Yale Skates to National Title

Pick Up Game, 24x48 (click on image to zoom)

OK, I actually don't really follow hockey.  But I thought that posting this recently-completed painting was timely after Yale's victory over Quinnipiac this week to win its first national title.  In painting this, I used some photos I took this winter at Eastbury Pond here in Glastonbury.  One of the guys happened to be wearing a Yale sweatshirt.

Roaring Brook

Roaring Brook - Upstream, (14x18) (click on image to zoom)

Roaring Brook - Downstream, (14x18) (click on image to zoom)

These were done just down the street from my house sometime in January.  The road which crosses Roaring Brook floods out several times a year.  I used to drive through the rushing water, not realizing just how strong the current can be -- or weather the road below was still in tact.  Now I take the slightly longer route rather than risk having to process a really stupid insurance claim.

It's a truly beautiful place.  If only I could incorporate into my paintings a soundtrack of the tranquility of the water chattering through the peaceful woods.

A Warm Day in January

Tracks, 13x24  (click on image to zoom)

Just before the recent arctic blast arrived, I grabbed some warm January sunshine at Horton's Farm.  Sometimes I can really get into all this global warming.

With the sun low in the sky, a line of trees off to the right painted their self-portraits on the land as long lavender shadows.  If all my subject matter painted itself, I guess I'd be out of a job.  Actually, that's how Peter Zalinger, one of the professors at The Lyme Academy, used to describe working from direct observation.  In life drawing class, he used to say that if you got enough reference points in the right places, it would "draw itself."  While I never achieved that level of perfection, I still hear those words in my mind when struggling with drawing issues.