Thursday, December 31, 2015

Long Day

 
2015, Oil on Hardboard, 9"x 6"
#207

Not For Sale

This pretty much sums up my year. Dragging my way through it to the end. I really shoulodn't complain, I'm breathing and painting. I am also absolutely optimistic about 2016!

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Rain on The Chrysler

2015, Oil on Hardboard, 9"x 6"
#206


This is a painting of the Chrysler Building, in NYC, during a torrential rain. What I chose not to include was the broken umbrella flapping around above.

Friday, December 11, 2015

Reflection

2015, Oil on Hardboard, 7"x 5"
#205


This is a painting of the Brooklyn Bridge, as seen from the old Fulton Fish Market. I chose this scene because of the reflection of the bridge in the puddle. The more I looked at the wet areas around the puddle the more interested I became.

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Autumn Shadows

2015, Oil on Hardboard, 7"x 5"
#204


This is a painting of Madison Square Park, NYC in Autumn. I've always loved back lit trees, especially in the Fall. It's like a canopy of stained glass. 

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Spanners

2015, Oil on Hardboard, 3"x 7"
#203


Along the East River, in Manhattan there is a point just below the Williamsburg Bridge where you can see the Manhattan Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty all at once. It is humbling, and it serves to remind us that this city and its history is bigger than any one person.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Under the Exit

2015, Oil on Hardboard, 6"x 9"
#202


This is a painting of one of the exit ramps off the 59th Street Bridge, as Manhattanites like to call it, the Queens Borough Bridge for those living on the other side of the East River. For me it epitomizes the dichotomy that is New York, order and chaos all at once. It represents the patchwork infrastructure that is most noticeable when entering or leaving one of its bridges or tunnels.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Saving The WPA

2015, Oil on Hardboard. 5"x 7"
Scenes From a Train
#201


I've always been fascinated by the WPA creations that dot this country's landscape, especially the bridges. Many of the people who took part in the WPA were artists and their influence can be seen in the design details of every one of these structures. This bridge was probably built in the late 1930's and it shows, but the details on the upper retaining wall structure show just how important aesthetics were back then. Even on a bridge whose audience would consist mainly of a handful of railroad engineers. It says to us, "Everyone is important." The support columns are from a much later renovation, and they tell us, "There's no money in the budget for pretty."

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Trestle Rust

2015, Oil on Hardboard, 5"x 7"
Scenes From a a Train
#200


Today's painting is another from my series, Scenes From a Train. I thought that a snow scene might be kind of refreshing right about now.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

East Village Angles

2015, Oil on Hardboard, 6"x 8"
#199

Sold

This is a view of East 12th Street, in NYC. There are many instances when the sides and tops of buildings are much more interesting than the parts that were intended to be seen.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Twilight Time

2015, 8"x 6", Oil on Hardboard
#198


My favorite view from my favorite hotel. This was something of a waiting game. I took about a dozen photos during each phase of sunset. Right in the middle was, twilight time.

Friday, May 8, 2015

The Dance at St. Mark's

2015, Oil on Hardboard, 5"x 5"
#197


This is a painting of the courtyard at St. Mark's Church in NYC. More specifically, it is a painting of a very old locust tree hat happens to be in the courtyard at St. Mark's Church. I love New York and I love trees, so any time that I can combine the two is a red letter day.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Diagonals and Stripes

2015, Oil on Hardboard, 7"x 5"
#196

Sold

On First Avenue in NYC, just north of First Street, there is a staging area for a variety of safety barriers for a big dig on Houton. It has been going on for a couple of years now and I pass by it on my way to Russ & Daughters, the finest purveyor of smoked fish in the city. I have been looking at this photograph since December, wondering what to do with it. It occurred to me that the question was not what to do with it, but whether I had enough patience to work with it.

Monday, April 27, 2015

East Village Windows

2015, Oil on Hardboard, 7"x 5"
#195

Sold

One of the most interesting things about buildings in New York City has very little to do with the subject building, and more to do with the shadows cast by its neighbors.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

The Grundy Stack

2015, Oil on Hardboard, 7"x 5"
Scenes From a Train
#194


Another Building near the rails. This one was interesting in so many ways. The first was obvious, that stack with the company name made of different colored brick. That takes pride, not to mention money. Then there's the treatment of the odd angle in the front. Instead of embracing it, ala Flatiron Building, it was ignored. Angle? What angle? There is an interesting cove detail in the cornice. There are, or were, huge arched doorways. And lastly, those Mediterranean style roof tiles. I wish I could have been in the meetings when this thing was being planned.

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Room Service

2015, Oil on Hardboard, 7"x 5"
#193


The alternate title for this painting was 'Redrum.' This is a hall way in the Waldorf=Astoria, in New York. It's not as decadent as it might seem, since the rates are comparable to most other hotels. But, I love the history of the place, both real and imagined. They used to have Cole Porter's piano in the lobby.

Sunday, March 15, 2015

East Village Haze

2015, Oil on Hardboard, 7"x 5"
#192

This is a scene that I happened upon during my quest for cannoli and cappuccino. The light show that is New York City at night is particularly evident in the cloud cover. In the '70's and '80's there were only a handful of buildings that were lit and the Empire State Building was the color of the evening. In recent years many other buildings have joined in, each with its own color palette. The result is a more neutral glow, and the color far usually much more subtle.

Friday, March 13, 2015

Sands of New Jersey

2015, Oil on Hardboard, 5"x 5"
Scenes From a Train
#191

This seemed to be a comination of the last two small paintings yhat I've done (water tower, smaoke stack, etc.). It had the added bonus of having heavy earthmoving equipment and mountains of sand.

Monday, March 9, 2015

Newark at Dusk

2015, Oil on Canvas, 10"x 20"
Scenes From a Train


This is one of those scenes that epitomizes just how contrary the landscape can be along the railways.

Friday, March 6, 2015

Stack

2015, Oil on Hardboard, 5"x 5"
Scenes From a Train
#190


One of the more impressive buildings along the rails. I'm afraid to find out what it's currantly being used for.

Friday, February 27, 2015

Forgotten

2015, Oil on Hardboard, 7"x 5"
Scenes From a Train
#189


Just one of the many water towers along the tracks, each in various degrees of decomposition and natural reclamation. 

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Midtown Haze

2015, Oil on Hardboard, 7"x 5"
#188


Evening in NYC. During a rain most people are looking to get home or just inside somewhere. Anyone out and about is hunkered under an umbrella and looking down at the pavement to avoid those lakes that form at intersections. It is at these times that I find myself virtually alone, constantly looking up and out. I'm usually soaked and my biggest concern is keeping my camera relatively dry. I am most proud to proclaim that I do not have sense enough to come in out of the rain.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Power

2015, Oil on Hardboard, 5"x 5"
Scenes From a Train
#187


Just one of the many Amtrak power stations along the Harrisburg to NYC route. I've enjoyed working with the images from this visit. The return trip was primarily during the golden hour. Lots of great shadows and that magnificent amber light.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

RCA Victor Building

2015, Oil on Hardboard, 5"x 5"
#186


This is a painting of the old RCA Victor Building, later named the General Electris Building after GE bought RCA. On a recent visit to New York I was afforded this magnificent viewfrom  my hotel window. Art Deco at its most lavish.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

From the Shadows

2015, Oil on Hardboard, 5"x 7"
Scenes From a Train
#185


This is just outside of Newark Station. This is easily becoming my favorite train station.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Over The Tracks

2015, Oil on Hardboard, 3"x 7"
Scenes From a Train
#184


When taking Amtrak to NYC this is the last vista seen before entering the Hudson River tunnel.