About 4×5″, Watercolor on Arches 140# Rough
Email me at JamieWG@aol.com if interested in this painting.

This is a miniature watercolor, painted on location at Olana (estate of Hudson River School artist Frederic Church).

8x10 and smaller, Available, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Jamie's Jewels miniature gems, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Plein Air--painted on location, Sunrise/Sunset, Watercolor | No Comments »

5×6″, Watercolor on Arches 140# Rough paper
$100.00 plus free shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

I painted this on location at Hudson River School painter Frederic Church’s estate, Olana, in Hudson, New York. It is one of the best sunset spots, and many visitors come late in the day just to see the sun setting over the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains. On the evenings when the sky doesn’t light up with bright colors, the beauty of the late day light effects still makes it worth the trip up the hillside.

8x10 and smaller, Available, Catskill Mountains, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Plein Air--painted on location, Sunrise/Sunset, Watercolor | No Comments »

5×7″, Watercolor on 140# Arches Rough
$100.00 plus $10 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

Dramatic skies ruled the day! This lovely pond lies across from the red barns at Olana and has beautiful views from all around.

8x10 and smaller, Available, Columbia County, Farm Scenes, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Plein Air--painted on location, Watercolor | No Comments »

1.75×4″, watercolor on Arches Rough 140lb. paper, mounted on 5×7″ archival matboard to pop into a standard frame
$100.00 plus $10 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

This is a miniature watercolor of the scene I posted yesterday. Everybody has room for one of these little gems. They look charming either framed and hung, or displayed on tabletop easels. This was also painted on location at Frederic Church’s Olana estate, a home of the Hudson River School movement.

8x10 and smaller, Available, Columbia County, Fall, Farm Scenes, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Jamie's Jewels miniature gems, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Plein Air--painted on location, Watercolor | No Comments »

Click image for a larger, clearer view:

4×10″, watercolor on Arches Rough 140 lb. paper
$100.00 plus $10 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

I love this vantage point down by the barns at Olana, with the eastern view. I’ve done three oil paintings from here, but always wanted to do a longer format. So, here it is in watercolor! I did a miniature version too, which I’ll post tomorrow or Friday. My husband was taking a photography workshop here, so I got to hang out and paint!

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

Watercolor, 1/8 sheet (7.5×11.25″) on Arches Rough
$175.00 plus $10 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

After doing the three miniatures shown over the past few days, I did a larger version, borrowing from what I liked in the others, as well as responding to changing lighting at the scene. I really wanted to convey the glistening hillside in the afternoon sunlight.

Here’s an image you can click on for a larger, clearer view:

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

About 3.5×5″, watercolor on Arches paper, double matted to 5×7″ to fit in any standard 5×7″ frame.
$100.00 plus free shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

This is the third in a series of four small watercolor paintings of Mount Merino, painted on location at Olana (home of Hudson River School artist Frederic Church). It is double matted to pop right into a standard 5×7″ frame.

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

About 3.5×5″, watercolor on Arches paper, double matted to 5×7″ to fit in any standard 5×7″ frame.
$100.00 plus free shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

This is the second in a series of four small watercolor paintings of Mount Merino, painted on location at Olana (home of Hudson River School artist Frederic Church). It is double matted to pop right into a standard 5×7″ frame.

8x10 and smaller, Available, Columbia County, Fall, Farm Scenes, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Jamie's Jewels miniature gems, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Plein Air--painted on location, Watercolor | No Comments »

About 3.5×5″, watercolor on Arches paper, double matted to 5×7″ to fit in any standard 5×7″ frame.
$100.00 plus free shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

I did a series of small watercolor paintings from Olana over the past week. The home of Hudson River School painter Frederic Church is a place near and dear to my heart. I’ve been wanting to paint this hillside view toward Mount Merino for a long time! It was done from one of the carriage roads on the property. I was drawn to the way the near hillside is illuminated in the sunlight, framed by Mount Merino behind it.

This painting has been double matted so that you can pop it into any standard 5×7″ frame.

8x10 and smaller, Available, Fall, Farm Scenes, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Jamie's Jewels miniature gems, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Plein Air--painted on location, Watercolor | No Comments »

5×7″, oils on oil primed linen panel
$130.00 plus $10 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

Usually when I’m at Olana, I’m painting the famous vista of the Hudson River. But this time I walked along a side trail and was captivated by the view of distant farms, and the bands of cool and warm colors in the landscape. Frederic Church was one lucky painter to be able to walk these hills every day!

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

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

Anybody who’s ever driven across the Rip Van Winkle bridge over the Hudson River has been treated to this fabulous Catskill skyline vista. It’s even more dramatic at sunset, with the colors springing up from behind the distant mountains. I’ve been going there recently to take photos. I like the way the islands in the river enhance the composition at this location.

8x10 and smaller, Catskill Mountains, Greene County, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Palenville and Catskill, Sold, Sunrise/Sunset | No Comments »

6×6″, Oils on Ampersand Gessoboard (archival panel)
Email me at JamieWG@aol.com if interested in this painting.

I can’t even count how many sunsets I’ve witnessed at Frederic Church’s homestead, Olana. Sometimes the sun just drops like a stone and the lights go out. Other times, I’m treated to a magnificent festival of light and color. Photos from those occasions become the inspiration for many paintings in various sizes, formats, and mediums. Such was the evening of this particular sunset. The yellow light blazed behind the Catskill Mountains, and there was a red rim of fluting along the edge where land meets sky. On these evenings, one can feel Frederic Church’s passion for the view that he was fortunate enough to call “home”.

8x10 and smaller, Available, Catskill Mountains, Fall, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Sunrise/Sunset | 4 Comments »

24×18″, Oils on Ampersand Gessoboard

16x20 and larger, Fall, Hudson River School, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Personal Collection | 4 Comments »

Click image for a larger, clearer photo of the painting:

8×16″, Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
$395.00 plus $20 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

It’s that time of year when hard frost can hit at any time up here, and that’s the end of the road for the beautiful sunflowers. When my husband told me that he saw a beautiful field of them up on Route 82 in Hudson, I just had to go check it out. I painted them this morning while they were still in full bloom. Although I’d love to get one more crack at a sunflower field this fall, it’s likely that this one is the “last call”!

The fields are starting to change color, and there are hints of reds and maroons in some of the trees. The wind was so strong today. My Soltek easel easily stood its ground, but my brushes and other supplies were blowing all over the place. The wind was a reminder that cold weather is on the way. I’m trying to get in as much plein air painting as I can before it gets too cold. The season of peak color seems to fly by so quickly, as if I wake up one morning and all the leaves are gone, and it’s freezing outside.

8x12 to 12x24, Available, Fall, Farm Scenes, Flowers, Gardens and Flowering Trees, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Plein Air--painted on location | 2 Comments »

6×8″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard
$165.00 plus $10 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

I drove up to Frederic Church’s Olana estate late one day last week. I love the way the late day sun lights up the front of the mansion. I found a comfortable spot to set up in the shade, with the path leading up the hill and one of the beautiful trees there breaking up the surface of the building and adding a nice foreground element.

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

11×15″, Watercolor on Fabriano paper
$395.00 plus $20 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

It was so windy along the Hudson River that my easel kept blowing over! I liked these benches under the big tree, awaiting visitors. The Athens Lighthouse is visible from this vantage point, but I decided not to put it into the painting. Initially I’d thought to include it, but in the end I thought it would be a distraction.

8x12 to 12x24, Available, Greene County, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Watercolor, spring | 1 Comment »

6×8″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard
Custom framed
$290.00 plus $20 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

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 »

1.5×2″, Golden Acrylics on 4-ply Rag Bristol, framed
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

These miniature gems are too much fun to be legal! This is a miniature version of an 8×10″ painting that I did en plein air in the spring. You can see that painting by clicking here. I enjoy doing different size versions of the same scene. It gives me a chance to play with the composition and colors and try to turn out something even better each time. In this case, I shortened the peninsula so that the eye has a path around it to travel to the lighthouse.

My miniature paintings come with a gift box and buyer’s choice of either a little table easel, or a golden thread affixed to the back and a tack for hanging salon style.

Here’s a slightly larger, cropped photo so that you can see the painting better. I wish this camera had a better lens so you could really see all the teeny tiny brushstrokes in there!

So much goes into doing one of these miniatures. They take me longer than paintings many times the size. The first step in the process is to cut the support for the painting. In this case, I used four-ply Strathmore rag bristol. It’s a very expensive support, but at this size I could probably get 100 paintings from a sheet! I size that with Golden Matte Medium, because I love the way acrylic paint takes to that sized surface.

Using a template previously cut to size for that frame, I place it on the new support and draw the rectangle around it. When I finish the painting, I’ll cut to the lines and will have a painting that will fit perfectly into the tiny frame.

I put a tiny dot of blue-tack on the back of each corner, and affix my support to a piece of black foamcore that has also been sized with matte medium. The black helps reduce glare as I work, and makes it easier to support the tiny painting.

I set up my painting reference next to my easel, and put a photo reference of the scene up on the computer. I can zoom in and out of the photo reference to help me with the details, while using the color from my plein air piece.

I sketched in my composition with just a few pencil lines, the coated the whole surface with Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide. That served the dual purpose of sealing the drawing and killing the white of the support.

This is as far as I was able to get without magnification! I have a goose neck lamp with a flourescent bulb and a built-in magnifying glass. I brought that over and worked a couple more hours to finish off the painting. The painting was then cut with an Xacto knife to fit in the frame.

For the sake of the photo of the finished painting, I put it into the frame temporarily. It will actually have to come out to be sealed and then varnished in a week or so. Once that is dry, it will be glued into the frame, and a backing put on that will cover the painting and frame from behind, so it will look like it came straight out of a high end frame shop!

Hopefully you now have an idea of what goes into turning out one of these little gems. They make great gift items.

8x10 and smaller, Catskill Mountains, Hudson River Paintings, Jamie's Jewels miniature gems, Landscape, Lighthouses, Olana and Hudson NY, Sold | No Comments »

Click image for a larger, clearer view:

8×10″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

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

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

8×10″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard
$250.00 plus $15 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

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 plus $10 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

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 »

6×8″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar 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, Fall, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Quadricentennial Series, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Plein Air--painted on location, Sold | 1 Comment »

12×16″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.
There is nothing for a Hudson River painter quite like standing in the yard at Frederic Church’s estate and looking up at his home, paintbrush in hand. Spending an occasional day at Olana makes me appreciate the history and drama of painting in the Hudson Valley.

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?

8x12 to 12x24, Hudson River School, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Plein Air--painted on location, Sold | No Comments »

Breaking Blues at Olana: Hudson River Quadricentennial Series No. 29
6×8″, Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
$150.00 plus $10 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

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 »

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 »

8×10″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard panel
$250.00 plus $15 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

This charming lighthouse sits on a cement platform in the middle of the Hudson River between the towns of Athens and Hudson. I had the pleasure of viewing it from both sides recently. On this occasion, I chose to paint it from the Hudson side, but I’d like to go back and paint it from the Athens side soon too.

In case any of you think you saw this a few days ago, it’s not your mind playing tricks on you! I saw a bunch of things I decided to change. I added more darks into the foreground water, glazed the rocks there with some cooler color, popped in some extra darks in the tree, added greens and blues into the background, and popped the lighthouse a bit more. It was only about 20 minutes of touch-ups, but I feel it made a significant enough difference in the image to repost, and delete the old image.

8x10 and smaller, Available, Catskill Mountains, Golden OPEN Acrylic Paintings, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Quadricentennial Series, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Lighthouses, Olana and Hudson NY, Plein Air--painted on location | No Comments »

18×24″, oils on stretched canvas
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

I used a smaller, plein air version of this scene as a field study to paint this larger work inside the studio. This painting is still wet, and since it’s too large to fit in my light filtering box, there’s some glare on the image. I’ll try to get a better photo of the painting before it goes off to its new home!

16x20 and larger, Fall, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River School, Landscape, Olana and Hudson NY, Sold | 2 Comments »

8×10″, Oils on Raymar linen panel
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

Palette: Cadmium Yellow Lemon, Permanent Rose, Ivory Black, Titanium White
Painted on location at Olana in Hudson, New York.

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

6×8″, oils on sealed, primed hardboard
$150.00 plus $10 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

This painting was done en plein air at Olana during the workshop. The palette is just Cadmium Yellow Lemon, Permanent Rose, black and white. It was an interesting exploration of warm and cool color without a blue on the palette.

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