ANOTHER TWILIGHT

oil pastel on texture paper...same time, same scene, but totally different coloring than yesterday evening twilight....mother nature is never boring....A SKETCH A DAY is taking a break to the shoreline of CT, then off to Nantucket...plenty of sketches to come

SUMMER TWILIGHT

spend a lovely hour at friend's garden watching the sun goes down behind the orchard...got home in time for the twilight hour with the perfect Maxfield Parrish blue...I see this transparent blue skyline alot, but not so easy to duplicate with paints....I'll bet the sky will be wallpaper with stars tonight

WEST VILLAGE, NYC

if one cant be in Paris, roaming around greenwich village in NYC is the next best thing....all those quaint boutiques, tree line brownstones, window boxes, outdoor cafe & bistro....it's always nice to visit a real neighborhood bookstore, not so easy to find these days

TWILIGHT

spend all day rearranging rooms & stuff, & more stuff.....a totally non creative day....cant stand being stuck indoor on such a fine day.....have to do a quick sketch before my back gives out

PINK FOG

more pond sketches...oil pastel on watercolor....last summer days of the season, the water feels chilly

A GIFT

sketching from my neighbor's deck...this oil sketch is for their 26th anniversary...I so easily loss focus after an hour on any one thing or project....26 years is way beyond my imagination...WOW

GOOD MORNING

yikes...33 degree this morning at 6am.....well, at least the sun is nice & cheerful...I'm getting a Fen Shui Master to do a reading on my house today...that should be quite entertaining

FOCUS

whether it's pulling weeds in my garden or sketching on the subway, focusing on the task at hand clears the mind of restless clutter...as long as my hands are busy, I'm fine...even in the middle of a long hot subway ride

AUGUST MORNING

another glorious morning....an early morning swim, then a quick sketch with oil pastel...starting my pond series-yes, more projects...way too many unfinish projects

LANDSCAPE 101

only have time for a quick sketch this morning....a few basic principles of a landscape painting, just outside my window...unity within variety, melodic sequences of forms, the eye travels from round masses of foliage to the sharp silhouette of the trunk, the twist &  turn of the path guides the eye toward the horizon....I wonder if all this make sense?

LA PECHE

luscious ripe peach....from quick sketch to a new design....sometimes a new design takes me months to finish, but this design came easy....it helps to have the reference right in front of me.....OK, I now get to eat the reference

CORN FIELDS

I have the best corn ever...it's from the farm that's about 5 easy bikable miles from the house....I biked pass endless miles of cornfields....from a certain angle, the cornfields reminds me of California's vineyards

TINY PASTEL

3x5 sketch, does not get smaller or quicker than this....after some sun & lots of clouds, the evening sky yesterday turned into these lovely muted colors...I added the creek for a better composition...another example of painting from memory, practice, practice, practice

PEACH SEASON

not good...too cool to be the middle of August.....to get out of my funk, I went off to the orchard to pick peaches...came back with lots of peaches & A SKETCH A DAY

OIL SKETCH

after a crazy thunderstorm yesterday evening, the quiet sky turned into lovely shades of blues & purples...got started on Stephenie Meyer's new book, The Host.... I love her Twilight series, this new book kept me up reading into the wee hours of the night.....A SKETCH A DAY might have to wait

ANDES,NY

been stuck in the computer void since 5am, need to detox....ride off to Andes for breakfast, it turns out that 8/9 is community day in Andes....got pancake breakfast at the firehouse, caught the whole parade on Main st.....drift in & out of cute shops & galleries.....it's always interesting to see how one or two gallery can transform a sleepy town....now Andes has plenty to offer for a summer get away

LUMINOUS

the luminous quality of alizarin yellow is just right for sunrise & sunset...some of the earth colors & transparent glazes of Williamsburg Paints are lovely to work with...nothing like working with the finest material to help the creative process...wether it's cooking, gardening, or painting....the right choice of material makes the job easier

NEW COLORS

took a ride out to WILLIAMSBURG PAINTS yesterday & picked up some oil....playing with new material & color can always get me out of a funk.....Williamsburg paints are hand made in East Meredith,in the middle of nowhere..... run by professional painters from a small operation...their oil is feature in most art store...I even saw their paints in Sennelier, in Paris!....after working with watercolor for 20 years, they're the reason I got back into painting with oil painting

BROOKWOOD GARDEN

summer is so short up here, I try to make the most of it....packed a breakfast, at the crack of dawn yesterday, & ride over to Brookwood Garden at Cooperstown TO CATCH THE LIGHT....Brookwood Garden is one of my favorite secret garden....the lapping sound & the breeze from Lake Otsego makes for a very spiritual sketching session...very essential to my creative life style....does not get better than this....IT'S ALL FREE

MEMORY

practice,practice,practice....perfect example of drawing from memory...early bike ride yesterday, as the rising sun hits this little cottage by the creek

PANNA COTTA

half the day with the plumber, not exactly a creative day....but after a day without water, it's fantastic to have running water....just in time to make dessert for a dinner party...yikes, a 4 hour dinner party, how does one get any work done around here....PANNA COTTA..... simple summer treat...2 tsp unflavored gelatin, 2 tbsp water, 1 cup of heavycream/half&half, 1/4 cup honey/maplesyrup.....sprinkle gelatin with water in small saucepan to soften, stir in cream & heat gently, still gelatin till it's dissolve, whisk in yogurt & syrup....pour into small pretty bowl & chill...top with seasonal fruits or preserve...ENJOY

SUMMER FOG

bonjour aout....the morning summer fog dissolves all solid forms & shapes.....been on the road most of this week...yes, to be back home & have breakfast in my garden is the best part of the day....something cozy to eat in one's PJ