New commission: Entering Hull

Entering Hull
16" x 16" x 1.5"
Oil with palette knives on Ampersand Gessobord

Jennifer saw a group of my Entering sign paintings hanging at the Art Gallery at Patriot Place and asked me if I had ever painted Entering Hull. I said I hadn't but that I would gladly paint one for her. So Polo and I took a drive down to the town of Hull (south of Boston) to get a photo of the sign as well as some of the beach she suggested for the background, Gun Rock Beach, where she and her friends like to hang out in the summer.

Here is a photo I took of the painting with just the sign finished. I like the short name and all caps type of this sign. The size of the type for EST and 1644 was also larger than the other ones I've painted, making it a bit easier to paint with my knives.

A new Red Inn interior

Fireside Chat at the Red Inn
Approx 9" x 12"
Oil with palette knives on rough wood panel

SOLD

I found some rough wood boards with the bark still intact at Michaels Arts and Crafts and it inspired a painting idea. I wanted to retain the wood grain and texture so I treated the surface with a couple of coats of clear gesso. This allowed me to let some of the natural wood grain show in the final painting. 

I chose a cozy interior of the Red Inn's front entry. It has a unique brick fireplace and warm leather furniture. There is usually a large painting or two hanging on the wall room, so I thought I'd paint a teeny tiny version of my Red Inn painting on the wall.

Here is a photo I took after I had competed the fireplace and the windows.

NEW : : large portrait commission

Betsy's Boys

18" x 36"

Oil with palette knives on Ampersand cradled board

Betsy asked if I would paint a portrait of her 3 sons and she wanted it large. I hadn't painted a portrait this large before so it was a nice challenge for me. I really like how each boy's personality comes through in this painting, their nice casual poses, and their facial expressions.

Here are a few close ups and process shots I took along the way. I always start with the faces first.

Then I moved on to their clothing. Each jacket was dark so I adjusted the color slightly for each one to distinguish them.

Then I moved on to the background. The rocks were a bit tricky but I tried to make them interesting by introducing a lot of different colors.

Yesterday, the painting was shipped off to its new home in Ohio.

An animal menagerie

Last November I was asked to be part of the holiday show at the Zullo Gallery in Medfield, MA. I wanted to have a cohesive theme so I decided to paint this menagerie of 15 animals.

I was happy to find out that Foxy, Piggy, and Black Lab all found new homes for the holidays.

Here are a few other snaps from the show:

Just steps to the beach

Red Inn Steps To The Beach

12" x 12"

Oil with palette knives on cradled board

I am still getting paintings ready for the opening of the Red Inn in April. This is the latest addition to my series of paintings that will be for sale for the 2022 season. The back deck of this beautiful place is just steps to the beach!

Here are a few close ups:

New Pet Portrait: Cassie

Cassie

8" x 10"

Oil with palette knives on cradled board

A group of tennis friends commissioned this painting for their friend who lost this cute pup recently. Here is what she had to say to her girlfriends:

"I'm so overwhelmed with the neatest gift. I really don't have the words to even come close to letting you know how much this means to me. It's so very awesome and very special. You are the best girlfriends in the whole wide world. Cassie was an awesome dog and companion for me. So many memories. Thank you for doing this for me. Made me cry, made me smile and made me so thankful for each one of you!"

Sweet.