Impressionist

This period came as a major departure. I was turned around by French and California impressionists and attracted to the idea of painting light rather than things. Here’s what ensued over several years and a few more recent.

Anasazi I (gouache)

This is a small study I did for a commission of the Anasazi dwellings of the Southwest. Color at my latitude is more subdued, less saturated. What a pleasure to use red and orange right out of the tube!

Holmes Harbor II (oil)

This is the mouth of a small inlet on Whidbey Island WA. When the tide is real low, you can walk to nearby Baby Island. Clouds and sun and boats. Heaven.

Back Hill, Spring (acrylic)

This painting is all about the light and the landscape as spring comes on in the Northwest. The sun scatters highlights across a bench and the stone steps leading to a private corner of the back yard.

Back Hill, Autumn (acrylic)

I always enjoyed Monet’s studies of haystacks under different lighting conditions. Here is the same back yard of the previous painting, this time under the cloudy diffuse light of November. The colors are diluted and spare. There’s a little fog about to lift.

Mutiny Bay (acrylic)

Sunrise is behind the viewer. Out over the Sound is a detached cloud a hundred feet from shore catching the light that has yet to reach the shoreline. It’s time to go fishing.

Untitled (gouache)

My wife is a gardener. If it grows we have one in our yard. The background was done wet in wet and once dry, the pink Larkspurs and poppy seed heads painted on top. I like the spontaneity of this piece.

Winter Light (acrylic)

This is one of my favorite paintings because of what happened on an overcast winter afternoon. After a day of gloom I was relieved to see the sun break through the dense cloud cover and shine through a skylight onto the wall. When I looked there was no sun. It was this painting.