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!

8x10 and smaller, Available, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Plein Air--painted on location, Tarrytown and Hastings Area | No Comments »

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!

8x10 and smaller, Available, Catskill Mountains, Greene County, Hudson River School, Landscape, Watercolor | 4 Comments »

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.

8x10 and smaller, Available, Catskill Mountains, Greene County, Hudson River School, Landscape | No Comments »

6×8″, Golden OPEN Acrylics on sealed, primed hardboard
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

I had a true painting marathon on the day I did this painting, leaving the house at 7am and not returning until after 8:30pm. It was a fabulous day of great weather and beautiful scenery in Cold Spring, New York, along the banks of the Hudson River. I can well understand why some of the Hudson River School painters loved to paint from this very spot; I love to paint here too!

This was the last one of the day—attempting to catch the fleeting sunset colors during the few minutes before the light faded into darkness. There’s never enough time to “finish” one when painting sunsets on location. It’s really a matter of grabbing color as it emerges, and hoping for the best!

8x10 and smaller, Cold Spring and Garrison, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River School, Landscape, Plein Air--painted on location, Sketches, Sold, Sunrise/Sunset | 3 Comments »

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.

9x12 to 12x24, Available, Fall, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Quadricentennial Series, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Plein Air--painted on location | No Comments »

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.

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!

8x10 and smaller, Available, Catskill Mountains, Fall, Greene County, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Quadricentennial Series, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Plein Air--painted on location, Sunrise/Sunset, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Hudson River Splendor — Hudson River Quadricentennial Series No. 22
5×7″, Oils on Ampersand Gessoboard
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

This is the gorgeous Hudson River view from Olana, home of Hudson River School artist Frederic Church. I was there one night when there was a stupendous sunset, and took as many photos as I could! This is a color study for a larger painting I’d like to do. It gave me a chance to see if the sky colors and values would work, and I’ve decided that they do!

Olana is one of my favorite places to paint, with this stunning overview of the river and the Catskill Mountains in the distance. On the right evening, the scene lights up like a torch.

In celebration of the Hudson River Quadricentennial, I am doing a special series of Hudson River paintings. This one is Number 22 of that series.

8x10 and smaller, Catskill Mountains, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Quadricentennial Series, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Sold, Sunrise/Sunset | 1 Comment »

Click image for a larger, clearer view:

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.

8x10 and smaller, Available, Fall, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River School, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Plein Air--painted on location | No Comments »

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

8x10 and smaller, Available, Catskill Mountains, Fall, Greene County, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Palenville and Catskill, Plein Air--painted on location | No Comments »

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.

9x12 to 12x24, Available, Cold Spring and Garrison, Fall, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Quadricentennial Series, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Plein Air--painted on location | No Comments »

Today I was painting along the Hudson River and it was quite the challenge! I went with two friends to this beautiful marsh/river view, where Fishkill Creek empties out into the Hudson River. The big hump-like mountain is Breakneck Mountain. It’s rather distinctive!

I didn’t have time to finish my painting before the light started to shift too much to continue, but I don’t think there’s all that much left to do. It will mainly be a matter of working on the foreground tree, a little sky finishing, and some adjustments to the background. I’ll repost it when it’s done. Here’s how far I got today on location:

This is the time of year when I’m trying to reap as much as I can out of what’s left of the milder weather. There will be plenty of bad weather days ahead to complete these in the studio, so I try to gather as much information about color and composition as I can while on location.

9x12 to 12x24, Available, Cold Spring and Garrison, Fall, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Quadricentennial Series, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Plein Air--painted on location | 2 Comments »

While out painting at Bannerman Island with friends two weeks ago, we were offered a show at Bannerman Island Gallery! The opening is this Saturday, November 14, 4-8pm. I’ll have some of my new fall works there, including the one featured below.

Available, Bannerman Island, Cold Spring and Garrison, Fall, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Quadricentennial Series, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Plein Air--painted on location, Shows and News | No Comments »

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 have painted this scene many times at different times of day. This one was painted at 12 noon on location. Notice how the light is flatter in the middle of the day. Shadows are not as dark, and contrasts are less pronounced.

8x10 and smaller, Available, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Plein Air--painted on location | 1 Comment »

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.

It was so cold standing in the wind at Olana while painting this that tears were running down my face!

8x10 and smaller, Available, Fall, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Plein Air--painted on location | No Comments »

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

This large painting was done on location in Cold Spring, New York over a period of several days. It was pretty windy some of that time, and I thought the painting was going to act as a sail and carry off the entire easel from time to time! I was exhausted by the time the painting was completed, with the long days and long drives over to the location, but it was worth it.

16x20 and larger, Available, Boats and Ships, Cold Spring and Garrison, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River School, Landscape, Plein Air--painted on location | No Comments »

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.

This painting was started a couple of weeks ago on a very chilly morning at the top of Kaaterskill Falls. It just needed a few minutes of studio touch-ups to call it done. This is one of my favorite painting spots, and I go there often to paint the stunning cascades as they spill over the rocks before plunging down the 279 feet of Kaaterskill Falls. It is the tallest waterfall in New York State.

This was a favorite spot of the Hudson River School painters as well. Back in those times, there was a dam up here to hold back the flow of water. A bucket would be lowered to the viewers below, who would each pay into the bucket for a water release to view the falls. Snack and drinks would also be lowered down to complete the attraction.

8x10 and smaller, Available, Catskill Mountains, Fall, Greene County, Hudson River School, Landscape, Plein Air--painted on location, Waterfalls | 3 Comments »

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

Sunday was the Olana Paintout, an annual event at the estate of the late Hudson River School painter Frederic Church. As I drove along the road that runs through the grounds to the top of the hill overlooking the Hudson, I was immediately captivated by this brilliant red tree standing alone out on the field. I pulled my car off the road and set up my easel on the spot.

This was my first time painting since my hand surgery, and it sure was a challenge with a cast!

8x10 and smaller, Available, Fall, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Quadricentennial Series, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Plein Air--painted on location | 1 Comment »

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

This painting, done on location at Olana, needed a few studio tweaks before I could call it done. As you can probably tell by looking at the painting, the drawing of the mansion took up most of my painting time on site! The sun was moving quickly and the lighting changed dramatically before I had a chance to wrap it up. In the studio, I touched up the trees a bit and altered the slope on the left side. Now it’s ready for a special wall—maybe yours?

9x12 to 12x24, Available, Hudson River School, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Plein Air--painted on location | No Comments »

5×7″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard
Email me at JamieWG@aol.com if interested in this painting.

The morning was overcast and looked like it was going to rain, so I was undecided whether or not to drive all the way over to the Hudson River to paint. In the end, I decided to go and do a cloud painting, and I’m so glad I did! The sky was fabulous, and although the clouds moved and changed quickly, I think I managed to capture the feel of the day.

8x10 and smaller, Available, Fall, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Quadricentennial Series, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Plein Air--painted on location | No Comments »

6×8″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard

I painted with friends last week at an overlook on the west side of the Hudson River. The scene was very dramatic as the filtered sunlight fought through the haze, bursting onto the river in patches of yellow light.

I’ve been painting, painting, painting lately, but haven’t had a chance to get all of these photographed yet. More to come during the week….Stay tuned!

8x10 and smaller, Available, Currently In Gallery, Fall, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Quadricentennial Series, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Plein Air--painted on location | 1 Comment »

6×8″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard

This painting was also done from the top of Hunter Mountain, this time facing eastward toward Kaaterskill Clove, made famous by the Hudson River School painters. The mountains you see in this painting are the easternmost mountains of the Catskill range. Beyond them stretches the Hudson River Valley. Through that cleft in the mountains on the left lies the former home of Thomas Cole, and across the river is Olana, home of Frederic Church. Many of their most well-known paintings were of scenes between here and there.

8x10 and smaller, Available, Catskill Mountains, Currently In Gallery, Greene County, Hudson River School, Landscape, Plein Air--painted on location | 1 Comment »

Clouds Over the Palisades: Hudson River Quadricentennial Series No. 23
12×16″, Oils on Raymar canvas panel
Email me at JamieWG@aol.com if interested in this painting.

This painting was posted a few weeks ago without the barge and tug. I feel the boats change the painting enough to warrant reposting it. I think they add a lot to the painting, don’t you? When the barge and tug went by, I wasn’t far enough along with the painting to put them in. However, I was quick to grab them with my camera, and so I had the reference image to add them later. They help give scale to the scenery, and are so typical of the boat traffic that goes up and down the river in the course of a day.

I spent a great day down in Hastings-on-Hudson. This wonderful, small park is right on the Hudson River, with the cliffs of the Palisades looming over the far shoreline. The morning started out overcast, but broke into big, billowy clouds by late morning.

This is Number 23 in my Hudson River Quadricentennial Series of paintings, commemorating the 400 year anniversary of Henry Hudson’s voyage up the river.

Below is an image of the painting before I put in the barge and tugboat.

Here is a detail of the boats below the cliffs:

9x12 to 12x24, Available, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Quadricentennial Series, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Plein Air--painted on location, Tarrytown and Hastings Area | No Comments »

Breaking Blues at Olana: Hudson River Quadricentennial Series No. 29
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.

This oil sketch was done from just outside the home of Hudson River School artist Frederic Church. He had this classic view of the Hudson from most of the terraces and many of the rooms in his beautiful Moorish-styled mansion. The land was nearly all farmland back then. The trees have taken over since he lived here, and many of the vistas he enjoyed have become obscured by the overtaking foliage. I’m told that they will be doing some clearing in the not too distant future, to bring back some of those farmland views present in Church’s time.

There were a lot of visitors to the site while I was painting this. Occasionally the blue sky would poke through the layers of clouds as I painted, and I would snatch the opportunity to include those hopeful, fair-weather breaks of cerulean in the painting. Two minutes later, it would be completely overcast again. I found myself having to explain to visitors more than once that I really, really did see that blue sky just a minute ago!

8x10 and smaller, Available, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Quadricentennial Series, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Plein Air--painted on location | 1 Comment »

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

On Saturday I had a show opening at the Palenville Library. From there, I drove up the mountain to South Lake, where Thomas Cole did his famous painting, Lake with Dead Trees, and many other Hudson River School painters did their renditions of Round Top Mountain’s peak looking down upon the lake. It was my intention to finish a painting I’d started there on Friday. However, the light was totally different, and I saw a beautiful sunset emerging. I decided to do this new painting instead, and chased the sunset to the very end.

8x10 and smaller, Available, Catskill Mountains, Greene County, Hudson River School, Landscape, Palenville and Catskill, Plein Air--painted on location, Sunrise/Sunset | No Comments »

Catskill Mountain House Vista: Hudson River Quadricentennial Series No. 28
8×10″, Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
$250.00 via PayPal, $15 shipping within the US. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for international rates.

When I arrived at the site of the Catskill Mountain House atop South Mountain early in the morning, I was above a heavy cloud cover. It felt like I was in outer space looking down at the earth! As I painted, more and more of the clouds gave way to the rolling fields below, and the Hudson River appeared out of the hazy covering.

It is from this exact spot that Frederic Church did his famous painting, Above the Clouds. This was a popular painting location for many of the Hudson River School painters.

8x10 and smaller, Available, Catskill Mountains, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Quadricentennial Series, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Palenville and Catskill, Plein Air--painted on location | No Comments »

Layers of Blue Mountains: Hudson River Quadricentennial Series No. 27
6×8″, Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
Email me at JamieWG@aol.com if interested in this painting.

After visiting the Thomas Cole Historic Site, we crossed the Hudson River to tour the home of another famous Hudson River School painter: Frederic Church. A fabulous guide led us through his Moorish-style home, where we admired the eclectic collections and intricate wall stenciling. A second tour there brought us to a show of his works done on site at Olana, which just opened recently on the second floor of the estate.

Following that dose of inspiration, Gretchen Kelly and I wandered down a trail near the parking lot and came upon this beautiful view of the Hudson River and Catskills. We set up to paint in the strong, warm, late day light, but it wasn’t long before these beautiful, billowy clouds turned into thunderheads. I don’t think I’ve ever packed up my gear so quickly in my life!

8x10 and smaller, Available, Catskill Mountains, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Quadricentennial Series, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Plein Air--painted on location | 1 Comment »

3×5″, ink and watercolor on cp watercolor paper
Email me at JamieWG@aol.com if interested in this painting.

I am finally back from my painting trip! I’ll be posting those paintings during the week as they are photographed and finished. Some were completed on location, while others need some studio work to finish them up. I wanted to post them as I went about my trip, but time and imaging software didn’t allow! Much as I wanted to take photos of the paintings and scenes like I did at Boscobel, I completely forgot the rest of the time! I’d get back to the house and realize I never took out my camera while I was painting. It seems I get that one track mind once I have brushes in my hand.

I took a trip to Cedar Grove, the Thomas Cole Historical Site, with a group of 11 painters last week. I’d done the house tour before, and commented here that I saw the River Views show there a few weeks ago. But the show was so wonderful that I was happy to be able to see it again with so many of my plein air friends. Visiting the home of the father of the Hudson River School is a pilgrimage that I like to do from time to time.

The day started out overcast and drizzly, so most of us just sketched rather than setting out all our equipment and not being able to pack up fast in a downpour! A few of us sketched the Thomas Cole house together from the same angle, sitting side by side. Here’s my version.

I’m using an upgrade of my image editing software, which sizes images differently than the previous version. I hope this image comes out large enough to see!

8x10 and smaller, Available, Greene County, Hudson River School, Palenville and Catskill, Plein Air--painted on location, Sketches, Watercolor | No Comments »

Late Day Light on the Hudson: Hudson River Quadricentennial Series No. 25
10×8″, Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
Email me at JamieWG@aol.com if interested in this painting.

‘Gotta love the color and light along the Hudson River in the late afternoon. The grass and rocks glow, and there is always soft color above the horizon. There were lots of boats and ships going by too. I took photos of them and I’ll add one to the painting, then will repost it. If anybody chooses to purchase the painting before then, you get to pick the boat that goes into the painting!

I see in posting it here that the color is a little hot-looking. The coloring in the actual painting is softer and more subtle. I will correct it once I paint in the boat (probably next week or the following week) and reshoot the image.

8x10 and smaller, Available, Boats and Ships, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Quadricentennial Series, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Plein Air--painted on location, Sunrise/Sunset, Tarrytown and Hastings Area | No Comments »

16×12″, Golden OPEN Acrylics on canvas covered hardboard
Email me at JamieWG@aol.com if interested in this painting.

Visiting the Hudson River School show at the Thomas Cole Historical Site last Friday made me think about many of my own paintings of the Hudson River, and how our contemporary, plein air pieces fit into the grand scheme of things. The Hudson River School paintings are filled with details, and tell a story about man’s journey—past, present and future. In the years before paint tubes, it wasn’t so easy to transport paints and equipment out into the field. As I looked over those paintings, I recognized many bits and pieces of the locations. The artists would go out into the field and sketch these bits and pieces, then come back into the studio and combine them into a grand work with a foreground, middle ground, and horizon, incorporating figures and animals representing man’s mark on the landscape and his journey.

I look at the Hudson River as a theme that flows through my work. I think those of us who paint plein air have been heavily influenced by many factors through the generations. While there are ateliers and painting schools that teach the techniques of the Hudson River School painters of past generations, there are also those who have been heavily influenced by the Impressionists, and the immediacy necessary to capture a scene on location under the conditions of changing light. It will be very interesting for those in future generations to trace back through these Hudson River styles as a more direct painting approach evolved.

As for me, I plan to go out and continue to paint my favorite river. I suppose I will leave it to the art historians to determine how we fit into the spectrum of art history!

This is a scene painted from a lovely waterfront park along the Hudson River in Nyack, New York. It faces the Tappan Zee Bridge, which was just barely emerging from the fog as I set up to paint.

9x12 to 12x24, Available, Boats and Ships, Golden OPEN Acrylic Paintings, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Nyack Area, Plein Air--painted on location | 1 Comment »

5×7″, Oils on Ampersand Gessoboard
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

I’m doing a lot of small studies for larger paintings lately. This is a scene painted from a photo I took up at Garrison Castle, overlooking the Hudson River. It’s not surprising that Frederic Church of the Hudson River School painters selected this site for the Osborn family to build their castle in the sky!

This is a view straight up the Hudson River, where the currents are the most treacherous, and the river channel narrows and wraps around West Point Military Academy. Those are the buildings of West Point silhouetted in the painting in the foreground peninsula.

The scene is so complex, and takes in many of the most famous spots in the Hudson Highlands. You can see the point of Breakneck Ridge on the right, and Bannerman Island even further upriver. The mountain farthest back on the left is Storm King, and the Catskills are straight ahead off in the distance. The Hudson illuminates at sunset from this high vantage point.

I think this sunset view through the Hudson Highlands from above is deserving of a really, really big painting sometime in the not too distant future!

This painting is Number 21 from my Hudson River Quadricentennial Series, celebrating the 400 year anniversary of Henry Hudson’s travels up the river.

8x10 and smaller, Bannerman Island, Cold Spring and Garrison, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Quadricentennial Series, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Sold, Sunrise/Sunset | No Comments »