Wood and Water...some new Charleston Paintings

I've got a bunch of new paintings in the works. I'm so happy that I'm able to paint this late in the year down here. Up north, I'd usually stop painting outside around the 1st week in November, when the temps usually dip below 50 degrees. It's still around 65 or 70 degrees here, so I'll see how long this lasts. I'm loving the light that Fall brings...long shadows tinged with blue and violet.

21" x 14"

   This is the 3rd one I've done of the four posted marker near the Pitt Street bridge. I decided to switch the orientation of the canvas to a vertical, to emphasis the upward thrust of the scaffolding. This painting went through many incarnations...the tide and the cloud cover fluctuating ever time I went. I've noticed that the tide varies significantly in relation to the equinox (I guess this is something that seems obvious when you think about it).  When I started the painting at the end of September, it was a much lower, 'low tide' than the recent painting sessions I had last week...one of the many things I'm getting acquainted with in this new landscape. One day while working on this one I realized my attraction to the structure; it reminded me of the support scaffolding for the 'Kentile Floors' sign across from my old studio in Brooklyn, the one that I did so many paintings of.

13" x 19.5"

   Started this one of a boat launch, which I thought would be an interesting subject matter. I liked the way the posts formed a small cove in the mid-ground, with the strong verticals and horizontals playing off each other.  I'm drawn to finding these instances of structure amidst the flux of nature; places like this where man-made things are used as a guide or a way to navigate through the elements...docks, posts, or beacons in the water.

15" x 22.75"

   This one is of our backyard, and was done in the early morning, between 8-11 when the light was low and raking through the trees. This angle caught my eye because it had both the tree house and part of our house in it, with a valley of shadow between them, silhouetting this wonderful array of greenery in the background. 

   I'm working on a large painting of the Angel Oak, which is going to be a 'slow' painting...perhaps I'll post an 'in progress' version here soon. I've made a bunch more canvases and have been scoping out numerous spots to paint in the coming months. Check back soon for more updates...