James Brook

James Brook Oil 5x7

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 Private Collection

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 n/a

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.

3 Lemons

3 Lemons 6x6 Oil Framed $150

I use lemons to both identify direction in my work and to return to the familiar. Painting lemons is kind of like listening to a piece of music that you know. I think it organizes me. Helps me to make the next decision.

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

Orange You Glad?

Orange You Glad? 5x7 Oil Framed $125

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

That I didn't paint another white boat? : ) They will be returning, but I needed to shake things out a little. Squeeze a different tube of paint. Get some different neurons firing.

In Agreement

In Agreement 5x7 Oil on Linen Panel Framed $125

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 reserve this one before the show, please email me: daleblodget@gmail.com

One of the things that attracted me to these boats was their everchanging relationship to each other, depending on wind and tide. Sometimes two felt that the tide was coming in and the other was unsure. But the title explains...

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

Broadside Study

Broadside Study 5x7 Framed oil on Linen $125

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

Ready to be transported? On an August morning pack up your painting gear, easel, palette, umbrella, water bottle, paper towels, trash bag, brushes, hat, glasses...... I think that's everything. Out the back door, down the steps, follow the path over the granite chunks and set up on the Old Wharf Lot point in Annisquam, MA. Weigh down the easel with melon sized rocks, tape the umbrella to the easel, affix the linen panel. Gaze at the boats. Spray Off on your ankles. Gaze at the boats. Look between them. Keep your focus at the surface where the light smacks against the white sides and falls to reflection. Suggest the feeling of suspended motion between tides.

Fan Out

Fan Out 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 you can see I almost covered every bit of the beautiful deep yellow (see October 5th post) with which I had toned this canvas. But still the painting was directed by that tone, as well as the desire to convey the dance of the light - on the boats, on the surface of the water, on the sand and seaweed beneath.

thanks for looking and please comment if you like.