large format.  Until now, the largest piece I had done was on a full sheet of watercolor paper (22" x 30").  I had to color adjust my photo to make the colors more accurate but some areas like the grass on the left read too dark and the foliage at the water's edge on the right reads too bright.  You can get a better idea of the colors in the photo of the painting in the room where it resides.  It was delivered this past weekend and received many complements from those who saw it.  The colors complement the room very nicely and it demands your attention as you enter the room.

"Mother Nature's Artistry" -colorful paintings of Ford's Pond in fall

This first acrylic painting is done from a photo of Ford's Pond  located in Glenburn Township, Northeast Pennsylvania.  The second painting is a pastel version of this scene done en plein air (from life) a few years ago.  When a friend asked me to do a painting for her, this is one of the scenes I suggested.  I did the acrylic painting (12" x 16") as a sample of what could be done with the scene.  I love the bright colors and the patterns of the trees on the far side of the pond.  Do you think I should add some life forms to the scene?  Do you have a favorite?  Please comment and let me know your thoughts.  The same scene can be interpreted in an infinite variety of ways.  That is the beauty of art and, of course, mother nature!

"Fallen" - a lovely fall scene with brightly colored foliage and birch trees

This was my first acrylic painting in 30+ years.  It is done on Rives BFK Printmaking paper, which I love, and was so much fun to do.  I just basically let myself play and enjoy the way the colors and textures came together.  The scene is from a photo of my neighbor's yard.  The fallen tree had been there for many years.  They recently removed it.  I have always wanted to paint it and this was the perfect opportunity.  I added the birch trees as practice for another project I'm working on.  This painting is being donated to a charity auction to benefit a children's hospital and several other worthy causes.  It is framed under glass in a lovely walnut frame.

Small Studies With Big Impact

 

I have been working on samples for a large commission piece.  I decided to use acrylic instead of oil because of the faster drying time among other things.  These are 2 studies that resulted from my efforts.  I love them both because they are impressionistic and colorful.  So now I will add acrylic to my arsenal of mediums which also includes oil, watercolor, pastel and ink with wash.  Too many mediums....too little time.

The scene above is from Taughannock Park in the NY Finger Lakes Region.  This is a great place to visit if you are ever driving up Route 89 on the West side of Cayuga Lake.  There is a wonderful hike to the falls and lots of great picnic spots along the lake.  The scene to the right was pretty much out of my head.  I used a photo taken from a local pond and then changed the foreground to include the birch trees .