The Art of Seduction

In celebration of Valentine's Day, February's show at the Artists' Gallery is called The Art of Seduction. This will be a group show of all of the gallery artists and we'll try our best to do justice to the show's title.

A sumptuous chocolate buffet will be provided for the opening reception on Valentine’s Day, Saturday, February 14 from 6:00pm - 9:00pm. For a special treat, we'll have French Truffles and other irresistible chocolates, graciously donated by The Chocolate Box at 39 North Union Street. So come out and join us and indulge a bit.

Artists' Gallery is at 32 Coryell Street, Lambertville, NJ [map & directions]. Gallery hours are every Friday, Saturday and Sunday 11am-6pm (but do try to be there for the reception on Feb 14).

Since I paint landscapes almost exclusively, I had trouble finding something to fit the show's theme, but some people find cars seductive, don't they? I hope so because one of the works I'll be showing is this 1959 MGA Coupe - my only plein air painting of a car:

"1959 MGA Coupe"
11x14 oil on panel

Group Show at Bells Tavern

From now through the end of March, Bell's Tavern in Lambertville, NJ is hosting a group show of Artists' Gallery artists. I have 4 paintings hanging, including these:

"Duke Island"
8x10 oil on wood panel

This is the Raritan River at Duke Island Park, Bridgewater, NJ. It's a big park with picnic areas and ball fields, but you'll usually find me lurking around by the river.

"Homeward Bound, Winter Afternoon"
8x10 oil on panel

And this one is the street I live on, hence the title. I live just past the crest, on the right, but the hill climbs quite a bit more past my house. I'm sure I exaggerated the colors a bit in this painting, but the trees sometimes look almost like that at sunset.

Bell's is one of my favorite places in Lambertville - great food, low prices, nice bar, and a good selection of beer on tap. And always some good artwork up on the walls. It's always worth a visit:

Bell's Tavern
183 North Union Street
Lambertville, NJ

Montgomery Winter Sunset

"Montgomery Winter Sunset"
18x24 oil on canvas

This is a spot along my daily travels, but I'd never seen it look so nice - I was lucky to be driving by at the right time of day, and that little bit of snow on the ground seemed just the right touch. I should make it a point to get out of the house at sunset more often!

I suddenly feel inspired to paint more skies, cloudscapes and sunsets...

Artsbridge Members Show

This year's Artsbridge Members' Show is being held at the Prallsville Mill in Stockton, NJ. Opening reception is Saturday, Feb 7 from 7:00 to 10:00 pm, and the show runs until Sunday, Feb 22.

Folks might be tired of seeing snow around here, but I thought I'd stick with a winter theme and this is my entry - a view of my driveway from last winter:

"Winter Drive"
24x18 oil on canvas

Lambertville Historical Society Show

"Lambertville Station, November"
11x14 oil on canvas

My painting "Lambertville Station, November" was accepted into this year's Lambertville Historical Society Juried Show at the Coryell Gallery and was awarded an Honorable Mention.

This is the 29th year that this show has been held - the theme is always 'scenes of Lambertville and the surrounding area'. Lucky for me I have a lot of paintings fitting that description, but this has always been a difficult show to get into. So I'm especially thrilled to have won an award this year. I hope you can stop by and see the show:

Coryell Gallery at the Porkyard
8 Coryell Street
Lambertville, NJ 08530
[map & directions]

Opening Reception is Sunday, Feb 1, from 3 to 6pm. The show runs until March 15.

Small Worlds at The Plastic Club

Today I got a taste of what it's like to be on the other end of a juried show, and I was juror for the Small Worlds Show at The Plastic Club in Philadelphia. Being a juror is a tough job! It's tough because there were so many good entries and only a small number of awards to give out. The only criteria for the show was that each piece not exceed 16" in any dimension. Work included oils, watercolors, pastels, photography, mixed media, wall pieces and sculpture, which added to the challenge. But the main thing was that I wish I had a few more awards to give out.

I suppose I shouldn't say anything more than that I highly recommend that you see this show if you're in the area. Opening reception is Sunday, Feb 1 from 2 to 5pm and the show runs until Feb 22.

The Plastic Club
247 South Camac Street
Philadelphia, Pa 19107
215-545-9324

The Plastic Club is just a few doors down Camac Street from the well known Philadelphia Sketch Club. The Plastic Club began as a woman-only art club in 1897, in response to the Philadelphia Sketch Club's policy of only admitting men. Now both clubs allow men and women as members, and the tiny street was formally designated "Avenue of the Artists" by the City of Philadelphia.

And in case you're wondering, The Plastic Club's name "refers to any work of art unfinished, in a plastic state. The term also refers to the changing and tactile sense of painting and sculpture".

Wertsville Sunset

"Wertsville Sunset"
11x14 oil on canvas

This is one of my first paintings of the new year, and I think it's the first sunset paintings that I've ever done. Wertsville Road is the route I take to the art towns of Lambertville, Stockton and New Hope. It's a pleasant drive, and I know I shouldn't, but I sometimes take photos out the front window while driving. But only on the straight stretches of road!

I think I've avoided painting sunsets because if not done with right touch, they could turn out to be pretty tacky. Although it's a very dramatic subject, there are a lot of subtleties to deal with. This was a real challenge to paint but I think I'll be doing some more sunsets soon.

Prallsville Winter

"Prallsville Winter"
6x8 oil on panel

This is one of my last paintings from 2008, looking down the towpath of the Delaware & Raritan Canal at Prallsville Mills in Stockton, NJ. I paint a lot of small ones, but this one is a bit smaller than usual for me at 6x8 inches.

I was also trying something a bit different: instead of toning the panel lightly with yellow ocher as I usually do, this one was toned pretty darkly with a grayed down burnt sienna. It was the perfect base for the background trees, and I also liked how it worked for me in the sky, which was a pleasant surprise. The bits of gray/brown peeking through in the sky were good for suggesting small branches of the foreground trees against the sky. It's good to break your old habits and try something new once in a while.