Chasing Horizons

This 16x20 oil painting is meant to capture the power of the open sea. From my experience of being caught on the water when a storm suddenly blew in, created memories that will never be forgotten. The unforgiving force of wind and wave whipped my boat as if it were a toy. And it howled with the shrill of a banshee. My heart pounded and my mouth tasted dread. I was drenched with hopeless by the rain. Nothing, I believe, puts you in contact with the force of Nature more than being on an open boat. Even on a calm day, when the sun shines and the water is flat and serene, the understanding that danger sits just below the hull adds a tinge of excitement and thrill to the moment. 

Joyride

A ride on tossing seas can be thrilling and dangerous. This scene captures both of those circumstances. As an artist, this painting gives weight to the boat as it pushes its way through the water. It shows wind power over the sea’s natural resistance. The feel of the swells tossing this heavy boat to and fro give this painting energy, yet there’s a sense of calm by the riders. What gives charm to this painting is the boat’s natural beauty. There is something old in its design that reminds me of the days when “quality” meant something. Also part of the beauty is the changing shapes and movement of the water. All-in-all this scene has beautiful elements for the makings of a good 16x20 oil painting.

Rest

This 16x20 oil painting titled "Rest" is an image I never tire of, because it has all the classic elements of a beautiful scene: I like that the boats are not in the water. Boats on land due to low tide suggest they're asleep, at rest. They're on their side. The sail is furled. The lines are slack. What I liked a lot about this scene is the cast shadows on the sand. They create an after-image that defines the shape of the boats, kind of like silhouettes on a shade. These boats also imply that, in a short time, the tide will be in and water will lift them and they'll awake to life again.

Boat Alone

Boat Alone 20x24 is positioned in the upper left of the canvas to allow space to portray the boat sitting on top of the water. I think the affect is successful. The other aspect I was trying to achieve was to show the subtle lighting and the way it illuminates reflections. The sun was angled in such a way to bring out the beauty of the structures that construct this boat. The colors are harmonious, almost monochromatic. Though there were a lot of extra doodads attached to this boat, I chose to eliminate them for the sake of simplicity. I like the shape of this boat. It radiates as it sits solid on the water and feels trustworthy. 

The Docking Pier

Like a crammed parking lot these boats packed the pier to wait for the next day’s fishing excursion. But within the jumble of shapes and colors and textural reflections I saw a painting, especially due to the center of interest: the yellow boat. I thought, how refreshing, a fisherman with an appreciation for color. It stood out from the group like a beacon, and added a highlight of color against an otherwise shadowy, blue backdrop. The Coast Guard couldn’t miss this one if it were lost at sea. That aside, this scene also has strong composition. Though I did some rearranging, the boats are pretty-much as they were situated… bigger ones in back, smaller ones in front, all curving around the pier.

Woman in Blue Hat

This stylized oil painting (14x11) of a woman in a blue hat is from an etching I created decades ago. I have always loved the way that etching came out and decided to translate it with oil on canvas. To me there are a number of wonderful features about this painting: Her pose is intriguing. A little aloof, she is inside her thoughts. Her eyes look through you. Her hand frames her head; and it’s a gesture, you sense, that she lapses into frequently. The hat captures her attitude and completes the framing of her face. I think she is a reflection of my inner self.

Red Dory at Dock

Another in the series, the emphasis on this oil painting, Red Dory at Dock (18x28), is Design. Just as the construction of these dories is, by nature, simple and clean, I wanted to express their character as a painting. Simplicity is beauty, and dories express purity in their simplistic, curvy, sleek, aerodynamic design. Beautiful. The first known written documentation of dories was in 1726. Launched off beaches from coastal New England shores, they were used primarily for fishing.