Show at Case Memorial Library

I'm getting ready for a show in January at the Case Memorial Library in Orange, CT.   There are a lot of new pieces that I've done this past year of locations in Connecticut. Here is one that I did at Rettich Preserve in Madison, CT. I also participated with other plein air artists in a fundraiser for the preserve during the summer.

I'm going to be showing with two other artists.

Pauli Zambarano, member of the Hamden Art League and past member of the CT Watercolor Society, has been working in watercolors for the past 25 years. Her work has been featured in exhibits in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Lee Heckendorf, a resident of Branford, has been creating and designing jewelry for over fifteen years. She makes one of a kind pieces using crystals, pearls, semi-precious stones, unusual beads and wire. Lee sells her jewelry at New England craft fairs and at local boutiques.

An opening reception is planned on Thursday January 10, from 5-7 pm. The snow date for the reception is January 17. The show will run from January 2 through February 28, 2019.

The Case Memorial Library is located at 176 Tyler City Road, Orange. For more information, call the library: 203-891-2170.

New 2019 Calendars!

I now have calendars with photos of my paintings for sale. Each photo depicts paintings of the New England area and reflects the season.  Here's a sample of what's inside:

To order a calendar, email me at pmser51@hotmail.com.

The 12 month calendars are 8" x 10" and open to 16" x 10" on a heavy soft gloss paper.

Market at Artsplace and Upcoming Workshops

I had a booth at Artsplace in Cheshire, Ct over the weekend. I sold a lot of calendars and cards. It was fun to do. I met quite a few artists that teach at the center. Artsplace is a place where you can learn all types of painting and crafts at a very reasonable price. The town supports Artsplace, which reduces the fees and enables them to provide all materials free with the cost of the class.

I will be teaching two workshops at Artsplace this winter. One, called Every Color But White Snow, is going to cover how to paint the nuances of snow using oil paint. I'll be using one of my winter scenes as a guide. This class takes place on January 26.

The other class is called Tea Cup and Pastry in Oils. I'll walk you through painting  a small still life of a China cup with a pastry on the side. This workshop will take place on March 2.

Sign up on the Artsplace website.

A New Seascape

This is a painting that I did with my student Nick at Lighthouse Point in East Haven, CT. It was a slightly windy day, but beautiful. Such a nice place to paint, especially when it is off season and there are few visitors. I had a lot of fun doing this with Nick, and I think that he enjoyed it too. 

New England has some beautiful shoreline scenery. 

Sunflower Painting

I was painting recently in North Branford in the middle of a beautiful acre of sunflowers when a wonderful photographer asked if he could take my picture. I said yes, then thought to ask him to email me a copy. Here it is. The photographer is Dennis Beaulieu. I love the photo, thanks, Dennis! Here are the two paintings that I did there, each on different days.

 They are both oil on canvas over panel, 9"x12".
The sunflowers were simply gorgeous this year, and the fields stopped traffic for quite a long time.
Sunflowers are fun to paint. The rich oranges and yellows really stand out against the cool green leaves and blue sky.

Augur Farm House in Spring

I painted this old farmhouse again in the Spring and sold it. It has so much character and it is a classic example of a New England farmhouse. The Spring leaves were just beginning to unfold at this point, which gave them a yellow green color, and the light was bright and warm.

Augur Farm House

I recently sold this painting from an exhibit that I had at the Edward Smith Library. It's a painting of the Augur Farm House. The house is an old 1930s farm house with barns in the back that store hay. It sits on several acres of old farm land, with the Farm River flowing behind it. The house is empty now and the property is owned by the town. I've had more inquiries about the painting since I sold it. There is something mystical about this house. Every time I pass by it, I find it so fascinating. I will go again in the spring and paint it. I think I may paint it several times. It pulls me to it, as if the ghosts of the family that lived there still inhabit it.