Things I Do

Drawings

2011-12-18T17:00:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I've done any artwork, but today I got out the pens and some photos and did some drawing. It felt good to create these little cards.

Puree Garden Tomatoes

2011-09-04T19:24:00.002-04:00

Today I pureed more garden tomatoes. These will be canned and put by to enjoy in the cold months.

Find Old Paintings

2011-07-25T19:38:00.000-04:00

While I was looking for something else completely different, I found this old painting of our old cat, Herb. She was a good kitty.

Fix Things

2011-06-11T08:14:00.001-04:00

The old faucet fixture failed. I replaced it. Just one of the many, many joys of home-owning. It seems there's always something that needs maintenance, fixing, improving, enhancing, replacing, and I'm glad I have the skills, the books, and the willingness to ask lots of questions, so that I can do most of these tasks myself.

This spring began the "south-side-shingle-replacement" project. We were going to repaint the shingles on the south side of our home, but during the prepping I discovered early signs of dry rot on a few, so we decided to replace all the shingles on the south side. I'm sure there will be photos of that project at some point.

And as the days grow toward summer, I hope to squeeze in a little time to do a little sketching.

Paint the Wren House

2011-04-05T04:55:00.002-04:00

"Wren House" was one of those quick sketches I enjoy doing from time to time, this one is oil on watercolor paper.

This little bird house has been visited every spring for many years now, by the wrens who clean it out, fix it up with fresh bits of grass and other bits, pausing only to share their joyous song of the season. Things quiet down a bit when the eggs are laid, but the song returns, along with frantic chirping, when those eggs hatch.

I'm looking forward to the wrens' return.

Find Beauty in my own Backyard

2011-03-10T20:27:00.001-05:00

"Backyard"

I'm still resurrecting some paintings of days past to make available as prints. This scene of this ol' red maple is one that I've painted many times, from many angles, in every season, and I suspect I'll paint it again ... and again.

Some days I just want to set up the easel, paintbox and sketch ... and often with only enough time and light for a quick sketch in my own Backyard ... a quick sketch that allows me to appreciate the simple beauty that's around me every day ... the beauty I might otherwise take for granted.

Look Forward to Plein Air Painting

2011-03-07T09:43:00.000-05:00

The snow is melting and spring will be here soon and I'll be able to get outdoors to paint again ... to paint springtime scenes like this one, "Resting Tractor." I'm looking forward to it.

This painting is one of the many scenes that I've sketched along the Salisbury, Connecticut road called Salmon Kill. The maple tree, old barn and the tractor parked beside it, all seemed to call to me ... to join them while the tractor enjoyed at bit of rest between its tasks of the season.

I hope you'll take a closer look at this and my other artwork on ArtFire.

Enjoy the day. Do something creative!

The Occasional Still Life Painting

2011-02-23T11:31:00.000-05:00

Having a day off from work is nice. Having two in a row is like a mini-vacation. So today, along with laundry, a trip to the recycling center, writing music and lazing around, I've listed a new fine art reproduction of my still life painting, "Blushing Mums."

You can take a closer look at it, and other works of art, at my ArtFire studio.

Now ... I think I'll gather up the garbage and recycling and take a little ride in the sunshine. Have a great Wednesday!

.

When the Snow Melts

2011-02-10T14:12:00.004-05:00

With all this snow we've had this year I just keep dreaming of When the Snow Melts and of the coming of spring. So I created a Collection of paintings by members of ArtFire's "A Passion for Painting Guild" to help my dream be a little more clear. I hope you'll take a closer look at it and of the studios of some of these talented artists.

I figure that if we all dream together, the snow might melt a little quicker.

Rake Snow

2011-02-02T13:56:00.003-05:00

Then ... shovel.

Dream of Summer

2011-02-01T08:04:00.004-05:00

With all the recent snowfall, I've been dreaming of sunshine and warm weather, and this image of "Hay Field" helps me to conjure those warn, sunny days of late summer. Paintings like this - mine and others - remind me of Picasso, who said, "Painting is just another way of keeping a diary."

You can take a closer look at this and other pieces of my artwork on ArtFire. If you live somewhere in the heart winter's cold and snow, I hope this image helps you to recall those warming, sun-filled days too.

Feed the Crows

2011-01-23T05:59:00.003-05:00

I clear off a section of our stone wall.

I place the fat scraps from my wife's renderings on the "feeding station" that the crows know well ... and I whistle their signal and drum on the bucket.

I feed the crows.

"Cow Barn"

2011-01-13T10:36:00.004-05:00

Today I added a giclee print of this image, "Cow Barn" to my ArtFire studio. The original painting was done oil on canvas, on location and in one sitting. Capturing such functional beauty in the freshness of Connecticut springtime really is a joy.

I may go back to paint this lovely barn again.

In spring!

I Shovel

2011-01-12T16:36:00.001-05:00

Need I say more?

Mince

2010-12-21T15:21:00.000-05:00

Today I minced beef ...

... and minced and minced.

Because today we made a holiday classic, minced meat. I've never had this before and I have to say that while I was skeptical, it's really quite tasty. My wife will be making pie and something cookie-like with to accompany the Christmas day dinner.

Check out Cosmic Hippo

2010-12-12T20:23:00.005-05:00

Check out this week's "On Fire for Handmade" featured artisan:

Bake Cookies

2010-12-09T13:01:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I had the day off so, among other things, I made a batch of molasses raisin bars and chocolate chip cookies. Both recipes came from my favorite cookbook, The Joy of Cooking and short of a little tasting they hit the freezer for holiday sharing in the weeks ahead.

They came out good and I was feeling pretty satisfied ... even in my wife's apron.

Rhythm for Painting

2010-11-21T12:00:00.004-05:00

Remember that still life I mentioned last week? This is it. I added a few more touches and now I'm working on another. Having been away from painting for a while, it sure feels good to be restoring a rhythm for painting again.

You can see more of my artwork at ArtFire and if you're shopping on "Cyber Monday," November 29 (or 28 0r 30), I'm offering free shipping that day with coupon code "cybermonday." In any event, I hope you'll stop by to visit and browse my ArtFire Studio for no other reason that to enjoy a little artwork.

Share Beauty in Art

2010-11-17T07:40:00.009-05:00

I'm a member of the ArtFire "A Passion for Painting Guild," a diverse gathering of talented folks who love art and do, in fact, share a passion for painting. Today I curated an ArtFire Collection of fine art, all created by my passionate Guild members. Here it is:

If you like what you see here, join us on Facebook.

Find Unfishinished Paintings

2010-11-13T11:46:00.005-05:00

I found this old still life in my studio ... judging by the jonquils, it must have been springtime when I started it. I never finished it, so it's now an eternal "work in progress." I look at it now and feel pleased with the start that I had made, and realize that such unfinished finds can be inspiring.

Inspiring because I've started a new still life. I've been working on it a little in the early mornings before heading off to work, and often again in the afternoon when I return home. It feels good to have a painting in progress ... whether I ever finish it or not. After all, it's all about the journey and not the destination, right?

Honor the First Flurry

2010-11-08T07:51:00.006-05:00

This morning I woke up to the first snow of the season. It was a real flurry, with the winds blowing the flakes here and there and everywhere. Even though it turned into sleet and freezing rain as the morning progressed, it seemed only fitting to honor this "first" day with an image of first-snows-past, a little ACEO reproduction of "Parker Hill Farm."

Get out and Paint

2010-11-06T04:32:00.008-04:00

I made myself a new paint box and rigged an easel - so that both will accommodate sitting. You see, I've always stood at my French easel to paint, but I'm not as young as I used to be and sitting is a welcome option.

The weather is chilling, but I'll get out there in the open air to paint a bit more, I think, with this new set of sitting tools.

Fire Bush ACEO

2010-10-24T07:39:00.005-04:00

The original painting, "Fire Bush," was painted plein air, oil on Masonite, on location under the crab apple tree in my own backyard. I recall the day ... one of those perfectly beautiful New England autumn days, the kind that feel as much like spring as they do fall.

This little piece of art is available as an ACEO, archival quality print at my ArtFire studio.

Two Winter Maple ATCs

2010-10-14T13:41:00.021-04:00

"Sleeping Maple" and "The Dappled Maple" are a couple more of my original oil paintings that have been reproduced in miniature, as Artist Trading Cards.

Artist Trading Cards, also referred to as ACEOs and ATCs, are one example of affordable fine art and wonderful handmade gifts to give and receive.

I invite you to visit my studio to see more of my art work!

Artist Trading Cards

2010-10-09T08:01:00.011-04:00

Today I introduce two new miniature reproductions of my landscape paintings, "Winter Farm" and "Crow Maple" in Artist Trading Card size.

If you're unfamiliar with Artist Trading Cards, here's a little information for you:

"Artist Trading Cards" (ATC), also known as "Art Cards Editions and Originals" (ACEO) are miniature works of art the size of standard trading or playing cards (2.5 x 3.5 inches).

ACEOs and ATCs are little works of art that many folks collect and trade, just like "Baseball Cards." Not only are they collected and traded, they are often framed to create a charming wall display of miniature art as well as given as an easy-to-mail, artful gift. And they're just a fun and affordable way to collect original artwork and limited edition prints!

I'll have more of my current works listed soon in my ArtFire Studio. Enjoy!

The Dappled Maple

2010-10-06T15:37:00.007-04:00

The original painting of "The Dappled Maple" was created plein air, in two sittings, in oil on panel, at a land trust in Winchester Center, Connecticut. On a mild afternoon in early spring I hiked through the melting snow, lugging my easel, to this lovely spot where the sun poked through and danced on the landscape.

At one time this land was a dairy farm but has since been turned over to a land trust, where locals can wander to recall and imagine some of the history of our shared community. I imagine there is someplace like this near you too.

Giclee prints of "The Dappled Maple" are available for sale at my ArtFire Studio.

On the Lake

2010-10-02T04:59:00.008-04:00

I return today to this ol' blog to share with you "On the Lake." This alla prima painting was created in oils on masonite, on location at Park Pond in Winchester, CT. Painting from life in one sitting is a special discipline. It challenges and sharpens the technical abilities, while at the same time allowing mood and spirit to come through ... to be captured, even if only in a small way. That's my experience anyway.

Fine art prints of "On the Lake" are available for sale at my ArtFire studio.

Finish Things

2010-06-02T06:25:00.003-04:00

It was back in April when I replaced the top to our deck table. I finally got around to finishing it with a touch of oil based iron oxide red.

Now we're ready for the coming of summer. Just add umbrella and cocktails.

Get Sick & Get Better

2010-04-17T04:32:00.003-04:00

At first I thought it was allergies. Turns out it was a cold. I got scolded and cared for. I'm on the mend now and haven't been doing much this past week other than working and resting on my days off. This morning was the first day in a few that I've played guitar and that helps me feel better too. With the weather improving, days lengthening and spring sprouting, I'm hoping to get out to do a little painting (and fly an airplane), so I hope I feel better real soon. lawn needs mowing too.

I still have a few more prints to add to my new ArtFire studio, but here's one I listed the other day that I'd like to share with you. "Crow Maple" is a red maple (sometimes called swamp maple) that grows in our backyard. We put our meat scraps out on the stone wall for the crows and they often perch in this tree, cautiously waiting their turn at the pickings. My wife has another name for this tree, but that's for her to share with you.

"Crow Maple"

Winter Farm

2010-04-15T09:30:00.003-04:00

This painting, "Winter Farm," was created while standing outdoors in Vermont's chilling midwinter bite. I recall the experience as being one of my coldest. Nonetheless, it was a nice day, shared with a painterly friend. We had attended an opening reception at an art gallery in Manchester, Vermont before heading out into the beauty of the state's landscape and doing some painting before heading back home to Connecticut.

One thing's for sure: This kind of weather forces one to employ the techniques of alla prima painting, with skill (real or perceived) and quickness. And it makes a spring day like today all that much warmer.

Sleeping Maple

2010-04-13T11:35:00.004-04:00

Today was the day I put my artwork back out there again. I opened my ArtFire Studio and I am glad. It feels good to share my work again and this will likely motivate me to get out into nature and paint some more - as if the warmth and beauty of springtime in New England weren't enough.

I've shown in art galleries in and around Connecticut for over 30 years now and it really is nice to be able to share my work directly with you. Venues like ArtFire are so cool in that they bridge the gap between artist and collector. This reminds me that these really are amazing times we live in, don't you agree?

So here is my first listing, "Sleeping Maple," a fine art giclee print of an plein air painting I did a couple years ago. Painting outdoors in the dead of winter doesn't appeal to me quite as much now as it did when I was younger, but the challenge is still more than worthy of nature's extreme beauty in that cold, cold season. I have a couple more winter landscapes that I'll be sharing with you in the coming days ... while I look forward to painting in the warming days of spring.

Yardwork

2010-03-26T15:56:00.003-04:00

The photo pretty much sums it up.

Curtis Observational Glider

2010-03-11T18:36:00.004-05:00

I have to put on flight control surfaces and balance it. Then it will be ready for a test flight. Just in time for spring.

Diverge

2010-02-01T17:23:00.006-05:00

My usual preference is to paint with oil. Today I painted with acrylics.

My usual preference is to paint from life. Today I painted from photographs.

It was fun.

a little painting

2010-01-24T14:48:00.004-05:00

This is the first painting I've made in a long while. It was fun to do a little painting again.

Make my wife coffee

2009-11-22T09:07:00.003-05:00

I make my wife coffee in the morning. When she wants a refill she taps on the cup with her fingernail. We laugh and I get her more. She does nice things for me too.

Poem

2009-07-23T21:52:00.002-04:00

If you collect enough words in your tin bucket , and let them mellow a while sometimes you'll find a little bit of a poem. Its magic.

Rain.

2009-07-21T12:36:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I sit at a table on a Tuesday afternoon and watch the rain outside. Its been a good year for rain watching all around.

Befriend Rocks & Folk

2009-07-09T16:52:00.003-04:00

Last weekend I met up with some forest folk at a familiar Farm to make friends with some rocks. Bruce conferred with the rocks and an idea was formed. The earth, the rocks, the water, the people and one dog all worked together and a wall was made. And fun was had.

And it's a beautiful wall.

Flesh Hides

2009-06-27T09:19:00.001-04:00

Heart Beat Drum 017, originally uploaded by bruceinthewind.

Last weekend I had the experience of fleshing, cleaning and stretching a fresh cow hide with my friend Bruce. It's not an activity for the faint of heart. He is making a community drum and I plan to continue helping him.

Pretty cool, eh?

I drum too

2009-06-20T08:00:00.002-04:00

It's been too long since my last post. I've been less than inspired I guess. I feel that might be changing. Keep a good thought!

I Make Drums from Trash

2009-03-27T18:44:00.003-04:00

A barrel from the recycling center (AKA: the dump), a few holes, some sealer, a piece of tarp and some hot glue ...

... a couple of sticks ... and we play!

Dig it! Next: The paint.

At the Cross Roads

2009-03-12T14:59:00.004-04:00

I'm really looking forward to the warming days when it will be comfortable enough for me to get outdoors and do some landscape painting! Until then, I'm playing a bit in my studio and making things like this:

I call this little piece "At the Cross Roads." It is an ACEO, but I'm framing them now and I think it makes a very nice presentation. I have another on the way and more in the works, so I hope you'll come back to see them!

Winter's Fading ...

2009-02-25T19:09:00.001-05:00

... and Spring is coming and I'm looking forward to getting outdoors and doing some sketching.

Icicles and renovations

2009-01-28T15:47:00.003-05:00

I find big icicles.

I bring them indoors to show my wife.

I bring them indoors to show to my dog. My dog was definitely the more impressed of the two.

And I make more progress on the little kitchen renovation.

More Herb Drawings

2009-01-25T09:14:00.002-05:00

Our old cat Herb was one of the few cats that actually stayed still long enough for me to capture any meaningful sketches from life.

She was a good cat. Very large and very gentle. She was a sweetie-pie.

I've shared a painting and another sketch of her in past posts and I'll share more with the next post.

And if you love animals and can't get enough of them in all their forms, check out my friend Laura's blog, Purple Rose Musings, for her Wednesday updates from Raven's World.

I Remember Summer Warmth

2009-01-18T08:47:00.003-05:00

This is a pencil drawing I did several years back at the Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington, Connecticut. It was a hot summer day, and just looking at this simple little sketch I feel that summertime warmth. It's been so cold here lately that this summer heat feels really good.

I did this drawing as a study for an oil painting that was part of an art show that the Petrinni Art Gallery did with the museum. The painting sold during the show ... another warm feeling.

Build Things and Renovate

2009-01-16T13:59:00.004-05:00

Much prepping and some priming and even some painting is in the works for our kitchen renovation. But yesterday the old 1950s kitchen countertop was removed.

Today the new custom built hickory countertop was installed. I made that countertop from pristine hickory flooring "scrap" that was being discarded. Go figure.

I'm pleased with outcome. So is my wife. Now ... the saga continues with the completion of the cabinets, the walls and then the floor. I'll keep you posted!

When Fish Dream

2009-01-09T08:49:00.001-05:00

My latest silly little ACEO print, When Fish Dream.

These are such fun to create!

Silly Drawings

2009-01-03T19:57:00.003-05:00

She Dares You ...

The Bearded Sun ...

Both are available for purchase as ACEO prints at Rick's Gallery of Creative Play.

Sleeping Maple

2008-12-30T07:10:00.006-05:00

Plein air and a la prima ... that sums up this painting. When you're standing in the cold snow of winter after trudging off the beaten path with your easel strapped to you back, and you're my age, you hope that the painting muses support a relatively quick, one-sitting effort. That was the case with this painting.

This maple tree and the light on the snow around it seemed to call to me from the main road at Platt Hill state park in Winchester, Connecticut. The light on the snow So I listened. It was a beautiful late afternoon setting ... and the light was changing quickly - another incentive to paint quickly. I was pleased with the outcome.

Prints of this original oil painting are available for sale at my Zibbet Shop.

Make Model Airplanes

2008-12-13T13:27:00.003-05:00

I do crazy things like build rubber-band-powered airplanes.

I don't just build them though ... no ... this particular plane here is made of salvaged pine that I cut and carved into tiny strips that made the body of the plane. Old school.

This plane is a little heavier than its balsa wood kin, so it needs a bigger engine, which means more rubber-bands.

This plane has a purchased propeller, though I have carved those by hand as well! Crazy, eh?

Anyway ... it's calm today, sunny too, so despite the cold I'm on my way out now for the test flight. Later!

Pathless Woods Treasury

2008-12-11T15:17:00.000-05:00

It's always an honor to be featured in a treasury ... this one, Pathless Woods, is especially lovely!

Check it out and leave us some love.

Fire Bush Print

2008-12-09T16:38:00.003-05:00

My wife loves this painting. And why not? It depicts a little scene from our own little piece of paradise. I think she even has a photo of me painting this scene ... in spring though, not in autumn. I recall this particular day though. It was warm and pleasant, with a touch of mist in the air.

I gaze at this image and find myself taken back to that moment in time and this, dear reader, is a gift that only true open air painting can offer.

Try New Things

2008-12-07T19:24:00.004-05:00

Today is a day to try something new ... so I'm offering prints of this painting that so many have admired.

Pond Laurel ...

The original painting, an oil on masonite, was painted on a lovely June day along Bantam Lake in Litchfield County, Connecticut. It's a vibrant time of year, when the wild Laurel blooms in pale pinks everywhere in the Connecticut landscape. It always reminds me that summer will soon be at hand.

Receive a Free Painting!

2008-12-05T09:51:00.006-05:00

That's right ... this weekend you will receive a free original ACEO painting with any purchase from my Gallery of Creative Play!

The ACEO, a mini-painitng measuring 2.5" x 3.5", will be one of my choice from one of the series that I painted similar to the one pictured above. This is an original painting, not a print ... and that's a $15 free gift for you!

This weekend's offer starts today, Friday, 12/5 and ends very late on Sunday, 12/7.

Plus ... FREE US SHIPPING on everything!

So I invite you to stop by, browse around and see what's in store for you at Rick's Gallery of Creative Play!

2008-11-22T17:40:00.003-05:00

This is an old painting, long ago sold, that I've printed for note cards. Using a few myself in this season of harvest and thanksgiving.

Also, I'd like to invite you to check out these wonderful artists in my very first treasury! Leave some love!

2008-11-15T13:07:00.002-05:00

I work with wood too. I made this simple box using only hands and hand-tools.

You can see how it is used by clicking here!

Herb

2008-11-13T12:32:00.003-05:00

This is one of many drawings I have of our old cat, Herb. She has since passed from this life, but her memories purr away in the many drawings I have of her. She was always a lazy cat, but as she aged she would be still - in either feline meditation or in sleep - for time on end. This made her a great subject for sketches and quick paintings like the one you'll find listed in my Etsy shop.

And there's a cat of a different kind on my eBay auctions!

Along the Farmington River

2008-11-11T06:06:00.004-05:00

My father was a fisherman. He fished for food as well as for enjoyment of the sport. I've never really understood the practice of catch and release ... but it makes for pleasant sketching and paintings that sell well.

I Have Fun

2008-11-09T12:50:00.003-05:00

I create little works of Folk Art too, like this piece of whimsy. Unlike my landscapes and still life paintings, this type of work is created from imagination. I smile every time I look at this piece, as I recall the many cats that have graced me with their purring presence.

Cats seem to be in a place of one extreme or another ... either in a playful frenzy or in a too-cool-to-care posture. Either way, it seem that the only way to learn more about these feline extremes is to Follow the Cat!

Follow the Cat is up for grabs at eBay!

2008-11-08T07:27:00.002-05:00

This is another old study I did for a painting that was sold many years back. An old abandoned red barn, covered with winter snow. It was the horseshoe that drew me to this image.

2008-11-07T07:35:00.003-05:00

Another farm in Norfork, Connecticut. This one, a rare working dairy farm, near the Blackberry River. This sketch never became a painting, but I was happy with it and kept it in my file for my own pleasure.

Another Barn

2008-11-06T07:04:00.004-05:00

A barn with a red roof in July, along a hiking trail in Norfork, Connecticut is the subject. I remember the wild flowers blooming everywhere. That was the appeal. That, and the red roof against the backdrop of Music Mountain.

This sketch was a study for a painting that sold quickly to a gentleman who lived within view of this delightful scene.

Early Winter

2008-11-05T05:13:00.008-05:00

I thought you might like to see some of my drawings, so this is the first in a series of several I have to share with you. Some are simply sketches of things around me that I love. Some are done as discipline and practice for the benefit of honing skill and ability. Some are studies for paintings like this one. All are drawn from life (not from photos).

This is a study I did several years ago for a painting that has long since been sold. It was early winter, and the old red Winchester dairy barn was framed nicely against the bare trees and clear sky, dried grasses and lingering wild flowers. The silo, then in a state of deterioration, no longer stands.

A study like this is done so that I may gauge the composition and block in the image in the studio, and then return to the location with my panel laid-out and all ready to start painting. This is especially nice during the chilly seasons.

Farmstead

2008-10-22T06:17:00.003-04:00

This is Ruth’s farmhouse. Ruth is a very nice elderly woman who let me wader around her farm and paint at will. The farmstead is a former Dairy farm that she inherited from her family. It is a great place to paint, for there are friendly farm dogs to offer love and I was entertained as Ruth drove around the place on her tractor.

This is one of a half-dozen paintings that I've created there.

It's up for grabs at my Etsy shop.

Things I Don't Do Anymore

2008-10-15T11:58:00.002-04:00

I painted this Litchfield Road in oil several years ago. The original painting has long since been sold and all that remains are a few offset lithograph cards that I had printed, and the memory of taking the photograph from which it was painted.

I don't paint from photos anymore. I haven't for many years now. I much prefer the joy and challenge of heading into nature to capture the image as I perceive it and not as the camera sees it.

Just my preference now. Nonetheless, this painting was quite nice. I was happy with it.

~~~

And thanks to everyone who left comments on the Wee Goddess post - I really appreciate it! Great food for consideration!

Wee Goddess Figures

2008-10-13T05:40:00.006-04:00

The first goddess figure I made, the largest one pictured above, was for my wife. She wanted a pocket goddess to carry and have for one of her many tiny altars around the house. I enjoyed the process of creating that first one so much that I've made a few more.

These are made with layers of epoxy resin over a copper armature. Each layer is sanded and detailed until it is finished. Then I stain them with oil paint and finish with an oil-based varnish.

They are tiny, and I'm not sure what to do with them. I may gild a couple. I might put a them on little stands or apply pin findings to the back of them for jewelry. I dunno ...

What do you think?

Vernal Memory

2008-10-12T07:40:00.003-04:00

This is me painting in Cornwall Hollow, CT at the vernal equinox with canine companion, Dakota. The painting I'm working on here is currently hanging at the Greene Gallery in Guilford, CT.

Cat in a Window

2008-10-11T07:29:00.004-04:00

This is Herb sitting in my old studio window. She was good, extra-large cat. She had blue eyes and a black smudge on her forehead. She was a little on the serious side, but nevertheless good
company.

I painted this watercolor from life, in one sitting. Herb was a still cat, and for that reason I did many drawings of her.

Fire Bush

2008-10-09T08:02:00.002-04:00

Some days I don't want to travel, and those days inspire me to appreciate the beauty that's right in my own backyard.

That is how this painting was created. With only a few steps out my own backdoor I was greeted with this lovely scene, layered with crabapple, forsythia and fire bush.

Pond Laurel

2008-10-07T07:00:00.006-04:00

Anyone local might know this spot, if they've ever wandered the trails at Burr Pond state park.

The trail around the pond is very active, as it was the day that I painted this landscape. I wandered with them, easel on my back, until this spot called to me. An elderly gentleman asked if I was going camping. Mind you, an easel looks nothing like a backpack and there is no camping at this park. This is one of the things I love about open air painting: The people you meet and the lasting smiles they give you. That and the giant rocks you can set up on to capture such reflections of nature.

This painting is offered for sale at RickDerwitsch.etsy.com

Where to Begin

2008-10-06T06:24:00.000-04:00

I paint. I draw. I carve. I sculpt. I create. I mow the lawn.

I play classical guitar. I write music. I drum. I even dance around fire on occasion.

I make airplane models. From plans. Sometimes my own. I fly them. I watch them soar. I watch them crash.

I walk the dog. I chop wood. I make ale. I sweep the chimney. I enjoy a good meal. I kiss my wife.

I am Rick.

This is my blog. Whatever that means . . .