Day's End

Day's End 6x6 Oil on panel

We had our official first snow on Saturday. It was very late this year so one might imagine that I was ready. Alas. My snow tire appointment is tomorrow morning. So it seems odd to be posting this one. My blogging friends in FL may not understand. haha.
I tried to stay true to the values in this one and really underplay hue. Except for that strip of green marsh grass. I couldn't stop myself. As the boat was coming in from Ipswich bay, the sail glowed with the warm, last rays of the sun. That was my priority. I'm not sure how well it worked. What do you see?

Straightening with Fun Tack

More views of my solo show at the Spiral Press Cafe.

I've been squirming about how crooked the paintings had become so this morning I drove to the hardware store where a helpful gentleman directed me to "Fun Tack" in the little stationary section. Off to the cafe with it and a small level.
It was fun to putter around as the cafe wasn't too crowded and there were a few artists there who introduced themselves and commented on different, favorite pieces. I was pleased to hear Phyllis, a local artist, bring up the psychological element of my two "figures on the beach" paintings. To me it signaled that she had really looked at the paintings. More than glanced. Ahhhh.
And another artist had been strolling around the cafe, coffee in hand. When we introduced ourselves he admitted, "I'm taking lessons from you this morning." The effect of the kindness of strangers simply cannot be overrated. Thank you all. And to remain humble I should also say that last week one of the cafe patrons told my friend that the work was all junk and he had much better stuff for sale. He was a mite embarrassed when I introduced myself............. but it's okay. To each his own. :)

DSB at the Spiral Press Cafe

The Spiral Press Cafe 11/18 - 12/31/09

The show is up on those colorful walls. I hope these large files don't crash everyone's computers.
What do you use to keep the paintings from shifting? I haven't found the little silicone dots. Maybe at a hardware store? Staples? We are so out in the boonies.

James Brook

James Brook Oil 5x7 $150

Things are going pretty well with Picasa instead of M--ro--ft O--ic-. Except that I don't know how to put more than one image onto a post. Help would be appreciated.

This painting is done from a feeling and memory. When we lived in Groton, MA our back yard was Lawrence Academy's soccer fields. Abutting those is a beautiful marsh and in the middle of the marsh is James Brook. Beside the brook an unused track was converted to a railtrail, which was my gateway to x-c skiing in Phoebe Keyes woods, and my running route.

Fort Ti

Oil/Linen 30x40

A warm afternoon at Mt Defiance, looking down on Fort Ticonderoga and Lake Champlain. The Vermont farmland rolls into the Green Mountains. Nice day.

C's New Shawl

12x16 NFS

This painting can be viewed during my solo show at the Spiral Press Cafe, adjoining the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, VT from November 18, 2009 through the holiday season. Please stop in if you happen to be in the area, look at the work, purchase your favorites, and leave comments on the blog! If you would like to purchase this before the show, please email me: daleblodget@gmail.com


Back in June I started this portrait and actually thought it was finished but my daughter thought not. So I went back to it and then my hard drive crashed and I had no more reference photo as I hadn't printed it out. There are many lessons here. It sat as a reminder of them for a few months. Finally I decided that since it was a disaster the way I'd left it, I would work on it from my imagination with no references. I didn't worry about whether it looked like my daughter anymore, I just worked with cool light/warm shadow.

Little Rock Pond

Little Rock Pond 5x7" Oil Framed $150

This painting can be viewed during my solo show at the Spiral Press Cafe, adjoining the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, VT from November 18, 2009 through the holiday season. Please stop in if you happen to be in the area, look at the work, purchase your favorites, and leave comments on the blog! If you would like to purchase this before the show, please email me: daleblodget@gmail.com

Up in the White Rocks National Park and part of the Long Trail and the Appalachian Trail, this pond has been our favorite destination for years.

The Lower 40 #1

The Lower Forty #1 5x7 SOLD

In my endeavor to get along without anything "M_c__soft" , I have discovered, thanks to my brother-in-law (who doesn't care to be mentioned) google docs. So, now with Picasa and the ability to paste my name across the painting (which I found necessary since I can't resize), I hope I'll be able to streamline the process of recording and posting.

I did this one in our lower field last month. The frogs were pretty quiet.

With Lipstick

With Lipstick 30x36" Oil on Linen framed $2700

This painting can be viewed during my solo show at the Spiral Press Cafe, adjoining the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, VT from November 18, 2009 through the holiday season. Please stop in if you happen to be in the area, look at the work, purchase your favorites, and leave comments on the blog! If you would like to purchase this before the show, please email me: daleblodget@gmail.com

As an art student in Toronto, I was working on a silk screen series using a fairly high key (pale color). Another student commented that I might need to check the iron levels in my blood. Hmmm Crazy or not? Conversely, can one energize by painting with brilliant colors? I think working on this one did have an energizing effect. I wonder though, if I took the painting further than it wanted to go. There's something about the progress stage just below. What do you think?

Broadside

Broadside 30x36" Oil on Linen Framed $2700

This painting can be viewed during my solo show at the Spiral Press Cafe, adjoining the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, VT from November 18, 2009 through the holiday season. Please stop in if you happen to be in the area, look at the work, purchase your favorites, and leave comments on the blog! If you would like to purchase this before the show, please email me: daleblodget@gmail.com

Returning to VT with my reference photos and lots of oil sketches, I set to work on the 3 boat series. Broadside is the third, following Ascending Sun, Returning Tide and Fan Out. Below are the progress shots for Broadside. They are just innocent little white boats. But the one in the upper right seems so vulnerable to the two facing it.


Thanks for looking and please leave a comment if you'd like.