Thursday, August 28, 2014

Summer 2014 Paintings

Since my last post I attended a workshop in Marathon Florida with Leslie Frontz
whose work I admire.  She works dark to light as does Tony Couch.  Both emphasize the underlying value pattern. The picture below displays a typical dark to light pattern; Leslie shows how she worked on this painting on her web site.
www.frontzstudio.com/aboutus/aboutleslie.php


 
Some of my recent work shows some of that influence.  Working plein air I painted some Sussex County attractions.  Each of which found homes at the sites.  I painted the rear of the Coursen Homestead in Fredon for two reasons.  I found the front hard to do on site because the wonderful plants and old trees blocked a consistent view. I could have used photos back at my studio but that wasn't my intent. Also the back side of the homestead had exciting angles, showing the shadows of the morning sun.  Coursen Homestead is a treat, a little colonial Williamsburg right here in Sussex county.
 
 

  At the Sussex County/NJ State Fair in Augusta in early August I showed Coursen Homestead and a second watercolor, All In (shown below).


The Sparta Farmer's Market is a lively place and I painted two images.  This one includes the sign that hangs between two trees on Main Street.  The vendors are all friendly, providing lots of farm produce, meat, ice cream, cheeses and other crafted products like potpourris and soaps.  The second Saturday of each month features additional crafters.

 

 
The second picture from the Sparta Farmers Market I called "Shoppers."
 

I also made a new card from a painting of the summertime action in Sparta Library Summer.  Cards are available at the library.