MAGIC HOUR

As Ralph W Emerson noted, nature leaves us "perpetual observation, perpetual acquiescence & perpetual thankfulness.'

LABOR DAY

Happy Labor Day, the kind of day that makes you feel good.

SUMMER SUNRISE

Sometimes, my ramblings are very well plan. Catching the right lighting is a big part of my painting process. Other times, inspiration to get my sketchbook out is pure serendipity with a bit of luck.

HORIZON

For an artist, change of scenery is always good. We need our visual stimulation! I get endless panorama mountain view from my studio. When I drive down to CT, I'm more aware of the nuances of the skyline. When I get to see the water, the horizon-to horizon sweep of the water calls for a big paint brush. Fresh scenery, fresh painting. Painting by the water makes one more aware of the saturated air & heady scents...BLISS

BY THE WATER

I'm going to be spending more time at my artist retreat...making use of my time along the shoreline.

NEW ENGLAND PASTEL

With the heat wave & endless rain, Connecticut is looking quite lush. With the change of season, I have to rearrange my pastel color sticks. I wont be needing my soft pastel colors for awhile. With the lush, deep colors of summer, I will be switching over to using my oil paints.

SPRING POND

A misty morning, early outing with my pastel. Pastel is definitely the perfect medium to express Spring in Connecticut.

MIX MEDIA

By the use of a few white & pink touches with my pastel onto the dark watercolor ground, I edited the shady secret garden into a brighter garden.

SHORELINE TWILIGHT

Ah, springtime in CT, glorious outings with my paints along the shoreline. It's a treat to hear the sound of water while I'm creating.

LILAC SKETCH

Lunch under the LILAC tree, at the end of April. The beauty of the experience finds their way into the painting.

FLOWER POWER

Yes,  MAGNOLIA season came & went pretty fast in Greenwich, CT. I'm NOT painting fast enough to capture all these flowering trees and shrubs!

PINK AND GREEN

Yes, more studies of Cherry blossoms. I used oil turpentine for the base, & soft pastel to bring out that lovely shade of pink.

PINK & BLUE

Springtime in CT...abundance of flowering trees fluttering & dancing in the breeze.

MORNING GLOW

Spring is definitely showing off its colors. The morning sun makes everything glow in the hills. With so many beautiful spring colors, it will be hard to decide what & where I want to sketch. Sometimes too much inspirations can confuse me.

PASTEL NOCTURNE

The end of Steamboat Rd is an easy detour. The sky & Long Island Sound offers me endless inspirations to fill my sketchbook. Even if I dont have enough time to finish a sketch, I bring the memory back to my studio.

ANOTHER EGG TEMPERA

Unlike a quick sketch, each painting is a journey. I cant say this painting is finish. But one must get on with our life & other projects. After many weeks working on this new painting, I'm exhausted! Egg tempera is a very flexible medium. On the other hand, it is a strong medium. It can show its weakness quicker than almost any other. One cant really fudge it. It would be interesting to see if this image will be a popular GIFT ITEM ON ZAZZLE?

BACK & FORTH

After many more hours, it does not seem I did anything new? This is the point I need to stand back alot, to not loss sight of the whole effect of the painting. "Painting leaves vs painting tree..." I want the distant valley in cool hues,  to enhance the illusion of space. This is in contrast to the flat lines of the house. Generally speaking, warm colors come forward, cool colors recede. I think I need to do more glazing on the house, to make it warmer. To warm up a sage green is not so easy!

CONNECTICUT LIGHTS

On these lovely Fall days in Connecticut, finding a subject is never a problem. When I have the time, I like to flip thru art books at the library before setting out with my sketchbook. Today, I spend some time on American Impressionist-painters of Light & Modern Landscape.