Tag Archives: Cape Ann

Watching the Waves Come In….

Posted on by

TM9298 Watching the Waves Come In #243 7×7 oil on paper

TM9299 Watching the Waves Come In #244 7×7 oil on paper

TM9303 Here It Comes 7×7 oil on paper

Watching the Waves Come In is a long-term series that is always in development. Every time I learn something new I see what effect it will have on my little wave paintings. Or sometimes these small paintings inform my larger work. Either way, they are a delight to paint. I used to use a brush when working on them, but now it is mostly the palette knife, with more attention paid to the viscosity of the paint and the choice of paper  – smooth or textured watercolor paper (primed). I look for ways to let the viscosity emulate the action of the water – more like sneaking up on the subject rather than trying to copy a moment or view. This approach, at least for me, yields more of the feel of my watery subject. It also allows for random accidents to influence the painting’s development, and life is certainly about the accidents. Enjoy.

After the Storm

Posted on by

TM9302 A Day at Bass Rocks #53 7×7 oil on paper

TM9300 A Day at Bass Rocks #51 7×7 oil on paper

TM9301 A Day at Bass Rocks #52 7×7 oil on paper

The raw power and quaking tremors that one feels when standing on the rocks can be breath taking. It travels from the feet up through the legs, sort of a deep bass vibration, especially after big storms. These three small paintings, two with the tide coming in, one with the tide going out, provide a 7×7″ version of the experience. Enjoy!

That Special Light

Posted on by

TM9290 That Special Light 36×60 oil on panel

It’s the moisture in the air that creates so much luminosity at the coast, but knowing the fact doesn’t take away any of the magic or mystery in that translucent environment. No, seeing through the layers of salt water, feeling the droplets all around you as you look out into the distance – these experiences always feel both new and familiar. The repeating waves carry a sense of renewal and induce a trance. Thoughts drop away and the mind fills with opalescent skies and shades of blue, and green. Like a magnet, the sea hold our attention, and for some of us it keeps a place in our hearts. Enjoy. Details below.

TM9290 That Special Light – detail from right foreground with incoming waves and backwash

Winter Waves

Posted on by

 

Practice, practice, practice they say…..and so I do. Working on studies of a particular subject for years does deepen one’s knowledge and response. It also offers the challenge of finding new ways to interpret the familiar. These four winter studies explore a few of the different moods of winter, with associated palettes. I look forward to the more luminous light of spring….but first there is March….enjoy!

 

My Melancholy Sea

Posted on by

TM9277 My Melancholy Sea 36×54 oil on panel

I’m going back to the big picture with My Melancholy Sea, a moody interpretation of the Atlantic ocean seen during transitional weather. There is a power and serenity in wavescapes. This one, in subdued shades of blue and gray greens, is full of subtle paint manipulations. Enjoy.

Wave Studies

Posted on by

TM9276 Watching the Waves Come In #236 6×6 oil on paper

TM8675 Watching the Waves Come In #175 6×6 oil on paper

TM8410 Watching the Waves Come In #131 6×6 oil on paper

When is a painting finished? I was cleaning up in the studio recently, and found a stash of studies, some that (were) finished and some just started months or even years ago. Seeing them now, with more experience, I knew I could develop them further. I present the results. Moody Atlantic waves and skies, reinterpreted with a palette knife and more viscous paint. No longer studies, but small finished paintings.

I guess a painting is permanently finished when I no longer have access to it, when I can’t change or add anything. Until then, if it’s in the studio, it may continue to change and improve  as I learn more about painting. Or sometimes it’s the painting that tells me what to do – if I listen.

Open Spaces

Posted on by

TM9271 Thinking about Due North 7.25×7.25 oil on paper

TM9270 Snowy Dune #2 7×7 oil on paper

TM9269 Snowy Dune #1 6×6 oil on paper

Winter’s big, open, wind-swept spaces have their own stark beauty. These studies, two from the coast and one overlooking a snow-covered pond, offer longer views. The colors are muted. The air is crisp, clean, and cold. You can hear the silence. Listen again. It won’t last.