Wye Oak and Being Humbled

(sold)

(sold)

The Wye Oak was the honorary state tree of Maryland, and the largest white oak tree in the United States. The Wye Oak was believed to be over 460 years old at the time of its destruction during a severe thunderstorm on June 6, 2002.
It is believed that the acorn that became the oak germinated around the year 1540.
My friend and fellow painter,Charles Sheely, gave me a branch, clipped from a 10 year old sapling of this great old tree. This is the first year his tree has produced acorns.
I quickly jumped into painting the branch, sitting for hours trying to mix the right green, trying to create depth in the leaves. My first attempt failed miserably. Nature once again has kicked me in the ass, and made me question the mystery of observational painting.

Granate

(sold)




























(sold)

(sold)

It was in the Fall, two years ago, that I bought pomegranate branches. I carried, what was left of that flower district purchase, back with me to New York a few evenings ago.
Fall is here again.
The pomegranates have long ago dried.
My life is still here in this little studio.

oil on primed watercolor paper, 5" x 7"
oil on primed watercolor paper, 5" x 7"
oil on panel, 8" x 8"

Cape Henlopen, Summer's End

(sold)

(sold)


Finally a few days, in late August, with clear skies. We decided to head to Delaware, Cape Henlopen. The campground is set on a WWII Army site. Visible still are the watch towers in the distance. We walked through the empty barracks and looked out over the arsenal, set back on the Great Sand Dune. Our meals cooked on the open fire and the sound of breaking waves in the night hours.

(sold)

(sold)

(sold)

(sold)
(sold)

June 2010

sold


With Whistler in mind, I ventured back to my favorite spot. I tried to just concentrate on capturing temperature and light instead of detail. It was a hot day in June, but on the pier, a nice breeze was pushing the clouds along. If I could, I would do a whole exhibition on this vantage point. How fleeting the hour, still constant this statue .

smoke screens

(sold)











(sold)











(sold)

A smoke screen is a release of smoke in order to mask the movement or location of military units.
I have been thinking of the ephemeral quality of smoke. This was on my mind when I painted forty candles,some of which I painted while they burned.
That was last year. Maybe this subject is one I should revisit, for this coming birthday.
Everything is so fleeting.

Lake Tahoe From Mountain Peak

sold








sold








sold

The lake was formed about 2 million years ago and is a part of the Lake Tahoe Basin with the modern lake being shaped during the Ice Ages.
In December I was commissioned to paint a landscape from a photograph of this small island in a bay. One afternoon on this trip, as we were coming around the lake, there it was! This tiny island, the same vantage point as the painting.
It was Vikingsholm, along with the "Tea House" on Fannette Island and Emerald Bay.
I would like to think that somehow I was on the right path. Something was leading me in the right direction.

Fulgora Candelaria

(both sold)

My childhood neighbor's one job was to empty the bag, once a week, in the summer, from this massive insect zapper. We would dump the bag on the ground and look for anything still intact. My entomological collection grew from this chore.

This study is oil on primed paper