Summer Sunset

6"x6" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

30 Paintings in 30 Days: January, 2015—Day 7

Thinking of warmer days last July. Sunsets are always worth preserving.

King of the Hill

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel

with Palette Knife

NFS

30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge: September—Day 2.

As a child, I used to play a game called "King of the Hill" with my friends. One player (the King) stands atop a hill (or ditch as in our case). Challengers climb the hill and wrestle the king. The one who ends up staying on top is the new king. 

In this plein air painting from the lake, a solitary bale of hay rests atop a hill. This bale has been challenging me to paint it for some time. The best time to paint it is in the late evening when the light is the strongest, but fades fast. In the spirit of the 30 in 30 Challenge, I dared to wrestle that hill with paint. 

It was a tough fight. First of all, the sun vanished behind a cloud just as I was beginning. It returned just in time for me to record the dramatic light effects before setting for the night. The colors changed so fast. I mostly had only values to work with with fleeting moments of color checks in the setting sun. Assaulted by mosquitos and with hands covered in paint, I finally finished the painting by dusk. 

Although the bale of hay still rests at the top of the hill in this painting, I feel confident that I have overcome the challenge and won the game.

A Midsummer's Eve

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel

with Palette Knife
$50.00 + Shipping

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30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge—Day 30.

Summer evenings are magical times. As the setting sun casts cool colors on the countryside, the fireflies come out to play. This is a 6x6 version of a favorite painting I made this past summer. It think it is a fitting image to end this 30 paintings journey. As the project comes to a close, I look at what has happened over the last 30 days with amazement and gratitude. 

I am grateful to my family for their patience and support. I'm grateful for Leslie Saeta for initiating the challenge. Most importantly, I'm grateful for all of you. Your interest in my work is cherished more than you will ever know.

I have a feeling there may be many more of these little paintings to come. There is so much more I want to try to paint. There are still plenty of conceptual pieces I plan to paint as well. Tomorrow is new day. I wonder what new things that day will bring.