Pictures at an Exhibition

A solo show of my work is up at Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland, Maine through July 26, 2014.  The opening on July 5th was a terrific event.  I was able to see old friends and longtime collectors and meet some wonderful new folks.  Noticing Jamie Wyeth look at my paintings was a quiet thrill for me.  As always, the gallery space looked beautiful, the paintings were hung and lit expertly, and the food and drinks offered at the opening were delicious.  While I can't offer you a bacon-wrapped scallop here on the blog, I can offer you some shots of my work in the gallery.  

Independence Day

Fireworks and lobster are the usual hallmarks of a 4th of July weekend in Maine.  This summer I'm adding a gallery opening to the mix.  And if you're in Maine, I encourage you to do the same.  My solo show at Dowling Walsh in Rockland, Maine opens this week and lasts for the month of July.  The opening reception is on Saturday, July 5 from 5 to 7 p.m..  The gallery is easy to find on Main Street, as it's just across from the gift shop entrance of the Farnsworth Art Museum.  More than a dozen of my new paintings will be on display.  You'll recognize some of my usual models, including my wife Sarah and boys Finn and Corin.  I even sneak into one of the paintings as a model.  Anna B. McCoy, granddaughter of N.C. Wyeth, is having a show at Dowling Walsh Gallery at the same time so if you make it to the gallery, you'll be able to lose yourself in the lines and colors of contemporary realist painting at its finest.  

Projector, oil on linen, 43" x 64"

Succession, oil on linen, 36" x 64"

Accumulation

Winter is still clinging on here in Maine. Yesterday's snow and today's frosty morning are evidence of its tenacious grasp. Nonetheless, the sun is out and the days are lengthening--both are good things for a painter.

I'm still hard at work as I prepare for my exhibition this summer.  As you can see, paintings are accumulating in my studio. As always,  I wish I had more storage space for the finished pieces.  I'm constantly warning the boys to be careful as they wander in after school. Thankfully, there have been no accidents so far. Perhaps it's time to get frames started so that I can deliver a few paintings to Dowling Walsh?  Though I'm on schedule (and by some miracle maybe even a little ahead), I've got a few more pieces to go before I can begin to relax.

The Painter's Assistant

I've just finished a large painting for this summer's show at Dowling Walsh Gallery. The 76” x 58” piece is an aerial view of a model and my younger son daydreaming as they lie on their backs on the blacktop of a local schoolyard. They're surrounded by bits of lazy summer life: discarded shoes, a bicycle, a cootie catcher (remember those?). And they're inscribed with chalk drawings that make the scene more fanciful. As I was working on the final details for the piece, I sought inspiration for the chalk drawings. I asked Corin to doodle on the lower portion of the canvas with some sidewalk chalk. I wiped out many of his drawings, but kept a couple of them and copied them over in paint before erasing his originals. Should the piece sell, I have a feeling I will owe him a few ice cream cones as compensation.