Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Year End

Reserves Park– Winter's Grip
6" x 8", Oil on Paper
12/2014

Further experimentation with Arches Oil Paper. The ponds, where the lotus I paint frequently reside, look somewhat different in the winter. We think our landscape in SW Ohio looks very gray at this season, but there is a surprising amount of color, even with a snow cover.

Commission

Sitwell's Coffee House
9" x 12", Oil on Canvas Panel
12/2014

The last commission of the 2014 year is this painting of Sitwell's Coffee House in Clifton, Cincinnati, Ohio. One of a pair of paintings sold to a UC professor for Christmas gifts to his daughters. The other painting is of the opposite side of the street,  "329 1/2 Ludlow Avenue", a plein air piece I painted of Head First's signage (the shop is around back). Head First is the hair salon I've been going to since I was in college.



Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Old Mauds-Hughes Bridge

Old Mauds-Hughes Bridge
6" x 8", Oil on Canvas Panel
12/2014

Continuing to paint some small winter paintings to get in the mood for the season, this is a portrait of the just replaced single lane bridge near Hughes Station, Liberty Township. Its location between two right angle turns, with no Stop posted on either side, had become a test of nerves and civility. Would the other driver note the One Lane Bridge sign? If they did, would they yield to the car already stopped on the other side? Would they come barreling through? If they did, would there be enough room for you to squeak through?

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Small Winter Paintings

Winter's Trailing Edge 2
6" x 8", Oil on Canvas Panel
11/2014

I'm working on some small winter scenes to have inventory for the Cincinnati Art Club's Holiday Sale and for the CAC Holiday Dinner painting exchange. These are the first two of 2014.

Winter– Honerlaw Farm
9" x 12", Oil on Canvas Panel
11/2014

Oil Paper Trials

CAC– Figure Sketch 2
12" x 9", Graphite & Oil on Paper
11/2014

These are two trials of a new material to me, Arches Oil Paper. Similar to 300# Watercolor Paper, this product is specially formulated not to "bloom" from absorbed oils and solvents around the brush strokes. It is still a very porous material and you need to get some solvent or oil into the paper to keep it from grabbing. I laid down a wash of let down oils and painted overtop with full bodied paint. As soon as I get the hang of it, I hope to do more to combine pencil drawing with oil painting.

CAC– Portrait Sketch 1
16" x 12", Graphite & Oil on Paper
11/2014

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Plein Air– Sharon Woods

Sharon Woods Bridge– Fall
12" x 16", Oil on Canvas
10/2014

The last outing of the season for the South West Ohio Plein Air group was to Sharon Woods Park in Sharonville, Ohio. Fall colors were in abundance and this is a view of a clump of trees near the bridge over the lake's dam, perfectly reflected in the water, due to the calm winds.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Plein Air– White Water Shaker Village

Center Family– Morning
12” x 16”, Oil on Canvas
10/2014


We had glorious weather for last Thursday's SWOPA outing to the White Water Shaker Village in New Haven. Started just after the ground fog lifted, this painting is of one of the three collections of buildings comprising the village. The Center Family once had eight buildings, but only the Wash House, Office, Barn and Broom Shop remain.
This view would be looking from right to left, toward the Office, along the fenced road in the diagram below–









House Commission



8175 Muchmore Point Lane
12" x 16", Oil on Canvas
10/2014


This painting was commissioned as a thank you gift to the owners by the realtor who sold their home.

Saturday, October 18, 2014

CAC– Sketch Group

CAC– Figure Study 1
8" x 6", Oil on Canvas Panel
10/2014


A 5 minute monochromatic sketch with let down oils.













CAC– Figure 2
10" x 8", Oil on Canvas Panel
10/2014

Brian from life.

Plein Air– Findlay Market

Findlay Street and Back of Moerlein
12" x 16", Oil on Canvas
10/2014

With the threat of rain on Thursday, I picked a spot under the cover of the Farmer's Market canopy at Findlay Market to paint this view. It's looking North across Findlay Street, with a view of the old Christian Moerlein Brewery bottling plant in the background. The bottling plant is now the home of the new Rhinegeist (ghost of the Rhine) micro brewery.

Weeping Cherries

Weeping Cherries– Spring Grove
10" x 20", Oil on Canvas
10/2014

Painted from a photo I took this last spring in Spring Grove Cemetery. The weeping cherries were just past their prime when we visited to paint plein air. The night before had been cold and windy and many of the trees had lost some blossoms.

Monday, October 13, 2014

OPA GAP Second Saturday 2

Reservoir Ruins
9" x 12", Oil on Canvas Panel
10/2014

After trying to get warm at lunch, I spent the afternoon trying to stay out of the brisk wind in the valley below the Eden Park Reservoir. A section of the reservoir damn was knocked down to open the interior for play fields. The remaining  ruins cut a picturesque arc leading to the old Eden Park Pumping Station. This painting is of the terminating stonework, showing details of its construction.

OPA Great American Paintout 2



Upper Overlook
12" x 16", Oil on Canvas
10/2014

The second Saturday of the Oil Painters of America, Great American Paintout in Eden Park Cincinnati was cold and windy with broken skys. This view is of the Ohio River Monument, dedicated by President Herbert Hoover in 1929 to commemorate canalization of the river for year-round water transport. The Ohio cuts down into the geologic formation of the Cincinnati Arch, with us on it's heights. Looking East, the Northern Kentucky bluffs project across the middle, then the Ohio side and Kentucky again a misty backdrop behind as the river zig-zags between.

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

OPA– Great American Paintout

View of Krohn 2
12" x 16", Oil on Canvas
09/2014

Painted from just above the drive to the parking lot off Eden Park Drive, this is a view of the Krohn Conservatory with the fall color starting to blush the plantings. This was from the first day of the Oil Painter's of America, Great American Paintout, sponsored by the Cincinnati Art Club. We gathered at the club house, before heading out into Eden Park for a lovely day in almost perfect weather.

Plein Air– Mt. Adams

Top of the Mount
Plein Air, Mount Adams, Cincinnati, Ohio
09/2014

Painted from the drive around the Play House in the Park, this is the view south toward the Monastery and the Mt. Adams promontory. The crown of the Great American building looms large in the background.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Figure from Life

CAC– Figure 1
8" x 10", Oil on Canvas Panel
09/2014

Just back from plein air painting with SWOPA, I didn't unload the equipment, but instead took it to Sketch Group on figure night. Interesting trying to capture the figure in the two hour session.

Plein Air– Iron's Fruit Farm

Hives in the Apple Orchard
12"x 16", Oil on Canvas
09/2014

I had hoped to be able the paint in the pumpkin patch when SWOPA went to Iron's this fall. By the time our family usually makes the trip (closer to Halloween) the frost has wilted the foliage on the vines and the pumpkins stand out stark in the fields. Management would not let us visit the pumpkin patch, so I did this rather impressionistic small orchard section.

Rainy Day Painting

Field with Lowering Skies
6" x 8", Oil on Canvas Panel
09/2014

Small landscape of a field off Butler-Warren Road on a rainy fall day. Suited the mood of AAP's painting group last week.

Plein Air– Columbia-Tusculum

Tusculum & Sachem
12" x 16", Oil on Canvas
08/2014

This year's trip by SWOPA to the Columbia-Tusculum neighborhood of Cincinnati lead to this painting of the corner of Tusculum Avenue and Sachem Avenue. Two blue houses anchor the  lower stretch on the northeast, the one at the corner, light blue with additions that go up and up. This view gives a sense of how the elevations change, with the point of view just at the bottom of the painting.

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Plein Air– O'Bryanville

Madison at Obryan
12" x 16", Oil on Canvas
08/2014

From SWOPA's plein air outing in the O'Bryanville suburb of Cincinnati, this is the looking west down the north side of Madison Road from the traffic island. The brick house in the front is one of the oldest in the village and contains Enoteca Emilia Italian Wine Bar and Restaurant.

CAC Sketch Group

CAC– Portrait 1
10" x 8", Oil on Canvas Panel
08/2014

The first true portrait I've every painted from life, this was from a couple of weeks ago at the Cincinnati Art Club Sketch Group.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Yellow Pair 2

Yellow Pair 2
20" x 24", Oil on Canvas
08/2014

A studio work based on photos taken at the Lakeside Chautauqua Wooden Boat Show and Plein Air Art Festival. A 1949 Willys Jeepster and the matching Lyman runabout were a hit of the show. Right up there with the barrel-back Chris-Crafts and other bright work boats.

Union Terminal Again

Union Terminal 2
6" x 8", Oil on Canvas Panel
08/2014

Third small painting base on photos from the plein air painting trip earlier this year to the Museum Center.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Clifton Skyline

The favorite haunt of many a University of Cincinnati group, including my son's time in the UC Bearcat Band (TUCBIDG/http://www.ucband.uc.edu/band/), the Clifton Skyline (http://www.skylinechili.com) is lined with posters and photos of those student organizations.  This view is from the Burnet Woods Park corner (Southeast) of Clifton and Ludlow.

Mt. Adams View

Mt. Adams from Riverside Drive
12" x 16", Oil on Canvas
08/2014

This view of Holy Cross-Immaculata Church from the Theodore M Berry International Friendship Park features part of the Martin Drive overpass off Columbia Parkway. New condominium homes now line Riverside Drive on the hill below Mt. Adams. Quite a change from the slipways and the piles of lumber that used to line this area during the mid to late 1800's and the steamboat building days on the Ohio River.

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Ohio River Scene

Boats at Bellevue
8" x 10", Oil on Canvas Panel
07/2014

Looking upriver from the Bellevue Beach Park in Kentucky, you can see the docks for the Queen City Riverboats. The wharf is on the newly redeveloping Bellevue riverfront and directly across from Eden Park in Cincinnati.

Plein Air- Washington Park

Bandstand and 1st Lutheran Tower
12" x 16", Oil on Canvas
07/2014

Painted in Cincinnati's Washington Park, one of the city's oldest, the bandstand sits at the center of two block long expanse. The south end of the grounds are still of a more traditional setting with many large trees and winding walks. To the north end, the area across from Music Hall has been redeveloped to an open grass area with a half shell performance space. Washington Park was the site of the temporary pavilions for the Centennial Exposition of 1888. Music Hall was built as the permanent facility.

Lakeside Chautauqua Plein Air

Theses are the paintings I completed in the three days prior to and at the Lakeside Chautauqua Wooden Boat Show and Plein Air Festival. Shown in the reverse order to which they were painted-

Yellow Pair
12" x 16", Oil on Canvas
07/2014 (SOLD at the wet paint sale)






Loading Limestone
9" x 12", Oil on Canvas Panel
07/2014












230 E. 2nd Street
10" x 8", Oil on Canvas Panel
07/2014
















Showing the Flag
9" x 12", Oil on Canvas Panel
07/2014












Lakeside Pavilion
16" x 20", Oil on Canvas
07/2014

Commissioned Portrait

Maggie
8" x 10", Oil on Canvas
07/2014

This painting is of the client's sister's dog, done from photo references provided. The pet had previously passed away and the painting was commissioned as a gift for participation in my client's wedding party.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Plein Air- Mt. Echo Park

Mt. Echo Park Shelter
12" x 16", Oil on Canvas
07/2014

The beautiful Arts and Crafts style shelter in Mt. Echo Park was built by the WPA during the '20s. It features a cantilevered hipped roof, supported by the two large chimneys.

Bellevue Hill Park

OTR from Bellevue Hill
12" x 16", Oil on Canvas
07/2014

The view of Cincinnati and Over the Rhein from Bellevue Hill Park in Clifton Heights. This is a small section of the panoramic view, concentrating on Music Hall and City Hall.

Museum Center

Chasing the Adults
6" x 8", Oil on Canvas Panel
06/2014

Second small painting from the trip to the Museum Center.

Plein Air- Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club

See Ya
9" x 12", Oil on Canvas Panel
06/2014

The boat's name. From SWOPA's trip to Ludlow and dinner out on the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club.

Japanese Childern's Day

Kodomo no Hi
30" x 24", Oil on Canvas
06/2014

The full size painting of the Japanese Childern's Day still life. I may try another with a different arrangement of the objects.

Union Terminal

Union Terminal
6" x 8", Oil on Canvas Panel
06/2014

Working on some miniatures for a lower sales point. Union Terminal at the Museum Center is all about geometric shapes. You gotta love Art Deco architecture.

Commissioned Painting

Taft Museum
12" x 16", Oil on Canvas
06/2014

A commissioned piece that is similar to a plein air painting I did two years ago, this work was a anniversary gift.

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Plein Air– Loveland

Vanishing View
12" x 16", Oil on Canvas
06/2014

The view of downtown Loveland from the town square looking across the railroad tracks is about the change dramatically. Construction work is beginning on the new Loveland Station mixed-use development on the site of the building in the foreground. It will be replaced with a four story apartment and retail building, you should just be able to see the old school building above the new construction.

Plein Air– Museum Center

View East, Across OTR
9" x 12", Oil on Canvas Panel
06/2014

This is the view from the front porch of the Museum Center (Union Terminal) across the basin of Cincinnati, looking toward Mt. Adams. The buildings of Over-the-Rhein, Music Hall, etc. create the colorful masses among the trees. The Monastery and Celestial atop Mt. Adams are silhouetted against the sky.

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Plein Air– DeSales Corner

Woodburn toward DeSales Corner
12" x 16", Oil on Canvas
06/2014

The view up Woodburn Avenue toward the intersection with Madison Avenue and St. Francis DeSales church. The DeSales neighborhood in Cincinnati is rapidly redeveloping. Many vacant store fronts and apartments are now occupied and it's becoming a lively spot in town.

Plein Air– Oakley Square

Oakley Square
12" x 16", Oil on Canvas
05/2014

I missed posting this painting in order. It shows the view from the traffic island in the middle of the Madison Road. Looking Northeast, the newly refurbished square is centered in the painting.

Plein Air– Covington Historic District

Alongside the Roebling
9" x 12", Oil on Canvas Panel
06/2014

Threatening rain sent me seeking cover when SWOPA visited the Covington Historic District and that lead me to this view of Cincinnati. Huddling under the pedestrian stairs from Covington Landing to the Roebling Suspension Bridge, I stayed out of the wet and had this acute view of the bridge and the city across the river.