The spooky house next to my dentist

Actually, it is perfectly respectable, home to doctors' offices, small businesses, and condos, but very striking in its Addams/Hopper/Bates-y way.

ink on toned paper

4" x 6"

Backyard Snow has now been accepted to the Workshop13 6th Annual Northeast Fine Arts Exhibition of Traditional Realism in Ware, MA.

It was on a waitlist - if other accepted entries couldn't make it for some reason, it would be selected. Now I can call off my Kind Hearts and Coronets operation.

Workshop13 Grand Hall
13 Church Street
Ware, MA 01082

Show Dates and Times:
September 28 to October 13, 2024
Fridays | 4 to 7 pm

Saturdays & Sundays | 1 to 4 pm

Opening Reception:
Saturday, September 28 | 1 to 4 pm
Awards, 3 pm

https://workshop13.org/calendar-event/northeast-fine-arts-exhibition-2/2024-09-28/

 Breakwater Afternoon will be part of the Workshop13 6th Annual Northeast Fine Arts Exhibition of Traditional Realism in Ware, MA.

Workshop13 Grand Hall
13 Church Street
Ware, MA 01082

Show Dates and Times:
September 28 to October 13, 2024
Fridays | 4 to 7 pm

Saturdays & Sundays | 1 to 4 pm

Opening Reception:
Saturday, September 28 | 1 to 4 pm
Awards, 3 pm

https://workshop13.org/calendar-event/northeast-fine-arts-exhibition-2/2024-09-28/

Rail Road Crossing

I had about 30 minutes during which I did a pencil sketch, then messed around with it at home. The X shaped sign reminded me of James Gurney's analysis of the Rembrandt windmill and putting light against dark, dark against light, light against light, and dark against dark; so I tried to get something like that going. I ended up getting more into the overall flow of light, with the RR signal acting as a kind of photonic antenna or Van de Graaff generator.

More on the James Gurney Windmill Principle:

https://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2008/04/windmill-principle.html

Breakwater, Morning; Breakwater, Afternoon

The same subject painted from opposite sides in the morning and afternoon. I just realized, it kind of reminds me of the Sphinx, who asked that riddle about who walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon and three in the evening. I'll have to go back and do an evening version.

My work on display at Burnett Gallery

Ego at Endo

Where I Stand

Three Women etching

I enjoyed seeing the show as a whole - interesting selection of artists, well curated and hung by @adeleggil et al. Worth a visit if you are nearby.

Burnett Gallery

The Jones Library

43 Amity Street

Amherst, MA 010023

Library Hours

Sun 1-5:15 (closed in Aug) Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat 9-5:15 Tues, Thurs 9-8:15

 

31st Regional Juried Piedmont Art Show.

These three pieces have been accepted into the 31st Regional Juried Piedmont Art Show.

 Sunscreen

Breakwater, Morning

Three Women etching

Piedmont Hall

604 Main Street

Somers, CT 06071

Hours (Thursday - Sunday):

Sept 19 - 21 12pm - 4pm

Sept 21 - 22 10am - 2pm

Sept 26 - 27 12pm - 4pm

Sept 28 - 29 10am - 2pm

OPENING RECEPTION September 15th 1-3pm

Awards at 1:30 pm

Pix at Vic's

 I got to visit with my brother-in-law in Pennsylvania recently, and reconnected with these three little watercolors I had given him over the years, all depicting scenes around his house and farm.

2024-2025 ARTISTS BURNETT GALLERY GROUP SHOW

I'm very happy and proud to be sharing the Burnett Gallery with these excellent artists!
Ego et Endo, Where I Stand, and brand new etching Three Women will be on display.

Image description:
Light blue flyer with thumbnail images of artwork in grid array.
Text:

2024-2025 ARTISTS
BURNETT GALLERY
GROUP SHOW
AUGUST - OCTOBER 2024

We’re excited to have a rotating selection of pieces from our 2024-2025 Virtual Show artists on display in our gallery this fall.
View our virtual show at JonesLibrary.org/BurnettGallery

NANCY CARROLL
ANN CLOUTIER
STEVE EAGLE
MICHAEL GILBERT
STEPHEN GINGOLD
TATIANA HARSHBARGER
MAUREEN MANNING
MATTHEW MATTINGLY
REBECCA REID
LEE SPROULL
ROBERTA WARSHAW

Burnett Gallery
The Jones Library
43 Amity Street
Amherst, MA 010023

Library Hours
Sun 1-5:15 (closed in Aug) Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat 9-5:15 Tues, Thurs 9-8:15

 

Paul Rahilly 1933 - 2024 RIP

Paul Rahilly, artist, teacher and good friend to many aspiring artists in the Boston area, died yesterday, July 15, 2024. He was one the few keeping the flame of figurative art alive during the late 20th century, and taught several generations of students the figure drawing and painting skills to build their own styles and approaches. I first encountered him at a life drawing class at Mass Art night school in the early 80's, and immediately realized that he was offering the knowledge and attitude to art that I had been seeking. It could be summarized as a method for identifying the intuitive, gestural sense of a pose and relating it to an armature, a "system of lines," that made it possible to record the essentials with verve and accuracy without wasting energy on aimless scribbling or getting bogged down in compulsive recording of detail. I went on to take his classes repeatedly, and with a few fellow recidivists established a painting group (the "Rahilloids") to continue to develop our skills with this knowledge. He became a good friend to all of us, and his influence is present with me to this day, as are the close friendships I found in his classes.

 Three Women

etching

8 5/8" x 10"

Loosely based on my painting of the same name.

I fixed a few things that bothered me, mostly places where the the lines were either etched too deep or had run together to create blotches. The grandmother's right eye is probably the most noticeable example.

The way I made the corrections is something I hit on myself. They were too deep to scrape and burnish in the traditional manner, so I carefully applied epoxy to the offending lines, let it harden, and then sanded it down and burnished the area. Seems to work pretty well. I don't know if other etchers do something like this.

"Backyard Snow" in situ at the Academic Artist Association 74th Annual Exhibition of Traditional Realism. There's a lot of great artwork on view by excellent artists with whom I am honored to be sharing a wall. Well worth a visit if you're in the area.

June 16 – July 14, 2024

Thursday - Sunday, 1 to 5 PM

Arts Center East

709 Hartford Turnpike, Vernon, CT ~ 860-871-8222

https://www.academicartistsassociation.org/

Horseshoe Crab

 On our last morning at the Cape I found this recently deceased horseshoe crab on the beach. It was studded with little white shells.

Pen, ink wash, white ink on toned paper

4" x 6"

Atlantic Spice Company Pallets

 Atlantic Spice Company Pallets

Pen, ink wash, and white pen on toned paper

4" x 6"

Long Point Lighthouse from Truro, MA

 Long Point Lighthouse from Truro, MA

Watercolor
4" x 6"

Truro Breakwater sketch

 First 2024 Cape sketch as well as first sketch in new Montanapolitancroptic sketchbook. I've done this breakwater many times before, but this time I was trying to work methodically with the reality of the constantly changing tide. The problem is that there is no stable baseline to use as a reference, and the overall visible size of the subject is changing, making it hard to judge proportions. I knew that the tide was going out, and that I had about an hour and a half before it reached low tide, so I made sure to use the parts that were visible and that would remain constant as my reference points, and gradually added to the drawing as more of the subject was revealed by the receding waters.

The gull showed about about halfway through, and I was of two minds whether to include it. Would it make the image too hokey? However, the way it stayed there posing for so long made me think it really wanted me to put it in the picture, so I did. I think it provides a nice accent.

Academic Artist Association 74th Annual Exhibition of Traditional Realism.

 "Backyard Snow" has been juried into the Academic Artist Association 74th Annual Exhibition of Traditional Realism. This exhibition always attracts top notch artists from New England and beyond, so it should be a great show.

June 16 – July 14, 2024
Thursday - Sunday, 1 to 5 PM

Arts Center East
709 Hartford Turnpike, Vernon, CT ~ 860-871-8222

Opening Reception Sunday, June 16, 2024, 1 to 4 PM
Awards announced at 3 PM

https://www.academicartistsassociation.org/

New MontanaPolitanCroptic sketchbook

Time to make a new MontanaPolitanCroptic sketchbook. It's been ten years since I designed and built the first of these.  Also,  some pix from the old one, selected with an eye to repeated places and subjects.

 Backyard Snow

Oil on linen panel

9.5" x 12"

I started this back in January, during the only decent snowstorm of the winter. There's also a shot of the first pass, showing how I was trying to get the movement and feeling of the snow down first, filling the details later but always referring back to the initial sketch; and my snow painting setup, Artistic In Tent.

MICAfest 2024

 Sunscreen and Three Women are up at the Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity as part of MICAfest 2024, Art for Change: The M/others’ View.

There's lots of other interesting artwork on display, connected to non-traditional conceptions of motherhood. Unfortunately the gallery is currently only open during other scheduled events and performances, so if you happen to be attending one of these during May be sure to traipse down the hall to the Peacock Gallery during intermission. There is a possibility of scheduling additional viewing times which I will announce if they pan out.

There is also a reception May 25, 2:00 - 4:00, which I won't be able to attend, but which should be fascinating. The reception is free, but please RSVP so they can plan accordingly.

https://experiencemica.org/event/mica-unveiled-art-reception-2/

May 1-31, 2024

Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity

130 Pine St, Northampton, MA 01062

experiencemica.org/micafest-2024-northampton-ma/

Hartsbrook Farm pano

 Another favorite bike destination is this afternoon view of Hartsbrook Farm against the light. I've done it several times, but this time I decided to try a pano of the whole scene. 

Racor switch

 I sketched this endearing personage on a walk today. Subsequently learned that it is a Racor switch.

Power plant

 I've done this power plant a few times looking south from a ways up the river, but yesterday I found myself right opposite it, and did this watercolor sketch.

Mount Toby

 A nice in just spring day so I biked up to Mount Pollux and did this watercolor sketch of Mount Toby.

PCC Memories etching

I think this is the final state for the plate. Not that it couldn't be improved, but there are flaws that have been baked in from its inception and that will likely get worse with each trip through the ferric chloride. I've also done a lot of scraping and burnishing and filled some unintentional pock marks with epoxy. Next step is to work on the printing part - using inking, wiping, and printing to get a consistent, predictable result so as to be able to print an edition. I've learned a lot from this first attempt at a larger scale, complex image which I'll apply to the next one.

Moon, mountains, humans

We went up north to see the eclipse! I got a decent-ish shot of the totality by holding a phone camera filter (which didn't work with my admittedly old phone) up in front of my real camera. While waiting, I did a watercolor sketch of the mountains and some vignettes of my fellow humans gathering for the event.