Two oil paintings of Keith, part of the VWCC Faculty Show

The top painting (16" x 20") is a portrait study for an idea I have for a series of portraits composed with dramatic lighting instead of diffused. I may try the same composition with tennebrism, requiring a dark background instead of the current bokeh background, for a feeling of emerging from the shadows. The current one does give more of a sense of adventure, traveling through unknown territory, quite appropriate for my son about to head off to college 3/4 of the way across the country. The tennebrism will be more moody. Yes, that is a green underpainting showing through, a nod to early Renaissance artists.

The bottom (9"x12") is a joyful expression of bouncing summer light, with Keith sketching outdoors on our deck.

Both are on cradled board.

Maine Coast, watercolor

The south end of Acadia National Park, near "The Hole"

Winter Evening, oil on paper

A fascination with shadows on snow. This trees and creek are in a woodland park up over the mountain, past the vineyard. This is the kind of park that you frequently have to yourself, especially in deep snow.

Winter Morning, watercolor

We're lucky to have a farm behind our house. The fields are beautiful in the winter (especially the sledding hills). These are the shadows of our trees on the farm field in the morning when the shadows are very long. I looked out our bedroom window early one Saturday morning and saw the long shadows, grabbed my camera and trudged out in my bathrobe and boots.