This is a color study that I began as a plein air painting in Bush Park, just outside Houston, Texas. I spent another 45 minutes in the studio, finishing it from memory with some reference photos.
Basically, I wanted to convey the beautiful colors in the grass at this time of year. Some fresh [...]

I’m working on several canvases today, and also taking time to analyze what’s worked best in the past. At left: This is a photo of a plein air oil painting showing a pond in Nashua, New Hampshire, on a sunny autumn afternoon.
It wasn’t planned, but I balanced light and dark, and I also united [...]

This morning, the weather report promised rain within an hour. The clouds looked ho-hum from my patio and the fog was burning off, but I took a chance and threw my painting supplies into the car. Within 20 minutes — when I arrived at Bush Park — I was glad that I did.
The [...]

I painted this 8″ x 10″ oil sketch at about 8:30 a.m. in Bush Park, just outside Houston, Texas. Heavy, dark clouds were being swept away by the wind, revealing brilliant white sunlight. When the sun shone through the clouds, the grassy areas in the field were almost neon bright. Vivid lime [...]

This morning, I painted two plein air oil sketches at sunrise. The sky changed dramatically as the sun came up, and I wanted to capture both moods.
The first painting was started in the dark, as the clouds appeared thick and just a little sky peered through. The horizon had a peachy color just [...]

It’s been about ten years since I painted daily, plein air sunrise sketches. Of course, these are often seasonal subjects, since sunrises tend to be more colorful in the winter.
Nevertheless, I’m pleased with this oil sketch. I’m not sure that it’s finished yet, but I like it anyway. It captures the [...]