"Sea Oats in Sun"

24 x 36

"Mayport Shrimper"

8 x 10

Hey, still here. Yeah, still painting. It's been tough because I've had alot of extra time required by my real job. (I'm writing this like I have all these fans checking my blog for the last six months wondering what was going on. Yeah glad you kept looking Dad!)

"Red Roof at the Lighthouse"

8 x 10 (plein air)

At the lighthouse at St. Augustine.

"Two Paths"

11 x 14 (plein air) Sold

With the sun setting at Summer Island. One path leads out towards Matansas Inlet and the other towards the intercoastal waterway. This painting was selected for an Award of Merit. As far as I'm concerned this is a great little unspoiled park that is a tiny slice of paradise. I think I'm taking the path on the left.

"Morning Walk"




6 x 8 (plein air)

I was lucking to participate in the 3rd Annual Crescent Beach Paintout. Four days of painting. Met alot of nice people and great painters. I was also fortunate to receive an award of merit and sold two pieces. Lots of work, but a great time.

"Across the Lake"

14 x 11 (plein air)

From the shade of an oak tree next to Dina and Daves.

"Ten Miles Out"

6 x 8 (plein air)

Palm Beach Princess - gambling boat thus the title.

"Going into the Storm"

8 x 10 (plein air)

From the beach with thunder rolling from the south.

"Across the Inlet"

11 x 14 (plein air)

This is an Austrailan Pine that is on the Palm Beach side of the inlet. That beach is public but the access is so difficult (no parking - you have to live in one of those __million dollar houses) that you hardly ever see anyone over there on the beach. This tree is right on the corner lot. Last year I painted a picture of the house next to it and it turned out to be Steven Speilberg's place. (Thats what I was told and the property appraiser's website did list a Speilberg (not Steven ) as the owner). Anyway, I liked the way this tree was out there seemingly on its own - surviving. Tried to capture that in this painting.

"FP&L at Night"

10 x 8 (Plein Air)

Literally painted under a streetlight at the inlet on Singer Island. This was fun to paint. Challenging, educational, and unique, while at the same time a soothing, cool ocean breeze kind of an evening. Because it was painted under the green tint of a streetlight I had no way to accurately judge the colors I was mixing. Just went by experience and values. This was finished at around 10:00pm. There was a couple on the path that were apparently building one of the new houses going up on the inlet. The husband was on the phone talking to a contractor about how his wife didn't like something that had been done. I thought you two need to just chill out and count your blessing. You get to live on this incredibly beautiful and peaceful spot and your stressing out about some small piece of millwork. The wife looked at the painting and was complimentary but her tone of voice seem to be saying "If I could have them fix that eyesore I'd do that as well." I guess we all need to just chill out.

"FP&L on a Sunny Day"

8 x 10 (Plein Air)

I know this is an eyesore to most Palm Beachers, but I decided I would paint it and try to give it an artistic slant. Hard to do. I painted the plant again the next night under a street light at the inlet and I'll post that one next. Oh well, vacation over back to the grind.

"Fishing Under the Bridge"

6 x 8 (Plein air)

Under the bridge to Singer Island.

"Tides In"


8 x 8 (plein air)

Spending the week in Palm Beach. Get to paint for fun. Interesting how I don't bring my briefcase and caselist on vacation, but I do bring my paints. Wonder which thing I'd rather be doing in my real (non-vacation) life?
This is the channel maker at the inlet. It's just a short walk from our condo. This was in the afternoon with bad weather building to the south.

"Fishing Spot"

6 x 8

This guy was fishing at the Tacoma River.

"Fishing the Point"

6 x 8 Sold

"Up the Channel"

6 x 8

"Church in Sun"

14 x 18

"Fruit Stand"

6x8 plein air

Last sketch from NYC. Didn't have much time to spend on this one. Painted in the morning while sitting on a bench. Would have liked to work the background more, put in the guy who was selling and add a little detail so you can tell the bell peppers from the cherrys. It is really amazing how there is a whole economy set up around corner venders.

"Central Park Mall"

6 x 8 plein air

Another piece from NYC. This is a quick sketch sitting on a park bench in Central Park.

"Chrysler Building"

8 x 8 (plein air)

Hey, I'm still here. Haven't posted here in a while, but its not for lack of work. I've been pretty productive lately. Just haven't been able to photograph and post. I have changed my website around. Take a look: http://www.steveandrewsart.com/. Let me know what you think. This painting is from my recent trip to New York City. My wife and I went while the kids were at camp. Kind of a last minute thing, but we had a great time. New York City is different. We stayed in mid-town Manhatten on the eastside. I did three plein air sketches and this is one. I did this on Lexington Avenue just two blocks from our hotel. Not much time to paint. This one was about 20 minutes.

"Memorial Day"

14 x 18 (Plein Air}

From Lake Jackson at U.S. 27

"Haze"

8 x 10 (plein air)

At Lake Jackson

"St. Johns"

24 x 36

"Dry Lake"

11 x 14 (Plein Air)

This is from the middle of Lake Jackson. Yes, the middle. This lake has drained regularly for years. (The indians use to call it Lake Okeheppkee which means something like "missing water".) It drained in 1999 and hasn't come back. Recently another sinkhole formed and what was left of the lake drained overnight. It is a beautiful place with birds and lots of open space.

"Shrimp Vista"

8 x 10 (Plein Air)

"Tide Going Out"

24 x 30

"Standing Alone"

36 x 48

This is a large piece from a photo taken over in Amelia. I wanted to do an intentionally simple sky. Some gradation but no clouds. Mixed up a bunch of paint for the sky in three different mixes and did it quickly. I like this one. I think it has a nice feel and depth with just a minimal amount of subject. What do you think?

"River Bank"

10 x 8 (plein air)

I painted this at the White Springs Paintout in White Springs, Florida. Had a fun time. It was my first paintout that gave awards. Got there late and had to hustle around to find something to paint and to make it work. I would have to say I paniced. This one was the only one I finished and the only one worth showing to anyone. Didn't win anything but got some good comments from the other artists.

"Tidal Pines"

24 x 36

At Carrabelle, Florida.

"New"

36 x 36

"Soft Ground"


11 x 14

"Down the Intercoastal"

8 x 10 (plein Air)

"Spunk"

36 x 36

"Tidal Creek"

9 x 12 (Plein Air)

This is from my trip to Amelia Island. This is near the southern tip of Amelia Island near Jacksonville. Great light as the sun was setting. Some hispanic guys -- about four -- came up out of this creek with a cooler full of clams. They liked the painting and the only one who could speak English asks if I paint portraits. "Yes," I said, "but I am pretty expensive". "How much? For one this big?" and he motions with his hands from his belt of his head. "I don't know -- couple grand probably". He smiles, "Yeah, you got a card?" And the truth is he probably makes more money than I do. He had me take down his phone number.

"Fort Clinch S.P."

8 x 10 (plein air)

Delivered some paintings to Steller's Gallery in Jacksonville in the morning, then drove up to Amelia Island and did some plein air painting. Beautiful day.

"Marsh Vista"

24 x 30 Sold

"Still"

24 x 30 Sold

"Seen it Before"

40 x 30

This is not from a photo. The palms are from a photo and the cloud is from a sketch. Reminds me of the St. Johns river valley in Central Florida and the big summer thunderstorms. One of my favorite painters is Edgar Payne. He was a California impressionist/realist from early 20th century. He did alot of mountain and dessert scenes. Sometimes I think those Western landscape painters have it easy because of the elevations and vistas. Then I look at some of Payne's paintings and they are all sky. We got sky in Florida. So I was thinking about that when I did the tops of the palms and couldn't decide what to do underneath them.

"Morning Flight"

30 x 40

This is a piece I did a number of months ago. I have wanted to make some changes, but ultimately decided to leave most of it alone. This is one of those blackbirds that hang around in groups (flocks?) and speed around between the palm trees.

"Patch"(finished)

"Patch"

11 x 14

This is loosely from a photo I took at Canaveral Seashore. Used a warm underpainting. One of those bright days in Central Florida.

"Brisk"

9 x 12 (Plein Air)

This is looking south at Miller's Landing. Its a great place to paint. Quiet. Parked the truck against the wind and sat on the back. Cold breeze.

"Ruts"

12 x 9

From memory after visiting Miller's Landing on Lake Jackson. There's a trail that has been opened up going north towards Rollins Point. Didn't think my truck could make it. Trying to capture the abstract pattern of the ruts from the four-wheel drive trucks.

"Portland Head Light"

8 x 10

This is from a photo I took while in Maine a couple of years ago. This is Portland Head Light. Edward Hooper painted this lighthouse and it looks the same now as it did back then. Of course he did a much better job on his painting.

"Shrimp Boat Carrabelle"

9 x 12

"Destin Dune"

16 x 20

I finally decided to put a year along with the signature and I put 06 instead of 07. Oh well.

"Alligator Point from St. Thersea's"

16 x 20

"Eastpoint"

9 x 12

This is an oyster boat. The bridge in the background is the bridge to St. George's Island.

"Afternoon"

10 x 8 (Plein Air) Sold

"Self Portrait with McMurphy Hat"

14 x 11

I am listening to "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" on CD. This is the novel and its really good. Different from the movie in one essential element - the story is told by the Chief. So I think that is why I was wearing this headware and thought about doing a self portrait. Also why the look on the guys face (me) seems like a crazy man. Of course it could also be that the heat was out in our house for about a week. This is my first self portrait and there are a bunch of things I would do to improve it, but since it is dry I think I'll just leave it like it is and just do another one.