By the Pond, O/C, 12 x 16

                     "By the Pond", above,  represents an afternoon I spent by Bellville Pond in North Kingstown, RI .  The painting is, of course, unfinished; many of the delicious details, such as the water lilies, grasses, etc.  must be clarified so they "read" unambiguously to the viewer.  At this stage of the sketch I have studied closely only a few factors such as overall composition, the ever-changing light, and hue and chroma matching.  Note that the view is a downward one.  The top of the sketch suggests reflections from a tree line and the hint of another area of the water surface dotted with water lilies.  

                                                               Cattails, O/C, 9x 12                            

In the sketch above called "Cattails", I took a similar viewpoint: a downward look alongside the pond that captured the reflection of a treeline and the suggestion of more water lilies in the distance.  Again, finish might be achieved with the clarification of a few details.  The sketch has a spontaneous look and I would like to preserve this in the "finished" version.

      There is so much to paint in these pond areas besides the larger view of the pond.  There are numerous opportunities to do "outdoor" still life studies which "cattails" above represents.

                                                            Coming In, O/C, 11 x 14

    The painting "Coming In", above, represents a departure from the previously done direct studies in oil.  The area depicted is that of the beach at Goddard Park in East Greenwich, RI.  I sat on the beach with my small watercolor kit and sketched shore, rock and boats.  At home in my studio I took out the watercolor sketches and, using my memory (fresh from that very day), painted the scene above in oils.  Tonal harmony was the result of the mellow light at the end of day.  Often I do the reverse of the above procedure;  i.e., do a watercolor sketch based upon memory of a just-completed oil sketch.  I find that such reworking of an image in a different medium , whether oil, oil pastel, or watercolor allows one more room for experimentation in delivering the emotional impact of the final work of art. 

  To see more of my work the reader of this blog may wish to visit Bill Krul Gallery in Narragansett and Java Madness Cafe at Salt Pond, Wakefield.  My work can be viewed the entire month of August at these venues.