Friends at the winery

Jerry, Deb, and Cathy

8" x 10"

Oil with palette knives on board

This was a fun commission of 3 pals enjoying some wine on a glorious day with a beautiful winery as the backdrop.

Below are a couple of progress shots I look along the way. I always start with the faces first, then move on the background after the people have been painted in.

Week 19 Copy The Masters

As we continue to hone our skills, Week 19 calls for us to COPY THE MASTERS. You can be sure that I will be creating some more mini masters. The one shown above is one of my favorites, Van Gogh's Irises, and it was only about 3" x 4”.

Here is your free worksheet.

Off to Provincetown!

Entering Provincetown

18" x 18"

Oil with knives on cradled board

SOLD

It's that time of year again when Polo and I create a body of new work to send up to The Red Inn in Provincetown. This year we decided to stay a few days and enjoy the beautiful scenery and get inspired all over again. Here is a video showing the paintings that are now for sale at the inn.

In case the video doesn't play for you, here is my line up "on deck" for the red inn.

And here are a few photos from our 3 wonderful days enjoying the scenery. There was a full moon, and I even fit in a little colored pencil postcard.

Workshop painting 4: people

Mother and Child

8" x 10"

Oil with palette knives on board

Happy Mother's Day! 

In our 4th and final week of my palette knife painting workshop, we graduated to painting people. I found the reference image for this painting on the website Unsplash.com. You can find some wonderful photos on this site that are free to use as you wish-a great source for artists.

Week 18 Loosen up!

This week we begin a new theme called HONING YOUR CRAFT and for Week 18 we are called to LOOSEN UP! Are you ready to start sketching? Here is your free worksheet. 

Workshop painting 3: bird feathers

Sign of Spring

8" x 10"

Oil with palette knives on board

In the third week of my 4 week palette knife painting workshop, appropriately spring had just started and birds are one of the first signs that warmer days are coming. Feathers are a great subject to paint with palette knives as well as green foliage.

Week 17 Ask Other Artists

It's Week 17 and this week we will Ask Other Artists to generate ideas. The worksheet is attached here ready to download. Ready? Set? Keep going!

Workshop painting 2: sailboats

Solo Sail

8" x 10"

Oil with palette knives on board

This was the second painting we completed in the 4 week palette knife painting workshop I led for the Franklin Senior Center last month. It was a good test in creating atmospheric depth and the boat was created using just a few strokes of white paint.

Week 16 Re-Imagine The Art Show

Hi Jumpstarters! Welcome to Week 16. In 2021 we all should be able to start thinking about having art shows in person again so it's a great time to think about creative ways to get participants interested and involved in the show. Let's move beyond standing around eating cheese and crackers.

Here is your free worksheet. Have fun!

Palette Knife Painting Workshop

Last month I did a 4 week palette knife painting workshop for the Franklin Senior Center in Franklin Massachusetts. We had 15 participants and did a hybrid model with half the class participating in person (the Roomies) and half the class following along via Zoom (the Zoomies). Then each week, they switched off so everyone got a chance to participant in person. Ariel organized the whole event and it went really well. She took these photos while I was painting and teaching. 

For our first week, we painted flowers. I ended up with two paintings because I actually did a "practice" painting at home before the workshop started.  I'll post the other 3 paintings in future blog posts.

Week 15 Looking Back

For Week 15, we are Looking Back to see if there are inspirations and ideas from past experiences that never saw the light of day. You might be surprised by some little gems you had hidden away.

Here is your free worksheet.

Walking along Commercial Street, part I

Commercial Street from Freeman to Standish

12" x 36" x 2"

Oil with palette knives on Ampersand Gessobord

This is the first of a series of paintings of the buildings on Commercial Street in Provincetown inspired by this painting by Norman Rockwell of Stockbridge, MA at Christmastime.

If you've ever walked along Commercial Street, each building and store has its own personality, which I just love. And I wanted to capture that in this piece.

Here is a photo after I completed the buildings and before the sky and the sidewalk were painted in.

Thanks for reading.

Week 14 Think Outside The Gallery

It's April and that means a new theme for our Jumpstart Your Art weekly challenge for artists, GENERATING IDEAS. This week's challenge is THINK OUTSIDE THE GALLERY.

Here is the free worksheet ready to download.

View From The Seaport, take 3

View From The Seaport District III

6" x 12"

Oil with palettes knives on cradled board

SOLD

This painting may look familiar to you if you follow my blog. That's because it is the third time I've painted this scene. The daughter of the customer who purchased the second one wanted one to hang in her apartment in New York. Each time I paint it, it comes out a little differently of course but I'm happy with the how the colors turned out in this version.

Here is a progress shot I took a long the way. I always start with the buildings and work my way towards the foreground.

Week 13 New Ways To Share Your Art

It's Jump-Start Your Art, Week 13. The theme of Sharing this month includes thinking of new ways of sharing more about your art online, not just showing it.

Here is your worksheet ready to download.

Pretty Piper

Piper

12" x 9"

Oil with palette knives on Ampersand Gessobord

Rick asked me if I would paint a portrait of Piper as a birthday gift for his husband. Isn't she a beauty? I used one of the photos he sent for the face and then added the collar from another image he sent. I thought the yellow daisy was a nice touch. 

Here are a few progress shots.

Week 12 Motivate Others

For Week 12, we are motivating others by writing down what our advice would be to young artists just starting out. It's a great way to record how much you really know, realize all you have learned over the years as an artist, and acknowledge those who have influenced you. Here is the worksheet ready to download. Good luck!

Truro beach houses

Shore Road Sisters

12" x 12"

Oil with palette knives on cradled board

These two houses sit on the beautiful shoreline of Truro Massachusetts on Cape Cod. The light is so amazing here especially when the sun is just going down. Don't you want to be here right now with a beach chair, a good book, and a glass of wine? I sure do. Today is the first day of spring so that's a good sign that scenes like this are in the near future!

Here is a progress shot showing you my set up at the gallery while painting this scene.

Week 11 Your Go-To List

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

It's Jumpstart Week 11 and it's time to share your favorite Go-Tos for inspiration. The worksheet is below ready to download. I can't wait to get more ideas from all of you for where to go to get inspiration the next time I'm in a rut.

Welcome To Provincetown

Welcome to Provincetown

12" x 12"

Oil with palette knives and a wipe out tool

SOLD

I love this old weathered sign that you see as you enter Provincetown from Truro on Cape Cod. I've always wanted to paint it so I decided now was the time to finally do it. 

I struggled with how I was going to "paint" the letters on the sign using my palette knives, so instead I decided to use one of my favorite tools. It's called a Wipe Out Tool and below is a photo to show you what it looks like. It's got a chisel rubber tip on one end and a rounded rubber tip on the other. 

Here's how it works. I painted a swatch of dark blue lettering color as a flat shade in acrylic (because it dries fast). Next, I painted the lighter blue color on top in oil. Then I used the Wipe Out Tool to "lift up" the lighter blue color to reveal the darker blue color underneath. I use to same tool to sign my initials on the front of my paintings. For my signature, the tool lifts up the oil color to reveal my acrylic orange ground color underneath. You can see this at the bottom right of this image.