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'JERUSALEM OF GOLD; OLD CITY STAIRWAY', 18 x 14 , O/C

Here's a composition that reads front to back. Hopefully, you can feel yourself being led upwards.

SKIPPING STONES, 10 x 8, o/c

Yes, I admit, deer seems a bit out of the ordinary for me. But I never want to be one of those artists that gets comfortable painting 'one' thing that they're good at... I'd rather challenge myself and take risks!

'AUTUMN FIRE III', 10 x 8, and 'FALL CONFETTI', 10 x 8.

Fall, I'm still not over you! Here are two more odes to the season,-- and I can't promise there won't be a few more either...

THE LAST OF AUTUMN, 3 small studies, all 8 x 10

'AUTUMN FIRE I', 'AUTUMN FIRE II', and 'AUTUMN; ROAD TO HOME'

THE BOOKWORM II, 12 x 16, o/c

A birthday present to my daughter, who models for me and then watches me sell her likeness to others. Here's one she gets to keep.

HUMBLE ABODE, 24 x 30, o/c

A favorite spot of mine that I pass often while driving upstate in New York. I always find myself drawn to this scene. I think it's the smallness of the old structure set against these very tall trees and surrounded by mountains. I liked the idea of recreating this contrast on canvas; trying to make that small building the focus despite it's vast and majestic surroundings.

"AUTUMN AFTERNOON", 30 x 24

The Sun was sinking quickly so I got off the highway somewhere south of Warwick, NY, to take some pictures. I stopped a jogger to ask her about the picturesque places she could recommend to me. She Scratched her head a bit and lamented the fact that most of the leaves were off the trees and it was probably too late to drive anywhere special before sunset.
Then she jogged off, leaving this in my line of vision! Five clicks of my camera and I was back in my car. And I knew exactly what I'd be painting next.

LAGUNA GRI GRI, 16 x 20, o/c

One of my favorite things to capture on canvas is the glittering movement of water. The hard edges of these boats add contrast to the fluid feel of the lagoon, and create additional shimmer in their reflections.

PAINTING CONTEST III "Central Park in Spring", was done 'en plein air' in early June. It will be the next painting to be given away to a lucky subscriber.

LAKE REFLECTIONS, 36 x 48, o/c

You read that right: 36 x 48 inches. In other words, huge! And quite a bit of work.... But I think it was worth the effort. It's Loch Sheldrake and I hope I've succeeded in capturing some of the majesty of the mountains.

SUMMER'S LAST FLING, 10 x 8, o/c. Inspired by a trip to the park with my grandson

This painting, and the spontaneity of 'a la prima' painting (started and finished in one sitting) makes a good 'end of summer' metaphor. Today I began a 36" x 48" painting, which is quite a laborious affair.
Vacation is over and school is in session, indeed.

'WIN THIS PAINTING II' And the winner is........ not responding!

The winner of this painting has been chosen at random. I've emailed her but she isn't responding! I don't recognize the person and only a female first name was provided at the time of subscription. I guess I'll continue to try to email for a few days before moving on to choosing a new winner.
Sorry for the delay!

THE YOUNG VIOLINIST, 16 x 12, o/c

"SCHOLAR IN RESIDENCE", 11 x 14. The scholar is my friend's son, and the residence is my home. We all had a great summer together and the house is a little lonely now that they've gone home.

And if this boy looks familiar, it's because he's also the model for the next posted painting, "Fishin". If you're my friend, my neighbor, my relative... chances are you'll end up in one of my paintings sooner or later.

'FISHIN', 8 x 10, o/c

The perfect summer moment: a boy, his dog, and his fishing rod.

FIRST YOU HAVE TO ROW A LITTLE BOAT, 11x14, o/c

Finally! I'm back at the easel. A little rusty maybe, but I'm trying!

SUMMERTIME IN THE CATSKILLS, 16 x 20, o/c

A Catskills summer at it's best... these men speak of Torah as the long day draws to an end and the sun takes on a golden hue. If, as a child, you've ever had the fortune of attending that bungalow colony in the mountains, or that Yeshiva or Bais Yaacov camp, this painting's for you.

'TODAY IS A FAIRYTALE', 14 x 18, o/c

When it comes to portraits and figurative paintings, unique compositions are key. Here is the perfect, romantic ending, replete with sunset.

'BLOWING BUBBLES' 10 x 8, o/c

I was really just messing around here... It's good to try to push the envelope. Here I added more color than usual and loaded up the paint (yes, even more than I usually do!).

I'm kicking off the Summer with three new paintings of the Catskills. Please scroll down.

Fly-fishing is a common sight on the many lakes near me. This painting is a good example of how the edges in nature are somewhat softer and the colors more diffuse, while the addition of one lone figure really makes a splash!
It's worthwhile to enlarge the painting (you can magnify it quite a bit if you click on it twice), to see this up close!
By the way, readers, feel free to post comments... I'd welcome feedback!

Picking Wildflowers, 10 x 18 o/c

The model is my grand-daughter and the backdrop is Loch Sheldrake, viewed from one of the golf courses there.

Sunset Over Loch Sheldrake, 14 x 18 SOLD

Happily, this painting found it's new home before it even had time to dry...

CONGRATS TO MIRIE LAZAR, THE WINNER OF MY PAINTING 'GREY DAY REFLECTIONS'. HERE'S THE NEXT PAINTING THAT I WILL BE GIVING AWAY, BY THE END OF SUMMER . IF YOU HAVE ALREADY SUBSCRIBED THEN YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY ENTERED. MY PLAN IS TO KEEP RUNNING THESE CONTESTS UNTIL ALL OF YOU WIN A PAINTING!

'AUTUMN POND', 9 x 12, o/canvas board

HEARTBEATS, oil, 20 x 16

This painting was done with Esra magazine in mind, for their 'Career' issue. The models are my grand-daughter and my son.

OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM, oil, 10 x 8

I like the 'geometry' of this scene. The shadows, the steps and the windows, all serve to take you up that stairway. I'm planning to do a larger painting from this study, with some figures descending.

KIKAR SHABBOS, THE END OF THE DAY, 16 x 20. I photograph this intersection exhaustively every time I visit Jerusalem. Here I tried to capture some of that frenetic energy.

SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS, 8 x 10. I love the way the abandoned sneakers look in the foreground. It completes the painting both in terms of the compostion as well as the narrative.

CHERRY BLOSSOMS, 8 x 10. Painted 'en plein aire'. When these bloom I drop everything to paint them before the pink confetti rains down....

MAKING ALIYAH, 10 x 8, o/c

MAKING CONVERSATION, 8 x 10, o/c

MAKING MEMORIES, 10 x 8, o/c

WIN THIS PAINTING!!

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THE REMAINS OF THE PURIM DAY, 8 x 10, oil/canvas board

It's over before you blink but Purim memories linger fondly. It's a harbinger to Spring, it begins our countdown to Pesach and Shavuot, and, - as this painting reminds us, we are never too old to be joyful.

Winter Sunset, 12 x 16, o/c

COLORS OF FALL, UPPER WESTSIDE, 24 x 30, o/c

THE TENDED FIELDS, 14 X 18, o/c. From the 'Down Country Roads' Series

Another painting of the crossroad of rte. 42. I could do a 360 spin with my camera and click away, always finding new compositions. It never disappoints.

TUSCAN COUNTRYSIDE, 24 x 30, o/c. Giving a whole new meaning to 'country'! I'm not in Loch Sheldrake anymore.

An Italian, facebook friend generously allows artists to use her photos for paintings. Thank you Roberta Piemonte, for saving me travel expenses.

COUNTRY EATS, 16 x 20,o/c. Here's a painting of the little town near my upstate home. I think I'll take this painting to the owner of 'Lindsey's' and introduce myself. Would be right neighborly.

A COMMISSIONED PORTRAIT FOR A CLIENT, 11 X 14, o/c.

When I was approached about doing this portrait, I was handed a faded, gray-scale photograph that goes back at least a hundred years. Despite that, I was drawn to very obviously light-colored eyes that were nevertheless extremely fierce looking.
The challenge, - but also the fun, was adding the color. I'm fairly pleased with the results.

ROWBOATS, 12 x 16, o/c.

This painting is of a lovely, tropical lagoon I visited and photographed a few years back.
Pictures often don't tell enough of a story, but this particular picture, (and hopefully the painting) really captured the magical play of light and shadow.

COLORADO ROCKIES, 10 X 8, o/c.

While mountains may be somewhat alien to me, I find my palette knife technique serves me well in creating an interesting rocky texture.
It's all about 'broken color'. Used effectively, a knife allows you to 'float' bits of pure color over shades of gray. So, suddenly a gray rock can have blues! and pinks, and golds! And it really, really is there. It just takes some reflection to see it, tease it out, and some expertise to paint it.

"Upsherin", 20 x 16, o/c,

It's hard for me to write much about this painting. I feel it's one of my most successful portraits but I'm probably not impartial enough to judge. The subjects here are my son, and my grandson at age three, on the day of his first haircut. I love how their expressions of joy are focused on their intertwined hands as they prepare to kiss the fringes of his first pair of 'tzizit'.

The result of my high-speed, drive-by (photo) shooting: 'Brooklyn Rooftops', 16 x 20, o/c

I may crave rural, but I 'know' urban. The geometry of the city is in my blood. For anybody wondering, it's the view from the Prospect Expressway, Manhattan-bound. I got lucky aiming my camera out the passenger side window while negotiating lane mergings.

A Day at the Beach, 24 x 18, o/c

Inspired by a recent trip down to Florida...

"UNION SQUARE; SPRINGTIME STROLL", 16 X 12, o/c

Has there ever been a better tool for artists than thumbnail previews of your pictures on your computer? The good compositions practically leap right off my screen, begging to be painted. Lately, while scrolling through my photos, this one kept catching my eye.

Country Road II, and Country Road III, both 24 x 30

I'm not sure if it just makes a good metaphor for where we dream of going in life, or if I listen to too many country songs, but I feel privileged to both dream and paint the long and winding road.