Winter Workshop

The Key West Watercolor Society held its annual winter workshop at the Studios at Key West in January.  A great chance to get away from the cold and snow!  Richard Stevens, from Arkansas, led the program that he called "Fast and Loose".  For four days we tried to loosen up.  It was a great workshop and a lot of fun and hard work.   Two of the pictures I sketched out, and reworked at home, are in the 31st Skylands show this spring at the SCA&H gallery on Spring St in Newton.

The first is a local horse barn in Stillwater

 

A second painting is a street scene on Duval Street--St John's Episcopal Church.

 

 

During the cold days of February back in Sparta I used one of Richard's exercises--doing a triptych of one scene to present it from different angles.  I chose one of my favorite restaurants,  Il Porto on the boardwalk here in Lake Mohawk.

 

 

 

HUGE success

Thank you to everyone who came to the art show at the NJ state fair in Augusta, especially to those of you who bought a painting from me or from ore of our other artists.

 Here at a couple more pictures I showed.  This is an older one done in Florida.  The harbor at Punta Gorda in the morning light.

 

This another high energy picture from the Jersey shore.  I call it "Charter for hire."

 

 

 

After the fair I took a break from painting, but go the itch again.  This is a famous restaurant in Brooklyn,  The  River Café,

 

 

Water, water everywhere, it seems! 

2017 Sussex County Fair-Featured Artist

At the end of last season's fair I was asked to be the featured artist this year.  I have been working my butt off since then trying to gather thirty or so worthwhile paintings.  mating, framing -- the whole nine yards.  I have revised some old ones but added a slew of new ones.
This is Fairview Hill Road

 

MY neighborhood on West Shore Trail

Vintage Gift shop at the time of the German Christmas Market

 

The water wheel on the Marksboro-Stillwater Road

 

Sparta Union Soldier

 

Bridge over the Paulinskill at Lafayette

 

The Lafayette Mill

 

Old Roseville school in Byram

 

Cows at fence

 

Farm, Augusta

 

GSWS and Hilltop shows

     October was a busy time.   I showed at the annual Garden State Watercolor Society show in Princeton.  The most fun was the day I gave a demo in the storefront window of the gallery.  For the exercise I did a typical barn scene from the Augusta Road area of Sussex.

I sold two small framed pieces, one shrimp boat and one of a winter stream.

On October 21-23  Hilltop Montessori School held its annual show and fund raiser.  I sold a framed piece--my painting of the barn on Garrison Road in Lafayette.  Here are two others that I hung.  One is the Lafayette  Antiques Mill. and the other is of some cows on the Vernon Valley Farm.

Sparta Station--Opening Day

Despite intermittent showers at the event the opening day was a festive event.  There was music, food and the museum itself with historical photos and replica engines.  I had to work inside to avoid the showers.  I incorporated the hay bales and wooden barrels that were set up to replicate the days when the station was an active passenger and freight depot.

In this view of the station I ran the tracks in more of a slant so that the facade facing the rail bed is featured.

Sparta Station

On October 1 The newly built Sparta Station  will be inaugurated.  I will be there to do a plein air painting of the building or the event.  I haven't decided.  I did a few paintings of the station in the past, one of the old station and one when it was being refurbished.  Then it burnt down.  I am happy that the Dermody family has put in all the effort to rebuild and open the venue to artists and the public.. Here is one painting from way before the  fire.  and one that I did recently.

Art in Sussex County 2016

     Early August and time for the NJ state fair.   The theme is the Jersey shore, featuring one painting from each of the regular exhibitors.  I came up with two pictures.  One is focused up close and the other is expansive.  I am not sure yet which one to show.

    I will also be showing two other paintings of local venues.  One is of the Millside café in Lafayette.  The other is of White Deer Plaza on the boardwalk at Lake Mohawk.