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    If you haven't seen the two-DVD set, "The Impressionists", you don't know what you're missing!

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    I rented it from Netflix and absolutely loved it. It is an enactment of the lives of Monet, Renoir, Manet, Cezanne, Degas, and other Impressionist painters living at that time around Paris. Fascinating and eye-opening!


Archive for the 'Available' Category

100308-Picnic-Table-and-Palisades-5x7-done-450

5×7″, Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
$115.00 via PayPal, $10 shipping within the US. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for international rates.

If you’re feeling a sense of deja vu, you’re right! This is an updated version of the painting I posted a couple of days ago. The picnic bench at the park was lopsided. I thought it was kind of cute and put it that way in the painting, but then decided to straighten it out. I also popped the white sailboat in the background. Initially, I liked it subdued, so that it appeared as a surprise when noticed. As I thought about it and looked at the painting, I felt a more prominent boat would make for a better painting. I also added a few more darks in the background and reds in the foreground. I’m leaving the previous version below so that viewers can see the changes I’ve made.

100308-Picnic-Table-and-Palisades-5x7-450

Today was absolutely gorgeous. I took the opportunity to finally get out of the studio, and went to paint with some friends at the waterfront park in Hastings-on-Hudson. The colors were soft, muted cool and warm tones of spring, so I included the bright red, somewhat-lopsided picnic table to throw a spot of more intense color into the painting.

I love the way this palette of colors is working, so I think I might stick with it for awhile. I used only Prussian Blue, Pyrrole Red, and Raw Sienna (plus white of course). Raw sienna was definitely the dominating color of the landscape today, so using that as my only “yellow” played into the scene perfectly. There aren’t any strong greens or yellow-greens in the landscape yet that would require the addition of a stronger yellow.

100308-Picnic-Table-and-Palisades-2-7x5-450v

7×5″, oils on canvas covered hardboard
$115.00 via PayPal, $10 shipping within the US. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for international rates.

This is another painting from the Hastings Waterfront Park — a different bench, different cluster of trees, different section of the Palisades, and different angle from the one I posted yesterday, plus it’s a vertical composition. The colors on my palette, however, remained the same.

I’ve gone back into the one I posted yesterday. Tomorrow I’ll post the new version of that one and explain the small changes I made. Stay tuned!

Bannerman Castle Tower

Posted by Jamie on March 3rd, 2010

100304-Bannerman-Tower-12x9-wc-500v

12×9″, Watercolor on Fabriano Artistico
Email me at JamieWG@aol.com if interested in this painting.

This was painted today from a photo I took on my last visit to Bannerman Island, which was just days before the recent major castle collapse. Half of the proceeds of the sale of this painting will go to Bannerman Castle Trust to assist their efforts to shore up the remaining structures and prevent further collapse of the magnificent ruins.

A Walk in Platte Clove

Posted by Jamie on February 22nd, 2010

100222-Walk-in-Platte-Clove-wc-8x10-450dk

8×10″, Watercolor on 300# Fabriano Artistico hp
$125.00 via PayPal, $10 shipping within the US. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for international rates.

This is one of my favorite areas of the Catskills to go hiking, picture-taking, and painting. The mountains are so dramatic, and there are places where the road winds through the clove and drops off so steeply that it takes your breath away! This one was painted from a photo. Doing this made me eager to get back there again. I can’t wait till spring arrives!

Vase with a History

Posted by Jamie on February 18th, 2010

080213-vase-with-a-history-6×6-400.jpg

6×6″, Golden OPEN Acrylics on mounted linen
$125.00 via PayPal, $10 shipping within the US. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for international rates.

This vase belonged to my great aunt, who was one of the sweetest, kindest ladies I’ve ever known. She lived to be 106, and I’m sure would be thrilled to see her vase in this painting! I love this little vase with the colorful plums circling the ultramarine blue. The beautiful linen color and texture is visible, and the surface is a joy to paint on. Many artists pre-prime boards or canvas to this warm linen color, but there’s nothing like the real thing, using a clear primer.

Palette:
Cadmium Yellow Medium
Cadmium Red Light
Ultramarine Blue
Titanium White

Sunrise Footprints in the Snow at Peach Lake

Posted by Jamie on February 16th, 2010

071224-sunrise-footprints-400.jpg

Sunrise Footprints
5×7″, Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
$115.00 via PayPal, $10 shipping within the US. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for international rates.

This is another sunrise view from my living room window. I really enjoy painting “plein air” from there in real time, but this one was done from a photo I took one beautiful winter morning.

Love is a Canvas

Posted by Jamie on February 7th, 2010

Love is a canvas, furnished by Nature, and embroidered by imagination — Voltaire

090203-love-is-a-canvas-3-quarter-425

4×2″, Golden Acrylics on gallery wrapped canvas, miniature easel included
The quote above is inscribed around the stretcher bars on the back of the canvas. Quarter is in the image for size reference only.
$100.00 via PayPal, $10 shipping within the US. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for international rates.

I immediately thought of this quote when I set up to do this painting. The canvas is gallery wrapped, and the image is painted around the sides of the canvas, so that it can be viewed from all sides. The miniature easel will be shipped with the painting.

It is so difficult to get good photographs of miniatures. They always look much better in person. This one has a fairly dark background with some sheen, so it was impossible to get rid of all the glare from the lights when I took the photo. Here’s another image of it, with a Coke can for additional size reference:

090203-love-is-a-canvas-1-425

For such a little painting, I used a tremendous palette! Colors:
Cadmium Yellow Primrose
Cadmium Yellow Medium
Cadmium Orange
Cadmium Red Light
Pyrrole Red
Cadmium Red Medium
Alizarin Crimson hue
Cerulean Blue hue
Cobalt Blue
Ultramarine Blue
Oxide of Chromium
Jenkins Green
Titanium White
I had a few other colors out there as well, but the ones listed above were the ones I used.

090203-love-is-a-canvas-palette-425

I toned the mini canvas and the sides with a mix of Transparent Red Oxide and Ultramarine Blue Golden Fluid Acrylics. Those dry quickly, so with a little help from my hair dryer, I was then able to use Golden OPEN Acrylics to paint the rest over that toned canvas.

I started working on the basic placement of shapes, and then worked more and more toward contrasts and details. I use blu-tack to adhere the mini canvas to a larger piece of foam board. That way I can hold it securely in one hand when necessary, while painting with the other.

090203-love-is-a-canvas-wip2-425

Love in the Big Apple — Perfect Valentine’s Day Gift!

Posted by Jamie on February 2nd, 2010

090201-love-in-the-big-apple-5x7-425

7×5″, Golden Acrylics on New York City map mounted to archival board, fits into standard frame
$115.00 via PayPal, $10 shipping within the US. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for international rates.

I had a great time preparing surfaces with cut up old maps. I glued the map pieces to archival, acid free foam board with Lineco acid-free bookbinding adhesive, rolled it with a brayer, and weighted it down to set. Then I applied a couple of coats of Golden Matte Medium, mainly because I love the working properties of the surface once the matte medium is applied, and it will also help to seal and protect the maps.

I painted this New York City map with roses for Valentine’s Day. What could be better than Love in the Big Apple? If you’d like to commission a similar painting of any size with your own city and choice of flowers, please contact me at JamieWG@aol.com for details.

This painting can be popped right into a standard 5×7″ frame.

Hunter Mountain Vista

Posted by Jamie on January 26th, 2010

100126-Hunter-color-study-1-450

8×12″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard
Email me at JamieWG@aol.com if interested in this painting.

If you like this painting, please cast your vote for it in the Art Guide competition! You can do so by clicking the “like” button on this link.

This is a color and composition study for a 28×42″ painting that I’ll be starting soon. I wanted to keep the palette as limited as possible, and also to keep the colors a bit more muted and earthy than is typical for me. My colors for this painting were:
Raw Sienna
Venetian Red
Prussian Blue
Cadmium Yellow Pale (just a very small amount)
Titanium White

I tried to do the painting with just the first three colors, but in the end it really needed a bit of Cad Yellow Pale, so I gave in based on sheer need!

Creek with Dead Tree — Ode to Thomas Cole

Posted by Jamie on January 22nd, 2010

100122-Creek-with-Dead-Tree-5x7-acr-450

5×7″, Acrylics
$115.00 via PayPal, $10 shipping within the US. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for international rates.

Just a few miles from this location, Thomas Cole did his famous painting Lake With Dead Trees. That became one of the most important works of the Hudson River School painters. I saw this scene along Schoharie Creek nearby and snapped a dozen photos, determined to paint it at some point as an homage to Thomas Cole, who shared my appreciation of this little corner of the earth.

The Road Home in Early Winter

Posted by Jamie on January 21st, 2010

100121-Road-Home-Early-Winter-12x9-500v

12×9″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard
$350.00 via PayPal, $15 shipping within the US. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for international rates.

This is my favorite place to go for a walk, so it’s not surprising that I’m turning it into a series! You can see a progress image of this painting on this post. So far, the series consists of just this painting and The Road Home in Fall. Late winter, spring, and summer versions will be coming as the seasons emerge. I’ll probably paint those on location.

Long Winter Shadows

Posted by Jamie on January 18th, 2010

100114-Long-Winter-Shadows-8x10-450

8×10″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard
$250.00 via PayPal, $15 shipping within the US. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for international rates.

I was out walking my dog through the snow-covered meadow when I spotted these long shadows leading toward the house. Fortunately, I rarely go out without my camera! Long shadows in the middle of the day are one of the benefits of winter. Although I’ve used many compositional elements to lead into my paintings, I don’t think I’ve ever used winter shadows like this. Now that I’ve given it a try, I want to do more!

Happy New Year!

Posted by Jamie on January 1st, 2010

080107-sunset-after-the-snowfall-8×10-500v.jpg

10×8″, Acrylic on canvas covered hardboard
Email me at JamieWG@aol.com if interested in this painting.

It’s hard to believe that 2010 has arrived. Where did the year go? Each year seems to go faster than the next. You’d think I’d get tired of doing all these paintings, or run out of ideas, but I seem to feel more motivated as the years go by. I have so many exciting projects in mind for 2010; I can’t wait to get started!

You’ll be seeing some portraits as well as large commissioned paintings, and a number of larger landscapes, coming off my easel in the next couple of months. I want to get back to doing some of my “Jamie’s Jewels” framed miniatures too. Those are so exciting to paint and favorites among my collectors. I can’t seem to keep any of them “in stock”. I have some ideas for new working methods in acrylics too, so you will see a return to some acrylics over the winter as I experiment with new ideas, and large ones will emerge from outdoors when the weather warms up in the spring. I keep meaning to get some more paintings done of my pets — Lulu, Lucy, Mango, Coconut and Rondo. Then of course there are all those landscape locations that I’ve recently discovered; can’t wait to get back to those come the spring, and to do some larger studio works of those places during the winter. So, that should give you an inkling of what’s to come on these Hudson Valley Painter pages in the near future. I’m excited!

If you’d like to follow me around a bit more as I paint and share thoughts on the process, you can visit me here on Facebook. Just send me a friend request there, and let me know that you follow my blog. I often send mobile uploads from my painting locations, converse with my Facebook friends, and share my blog posts.

Occasionally I post on Twitter as well, with information not posted to Facebook or here on my website. You won’t find yourself flooded by tweets by me, but if you’d like to receive the ones I send, you can follow me @JamieArtist. I hope to be making more use of Twitter technology in the coming year for sharing art tips and pictures.

I wish all my viewers and followers and collectors a joyous and fulfilling New Year. Keep those New Years’ Resolutions coming!

The painting above will be at Kaaterskill Fine Arts Gallery on Main Street in Hunter, NY, from January 16 through February 7. I have five more going there too. The show opening is on Saturday, January 16 from 4-6pm.

Fall Majesty Along the Hudson River

Posted by Jamie on December 31st, 2009

091230-Fall-Majesty-on-the-Hudson-River-4501

12×16″, Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
Email me at JamieWG@aol.com if interested in this painting.

This is another painting that was started on location and completed in the studio this week. I showed the work in progress with an image of the scene in a previous post. The humped peak in the painting is Breakneck Ridge. The marsh is where Fishkill Creek empties out into the Hudson River.

When I brought the painting back to the studio and put it up on the easel to add the finishing touches, I pulled up all my photo references from this location. I’d gone there several times during the falll, so I had photos from much of the season. I decided to go back a few weeks in time to when there was more fall in the air and leaves on the trees. I think it added a lot to the painting to be able to fill out that foreground tree.

After the Rain — Catskills Waterfall oil painting

Posted by Jamie on December 22nd, 2009

091222-After-the-Rain-16x12-500v

16×12″, Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
$440.00 via PayPal, $20 shipping within the US. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for international rates.

This waterfall is just inside the entrance to our property upstate. From here, the water runs under the driveway and converges with another stream and waterfall on the other side. After a rain, they are at their very best! There are two more waterfalls along this rock ledge that I’ve also wanted to paint for quite some time. I guess at this point I’ll probably get to them in the spring.

I started this painting en plein air several weeks ago. It was finished up in the studio this morning. Below you can see a photo of it as I worked on it outside. The waterfall was totally in shadow by the time I took this photo. That’s why I had to stop and complete it in the studio.

091222-After-the-Rain-16x12-scene-450

Fire in the Sky — Sunset over Olana

Posted by Jamie on December 20th, 2009

091220-Fire-in-the-Sky-Olana-6x8-450

6×8″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard
$150.00 via PayPal, $10 shipping within the US. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for international rates.


Available for direct sale for a limited time only.

This began as a plein air painting this past October. Just as the sun sank below the horizon, the sky lit up like a fireball. As often happens (especially with sunsets), color and light are just too fleeting to finish on location. I’m so busy painting outdoors at that time of year, trying to catch the last bit of fall color, that many of these don’t receive their finishing touches until winter sets in and I’m working in the studio.

I was so happy to pull this one out today and finally get to finish it up. I never get tired of painting these Olana sunsets. Every night there is so different; I can understand why Hudson River School painter Frederic Church chose this location for his exquisite Moorish castle on the hilltop. One of my favorite Frederic Church paintings is a winter view from Olana that he painted en plein air. I’ve never painted from there in winter, but I am determined to brave the cold and do it this winter!

Acrylic Sketch of Leigh

Posted by Jamie on December 17th, 2009

091217-Acrylic-sketch-Leigh-16x20-450

20×16″, Golden OPEN Acrylics on canvas covered hardboard
Email me at JamieWG@aol.com if interested in this painting.

I was eager to work in a medium that would enable me to layer quickly today, so I grabbed my Golden OPEN Acrylics and a 16×20 canvas covered board for open studio portraiture. I left most of my acrylics upstate, so had to make due with what I had: Cadmium Yellow Primrose, Pyrrole Red, Transparent Red Oxide, Ultramarine Blue, Carbon Black, and Titanium White.

These paints are just sooooo much fun. I prefer them on paper or smooth hardboard rather than canvas, so next time I’ll have to remember to size some watercolor paper or matboard before I go.

Leigh was a really great and beautiful model. We’ll have her for another sitting in January, so I’ll get to sketch her again!

Beside the Babbling Brook

Posted by Jamie on December 16th, 2009

091216-Beside-the-Babbling-Brook-8x10-450

8×10″, oils on canvas covered hardboard
$250.00 via PayPal, $15 shipping within the US. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for international rates.

This is one of my plein air paintings that hung around the studio for months waiting to be finished. Well, today was the day!

There is a magical, little brook that comes down from South Mountain and through our property upstate. It flows under a bridge that spans our driveway, and cascades down moss-covered rocks in a small waterfall. I didn’t even know it was there until after we’d bought the house, but I’ve been entranced by it ever since. It seems to be compositionally perfect from nearly any angle. So far in addition to this one, I’ve done one gouache sketch of it from the other side, a monochrome painting sitting on one of the rock ledges where the water cascaded past me, and an oil painting from the other side of the brook while the phlox was blooming in fall. In spite of all these views of the scene, I feel I’ve barely scratched the surface of the hundreds of fantastic compositions possible from this special little place. There are numerous other waterfalls in and around the property, and although this one is the smallest, I feel it is by far the most beautiful.

I lost my favorite old palette and had to replace it this week. I went over to Jerry’s Artarama in Norwalk to check out what they had, and came away with this wonderful new palette. Today was my first opportunity to test drive it; I love it to bits! Now I’m glad I misplaced the old one.

palette-new-450

The birds got to take turns coming out to play today. I love that I have more time with them during the winter months when I’m working more indoors. Here are the adorable ones: Mango and Coconut. They are extremely sweet and gentle. Mango goes to anybody and loves to socialize. Coconut is extremely handsome, but is not so well endowed in the brains department. LOL

091216-Mango-and-Coconut-450

The Road Home in Fall

Posted by Jamie on December 9th, 2009

091209-The-Road-Home-fall-12x9-adj-500

12×9″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard
Email me at JamieWG@aol.com if interested in this painting.

I set out on a beautiful sunny day with my easel. When I came to this gorgeous spot, I set up in the middle of the road to paint.

091209-The-Road-Home-fall-scene-before-450

As soon as I had my easel out and started to lay in color, the clouds thickened, shadows vanished, and colors changed!

091209-The-Road-Home-fall-scene-easel-450

I decided to stay with the moody, atmospheric day it had become. Most of this painting was done on location. I had plans to paint with a friend at Olana that afternoon, so I had to pack up before I was quite finished, and added the finishing touches in the studio today.

Morning at Tilly Foster Farm — large oil painting

Posted by Jamie on December 7th, 2009

091207-Morning-at-Tilly-Foster-Farm-24x36-done-450

24×36″, Oils on stretched canvas
Email me at JamieWG@aol.com if interested in this painting.

This painting has been a long time in process. It started out with a small monochrome study, followed by a color study, both completed on location. I then did an intermediate stage in the studio at 1/2 each dimension of the large painting. (Intermediate size was 12×18″.)

After a day and a half of working on the large painting in the studio, I took it back to the location a week or so later to work on it outside, where I could gather more information directly from the source once again. I felt lots of things were improved after that session of on site painting, but it still wasn’t finished.

I’ve put in more time on it here and there as it’s sat on the big easel in my studio, and I think I can finally call it finished! Here it is up on my studio easel during today’s session, with the studies next to it for reference. The studies are a progression toward the finished painting, but as you can see, I changed things that I wanted to improve upon in each version.

091207-Morning-at-Tilly-Foster-Farm-studies-450

Watercolor Wednesday

Posted by Jamie on December 4th, 2009

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Bench with a Hudson View
7×5″, Watercolor on Fabriano Artistico 140lb hot press

$115.00 via PayPal, $10 shipping within the US. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for international rates.

This is a scene from a little park near the train station in Cold Spring, New York. I used a photo reference and a 5×7″ Fabriano watercolor block of their delicious hot press, rag paper. I began with a modified contour drawing alla Charles Reid:

081001-bench-with-a-view-7x5-drawing-wc-400

Monochrome Oil Sketch of Troy

Posted by Jamie on December 3rd, 2009

091203-Troy-in-Monochrome-20x16-b-500v

20×16″, Oils on Canvas covered hardboard
Email me at JamieWG@aol.com if interested in this painting.

You may remember two weeks ago when I sketched Troy in pastel. We had no open studio last Thursday since it was Thanksgiving, but today I went back, oils in hand, for another sketch. I used Rembrandt Ivory Black, Gamblin Torrit Grey, and Winsor Newton Artist Titanium White with a little Winsor Newton Griffin Titanium White mixed in to speed drying. I also used Weber Res-n-gel medium.

Troy will keep the same pose for three weeks, and most of the artists are keeping their spots and working all three weeks on the same painting. I waited until after the posing started for any returning artists to reclaim their previous spots before setting up in a new position, but go figure…. (Yes, you know what’s coming!)… As soon as I got set up, someone came in late and said, “You’re in my spot!”

I didn’t really care where I painted from; I just didn’t want to miss the posing time. There is never enough time with the model! Anyway, this ended up being about two hours of posing time altogether. I always seem to have difficulty getting the head situated exactly where I want it on the canvas. This time, I really took my time with placement and it ended up right where I wanted it to be! Amazing!

I like this model, Troy, very much. We’ll have him for one more week.

Little Red Shed en plein air

Posted by Jamie on November 30th, 2009

070501-little-red-shed-10×8-600.jpg

10×8″, oils on panel, unframed
$250.00 via PayPal, $15 shipping within the US. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for international rates.

Painted on location at Tilly Foster Farm in Brewster, New York. I’ve bumped up this painting because it just made it into the local paper! Take a look!

West from Hunter Mountain — vertical composition

Posted by Jamie on November 29th, 2009

091129-West-from-Hunter-V-Comp-Study-8x6-450

8×6″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard
Email me at JamieWG@aol.com if interested in this painting.

I love this scene from the top of Hunter Mountain. I’ve painted horizontal landscapes from up here, but wanted to see if I could get something to set up well as a vertical. I think this works!

Clouds Over Ward Pound Ridge

Posted by Jamie on November 26th, 2009

5×7″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard
$115.00 via PayPal, $10 shipping within the US. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for international rates.

This is a scene from Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Pound Ridge, NY. This county park is over 4,700 acres of rolling fields, beautiful trees, and hillsides with dramatic vistas. This is a 5×7″ plein air painting—done on location. The sun was in and out of the clouds and it was a real challenge to catch the light!

Fall Color at Olana

Posted by Jamie on November 24th, 2009

Click image for a larger, clearer view:

081025-fall-color-at-olana-8x10-600

8×10″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard
$250.00 via PayPal, $15 shipping within the US. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for international rates.

Painted late in the day at Olana, overlooking the Hudson River.

Lifting Haze in Constitution Marsh

Posted by Jamie on November 23rd, 2009

081031-lifting-haze-in-constitution-marsh-6x8-400

6×8″, Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
$150.00 via PayPal, $10 shipping within the US. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for international rates.

I hiked into Constitution Marsh on the Hudson River while the skies were overcast, but they didn’t stay that way for long. Keeping up with changing light as I painted was a real challenge! I brought just my oil paints and my Guerrilla Painter Thumbox in a backpack. That’s about all one could comfortably carry in over the hill and along the trails and boardwalks.

Mountain Retreat

Posted by Jamie on November 22nd, 2009

091122-Mountain-Retreat-6x8-450

6×8″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard
$150.00 via PayPal, $10 shipping within the US. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for international rates.

All the leaves are down now, and the temperature has dropped substantially. I fear that we won’t be seeing anymore 60+ degree days until spring emerges! I sat outside with my little pochade box this afternoon and painted this with just three colors (and white):
Winsor Newton Cadmium Yellow Pale
Winsor Newton Bright Red (Pyrrole)
Utrecht Ultramarine Blue Deep
Utrecht Titanium White

Portrait Sketch of Troy — Left Profile

Posted by Jamie on November 19th, 2009

Left-Profile-Sketch-Troy-12x9-450v

12×9″, Pastel on Art Spectrum sanded paper
$325.00 via PayPal, $15 shipping within the US. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for international rates.

This is my first portrait since last winter — a two hour sketch from life. The model sits for three consecutive sessions, but I prefer to use them as sketching opportunities, and generally try to wrap up in a single session if possible. This model, Troy, is new to the art center. We’ll have two more sessions with him, so I plan to do others from different angles.

I’ve always felt that portrait and figure drawing and painting keep me honest as an artist. When painting landscapes, we can move a tree from one side of the scene to the other, enlarge a mountain, and put in clouds where there are none. But with portrait and figure painting, you can’t transplant somebody’s nose to where their mouth should be, or put a foot on the end of their arm!

Once the cold weather gets underway, I go into the portrait or figure studio a couple of times a week, using the winter to sharpen up my drawing skills. It really helps my winter doldrums too, since I’m not fond of plein air painting in the frigid weather. By late fall, I start looking forward to the change of subject and venue that winter brings. After a winter of studio landscapes, and portraits and figures from life, I feel really charged up about getting out for plein air work again in the spring.

Today I dove in for the first time this season, both in subject and medium. I hadn’t broken out the pastels for quite some time (although I’ve been talking about it for a month or so), and it’s my first portrait of the season.

Breakneck Ridge and a Yellow Sky

Posted by Jamie on November 18th, 2009

091118-Breakneck-Ridge-and-a-Yellow-Sky-9x12-450

9×12″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard
$325.00 via PayPal, $15 shipping within the US. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for international rates.

Today I returned to the location where I painted yesterday. When I first arrived there, the sky was totally blue. I had to run back to the car to get my glasses, and by the time I returned, there were white clouds. Twenty minutes later, there was this dramatic yellow sky. I decided to stick with that! It wasn’t long before the sky changed yet again, but I really liked the drama of the yellow. When plein air painting, at some point we need to stick with the plan; otherwise we risk spending the day chasing the light and never finishing a painting!

I’m really loving this spot where Fishkill Creek empties out into the Hudson River, and the mountains of the Hudson Highlands loom in the distance. I’m so glad I found this place! After so many years of painting in the Hudson Valley, it’s always exciting to find a spot that offers new and varied scenery.