Chuck Larivey OPA, Oil Painter: June 2013

Sunday, June 30, 2013

A weeks worth of paint and canvas

Riley and I just got back from plein air painting in Pennsylvania's "Bucks County" - a very picturesque part of our country; cool at night, hot and humid during the day. Bucks county is spread out so I spent more time driving than painting. I wish I had spent more time with my camera than trying to paint because access was difficult at best....very narrow roads with little or no pull-off places to actually paint.

POINT PLEASANT COMMUNITY PARK

834 Point Pleasant Bridge 8x10 oil on linen (6-24-13)

DELAWARE RIVER CANAL LOCK AT LUMBERVILLE

835 Delaware River from Lumberville 8x10 oil on linen (6-24-13)

PAXTON HILL FARMS (NURSERY)

836 Paxton Hill Farm 20x20 oil on linen (6-25-13)

DOYLESTOWN (Main and State)

837 The County Theater 16x16 oil on linen (6-26-13)

RICH TIMMONS GALLERY

839 Timmons Gallery 8x10 oil on linen (6-27-13)

Given the amount of time spent in Bucks county, I didn't produce many paintings. My favorite place was Paxton Hill Farm because they had Peacocks, my all time favorite bird. I was planning to return Friday and Saturday and spend the rest of my time focused on these elegant creatures....however the heat and humidity got to me and I left early Friday.

SOME SNAPS

BACK IN THE STUDIO

I'm a happy camper back in my studio with some good references to paint and climate control. I left all the plein air paintings with the gallery to be sold or donated for auction to benefit "Access Services" of Bucks/Montgomery county; the main reason myself and (7) other artists were there to paint. Known as "Artists painting for a cause" (I believe it's the first year)

MY FIRST PEACOCK PAINTING

839-1 Paxton Hill Peacock (progress) 15x30 oil on linen (6-29-13)

839 Paxton Hill Peacock 15x30 oil on linen (6-30-13)

Later....

Sunday, June 23, 2013

A weeks worth of paint and canvas

Lately working with the sun, I'm applying it to different settings - oddly all 40x44...so far (6) are completed in sequence. Looks like I have an unintended series running. I was also hoping to catch a few sunrise and sets during my week of plein air - however weather and schedules got in my way.

I started a 40x44 painting #821 of Venice a few days before Plein Air Richmond so it was the 1st order of business to get it finished.

It's kind of interesting to see my results in sequence....quite a range. The challenge here is merging the sun into my chosen settings which were very generic photo references mainly for shapes - I'm not looking for absolute accuracy but the essence of the setting. It becomes an exercise in following light and colour to a conclusion. So most anything can happen, as you can see.

Painting a small Sun Series

821 Venice - Morning Transit 40x44 oil on linen (6-18-13)

820 The James from Belle Isle 40x44 oil on linen (6-8-13)

819 Morning Matadors 40x44 oil on linen (6-2-13)

818 London - HOP 40x44 oil on linen (5-30-13)

817 London - HOP 40x44 oil on linen (5-22-13)

816 London - HOP oil on linen (5-14-13)

My last painting of the week

833 Koi and a Turtle 30x30 oil on linen (6-22-13)

My Hughes Easel arrived and quickly claimed by my little sidekick

Next week I'll be in Bucks County, PA. painting plein air as part of "Artist Painting for a Cause" hosted by the Timmons Fine Art Gallery in Doylestown, Pa. I think it fits well into my atmospheric sun paintings because I plan on painting the sun from the same location both morning and evening. I'll have broad vistas of pastures and the Delaware river as subject material......lots of good choices.

LOL....during the day I'll suffer up and paint the proverbial "Red Barns" and "Covered Bridges" that they really want.

Later........

Thursday, June 20, 2013

A weeks worth of paint and canvas - Plein Air RICHMOND

The Second Annual "Plein Air Richmond", an event presented and hosted by Brazier Gallery to benefit the Richmond Symphony. The Juror for Submissions was Robert A. Johnson, Signature Member of Oil Painters of America and Allied Artists of America; Life Member, Art Students League of New York. The Judge of Awards was M. Stephen Doherty, Editor of "Plein Air" magazine.

Plein Air Artists from all over the United States met in Richmond for one amazing Week in June to create paintings in support of the Richmond Symphony.

Our weather was very precarious throughout the whole week - however we did get some good days and lots of wonderful paintings. Artists are a very hard working group starting early each day and some staying late into the night for their wonderful nocturnes of Main Street station. Our 1st day was rain...lots of rain. We had cover and close parking during some of the heaviest rain fall at Richmond's Historic Shockoe 17th Street market.