A straightforward scene celebrating the return of much-needed winter snow to the western mountains of the US. In the low light of winter, the wind swirls the snow between the pines before another blizzard descends upon the rocky peaks.
Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"
November is a gloomy time of year in the Mid-Atlantic region - daylight savings time ends, making the days feel shorter, and fall color peaks early in the month and quickly fades to browns and greys. Cold weather blows in, erasing the gentle temperatures of autumn, and clouds block out what little sunlight that remains. This painting was inspired by a walk around a local lake with friends this weekend. We see the last sparks of autumn color as the sun swings low behind the trees and clouds on a cold and dreary day.
Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"
Lake Elkhorn is one of the better-known man-made lakes in central Maryland, and it has a nice walking path around it, as well as connected paths that lead off into the woods. This painting is inspired by a later afternoon view from earlier this weekend, where the fall color and low-angle light mixed beneath blue skies for a great fall scene.
Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"
An oddity of autumn is that the fiery colors - the ignition of reds, golds, and oranges in the leaves - is caused not by light and heat, but by the opposite. As the sun swings lower and the weather cools to proper fall temperatures, we look ahead a month to when the autumn leaves will be at their peak here on the east coast of the US. Look up into the towering trees and enjoy blazing colors against a clearing blue sky.
Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"
This work is loosely inspired by Edvard Munch's painting "The Scream," but here it is the Earth in crisis. In the distance, we see one of the countless extreme wildfires that has ravaged the planet in recent years burning its way down to the water. In the foreground stand unshielded streetlights, each blazing away in pointless defiance, illuminating an empty road. The effects of civilization - for better and worse - last far beyond the people who created them. Cherish what we have so that future artists are not just painting memories.
Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"
Many of my paintings from recent years have been of the mountainous American west, the Appalachian range, or even fanciful places; here, I decided to return to a local site of interest - the Chesapeake Bay. Waterways are beautiful in their own right, though often less "egalitarian" - anyone can enjoy a mountain from many miles away, but a body of water is usually limited only to those on its banks who can see it. That said, a sunset or sunrise over the water is truly beautiful.
Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"
Inspired by my trip through the beauty of California in 2018, here we see the last light of day fall across the Sierra Nevada range. Only the mountains and tree tops are illuminated as shadows sweep across the rest of the wild landscape.
Acrylic landscape: 14" x 17"
On a hazy day in late spring, flowers line the forest floor beneath towering, old trees. Wisteria, dandelions, and other blossoms scatter color among the sea of green in this fanciful view of a sprawling woodland on a very sunny day.
Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"
Sunset comes to Appalachia under a mackerel summer sky. In a gap between the clouds, the low sun blazes brightly, illuminating everything in rays of light and colors. Soon, night will fall over this wild realm, but for now, enjoy the sunset.
Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"
A look ahead a month or so into early spring, when the trees are leafing out, the dandelions are blooming, and the redbuds light up the woods with purple-pink flowers. Rain is plentiful, combined with snowmelt in the colder climates, resulting in a mix of soggy earth and sunny skies. It's beautiful to look at, but a mess to hike through if you leave the paved trails!
Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"
This was an odd painting that sort of drifted all over the place until I figured out what I wanted to do with it. Painting canyons is very difficult since they are frighteningly complex structures, and the snow just made it even more challenging. After a lot of muddling around and wondering if the painting was going to turn out, I was able to get some meaningful structure and contrast into the scene. I think the result is acceptable, though somewhat more abstract than most of my paintings.
Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"
