"Lincoln Memorial Nocturne" (oil on linen; 8" x 12") sold

sold

"Lincoln Memorial Nocturne" is the third of my mini-series of Washington nocturnal scenes.  Again I had to let it dry first, then go back to make the reflections look more watery.  Painting water is a tough business, whether done en plein air or with a photo.  I think I finally got it right.

As a matter of fact, among the three nocturnes so far, I like the way I treated water and reflections in this painting the best.  It is kind of Monetesque, don't you think?  All I have to say is that if a subject is particularly hard, instead of avoiding it, keep painting it!

"Capitol Nocturne" (oil on linen; 12" x 12") sold

sold

I thought I would create a series of evening scenes of famous Washington landmarks.  "Capitol Nocturne" was actually the third in the series, but it was the first one that turned out right at the get-go.  Painting from the reference photos of nocturnal images that did not give much information about details and colors was not easy. I also wanted these nocturnes to be as evokative and stirring as Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata."

Capturing the drama of the brilliantly-lit US Capitol dome  and lights and their reflections in the pond was my goal in "Capitol Nocturne."  About half of the painting session was spent painting upside down in an effort to get the image and reflections to match up more or less.  I would bring the painting to a mirror to look at it reversed, only to put it back on the easel in the wrong way!  Wait a minute, which way was I painting?