Houses Facing the Sun

This week's post features another new work from my recent solo show at the Lee Hansley Gallery. In this painting I tried to capture the strong light as it bathed the facades of two Victorian-style houses sloped along a street. The composition is based on a neighborhood I photographed in Cumberland, Maryland a few years ago. I eliminated some of the architecture surrounding these two houses to give them a sense of solitude.

This Sunday (November 21) is the opening for a new group show I am featured in at the Lee Hansley Gallery. "100 Under 1000" will run through December 31 and includes 2- and 3-dimensional art that is priced below $1,000.

"Houses Facing the Sun." Oil on stretched canvas, 24 x 36 inches. Completed May 2010.

Yosemite Sketchbook II

Today's blog post features another sketch made during my trip to Yosemite National Park. This drawing was completed after hiking the Mist Trail from the valley floor to Vernal Fall and then to Nevada Fall. At the crest of Nevada Fall I rested for about a half hour and drew majestic Liberty Cap towering over the falls. While I was drawing, an overly friendly squirrel decided he wanted part of my lunch, and I had to fend him off and eat quickly. It made for a memorable meal.

My current solo exhibit at the Lee Hansley Gallery closed today. Although none of the pieces sold during the show's run, I feel it was still a success and I'm grateful to Lee Hansley for the opportunity. I delivered two new pieces to the gallery today that will be included in the "100 Under 1,000" holiday exhibition.

"Liberty Cap and Nevada Fall, Yosemite National Park." Pen on paper, 8.5 x 5.5 inches. Completed October 2010.

Yosemite Sketchbook

Although I didn't do any plein air painting while traveling in the Sierra Nevadas, I did take my sketchbook and captured a few images in it. I sketched this composition while sitting on the rocks at Taft Point, a great overlook high above Yosemite Valley. From this vantage point, about 8,000 feet above sea level, I could see my host hotel, Yosemite Lodge, about 3,000 feet below. From here I hiked to Sentinel Dome (about 2.3 miles away), and ended this day hiking a section of the Four-Mile Trail at Glacier Point.

"Taft Point, Yosemite National Park." Pen on paper, 8.5 x 5.5 inches. Completed October 2010.

Yosemite Splendor

This post will be a little off-topic, as I am freshly returned from my seven-day trip to the Sierra Nevada Range in California. The first part of the trip was spent at Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. There I was amazed by the giant sequoia trees - the largest living things on our planet - and the beauty of King's Canyon, deeper than the Grand Canyon of Arizona.

But the crown jewel of the trip was Yosemite National Park. My first view of Yosemite Valley (above) occurred after coming through the Wawona Tunnel. A turnout, the Tunnel View, afforded a spectacular vista of the valley. To the left was El Capitan, a massive wall of granite, to the right was Bridalveil Fall, flowing from recent rains and sporting a rainbow, and in the center was Half Dome. I'm not ashamed to say that this panorama choked me up for a few minutes. The beauty simply can't be described...it must be experienced.

Heading for the Sierra Nevadas

I will be heading out to California tomorrow morning to spend a week in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The beginning of my trip will take me to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, and then I'll end the week in Yosemite National Park.

I've been anticipating this trip for months, and it's my first real vacation in two years. I've longed to see Yosemite since being a teenager, and as an admirer of the painter Albert Bierstadt (who did a memorable series of monumental Yosemite canvases - like the one above - in the 19th century) I can't wait to walk the same trails as many artists before me. I don't know if the trip will inspire actual work, but it certainly should be inspirational to my creative spirit.

New Exhibit - Lee Hansley Gallery

With the collapse of the Somerhill Gallery (chapter 7 bankruptcy) last month, my hopes of having a commercial gallery show this fall seemed to have disappeared with it. Fortunately, I was approached by another local gallery and offered a great opportunity - to join a planned October exhibit at the Lee Hansley Gallery in Raleigh with Sam Shelby and George Handy. As a result, I have nine paintings on display in one of the gallery's rooms from October 14 to November 13. The opening reception was held today, and the First Friday evening event (11 AM to 10 PM) will be November 5. Many thanks to the generosity and interest of the Lee Hansley Gallery for providing me this experience.

Main Street - Completed Work

Last summer I began a large commissioned piece that I entitled "Main Street." The composition is based on a street scene from Mount Airy, Maryland. Two previous posts (August 1, 2009 and August 22, 2009) provided progress reports on the project. I finally completed the canvas late last year and included it in my show at the Miriam Preston Block Gallery this past April. However, I never posted a photo of the completed painting. In general, I was satisfied with the results but I also enjoy looking at the in-progress images because they have a roughness that is gone in the final work.

"Main Street." Oil on stretched canvas, 36 x 48 inches. Completed November 2009.

Evening in Cumberland

This work is another in the series of canvases I have completed based on architectural sources from Cumberland, Maryland. This painting was inspired by an imposing house on Washington Street. I was particularly fascinated with its bulbous tower that loomed above the front facade like a half-hidden face. I decided to place the composition in a dusk time frame to add some drama.

"Evening in Cumberland." Oil on stretched canvas, 36 x 30 inches. Completed in April 2010.

Morgan County Courthouse Dedication Ceremony

This weekend I traveled north to Berkeley Springs, West Virginia to attend the dedication ceremony for the new Morgan County Courthouse. I had been selected to complete a commissioned portrait of the county's former courthouse, which was destroyed by fire in 2006. The pictures above show me presenting the canvas to the President of the Morgan County Commissioners, Brenda J. Hutchinson (in purple) during the ceremonies, held on September 25. The painting will be installed in the lobby of the new courthouse as a remembrance of the former structure. About 250 people attended the dedication, and the weather was spectacular. It was truly an exciting moment for me and I am so grateful to have been able to participate.

Morgan County Courthouse Completed

This past week I completed the commission to paint a portrait of the Third Morgan County Courthouse (located in Berkeley Springs, WV). This project went very smoothly and I am pleased with the results. I will be delivering the canvas to the patron this coming Friday in advance of a festival celebrating the opening of a new courthouse. This portrait will be installed in the new facility as a remembrance of the former structure, built in 1908 and lost to fire in 2006.

"Third Morgan County (WV) Courthouse, 1908-2006." Oil on canvas, 30 x 40 inches. Completed September 2010.

Somerhill Gallery Closing

My October exhibit at the Somerhill Gallery in Durham, NC is no more. The gallery filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation in late August, and will be closing after a Going-Out-of Business Sale this coming weekend. You can read about the travails of Somerhill in these articles published by "The Independent." Such a sense of disappointment and frustration.

In-Progress: Morgan County Courthouse Commission

I haven't used this blog enough to show works in progress. Part of the reason is that I do work quickly, and to interrupt the process to take photographs is distracting. At other times, I just don't remember to record the process as it develops.

Currently I am working on a commission to paint a portrait of the Third Morgan County Courthouse, which stood in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. The courthouse opened in 1908 but, sadly, was destroyed by fire in 2006. A new courthouse has been under construction since then, and it will open later this month. The patron of this commission is donating the painting to Morgan County so that it can be permanently displayed in the new facility.

As you can see from this image, the piece is well on its way. I typically ground all of my canvases in cadmium red acrylic paint before starting the actual oil painting. For this project, I took special effort to create a solid underdrawing (in burnt sienna paint) from which to build the final work. The areas of bright red in this photo indicate areas I still have to work up. The sky is essentially complete, as is much of the clocktower. I plan to spend most of this weekend on the project and hope to complete it this week so that it has time to dry before delivery. I'll be sure to post a photograph of the final canvas.

"Third Morgan County (WV) Courthouse, 1908-2006." Oil on canvas, 30 x 40 inches. Currently in-progress.

Midwestern Sunset

Although entitled "Midwestern Sunset," this canvas is actually based on two houses I photographed in Cumberland, Maryland back in December 2008. Yet another in that series of works, I settled on the title after the piece was completed. The atmosphere in the work was reminiscent of neighborhoods -- and sunsets -- I experienced while living in Columbus, Ohio. So, I decided to utilize a title that evoked that feeling.

This weekend I will begin a new commissioned painting, a portrait of the Third Morgan County (WV) Courthouse that was destroyed by fire in 2006. A new courthouse will open later this month, and I am fortunate to have been chosen to create an official portrait for the lost structure. The painting will become a permanent installation in the new facility.

"Midwestern Sunset." Oil on stretched canvas, 36 x 36 inches. Completed April 2010.

Farmhouse Panorama II

This is yet another panorama (multiple canvas) work based on the Milton Jones Farmhouse in Cary, NC. Painted over three canvases, each measuring 16 x 20 inches in size, it depicts the farmhouse straight-away. I enjoyed creating this piece and the work went very quickly.

"Farmhouse Panorama II." Oil on three 20 x 16 inch stretched canvases (total size 20 x 48 inches). Completed January 2010.

Farmhouse Panorama III

I've spent today photographing artwork created over the past several months, and will now begin posting the work here on the blog.

This piece, "Farmhouse Panorama III," is a return to the Jones Farmhouse in Cary, NC that inspired a series of paintings in 2008. For this effort, I created a panorama image by painting the scene over four 11x14-inch canvases. I chose to put the farmhouse in deep shadow so that it would contrast strongly with the bright sky and background.

"Farmhouse Panorama III." Oil on four 14 x 11 inch stretched canvases, total size 14 x 44 inches. Completed February 2010.

Coming Soon: New Work for Somerhill Gallery Exhibit

I've been extremely busy in the studio over the past few weeks, so busy I've been neglecting the blog. I have a backlog of new works to photograph, and plan to do so this week. The new pieces are in preparation for an exhibit I will be having at the Somerhill Gallery (Durham, NC) in October. I'm excited about this opportunity and have been working hard to develop new canvases for the show. More details - and images - to follow soon.

North Carolina Museum of Art Visit

This past weekend I had my first opportunity to visit the newly opened permanent collection facility at the North Carolina Museum of Art. The museum had been closed for several months as the collection was transferred from the old facility into the new one. It reopened on April 24th to much fanfare.

The gallery spaces are beautiful, with quiet exterior courtyard spaces for sculpture and gardens. While I don't find the structure particularly attractive from the outside, I was very impressed with the interior. The former building is currently under renovations and will reopen in November as a home to temporary exhibitions. The first will be an exhibit of works by famed illustrator Norman Rockwell.

Muffy

While most of my painting imagery is architecturally related, I do paint other subjects. Occasionally I am solicited for private commissions, and the above work is one I received a few years ago. A patron contacted me to see if I would complete a commissioned portrait of a beloved pet who had passed away after many years of loving companionship. These projects can be quite challenging because the patron can have exacting expectations of the final result. This painting seemed to work well from the very beginning, and the patron was very pleased with the end product.

"Muffy." Oil on stretched canvas, 20 x24 inches. Private commission completed in November 2007.

Victorians at Sunrise

I received some wonderful news this week: the City of Raleigh Arts Commission, which hosted my recent exhibition "Home/journeys," has purchased one of my paintings for the city's permanent collection. The commissioners selected "Victorians at Sunrise" (seen above) for their collection. Needless to say I was very excited about this development.

"Victorians at Sunrise" has been featured in three of my exhibitions (Burke Arts Council in May 2009, Preservation Society of Chapel Hill in December 2009, and the Miriam Preston Block Gallery in May 2010) so it is satisfying to see it go to a good "home." I am especially grateful to the City of Raleigh Arts Commission for their support and encouragement.

"Victorians at Sunrise." Oil on stretched canvas, 24 x 36 inches. Completed in July 2008.

Remains of the Day

Unfortunately I've been sidelined this past week by some outpatient surgery that I had been putting off for nearly two years. I am recuperating well at home but I won't be in the studio for at least a week. Prior to the surgery I was busy working on several new canvases. I hope to have those photographed soon so that I can post them here.

The painting above, "Remains of the Day," was completed earlier this year. The structure itself is based on an actual house in Ohio but I completely reworked the surroundings and also improvised the dramatic skyscape. The Victorian architecture of Ohio (which I greatly admired while living in Columbus during the 1990s) has been an excellent source for much of my material. It lends itself to a lonely, moody atmosphere that also evokes a sense of lost elegance and grandeur, of a time gone by.

"Remains of the Day." Oil on stretched canvas, 26 x 40 inches. Completed January 2010.