Cypress Gardens in Moncks Corner, South Carolina is a magical place. This 80 acre blackwater, bald cypress/tupelo swamp is a plein air painter's dream. It is instantly recognizable as the backdrop of such noteworthy movies as The Notebook and The Patriot. Navigating the blackwater swamp on a small boat is not for the faint of heart with its formidable alligators and haunting cypress trees....Not to mention the perils of standing along the shoreline while plein air painting!
The Wait, oil on linen, 30 x 40, Available
Venetian Life
Daily tasks take on a whole different meaning when conducted via the ubiquitous waterways of Venice. Suddenly the mundane can become romantic. Whether anticipating the arrival of a boat to zoom you to a party on another island or eagerly awaiting the mail boat to arrive, life in Venice is like no other place in the world.
The Wait, oil on linen, 30 x 40, available
The bar at the historic Gramercy Park Hotel has always been a favorite of mine. Nicknamed 'the Glamercy" by David Bowie in the '70's, the hotel has a long and storied past. Always a favorite of the music industry, the Gramercy also has an impressive art collection including this collaboration in the background of my painting by Warhol and Basquiat ("hand" 1984/85) hanging at the bar. With the hotel shuttered by the pandemic, I am thrilled to have captured this fleeting moment in its history.
I painted this on an early October morning during the "Paint it Orange" plein air event. I was greeted at the farm by chickens, rabbits and farm dogs bounding through the yard. With basil wafting through the air, I painted the glorious, colorful flowerfields. Impressionistic in nature, this painting was truly an inspired piece.
Available through Eno Arts Mill Gallery, Hillsborough, NC now through the end of November 2023. The non-profit Orange County Arts Alliance will receive 40% of proceeds.
Afterglow in Breckenridge, Colorado
The afterglow on the spectacular Breckenridge mountains was a sight to behold in March 2020 just at the start of the pandemic.
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is an annual celebration of local music and culture held every year on the Fair Grounds Race Course. Luizzas by the Track (pictured here), located right next to the entrance to the Fair Grounds, is a perfect place to have a beer before or after the Fest.
Since the early 1970s, the festival has been bringing thousands of visitors to New Orleans. Ranging from local performers including Kermit Ruffins, Galactic and Sun Pie Barnes to national acts, the Festival is always a good time. Marcia Ball and Miss Loretta's pralines are the perfect combination. When the Festival was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, local radio station WWOZ even kept the tradition alive with "Festing in Place."
Having lived there part-time for many years, New Orleans will always be dear to my heart. Laissez le bon temps roulez!!
The view overlooking the lovely Garden District in New Orleans. Laissez bon temps rouler!
Oil on panel, 11 x 14, AVAILABLE
I painted this en plein air during a glorious summer afternoon in the Bluffs of Montauk at Shadmoor State Park. Paths aligned with rose hips and honeysuckle ultimately led to this unexpected view. Peering over the edge, I saw lots of surfers taking advantage of the crashing waves. I later completed this in the studio working from photographs.
Upon returning recently to the area where I painted this in 2017, I found out that this area of hoodoos on the cliffs of Montauk no longer exists. The very place I had positioned my easel to paint plein air is gone, having fallen victim to erosion and the devastating effects of climate change. With more intense storms and a rise in the sea-level, the landscape is ever-changing.
Often returning to the same subject, I find each rendition reflects a particular moment. History informs the present and echoes of the past are forever evident. Whether it be a striking barn in the Hamptons reduced to a skeletal frame and disrepair upon a further visit or the haunting hoodoos on the cliffs of Montauk suddenly erased, these moments I capture are just that, merely fleeting moments. But by carefully observing the effects of time and environment on my subjects, my paintings aim to preserve a moment in time. By doing so, the viewer will have indisputable evidence of what was and what will be.
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