My largest Red Inn Painting yet #69

Welcome To The Red Inn

30" x 48"

Oil with palette knives on canvas

Happy Groundhogs Day! This is the 69th painting I've done of the Red Inn in Provincetown and it is my largest one yet. 

Ben and Gordon were staying at the inn last year and saw a painting of mine hanging on the wall in their room. They told me they asked around to find out who painted it, and finally tracked me down.

I usually paint on board but that would have made this a very heavy painting due to its size, so we decided to go with canvas instead. I haven't posted progress shots in awhile but I remembered to take some as I was working on this painting:

Stage 1 the drawing

Stage 2 the red

Stage 3 the inn details and water

Stage 4 the trees sky and Adirondack chairs

Stage 5 the greenery and flowers

Leaving just the fence and the road to completion!

Phew.

3 More Boston Littles

Joy Street, Boston

6" x 6"

Oil with palette knives on board

Custom House, Boston

6" x 6"

Oil with palette knives on board

North End, Boston

6" x 6"

Oil with palette knives on board

I've been enjoying creating these little scenes from various locations in and around downtown Boston. I think they capture the heart and soul of our city.

Pretty Lindy pet portrait

Lindy

8" x 10"

Oil with palette knives on board

Tamara contacted me to paint a portrait of their beloved dog Lindy who they recently lost. Lindy looks like she had a good life and was dearly loved by her family. This portrait will help the family remember her for years to come.

Large commission of a special vacation

PeloponnesePeninsula, Greece

18" x 36"

Oil with palette knives on board

Olivia and Oliver asked me to paint this image for their parents to commemorate a special vacation they all took in Greece. What a fun challenge not only due to the larger size, but also the interesting homes, the foliage, the sky, and all of the reflections in the water.

Wood End Light II

Entering Provincetown (Wood End Light) II

16" x 16"

Oil with palette knives on board

Michael saw the first version I had of this painting hanging at the Red Inn with a sold sticker on it and asked if I would paint another one for him. No problem!

A fun commission for my sister

Box 29 Bar

9" x 12"

Oil with palette knives on board

My sister Cathy's best friend Chris contacted me and said she had an idea for a painting that she wanted me to create as a gift for my sister. For the past several years, my sister has been working on a really special project called The Box 29 Diaries Project. It was inspired by our family's happenstantial discovery of a diary my mom had written for a history class she was taking at Miami University in the 50's. Turns out there are several hundred of these diaries in existence in the archives of the university, and the project was created to make the families aware of the existence of these diaries written by their loved ones. Cathy has interviewed several of these families and so this painting represents my sister talking to one of the family members about the diary. As a fun twist, Chris and I set it in a bar scene named after the archive box number in which my mother's diary is located.

Today is my mother's birthday. I think she would be very proud of my sister's efforts to contact the families and create awareness about the existence of these diaries and their place in history.

Happy New Year!

Neil and Samantha's Special Day

8" x 10"

Oil with palette knives on board

I have been so busy with commissions and then the holidays hit that I am only now getting back to updating my blog with my most recent paintings from the last few months.

Teddy asked if I would paint a portrait for his friends who recently tied the knot. It was fun to paint the beautiful dress and veil with my knives as well as the rock wall and background scenery.

Congratulations to the Hoglunds!

Season finale for the Red Inn

Far From The Madding Crowd

11" x 14"

Oil with palette knives on board

It's the final home stretch for The Red Inn in Provincetown. They close their doors for the season on November 2 so I made a few paintings these last few weeks to hopefully make some sales before they wrap up. This painting was inspired by a photo by Marshall Walden of @curbingart on Instagram (used with his permission). He takes such interesting photos in and around Provincetown. 

Trinity Church again

Trinity Church II

Oil with palette knives on board

5x7

I had painted a square version of this scene which sold right away so I decided to do a more horizontal version which was on display at Gallery Twist in Lexington this past month.  I love the play of architectural styles in this scene.

Distinguished boy

Auggie

8 x 10

Oil with palette knives on board

Bill asked if I would paint Auggie, his sister's beloved cat and big brother to Maddie who I previously painted. Auggie lost his eye when he was a kitten but he is still a most handsome and distinguished boy!

Belle of the ball

Belle In Her Tutu

12" x 9"

Oil with palette knives on board

Krisann asked if I would paint this image of her beloved black lab Belle. I had done a previous painting of her white lab Rex several years ago so she wanted a similar size for this one. She looks so pretty in her pink tutu and flower collar.

Cat glam

Butterscotch

6" x 12"

Oil with palette knives on board

My latest pet portrait is giving major glam. Susan asked if I would paint this for her favorite aunt, the loving owner of Butterscotch the cat. Isn't she a beauty?

Happy Birthday to Dana

Motocross #855

8" x 10"

Oil with palette knives on board

My sister asked if I could paint a picture for her boyfriend Dana's 70th birthday. He loves motocross and she sent me some photos of him in his element. I loved the action of this shot that showed the beautiful Montana scenery in the background. He is truly young at heart!

Sweet kitty face

Oliver Kitty

8" x 8"

Oil with palette knives on board

Paul asked if I would paint a picture of their beloved cat Oliver. They call him kitty. He is a gorgeous, very photogenic long haired cat with amazing eyes. 

Here is Oliver posing with his new portrait. Good kitty!

A new series of Boston littles

Joined At The Hip II

5" x 7"

Oil with palette knives on board

A Peek In To Back Bay II

5" x 7"

Oil with palette knives on board

One Beacon Street 

(Overlooking the Charles River)

5" x 7"

Oil with palette knives on board

SOLD

My last series of little Boston scenes was so popular and fun to paint that I wanted to do some more. 

I used to work in the building shown in the last painting, One Beacon Street. It was the first location of my job in Boston that I had for 30+ years. The view from he 28th floor was incredible, overlooking the Charles River and Beacon Hill. A coworker recently purchased the painting. She said it reminded her of her walk to work everyday through the common. 

New family portrait

Alex, Caitlin, and Henry

10 x 10 

Oil with palette knives

Denise asked if I would paint a portrait as a present for a family who is moving from Boston to Australia. He worked in the building that you can see in from of the Prudential center, she is a sculler who worked at Boston Community Sailing. Their coworkers will miss them and wanted to give them something to remember their time spent here in Boston.

A new addition to the family

Maddie

8" x 10"

Oil with palette knives on board

Bill asked if I would paint a picture of a new addition to his sister's family. Meet Maddie. She is just a kitten right now but the new princess of the household I just love her calico markings and her bright green eyes. How could you say no to this sweet face?

He sent me this photo of sweet little Maddie sleeping next to her new portrait.

Provincetown illuminated

Monumental Pride

14" x 11"

Oil with palette knives on board

I really challenged myself with this nocturne scene from Provincetown. But I was drawn to the town hall all lit up in rainbow colors and also how the pilgrim tower was also lit up in the back.

It was also very challenging to get a good photo of this painting due to all the dark colors, the contrast, and the texture.

This painting is currently on display at the Red Inn in Provincetown on Cape Cod.

Like mother like daughter

Amy and Betsy

9" x 12"

Oil with palette knives on board

Jim asked if I could paint this for Betsy, who is depicted on the right as a gift for Mother's Day. I finished this painting back in May and guess I forgot to post it. This is my aunt Betsy and her daughter, my cousin Amy.

Orange door in Newport

Warm Welcome

12" x 9"

Oil with palette knives on board

Another stroll around Newport, Rhode Island inspired this painting. I just loved the color, details, and beautiful floral arrangements that greet you as you enter this historic home.