I’ve been doing a bunch of small watercolors lately. Here’s an assortment of birds from this week. The larger ones are 5.5 x 7.5″, and each is $100. The miniatures are 3.5 x 4″, $75 each. There is a 20% discount for two or more. Mats and framing are not included in this special offer. Shipping is free within the continental US. If you’d like one of these sweet little chirpers, just send me an email (JamieWG at aol.com) saying which you’d like. The Nuthatch is no longer available.

This offer remains in effect until they are each photographed, matted, and posted with individual Paypal buttons at my regular prices.

Below is an image you can click on for a clearer, larger view of the group:

8x10 and smaller, Animals, Available, Birds, Gouache, Pets Wildlife Animals, Sales and Specials, Sketches, Watercolor | No Comments »

16×12″, drawing media on Rives BFK paper (archival rag paper), custom matted and framed (included in price)

Special Price — matted and framed

$280.00 plus $25 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

This is one of the many stunning, old trees at Olana, home of Hudson River School painter Frederic Church. This tree is right near the site of Church’s old studio. I went on a drawing/painting spree with trees this year, and especially enjoyed working in these warm sepia colors on toned paper.

This drawing is one of a series of three trees, all done in the same sepia tones. The other two will be posted over the next two days. They can be purchased individually, or subtract 20% if you’d like to have all three to hang as a triptych. They are framed with identical ivory mats and gorgeous custom gold frames, and make a beautiful grouping in a classic style.

8x12 to 12x24, Available, Columbia County, Current Special, Drawings, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Monochromatic Paintings, Olana and Hudson NY, Plein Air--painted on location, Sketches, Trees, Uncategorized | No Comments »

16×12″, drawing media on Rives BFK (archival rag paper), custom matted and framed (included in price)

Special Price — matted and framed

$280.00 plus $25 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

This weathered pine leans over North South Lake, nestled in the Catskill Mountains. I loved its character, and the opportunity to draw in the company of friends on a beautiful day by the lake.

This drawing is one of a series of three trees, all done in the same sepia tones. One was posted yesterday, and the final one will be posted tomorrow. They can be purchased individually, or subtract 20% if you’d like to have all three to hang as a triptych. They are framed with identical ivory mats and gorgeous custom gold frames, and make a beautiful grouping in a classic style.

8x12 to 12x24, Available, Catskill Mountains, Current Special, Drawings, Greene County, Hudson River School, Lakes and Streams, Landscape, Monochromatic Paintings, Plein Air--painted on location, Sketches, Trees | No Comments »

16×12″, Drawing media on Rives BFK (archival rag paper), custom matted and framed (included in price)

Special Price — matted and framed

$280.00 plus $25 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

A few days ago, I posted a painting of a tree from Olana, titled Cedar Overlooking the Hudson. This is a drawing I did of the same tree. As I said previously, I can’t seem to get enough of this one!

This drawing is one of a series of three trees, all done in the same sepia tones. The other two will be posted over the next two days. They can be purchased individually, or subtract 20% if you’d like to have all three to hang as a triptych. They are framed with identical ivory mats and gorgeous custom gold frames, and make a beautiful grouping in a classic style.

8x12 to 12x24, Available, Current Special, Drawings, Greene County, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Monochromatic Paintings, Olana and Hudson NY, Plein Air--painted on location, Sketches, Trees | No Comments »

7×5″, oil on board

$135.00 plus $15 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

Bash Bish Falls is one of those spots that’s been on my Must See list for several years. Nestled just over the state border in Massachusetts, the waterfall is in a park that straddles the state line. My husband and I went hiking there, entering from the New York side, and hiking up along the cascading stream, with its gorgeous green pools. When we arrived at the main attraction here, I found a perfect rock to sit on and do an oil sketch of the scene, while my husband tested his photography skills with different angles of the falls. It’s a great waterfall to visit, and the pool at the base is a beautiful teal color that shows in the painting, but refused to present itself in the photo of the painting! It’s a challenging scene to paint because the waterfall is only visible at the very bottom of this high, steep hillside. You can show some of the mountaintop and sky for depth, but that makes the waterfall appear tiny! Or you can paint just the visible part of the waterfall, which makes the scene lack depth. I tried to compromise by intentionally shrinking the height of the mountain in order to show a bit of the sky on top!

8x10 and smaller, Available, Columbia County, Hudson River Valley, Lakes and Streams, Landscape, Oil paintings, Plein Air--painted on location, Sketches, Waterfalls | No Comments »

12×9″, pastel on Wallis paper
$190.00 plus $15 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

People pass by this beautiful waterfall around the horseshoe bend on Route 23a, heading through Kaaterskill Clove into the mountains. There is a big sign next to it that says, “Kaaterskill Falls”. But this is not Kaaterskill Falls; rather, the trail that leads up the mountainside to the base of Kaaterskill Falls begins at this point! This significant, but smaller charmer, is Bastion Falls. I’ve walked past it many, many times on my way up the trail to paint the famous Kaaterskill Falls. For once I decided to stay at the trail head and sketch Bastion Falls.

I had my little dog BB with me, and I’d spent the entire morning working on a larger painting from a second tier of this waterfall. I went home for a late lunch, returning with my dog, lightweight pastel setup, and a gardening cushion to put on a rock to sit on. I have to say, I really loved working on this one. It’s still in a sketchy stage and I was considering finishing it; but some things are best left with the spontaneous freshness and expressive strokes that further refinement can so often obliterate. I’ve decided to call it “done” just the way it is. It has the energy, movement, and high contrast that I wanted to capture. And I want to go back and do another!

8x12 to 12x24, Available, Catskill Mountains, Drawings, Greene County, Hudson River School, Lakes and Streams, Pastels, Plein Air--painted on location, Sketches, Waterfalls | No Comments »

15×20″, acrylic on illustration board
$350.00 plus $25 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

This is another in my series of large acrylic sketches on illustration board. They are really fun to paint, and I’ve found that calling them “sketches” sets me free to experiment with brushwork, drips, colors, compositions, and other boundaries that I might be hesitant to explore if I call them “paintings” from the outset. I go into it thinking “sketch”, and whatever emerges is what it is!

Below is an image that you can click on for a larger, clearer view of the painting:

16x20 and larger, Acrylic paintings, Available, Boats and Ships, Brewster and North Salem, Fall, Hudson River Valley, Lakes and Streams, Landscape, Peach Lake and Brook, Sketches | No Comments »

16×20″ custom framed with an archival ivory mat and classic gold frame (included in price). Oils on sealed rag paper. Painting image size is 1/4 sheet (11×15″) in a 16×20 mat. It looks especially elegant with the mat and frame!

$675.00 plus $40 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

This painting was done on location overlooking Hudson River School artist Frederic Church’s estate, Olana. It is the famous Hudson River classic view from the property. This started out as a monochromatic oil sketch on location, but as the it progressed, I was unable to avoid the temptation to start putting in color!

Below is an image you can click on for a slightly larger view of the painting:

16x20 and larger, Available, Columbia County, Farm Scenes, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River School, Landscape, Oil paintings, Olana and Hudson NY, Plein Air--painted on location, Sketches | No Comments »

12×15.5″, Interference Acrylics on sealed Mi Tientes paper
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

Every once in awhile, an experiment takes place that makes me so happy I want to sing and dance. That’s what happened here. In preparation for a life drawing session, I decided to experiment last night with some of the Golden Interference Acrylics. I’ve been using them quite a bit for my surface preparation on dark supports, but I hadn’t actually tried painting with them. I am so happy with the way this turned out. The figures almost seem to move as the light dances across the shimmery, metallic paint.

I was initially sorry I didn’t have any sketchbook pages prepared with the Golden Black Gesso. However, given the way this turned out, that was actually a good thing. I had a 12×16″ spiral pad of black Mi Tientes paper. I’d even previously sized a page of it with Matte Medium, which I cut out of the pad (hence the reason why this montage is 12×15.5″ instead of 12×16″) It was ideal for this purpose.

I worked from some photo references. That sure did make it easier in terms of selecting poses that would work in the piece. Since I always do these in open studio with a model, I am used to taking whatever pose the model gives the group, and trying to make that work within the composition. I can certainly see the benefit to doing some of these from photos for that reason, though I do prefer doing them from life.

What I was trying to find out was whether or not I’d like painting with the interference paints on a dark ground. I have to say, I like it lots! I will definitely be doing some of these on my 16×20 boards too, now that I see the results on paper.

Below is an image that you can click on to see a larger view of the painting. I might try to make a video of it later, so that you can see how it shimmers in the changing light.

8x12 to 12x24, Acrylic paintings, Figures, Portraits and Figures, Sketches, Sold | No Comments »

16×20″, Acrylic on archival drawing board
$295.00 plus $25 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

This figure montage was done in open studio life drawing from poses that ranged from 30 seconds to 20 minutes. I prepared a 16×20″ black and iridescent support in advance, then layered the poses on top of that background. I did blue and purple figures on the shortest poses that began the session, since those colors tend to recede. I layered warmer colors over cooler colors, and let the poses overlap and interweave. Great fun!

This painting was done as an acrylic on board so that it can be framed without glass like an oil painting. The archival board was sealed on both sides before painting. It will be signed and then receive two isolation coats, followed by a coat of beautiful gloss varnish. It will fit any standard 16×20″ frame.

Below is an image that you can click on to get a larger, clearer view:

16x20 and larger, Acrylic paintings, Available, Figures, Golden OPEN Acrylic Paintings, Portraits and Figures, Sketches | No Comments »

12×9″, Watercolor on Mi Tientes paper
$100.00 plus $5 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

This is a watercolor painting from open studio life drawing last week. We had a fabulous new model. Most of the session I painted in my sketchbook, but I pulled out some nice paper for this pose.

You can also see a montage of the very quick gesture poses in my sketchbook at this link. I really like the way this experiment came out, so I’ve prepared some black supports to upgrade my materials and do more this week. Stay tuned!

8x12 to 12x24, Available, Figures, Portraits and Figures, Sketches, Watercolor | No Comments »

Click image for a larger, sharper view:

This sketch is already matted to 12×16″, with an archival custom ivory mat and backing board in an archival polybag. It will fit any standard 12×16″ frame. The drawing was done on an eighth sheet (about 7.5×11.25), colored leads on Stonehenge paper.
$290.00 plus $20 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

My regular viewers here have seen this waterfall painted from many different angles and seasons, in many mediums, and various sizes and formats. Now you can see the tonal sketch version! I am really enjoying working this way, with a light and a dark on toned paper. I sat on a gardening cushion on a rock at the water line to do this sketch, with my little dog Rondo wading in the pools of the waterfalls.

8x10 and smaller, 8x12 to 12x24, Available, Catskill Mountains, Drawings, Fall, Greene County, Hudson River Valley, Lakes and Streams, Landscape, Palenville and Catskill, Plein Air--painted on location, Sketches, Waterfalls | 1 Comment »

This sketch is available already matted to 12×16″, with an archival custom ivory mat and backing board in an archival polybag. It will fit any standard 12×16″ frame. The drawing was done on an eighth sheet (about 7.5×11.25), using colored leads on Stonehenge paper.

$290.00 plus $20 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

This was a drawing I did from the studio window on a rainy day. I’ve been wanting to sketch or paint this view for a long time and finally got my chance! I was looking at sketches last week by Hudson River School artist BBG Stone, and became captivated by the way he would zero in on his focal point in a certain area of his drawing, leaving the rest in a more unfinished state. I liked the way it created a vignette within the scene, and I’m looking forward to exploring this style in my drawings and sketches.

Usually I use this approach of a dark and a light on midtone paper in the figure studio, but BBG Stone employed it very successfully in many of his landscape sketches, so I had to give it a go too. I loved working this way! More like this will definitely follow in the near future!

Here is an image you can click on to get a larger, sharper view:

8x10 and smaller, Available, Catskill Mountains, Drawings, Greene County, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Palenville and Catskill, Plein Air--painted on location, Sketches | 1 Comment »

I did this little 9×12″ watercolor across a two-page spread in my Fabriano Venezia sketchbook to show you what my new blog looks like! If you’ve enjoyed seeing my sketches, hearing my rambles about the artistic process, and looking on while I varnished paintings, primed panels, mixed paint, and built foamcore pochade boxes, most of those things will be posted only on the new “Sketches” blog from now on. That blog is at http://HudsonValleySketches.blogspot.com. You can click here to head over there now, and subscribe there to continue to receive all my posts online.

Don’t worry; this This Hudson Valley Painter blog isn’t going away! It will still be here, and will contain my completed paintings that are available for sale. The sketches, product reviews, and thoughts on the artistic process will be on the new site.

How to Make Paint, Landscape, Not Currently Available, Personal Collection, Product Reviews, Shows and News, Sketches, Watercolor | No Comments »

Psssst…..Would you like to have a sneak peek at my new blog for my art journals, sketches, ideas, and experiments with materials? It’s over here! I’ll be making an official announcement in a few days. I still need to do a little housekeeping at the new site. Let me know how you like it if you pop over there! Comments and suggestions welcomed!

All of my paintings in progress and completed works for sale will continue to be posted here at the Hudson Valley Painter site.

Sketches, Uncategorized | 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 »

Click painting for a larger, clearer image:

Sketches | 3 Comments »

6×8″, Sepia ink pen and watercolors

My daughter and her friend had a photography class today, so while they were in class I pulled out my sketchbook in a shady spot and did a “Saturday Sketch” at Tilly Foster Farm. I struggle with architecture, so it’s always a great challenge for me when I’m out sketching.

Sketches | No Comments »

Click for clearer, larger image:

I’ve made a pact with myself to start doing sketches every Saturday. I have some Saturday paintouts coming up, so there may be times when I need to do “Saturday Sketches” on a different day instead, but I’m going to try to stick to posting them on Saturdays. I’ve received so many comments from viewers who enjoy seeing my sketches, and the drawing practice is very important.

I almost always sketch from life, but today I checked into the Wetcanvas Weekend Drawing Event and couldn’t resist doing some watercolor sketches from those beautiful reference images! Check it out sometime; there is a different host every week, and the images are usually posted on Fridays, in plenty of time for everybody’s weekend enjoyment.

Sketches | 1 Comment »

Click for a clearer, enlarged image:

Sketches | 1 Comment »

There are many fabulous sites along the Ocean Path in Acadia National Park, but it’s hard to beat the views from the very end, when you arrive at Otter Point. I’ve done lots of paintings from this location, and I’m sure there are many more to come.

Sketches | No Comments »

I had a meeting up at Olana today, home of Hudson River School artist, Frederic Church. Although I didn’t have time to pull out all my gear to paint, I couldn’t resist at least doing a sketch while I was there. I saw a nice bench under a tree next to the mansion, so I pulled out my sketchbook, fountain pen, and watercolors, and took advantage of the shady spot while sketching. (You can click the image to enlarge it.)

Materials:
4.5×6.5″ Derwent journal
Lamy Safari fountain pen with converter
Noodler’s Bulletproof black ink
Winsor Newton Artist watercolors

Hudson River School, Olana and Hudson NY, Plein Air--painted on location, Sketches | 1 Comment »

When I don’t feel well or just don’t have time to do a “real” painting, or sometimes when life seems way too serious, I hop on over to the Wetcanvas Artwork From Life forum to see what’s on the current Scavenger Hunt List. Since I hurt my back, I haven’t been able to get out to paint, so I pulled out my watercolor sketchbook, my new fantastic Lamy Safari fountain pen (with converter cartridge and Noodler’s Black Bulletproof ink loaded), and my little pan set of watercolors. One little sketch was about as long a time as I could remain upright. I managed to get this 7×10″ page done yesterday and the day before in really short spurts, and started another.

This week’s list of items to sketch included:
1: Tape dispenser
2: Scissors
3: Bookend or bookends
4: Lamp post
5: Mailbox
6: Dog collar or animal collar
7: Curly screw-in florescent light bulb (Challenge# 1- a broken one)
8: A lunchbox
9: A beauty aid
10: A place or object associated with a hair salon or barbershop
11: Something that hangs from a tree
12: An outdoor drinking fountain .
13: An object in a storefront window
14: A wheelbarrow (Challenge #2 A wheelbarrow full stuff )
15: A hanging basket
16: Something that requires a key to function and the key
17: A wrench or pliers
18: A bucket, or pail (Challenge #3 a bucket filled with stuff)
19: Clothes on a clothes line.
20: A traffic sign
21: A glove used in a sport or recreational activity
22: Something hanging on a garage wall
23: A bag or box of popcorn
24: A sconce
25: A fire hydrant
26: A garden implement

If any of you artists out there wake up with a strong case of “I Don’t Know What to Paint”, give the Scavenger Hunts a try! It’s a great group of folks who participate, and always fun to share sketches and comments on the forum.

Sketches | No Comments »

5×7″, Gouache on Stonehenge rag paper
$100.00 plus $10 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

Today I struggled in every way at every turn. Finally, near the end of this very long day, I set a Granny Smith apple on a red file folder and broke out my new tubes of Winsor Newton Gouache. It’s so nice to finally have the lush, cadmium colors available. Sometimes when life gets too complex, painting something simple and beautiful creates balance.

This was painted with a very limited palette:
Titanium White
Cadmium Red
Cadmium Lemon
Ultramarine Blue

8x10 and smaller, Available, Sketches, Still Life | 1 Comment »

4×6″, Watercolor sketch on Canson paper

This is another little watercolor sketch from my Poet’s Walk expedition in Rhinebeck, NY yesterday. There is a beautiful pavillion made with tree trunks and branches at the top of the hill. Even more importantly, there is a bench in a cool shady spot along the path nearby from which to paint it!

8x10 and smaller, Sketches | 2 Comments »

7×9″, Watercolor sketch on Canson paper

Since I had my show opening in Rhinebeck this evening, I spent the day up there at Poet’s Walk in Red Hook. I took a million pictures to have as references for paintings, and did this watercolor sketch of the view of the Catskill Mountains across the Hudson River. I packed very light, bringing just my camera, water, a small watercolor pan set, and my Canson watercolor book tucked into my pack stool. It was a beautiful, tranquil site. I can’t wait to go back! I would love to do a larger acrylic or oil painting of this scene.

8x10 and smaller, Sketches | No Comments »

It was dreary and overcast, so I spent a lot of time doing some sketches around the house. These were from the list in the current Wetcanvas Scavenger Hunt. If you’re ever trying to decide what to sketch or paint, and like to share your work, jump in and join the fun!

I did all the sketches in gouache, in my 5.5×5.5″ Hand Book Journal. I’ve also been trying out the new Prismacolor markers, which are permanent and lightfast. They are similar to the Pigma Micron pens. I got a set of the black ones in different thicknesses, and like them a lot.

If you think one minute figure gesture drawings in open studio are hard, try drawing squirrels in your yard! They don’t stay still for an instant. This was a fun challenge.

The Scavenger Hunt had “pail/bucket” on the list, so I painted my favorite little travel water bucket.

Since my sketchbook is square, I load a single page at a time. Here’s how they look in the book as two-page spreads. If you click the images below, they should show about actual size of the book:

This is my first book in a square format. I think I like it a lot, but wish it were just a bit larger. I may go back to a 5.5×8″ size for my next sketchbook.

Sketches | 5 Comments »

9×6″, pencil in a Raffine sketchbook

I try to sketch portraits and figures whenever I can. This one was done from a photo reference while my husband was watching the news last night. It is the novelist Evelyn Waugh. This is just for my own drawing practice and is not for sale. I like this Raffine sketchbook for water media very much, but I feel the texture is a little rough for graphite work.

Portraits and Figures, Sketches | No Comments »

Today I participated in the Worldwide Sketchcrawl #18! I got a late start, but managed to squeeze in several pages in my 5.5″ square sketchbook, in between family activities. Here they are, in the order in which I did them.

This last one was painted from the kitchen window. This brook, with the little island in the middle, is the outlet to the lake. Springtime brings wood ducks, swans and snapping turtles to the scene. Any time of year, it is a favorite crossing for herds of white-tailed deer. Occasionally, I see a mink running across the island, or a beaver swimming upstream. There’s always something interesting happening out there.

Landscape, Sketches, Still Life | No Comments »

7×5″, watercolor and colored pencil on grey Stonehenge (rag) paper
$45.00 plus $10 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

This time, the title says it all!

8x10 and smaller, Available, Sketches, Still Life | No Comments »