It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but I’ve been keeping fairly busy. This time of year is full of trips to the beach and garden chores on top of all the regular weekly routine – so quite busy. But the nights are light so long that I am managing to get out for a painting once every other week or so. Amanda also made a point of ensuring I got plenty of painting time on my birthday weekend, including a rare-for-me two paintings in one day, which I appreciated tremendously.

As I’m furiously making new paintings, I’m not worrying too much about finishing them in the studio right now. I’m well aware that the long summer nights won’t last and the summer-evening plain air season will be over before I know it. So for now the game is to generate as many work-in-progress pieces as possible. Then I will have plenty to keep me busy on darker nights in the studio through the fall.

Painted this one right after a thunderstorm passed through at the West Sand Lake walking trails. Everything was soaking wet, and right next to this creek the humidity was 100%. The paint just wouldn’t dry and it was a surprisingly frustrating disaster. At the end of it all, I dropped the wet painting into the wet grass and everything got smeared. But all hope is not lost, I think there’s something interesting to be saved here whenever I get back to it…

This was the morning of my “birthday painting day,” at the edge of the Brunswick sports fields. I think I woke up at 4:30 am and was out in this field by 6. The sunrise was not particularly spectacular but it was still nice being out in the early morning, and the light was more interesting early than later in the day where it turned flat grey.

Second painting from that day. This one is bigger and took some time – more time than I have when I do evening paintings. It was nice to really get into a more complex scene. The reflections and the detail in the overhanging hemlock branch will be rewarding to dig back into in the studio in the future. Nice spot off the main trail at Grafton.

This is a beautiful spot on Garfield Rd. I commute on this road so I get to see this in all types of early morning and late day light at all times of the year. The only shame is people go super fast, and there isn’t much of anywhere to park or to stand. It was a little uncomfortably close to traffic to make it a regular spot.

This last spot I completely missed getting a photo of the actual painting on the easel! But it’s there, I promise. I had a tough time finding where to paint that night – the first spot I meant to go had No Parking signs everywhere, so I ended up back here at the West Sand Lake Walking Trails… But then once there I set up in the woods and was quickly eaten alive by mosquitoes. So I moved again to this more open area where the breeze kept them away somewhat. Ended up being a beautiful spot and I’m excited to finish all the detail in the oak tree overhanging the top of the painting when I get to it in the studio.

That’s all until next time, thanks for following along!!