BTO/OSN ("Boston")

12"x12" Mixed media on canvas

When my twins were 3 years old, they’d get hold of post-it pads and scribble all over them….leaving little heaps.  I came across these little treasures (below) after they had spent some time copying city names onto a pad. Inspired by the patterns of the mixed up/merged letters as well as the fun of figuring out the city name, I’m working on a series of collage/paintings using this “technique” of which BTO/OSN (“Boston”) is the first.

City Names (below):  “Paris”, “Instanbul”, “Budapest”, “Boston”

Beacon Hill

6"x6" Acrylic on canvas

A fun little impression of houses on Beacon Hill.

The Conversation

12"x12" Oil on masonite

This is the Black Sheep Deli in Amherst, a very popular place. Great ham & cheese croissants!

Red Window

10" x 10" Oil on masonite

I painted this at the Porter-Phelps-Huntington House Museum from their beautiful gardens today. We will be painting a series on and around the Porter-Phelps-Huntington grounds this next year in preparation for an on-site art show next summer in commemoration of Hadley's 350th anniversary. www.pphmuseum.org

Delicatessen - Black Sheep Cafe

6"x6" Oil on masonite

I like the abstract qualities in this composition.

The Black Sheep Cafe

6"x6" Oil on masonite

Participating in the Easthampton "paint out" really got me fired up to paint en plein air! There are so many wonderful views and street scenes to choose from in Amherst. However, a street scene without the black sheep deli just wouldn't be right. So, I started with doing a couple of studies of the beloved deli and hope to get out there this next week to work on a larger version.

The Fork

12"x12" Oil on masonite

This is my entry in the 1st Annual Easthampton Plein Air Competition and Exhibition. The competition began on Thursday and the exhibit can be seen at the Nashawannuck Gallery through May 30th. I set up just down the street from the Gallery, whose "Art" and "Gift" signs are visible in my painting. What a great event! Brilliant idea to have the "Paint Out" coincide with the Art Walk Easthampton. I can't wait to see all the paintings! check out the gallery: www.nashawannuckgallery.com

San Francisco - Downtown

8.5"x5.5" watercolor on paper
"TransAmerica"

5"x7" watercolor on paper
"Ferry Building"

Here a two more little watercolors I did a few years back of San Francisco sites. I sketched "Ferry Building" on my lunch break on a sunny day.

April in Paris

8" x 10" Oil on masonite

I painted this from a picture we took in Paris. We were in the city of lights in April when we got engaged. I have the picture framed in our living room and kept thinking that it would make a lovely painting.

The Book Mill

6" x 6" Oil on stretched canvas

sold

This is a fun little piece. I was curious to see how much of the Book Mill I could fit in on a little canvas.

Hadley Sugar Shack

11" x 14" Oil on masonite

This is another panel I painted during Louise's workshop. Louise made a good point when she said to me that my comfort with interiors shows in this piece. I do like the architectural lines set off by the organic shapes of the gourds and vegetation.

Grand Avenue

6" x 6" Oil on masonite

This is my beloved old Oakland neighborhood, looking down Grand Ave toward the Grand Lake Theater.

Montague Mill

9" x 12" Oil on masonite
sold

This is the first painting of the day during Louise Mink's en plein air workshop at the Montague Mill.

Souvenir from Beirut

6" x 8" Acrylic on canvas panel
sold

I was inspired to paint this after receiving a vintage postcard from Lebanon. The postcard had a technicolor feel which I wanted to preserve.

Fayerweather Hall

6"x6" Acrylic on masonite

If you are a student or alum of Amherst College, I hope you recognize this building. I'm happy with the architectural elements I as able to capture. I have a rosewood frame this little painting will fit into and looks wonderful.

Emily Dickinson Homestead

6" x 6" Acrylic on stretched canvas

sold

I painted this en plein air on a beautiful summer day. This view of the Homestead includes the (now old) oak tree that Emily once looked upon and even wrote about in her poems. This oak tree is very special in that it is one of the few trees contemporary to Emily that survived the hurricane of 1938. The Emily Dickinson Museum is a very special place that deserves a visit.