Halloween

Painted along one of the lakes in Durand Eastman Park on Halloween 2005. It was overcast, but warm for late October and the colors in the trees were spectacular. .

size 9" x 12"
This painting is framed and matted, overall size 15" x 18"

Sold

Haybales

Chris found this awesome field full of haybales near Churchville. SOLD

Pittsford Meadow

Behind Schoen Place, there's a beautiful meadow - part of an unworked farm. We were told that at one time they raised miniature horses there.

Braddock Breezes

Had to paint this from a photograph I took in April. The wind was blowing like crazy and extremely cold. It was the only way I could do it.

Late Summer Field

The colors in the weeds really caught my eye, as did the distant trees.

Early Autumn - Mendon Ponds

This was done on a cold and damp morning in Mendon Ponds. The fall colors were just beginning to show. SOLD

Genesee Valley Park Bridge

The colors were spectacular and the water was perfectly calm. The bridges in the park are a terrific subject. SOLD

Jody's Place

While painting this, the neighbor came over and tearfully asked if she could buy it. She explained that the view was loved by her friend who had passed away the day before. I was very honored that she wanted it. SOLD

Morning Meadow - Corbett's Glen

The morning was extremely hot and sticky and the bugs were out in droves. I decided to just work from photos for this one.

Golden Morning

There was a beautiful yellow glow in the sky on this morning - something I never really noticed before, so it made this painting special for me. Even the marsh grass (which is usually artistic suicide for me) came out well. Done at Burger Park on Salmon Creek. This has become one of my favorite paintings.

Irondequoit Bay Morning

Done on a hazy, hot summer morning while standing on the right of way on Empire Blvd. The traffic flying past was a bit unnerving, but the scene itself was calm and pleasant. This painting will be given to the attorney who donated his time and energy to help the Genesee Valley Plein Air Painters to incorporate. SOLD

Flowering Crabs

My friend and I spotted a group of flowering crabapple trees along the road and decided to stop to paint. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring a board to paint on and had to borrow something from him to work on. (I hate when I forget stuff.) We didn't have much time, as we had gotten a late start. As it turned out, this wasn't the clump of trees we were originally going to paint which were in full bloom. They were further up the road. Never the less, it came together nicely.
SOLD

Conesus Sparkle

The water was clear and sparkling at Conesus Lake on this spring morning. A few years ago, we'd had the opportunity to stay at a cottage on Conesus Lake and being here now brought back a lot of nice memories. SOLD

Still Waters at Salmon Creek

Done on the longest day of the year - the first day of summer, June 21, 2006. We were hoping for summer haze, but instead got a beautiful clear morning.

Finger Lakes Iris Garden

This was done at Borglum's Iris Gardens, located at the highest point right between two of the Finger Lakes, near the village of Hall. In the spring it over-flows with iris, peonies and daylilies of every shape and color. It is an amazing sight to see. This is what heaven must be like: acres of beautiful flowers everywhere. Sadly, the day we were there, a thunderstorm cut our painting session short when a huge crack of thunder exploded over our heads and the rain sent us scurrying for cover.

Clear Day at Braddocks Bay

The day was beautiful and clear. The dandelions were in full bloom and the grass was that rich, luscious green that you only see in the spring. There were several nice views to consider, but this one is always my favorite. The Braddocks Bay area never gets old for me.

Gifts

On rare occasions, I will paint a still life - usually only if there is just no way I for me to get out to paint. Oddly enough, it take me longer to paint a still life than a landscape. With a still life, I tend to see every tiny detail and try to put them all in. With a landscape, it's easy for me to simplify everything. A friend suggested painting the eggs which are so simple, yet so complicated and the rose was just something beautiful.

A Walk in the Meadow - Beatty Point

Beatty Point, a few miles from my house, is one of my favorite places to paint. It feels very remote although it's right off the Parkway and Long Pond Road. I always seem to find something to paint there, no matter what time of year it is. The paintings don't always come out well, but I always enjoy being there. This painting was done in early spring and the combination of winter grass colors and spring leaves just coming out made for an interesting composition.  SOLD

Green Glow at Black Creek

April 2006 - I wasn't having a good day, so I took off to paint. After driving around for a while, I found this beautiful spot in Black Creek Park. This was done as the sun was setting and the light was shining through the trees and through the new grass that grew along the edge of the creek.

Spring Melt on Irondequoit Bay

Done on a late winter day in 2006. The wind was blowing and cold, but the sun was out. The color in the tree buds was just starting to show and the ice had begun to melt.

Spring Rains and Distant Hills

While in North Greece, at the top of Frisbee Hill, I started this painting. It was over-cast, and sure enough, after a while it began to sprinkle. We had to call it a day because, although I can work outside in wind, snow, cold or heat, I can't work in the rain. Each raindrop looks like a small explosion in the pastel dust. I did have the start of a good painting though. With a bit of touching up of the splatters made by the rain, it worked out to be a very nice painting.SOLD

Spring at Lake Ontario

The other day, while painting along Lake Ontario, I had the unfortunate experience of having my whole painting, board and easel fall into the lake. I fished it out and, after watching it dry in the sun, decided the image still looked pretty good. I continued to work on it and felt that the fall in the lake actually did it some good since it had washed away some of the over-worked areas. I was pleased with the results and set it upright in the sand to go and look at my friend's painting. I turned to go back to my painting and discovered that the wind had blown it facedown into the sand! Even so, it still looked pretty good, but I decided I'd better quit while I was ahead and packed it up to go home. It turned out to be a great painting.

Snow at Allens Creek

This is it! The first painting I've done of snow, in snow! It was a beautiful sunny morning and the wind was cold. I stood with my back to a hillside to keep out of the chill even though it was about 30 degrees. The shadows in the snow were a joy to paint as they were all purple and blue. I really enjoyed painting this scene and tried to evoke the warm, happy feeling of painting the snow as it melted in the sunshine. This was done in February 2006 at Corbett's Glen.

Summerville Beach in Winter

Once again, painting in January with no snow. This time the subject was the Lake Ontario shore line from Summerville in Irondequoit. Several of us braved the frigid wind that day and went to the Irondequoit Bay Outlet where there is a great marine park and fishing access. The sun was low in the sky, with a soft haze. This view, with it's long purple shadows, seemed to cry out to be painted.

January Sky

This has been a remark-able winter here in Rochester. There has been very little snow and it's been relatively warm. I've been looking forward to painting snow, since I haven't had the chance yet. But the colors and sublties of the winter landscape without snow have been a wonderful change from all of the green of the past summer.

On this day in January 2006, we were at Springdale Farm in Spencerport. I found a beautiful panoramic view of the farm across the street and stood on the side of the road to paint it. No snow, but the colors in the clouds, the intensely blue sky and the soft colors of the land and distant tree-lines were enough to keep me very happy.

After the Early Harvest

I am lucky enough to have met other people who have some great ideas of places to paint. On this day, we were a farm in Spencerport and the first harvest - peas, had been cleared away. I liked the curve of the field around the big, old tree and the distant tree line at the far edge of the field with it's deep shadows. The soil was freshly tilled and a warm color.

Braddocks Bay Marsh

Back to Braddocks Bay again. This time close to the Marina. The summer gave all kinds of opportunities to get out and see what could be found. I believe this was done in July of 2005.

Calm Waters - Braddocks Heights

I have a great fondness for the Braddocks Bay area. As a child, my mother and her family used to rent a cottage there. My grandma played the piano at a dance hall nearby and of course, there were stories about the trolley that used to go across the mouth of the bay. When I was a teen, my friends and I used to have parties and picnics there. On this day, there was almost no breeze and the sun was warm - a great day to paint.

Not for sale

The Sun Broke Through the Clouds

It was an overcast day at Warner Castle in Highland Park. I had just about finished the painting when the sun broke through the clouds and back-lit the entire scene, filling it with beautiful glowing greens. At first I was dismayed at how everything had changed so dramatically, but then saw how beautiful it was and decided to just go with what I saw.

Warm Summer Breezes

Done in July 2005 while I waited for my kids to have their music lessons. It all came together in 40 minutes and has been an award winner in several shows. Sometimes it feels like someone else is guiding my hand when something comes together so easily.

Snow Clouds Over Brush Creek

It was winter and 10 degrees outside, but I needed to get out and paint. I threw my gear into the car and headed west. I found this beautiful scene in Hamlin, parked my car on the bridge and began to paint. I was so engrossed in the work that I never heard or saw the D.E.C. guy when he stopped to check on me and to make sure I was OK until he had pulled up right beside me and honked his horn. I was in "the zone" - (a term used by painters to describe complete concentration on their painting).

12"x18" 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/112079736/original-pastel-landscape-painting-snow

Rhodies Take the Stage

Done in June 2005 at the Rhododendron area of Highland Park. The sky was so clear and such an intense shade of blue, that it cast a blueish tint over everything. It was also very hot. I was in full sun and came home sunburned in all the areas I missed with the sunscreen. The vantage point I was at was on the side of a hill, so I kept sliding out of my chair. I was also severely dehydrated because I'd forgetten to bring my water bottle. When I saw how beautiful the finished painting was though, I decided it was worth all of the difficulties of the process.

This painting was purchased by the wife of a dear friend. SOLD

Backyard Sentinals

Usually I paint Monday through Friday, but when a warm and beautiful Saturday in November came up, I grabbed my gear and headed for the backyard. I'm glad I did. It was a perfect day to paint.

Autumn Path

Done in late September 2005 on the side of the road in someplace in Spencerport. I don't know exactly where we were, but the distant tree-line and the haze was too nice to resist painting.

Glorious October

This smaller painting (9"x12") was done at Beatty Point, off Long Pond Road in Greece. Beatty Point is situated on Buck Pond. The morning was very cool and windy, but the colors were spectacular.

painting size 9"x12", matte and framed size 15"x18"
http://www.wghandysidegallery.com/

High Falls Haze

"High Falls Haze" was created in early September 2005, the first full day of school for my kids. And although I was missing them, it was a beautiful day to experience not having the worry of what they were up to while I was out painting. This is the first city scene I'd ever done.SOLD

En Plein Air

En Plein Air comes from French meaning "in the open air". I am a plein air painter. I work on location, outdoors, in any kind of weather. I love working in this manner. Somehow, all of the conditions around me come together and are translated onto paper. The whole sensory experience comes through. The weather can be hot, cold, sunny, rainy, snowy or windy, but it all comes together on paper and becomes art.

Sometimes the distractions can be tough. Working out in public can make concentration difficult , but most of the time I enjoy hearing the comments. I like talking to anyone interested enough to stop and chat, especially kids. I enjoy answering their questions. They seem so interested by the whole process and I think they are fascinated watching someone creating art right before their eyes.

My medium is pastel. The colors and tactile experience with pastels is exciting to me. I can achieve so much with them. Pastel is a happy way to combine of my love of drawing with my desire to work quickly with color. I am able to use them to capture the whole experience of the scene I'm painting.

I'm a lifelong resident of Rochester, New York and I have a real love of the area and it's scenery. My family history is closely tied here, too. I have heard many stories over the years about the places I now choose to paint. I'd like to believe that fondness comes through, as I recall the stories I've heard from my parents when I'm painting.

I believe I am the luckiest person in the world. I am able to go out and to create in an area I love, using the tools I enjoy. What can be better that that? Thanks, Dave!