Monday, September 25, 2023

 "Farmall" won the 2nd place award for graphics in the 5th Annual Northeast Fine Arts Exhibition in Ware, MA. First photo shows the scratchboard in situ; beneath it is a classy metal plaque reading:

Northeast Fine Arts Exhibition

2023

2nd Place Drawing/Graphics

"Farmall"

Scratchboard drawing hanging on gallery wall. A middle-aged man looks back over his shoulder at a discarded tractor lurking in a patch of trees by a plowed field of stubble in late afternoon light.


Also on display is "Sunscreen," hung high on the wall, so I didn't get a good shot over people's heads. There was a great turnout at the opening and lots of good artwork. Stop by if you can.

Pastel painting hanging on gallery wall, depicting a mother applying sunscreen to little daughter's nose. Behind them, a very large wave is breaking

Show Dates and Times:

September 23rd to October 8th, 2023

Fridays | 4 to 7 pm

Saturdays & Sundays | 1 to 4 pm


Workshop 13

13 Church St

Ware, MA 01082

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

 Railroad crossing signals on Wason Ave, Springfield MA. A couple more attempts at a scene I did back on August 30. That one I touched up at home with corroborative detail from memory and photo; these are all done on site. The first one is from today, I'm pretty happy with it. The second one, from two weeks ago, was actually going OK until my water brush blorched diluted ink all over the place. It's a good exercise in getting the scale and proportions down.


Pen and ink sketch of railroad crossing signals with gates, on gray toned paper


Pen and ink sketch of railroad crossing signals with gates, on tan toned paper, with blotchy ink runs here and there.




 Cori, Zoe, and Shed Roof on display at the 30th Regional Piedmont Art Show in Somers, CT.


Pencil and gouache drawing of nude woman, seated, with face mask, hanging on gallery wall. Labels on left side say "Cori" Pencil/gouache Matthew Mattingly Merit Award A powerful drawing that is infused with knowledge and experience .


Pencil and gouache drawing of nude woman, reclining, hanging on gallery wall. Label on left side says "Zoe" Pencil/gouache Matthew Mattingly


Oil painting of house with snow blowing off of roof, hanging on gallery wall. Label on left side says "Shed Roof" Oil Matthew Mattingly


It's a nice show - check it out if you're in the neighborhood.


Show hours

Sept 21 - 22 12:00 - 4:00

Sept 23 - 24. 10:00 - 2:00

Sept 28 - 29 12:00 - 4:00

Sept 30 - Oct 1 10:00 - 2:00


Piedmont Hall

604 Main St

Somers, CT 06071


Thursday, September 7, 2023

 Sketched this tree in watercolor today. It was up hill, so my eye level was roughly at the tree's base. The second pic is what I got down in 45 minutes or so on site. It was hot, and the watercolor dried instantly. Not sure if all my subsequent overworking made it any better.

Watercolor sketch of tree in strong sunlight, seen looking up from below.

nitial block-in of watercolor sketch of tree.


Thursday, August 31, 2023

 "Cori," "Zoe," and "Shed Roof" have been accepted for the 30th Regional Piedmont Art Show in Somers, CT.

Cori got a Merit Award.

Pencil and gouache drawing of nude woman, seated, with face mask

Cori

Pencil, gouache on toned paper

12" x 9.5"


Pencil and gouache drawing of nude woman, reclining

Zoe

Pencil, gouache on toned paper

9.5" x 9.5"

Oil painting of house with snow blowing off of roof


Shed Roof

Oil on panel

10" x 12"


Opening reception

September 17 2023 1:00 - 3:00


Show hours

Sept 21 - 22 12:00 - 4:00

Sept 23 - 24. 10:00 - 2:00

Sept 28 - 29 12:00 - 4:00

Sept 30 - Oct 1 10:00 - 2:00


Piedmont Hall

604 Main St

Somers, CT 06071

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

RR Crossing signals


RR Crossing signals on Wason St, Springfield, MA.

Pen and ink, ink wash, touches of white ink

6" x 4"


Pen and ink sketch of railroad crossing signals with gates.


Tuesday, August 29, 2023

5th Annual Northeast Fine Arts Exhibition

 "Sunscreen" and "Farmall" have been juried into the upcoming 5th Annual Northeast Fine Arts Exhibition in Ware, MA.

Pastel painting of mother applying sunscreen to little daughter's nose. Behind them, a very large wave is breaking


Sunscreen

Pastel

13.5" x 24"

Scratchboard drawing. A middle-aged man looks back over his shoulder at a discarded tractor lurking in a patch of trees by a plowed field of stubble in late afternoon light


Farmall

Scratchboard

9" x 14"


Show Dates and Times:

September 23rd to October 8th, 2023

Fridays | 4 to 7 pm

Saturdays & Sundays | 1 to 4 pm


Opening Reception

Saturday, September 23rd | 1 to 4 pm

Awards, 3 pm


Workshop 13

13 Church St

Ware, MA 01082


Railroad bridge and power plant

 Back to the river view with railroad bridge and power plant, this time in watercolor. The second pic is what I was able to get in about an hour on site, blocking in the main shapes and noting the ripple patterns on the water. The details were added later from memory.


Watercolor sketch of river view with railroad bridge and power plant


Preliminary block-in for watercolor sketch of river view with railroad bridge and power plant

Sunday, August 20, 2023

A Vermont Farm

 Rooting around in the dusty archives I came across this early landmark in my artistic career. "A Vermont Farm", pencil on lined notebook paper, done when I was in fourth grade and probably should have been paying attention to long division. It won first prize in the 1962 NSA (yes, that NSA) Children's Art Show.

Child's drawing of farmhouse, barn, pickup truck, tree, wagon and fence, mounted on red posterboard. Gold star and blue ribbon affixed upper right. Label lower left reads : "A Vermont Farm Matthew D. Mattingly Grade IV Ignatius G. Mattingly X7134

Child's drawing of farmhouse, barn, pickup truck, tree, wagon and fence.

Close up of gold star, with scratched inscription: "1962 NSA Children's Art Show First Prize Group II


Friday, August 11, 2023

Railroad bridge and power plant on CT River

 Another depiction looking south from the North End Bridge overlooking the Connecticut River in Springfield MA. There were dark and light clouds scudding across the sky and plenty of atmospheric haze at ground level. My usual practice is to try to keep the lights and dark separate, with paper tone as the middle value, but this time I tried scumbling the white gouache over the dark ink wash to indicate the haze in front of the distant trees. I used a similar approach to suggest the water, which had still, reflective areas interspersed with opaque ruffles.


Pen and ink sketch with ink wash and white gouache, depicting a river view with railroad bridge and power plant against dark and light clouds.


Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Sunday, July 30, 2023

Connecticut River levee

 While my daughter and her entourage were selecting her wedding dress(!) I went out behind the shopping mall in search of something to sketch. Satellite imagery had shown that the mall backed up on the Connecticut River, separated by what appeared to be a strip of rough grass; on the ground this turned to be a very high levee, which is a good thing as the river has been running high and there has been a lot of flooding in the area. Anyway, I went ahead and did this watercolor of the levee and the line of darling violet flowers shining in the sun against the dark tree shadows.

Watercolor sketch of grassy levee sloping up to dark trees against a partly cloudy sky. Against the tree shadows, a line of violet flowers atop the levee shins in the sun. Bracken and brush appear in the foreground.



Friday, July 7, 2023

Access road

 I revisited this access road in a wooded area I had sketched back in May, now with even more intense light and shadow in the shimmering heat. I could feel the sun burning my sandaled toes, so I didn't stay very long, and finished it at home from memory and photo ref.


Pen and ink wash sketch of foliage brilliantly illuminated against dark trees


Tuesday, June 20, 2023

New Sketchbook

 Process pix from the making of a new Montanapolitancroptic sketchbook, along with a few faves from the old one.

Paper signatures, dental floss, bookbinding tools on cutting mat

Sketchbook pages and covers bound with coptic stitch

Sketchbook open, showing stitched in paper stub to which inner double spread page will be glued.

Complete sketchbook, front view

Completed sketchbook, back view
Pen and ink sketch of obelisks at UMass Sun Wheel

Pen and ink sketch of old house with mansard roof and spooky vibe

Watercolor sketch of abandoned gas station with flat red roof and highway guard rail in foreground.


Watercolor sketch of Connecticut River from North End Bridge in Springfield, MA. Railroad bridge and power plant visible in hazy distance.

 

Watercolor sketch of choppy waves under pearlescent sky with gray clouds.






Sunday, June 18, 2023

Portrait of my father

 I did this portrait of my father when I was in art school, circa 1976-77. The only way he would consent to sit was if he could continue to work at his desk. So it's a much more characteristic picture of him than if he'd been posing for a portrait. It hung over his mantlepiece for many years.

Oil painting of a man working at desk with book and many papers scattered in foreground. He wears a brown jacket, glasses, and is writing with a yellow pencil.


Friday, June 16, 2023

Power plant and railroad bridge

 Another sketch of the power plant and railroad bridge as seen from the North End Bridge in Springfield, MA.

Pen and ink wash sketch of power plant and railroad bridge with Connecticut River in foreground, against hazy white sky..

Pen, ink wash, and white gouache on toned paper 4" x 6"

Friday, June 9, 2023

Long Point Light revisited

 I reworked this sketch of Long Point Light after an artist friend exhorted me to give the water more of a sense of depth and distance.

alt="Watercolor sketch of Long Point Lighthouse, appearing as a tiny white rectangle on the horizon, dwarfed by the sky and water. The receding crests of the waves on Cape Cod Bay convey a sense of depth and distance."

Earlier version of Long Point Lighthouse sketch, with water rendered loosely and with less sense of depth.

Watercolor 4" x 6"

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Railroad Bridge and Power Plant from the North End Bridge with smokey haze.

I did this this morning, trying to get the effect of the wildfire smoke and haze. We didn't get anything like the photos of NYC, but the exaggerated atmospheric perspective was unmistakable. There was more of a orange cast to the light than comes out in the photo.

Watercolor sketch of river with railroad bridge and power plant in middle distance, with hazy atmosphere.


Watercolor, 4" x 6"



Friday, June 2, 2023

Sunset over Provincetown

 Last sunset over Provincetown for this year.

Watercolor sketch  sunset sky with clouds over Provincetown, MA, Cape Cod Bay in foreground


Watercolor 4” x 6”

Atlantic Spice Palettes

In what has become an annual ritual we visited the Atlantic Spice Company in Truro, MA, and after purchasing a few items I went out to draw the pallets by the loading dock. Unfortunately, just as I was getting started, a large UPS van pulled up and blocked my view. Fortunately, I had taken a reference photo. However, when I tried to reconcile my initial sketch with data from the photo, it didn't always jibe, so there are discontinuities, similar to when stitching software can't figure out where the lines match. It does convey the general feeling, though.


Pen, inkwash and white ink sketch of pallets piled up in sunlight and shadow.


Thursday, June 1, 2023

Ptown Haze and Long Point Light

 From last night and this morning:

PTown Haze

Watercolor 7" x 10"

Watercolor sketch of Provincetown, MA from across Cape Cod Bay, silhouetted against setting sun


In the evening the Provincetown skyline can become engulfed in mist against the scattered light from the setting sun. Although the inner details are completely obscured, the top edge is quite sharp, revealing tiny silhouettes of houses and trees against the sky. The bay takes on a bright metallic sheen, maddeningly difficult to pull off with watercolor.

Long Point Light

Watercolor 6" x 8"

Watercolor sketch of Long Point Lighthouse,  against morning sky with Cape Cod Bay in foreground

From where I stand in Truro, the Long Point Lighthouse is a minuscule white rectangle on the horizon, but very prominent against the dark water and the long flat spit of land it sits on. I did a watercolor previously that emphasized its tininess against the enormous sky; this one zooms in to give more equal treatment.

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

WIP oil panels from the Cape.

Neighbor's Fence, Late Afternoon


Oil sketch of houses and stockade fence in warm late afternoon light

Both of these will receive more attention when I get home. They each represent several possible treatments and I'll have to find a way to resolve them. My main interest in the neighbors fence was the geometry and the very orange late afternoon light. The thing is, it's difficult to paint the effect of intensely colored light when the canvas is being illuminated by the same light - it has to convey the impression of the colored light when it's seen under a neutral light.


Breakwater Waves


Oil sketch of rock jetty with waves and ripples created by the jetty interfering with the incoming waves

Oil on linen panel

6” x 8”

I've done the rock jetty a few times before; this time my focus was more on the waves and ripples generated by the interference of the jetty in the surrounding water. I worked on it over two days, one of which was much windier than the other. Besides the wind, I had to account for the tides and the changing light. I attempted to catch the tide at its lowest point, with the sun full on the upper facing rock surfaces, creating dark caves underneath.

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Pano view of Provincetown and Long Point Light

 Pano view of Provincetown and Long Point Light from the beach in Truro. This was a challenge to try and fit a very wide angle of view into a small sketchbook, and chance to put the hidden thread double page spread feature of my Montanapolitancroptic sketchbook through its paces.

Panoramic watercolor sketch of Cape Cod Bay, with Provincetown, Pilgrim Monument, and Long Light Station visible on horizon


Closeup of left side of panorama

Closeup of right side of panorama



Monday, May 29, 2023

 This morning this large log arrived with the tide. Had the local crabs petitioned Poseidon for a king?

pen and ink drawing of large log washed up on beach with surf and  waves behind it.

Pen, ink wash, white ink, white gouache on toned paper.

4" x 6"

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Sunscreen


Pastel painting of mother applying sunscreen to little daughter's nose. Behind them, a very large wave is breaking



Pastel, 13.5" x 24"


The etching I recently posted was based on this pastel painting, which is in turn based on a little sketch I did of a scene observed at the beach circa 2009.

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Van Horn Park Peninsula

ink drawing of trees on peninsula, water reflections

block in of large light and shadow shapes


Pen and ink, brushpen, inkwash, white pen, white gouache on toned paper

4" x 6"

The second pic shows the block-in I did on site before filling in details and shading at home.

Monday, May 15, 2023

Sunscreen

Etching of mother applying sunscreen to daughter's nose as a giant wave breaks behind them

Etching 21/2" x 4"

I did some etching way back in my school days and always wanted to get back into it, but didn't have the space or money for a full sized press. I recently acquired this adorable Open Press (about 3" x 9" bed) and started investigating non-toxic etching techniques.

Tiny Open Press etching press with copper plate on bed.

 I took a workshop at Zea Mays, a world-renowned center for non-toxic print making, and have been experimenting with etching using BIG ground, ferric chloride etchant, and Akua inks. I've been able remove the ground and ink using a mixture of Bon Ami powder and soy sauce - no volatile solvents. You still have to take reasonable precautions with the ferric chloride, but it's definitely safer for you and the environment than the traditional acids and asphaltum ground.


Tube of BIG etching ground and brayer





Akua ink and Mag Mix with glass inking plate.



I made a vertical etching tank from a Mrs. Meyers hand soap container with a slot cut to lower the plate into the ferric chloride by a length of packing tape.

alt="Vertical etching tank made from small soap container, with copperplate being lowered through slot into ferric chloride"


This etching used a combination of hard ground, soft ground and drypoint techniques as well some scraping and burnishing where I screwed up.