"Historic Odd Fellows Cemetery"

A pleasant morning painting in this old cemetery here in Winston-Salem while volunteers were giving tours to acquaint people with it's history.  A small group of dedicated citizens are working hard to rescue the site from the ravages of time and neglect.

                                              6" x 9"

                                              watercolor

"Woodland Bridge, Reynolda Gardens"

I walked along a path that took me into the woods at Reynolda Gardens.  This path followed along a marsh area that years ago was where Lake Katharine was located.  I found  this stone bridge that (from what my research has revealed) was adjacent to a filled-in area that would have been the outdoor swimming pool during the early years of the development of the Reynolds estate.  Early photos show this area with very few trees and open to the sunlight.

                                          48" X 28"
                                          oil on canvas

"Old Salem Streetside Garden"

I was fascinated by this purple bean vine growing on a fence that enclosed a garden in Old Salem.  In the background is a lovely vitex with lavender blooms and at the base of the fence is globe amaranth and phlox along with other plants. The light showing through the fence and leaves along with the ambient reflected light was a challenge to captivate.

                                          30" X 30"
                                          oil on canvas

"Garden by a Fence in Old Salem" (in four stages)

This time I forgot to take a picture of my sketch on the canvas.  However, I'm posting the next four stages of creating this painting.  I begin again by posting the completed painting first.  I really got caught-up in the details of the fence and garden plants. (Quite opposite from my sometimes very impressionistic renderings!)

                                          32" X 18"
                                          oil on canvas
                                          SOLD

At this stage I'm pretty well along with having everything layed-in with local color and have started detailing the most distant trees:

Here I'm beginning to paint-in local color in the darkest areas:

I've covered the whole canvas with a value study/under painting (in acrylic) and established the composition:

"Airlie Gardens Arbor"

Here's my second completed painting for the "Arbor Room".  I chose an arbor that is located within the lovely "Airlie Gardens" in Wilmington, NC.  The beauty of place along with it's rich history (https://www.ourstate.com/airlie-gardens-wilmington/) make this one of the most intriguing gardens to visit in our state.  It is very "Old South" with plantings of azaleas, camelias, wisteria, live oaks, and seasonal annuals typical in this southeastern region of the US. 

                                         Completed painting:

                                          48" x 48"
                                          acrylic on canvas
                                          SOLD

                                          mid-stage of painting

                                          first stage of painting showing tonal underpainting
                  

"Reynolda Gardens Arbor"

For almost two months now I  have been working on creating two commissioned paintings for a dining room that is called the "Arbor Room".  Soooo... I decided to do paintings of arbors that I know and enjoy visiting.  They are both in gardens here in North Carolina that are beautiful destinations for viewing creative landscape design, historically valued, great places to meditate, enjoy nature, celebrate weddings and other occasions,  and contemplate the beauties of nature.  The first one is here in Winston-Salem at Reynolda Gardens.  Installation/construction of the gardens started around 1911 commissioned by the late Katharine Smith Reynolds wife of Richard Joshua Reynolds the "father" of the great "Reynolds Tobacco Company" empire.
(http://reynoldagardens.org/)

Here's the first one:

                                          Completed painting:

                                          48"x48"
                                          acrylic on canvas
                                          SOLD

                                          mid-stage of painting

                                          first stage of painting showing tonal underpainting

                                        


 

"Sunlit Day in Old Salem"

I'm enjoying sketching a lot these days.  Sometimes I feel that my drawing skills are getting weak.  I'm still old fashioned enough to want to be able to draw whatever I see before me.  There is never a lack of interesting things to draw/paint/observe/record/interpret/embellish in this world!

"Precise" pen
on sketchbook page

"Chateau Gevrey Chambertin"

Today was "D" Day-Delivery day! And here is the finished painting! Upon my arrival, the host opened a bottle of Pino Noir from Chateau Gevrey Chambertin (Vintage 2002)and the hostess offered cheese, fruit and crackers all so generously shared with me in celebration of the unveiling. We had fun hanging the painting, studying the lighting upon it, and even moved a couple pieces of furniture. To my delight one of their grandchildren (three year old Elizabeth) was present adding her bashful charm to the occasion. They were very pleased and of course that pleases me and adds joy to my life as an artist!
As I studied and worked my way into this painting, I became very influenced by the age and architure of this marvelous old rock building. The fact that no two windows are alike fascinates me. The way the rocks are layed creates an interesting visual movement and pattern over the wall surfaces. The old copper gutters, the chimneys, the barrels, the flowers, the wooden window shelf-all elements, that to me, had to be included in detail to capture the character of this historic winery.
Acrylic on Canvas
36" X 48"
SOLD

"Chateau Gevrey Chambertin"

This stage of the painting shows further development with the "laying in" of more dark and mid-tones as well as now some of the lights are being established.
Acrylic on Canvas
36" X 48"

"Chateau Gevrey Chambertin"

After stretching my canvas (36" X 48"), I applied a yellow oxide underpainting (acrylic). Next, I drew a somewhat faint and detailed graphite layout of the architectural elements of this old winery. I only do this much drawing when it is necessary to get all of the details "just right". Then, I began by laying in the darkest as well as some of the mid-tone areas of the composition.
Acrylic on Canvas
36" X 48"

"Chateau Gevrey Chambertin"

The beginning stages of a commissioned painting that I have been working on since my last post. My clients are wine afficionados and enjoy visiting and learning about the many vineyards and wineries of our world (along with a bit of tasting along the way!).
My compostion was drawn from this photo that I downloaded from them over the internet. After discussion, we decided that a vertical painting would work the best for available spaces in their home (the final "hanging spot" will be decided upon delivery of the finished painting).
After showing them my very simple compositional sketch, they agreed that this is what I should paint.

"Old Ferry Dock Road-Harkers Island, NC"

A delightful morning painting in this historic village. A lovely lady watched me paint this and then bought it after telling me that I had just painted her home (the house on the left)!
Acrylic on Canvas
20" X 16"
(Plein Air)
SOLD

"Cape Lookout Summer"

I really enjoy traveling/relaxing/painting along the North Carolina coast. I did this painting on "Core Banks" on a very hot June day while fighting the flies and desperately trying to shelter myself from the hot sun under a very typical, not so shading pine tree on the island. The beauty of the spot and the history motivated me to paint this, my second ever light house painting!
"Cape Lookout Summer" (Core Banks, NC)
Acrylic on Canvas
9" X 12"
(Plein Air)

"Langdon House 1764"

While engaged in this early morning painting, I could faintly hear the chatter of birds in the garden and guests breakfasting on the porches of this B and B in the quaint historic town of Beaufort, NC. So many beautiful old homes and a strong sense of "spirits past" present here.
"Langdon House 1764" (Beaufort, NC)
Acrylic on Canvas
9" X 12"
(Plein Air)

"Morning Warmth-Old Salem"

There's so much inherent warmth in historic architecture. That's what I have tried to capture in this early morning (one of my favorite times of day for the light) painting.
"Morning Warmth-Old Salem"
Oil on Canvas Panel
11 1/2" X 14 1/2"

"Salem Tavern"

Commission: I painted this for the family whose ancestors founded this tavern.
"Salem Tavern"
Acrylic on Canvas
16" X 20"
SOLD