This is the final of the previous series. These are the last odds and ends, from sketches to basic ideas. If I were to sum up the previous series I would probably say the water and night idea on steroids-I believe I have been developing a style or place that tends to be the landscape with a particular study of how darkness and light interplay on the landscape. I have gathered the last few images together to close the series once and for all, basically because the new series is creating itself quickly in my mind. I am in the process of buying large canvases as the most recent series is creating itself in large images instead of the smaller as previous-I am actually getting back to a way of painting from many years earlier when I tended to always envision paintings larger rather than small.
I don’t think I have ever thought or planned more clearer since this series. I think it is probably after clearing older thoughts and paintings that had been on the to-do list for many years. Now it seems to be a great rush to accomplish the image almost as quickly as I see it, the great thing about this is it seems there is more clarity and the painting pretty much creates itself. I have gotten the act of painting down to where a painting can take as little as a week to complete instead of sitting on the canvas for months waiting for that final cue to finish. Although I have become a bit less critical of every painting, I have also become much more open and clear on what the final vision needs to be. I believe its a more rewarding experience when the piece becomes quickly before my eyes almost as if it were painted from life.
The first painting is from a trip to Rockport-it is one of the final remnants of the cleanup series as resurrecting old paintings that were started or attleast designed years previous. The second painting is called the bus stop-this image was centered around the tree which made itself clear and stayed untouched for several months before the final image solidified. I wanted the image to be more of a image of the moon and a tree in the light-the people are the secondary thought but they tell a story of strangers forced together out in the middle of nowhere-the city where they are all headed is hinted in the distance-you can decide who is going where and what each do-kind of a people watching piece.
Another aspect of my paintings is snapshots of places I’ve seen that are not necessarily important or even significant but they caught my attention for some reason, that is the image of a church in Rockwall-again the image created a story of who is in the city or who is walking the streets looking out across the water-I consider this more like a sketch than a finished piece.These last few paintings tend to be a bit darker than previous which is why they are more like loose ends of the series-sometimes you have to exaggerate to completely iron out the style and image going forward. Included in this collection are images of my son fishing at the local park, again which became more like sketches than final pieces but hint to the images that are coming shortly. The image of the park with the water in reflection is a hint of the departure from realism and an attempt at a more expressive direction. The fishermen is almost an afterthought and the viewer is forced to see the reflections in the water in a way they might not have appeared previously.
The image of tenkiller in Oklahoma was a very quick sketch after coming home from my recent trip-it was quick and immediate and even still did not capture the clarity of the water that I was attempting. I continue to perfect the clarity and depth of water and in the next series there will be lots of images of the ocean from the most recent trip to Cape San Blas Florida.
The last few in this series are of a field after rain, an image I have studied for many years, again it is another way of looking at and capturing the feeling of the reflection of water. I am working between the three planes of water, the depth of water and the objects beneath water, the reflections of what is around water and finally the color and texture of the water itself which is often overlooked because it tends to be clear, usually there is a twinge of color of the water itself which I want to show.
The final of the series is a willow tree in a nearby park that was captured when my son was fishing, I would sit and sketch and that’s the image that created itself. I am excited about the new series and unfortunately for my attention span there are so many images I’m not sure which to approach first but the images and overall effects are very strong and it will just be a matter of sitting in front of a canvas for a bit and the work will create itself. Thanks for looking at my series of paintings, any input would be greatly appreciated. 
Hello Steve, I am very impressed with your landscapes. Love the use of such vibrant colors. They look magical. Do find time to visit my blog http://www.manishavedpathak.blogspot.com
Thanks Manisha, Going there right now.
Jersey boy living in Texas! That’s quite a switcheroo!
Anyways…love the fishing painting…cool perspective / orientation!
I’m a painter from Upstate, NY in a small town outside of Elma. Just wanted to say hello and keep up the good works!
Painting is for me something so magical. When I paint, I pretend I’m there. Maine coast…Big Sur…Sonoran Desert! There’s just so much beauty out there that God has put all around us and people just fail to see it!
God bless my friend!
Hi Robert, Yes, quite a switch-Thanks for the comment. Lucky you-love upstate NY.
I would definitely agree with the magic of painting and how God gives us inspiration-its our job to write it down, paint it sculpt it. Thanks again for the message. Keep in touch and would love your input on my posts.
Steve