"Jefferson Memorial Twilight" (oil on linen; 8" x 10") sold

sold

The Jefferson Memorial on the Tidal Basin in Washington DC is a beautiful neoclassical building. At twilight, it is breathtaking. I used the pointillist technique for the painting, pretending that my dots are stardust!

"Tidal Basin in Bloom" (oil on linen; 8" x 8") sold

sold

These days I seem to be getting quite a few commissions to copy my sold paintings. I suppose it's a good thing as it keeps me busy! Here is another commission that made me revisit my old work. The reference photo was taken on a misty, overcast day, which created a mellow, romantic mood, which the client loved. She is going to give the painting as a belated wedding gift to her brother who got married at the Jefferson Memorial. I hope he loves it too.

"Jefferson Memorial Glow" (oil on linen; 8" x 10")

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The Jefferson Memorial at the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC, during the National Cherry Blossom Festival becomes a lavender jewel as the sun sets and bathes the beautiful structure in golden light.

The Collage of My March 2016 Paintings

The Collage of My March 2016 Paintings

Another busy month has gone by.  Last month I worked on a lot of portraits and cityscape paintings.  How do you like the collage of my March paintings? Which is your favorite?

"Jefferson Memorial Sunset" (oil on linen; 7" x 7") sold

sold

I wanted to see how small I could paint a famous Washington landmark such as Jefferson Memorial and still capture its majestic beauty.  The painting is not only as small as 7" x 7", it also shows the monument at its prettiest--at sunset during the National Cherry Blossom Festival.  How about that!

"Jefferson Memorial Cherry Blossom Sunset" (oil on linen; 10" x 12") sold

sold

Jefferson Memorial, dedicated to an extraordinary man, is my favorite memorial in the city of memorials--Washington, DC.  I have painted it many times, often set at cherry blossom season, like this new one.  Below is the sketch done in chalk pastel pencil on toned scrapbooking paper that I drew while watching TV in the evening.  I liked it so much that I decided to do an oil version in pointillist style.

"Jefferson Memorial Sunset" (chalk pastel pencil on toned paper, 8" x 8")

Collage of My April Paintings

Collage of my April 2014 paintings

How do you like the collage of my April paintings?  I am afraid I didn't paint as often or as many as I usually do.  But there has been a huge development during the month.  While painting "Bluebells Heaven", I rediscovered the joy of pointillism, the technique that I used to play with at the very beginning of my artistic development.

"Evening Walk in Dublin" (mixed media, 14" x 10"; 1996)

"Maine Event" (mixed media, 14" x 20"; 2000)

A new way of expressing my vision has unleashed my artistic enthusiasm.  Every morning, I can't wait to start painting.  You will see many shimmering, "dotted" paintings in the coming months!

A new series of "Dotted Landscape"!

Collage of My January Paintings

How do you like the collage of my January paintings?  I was going to take it easy in January, but ended up creating as many paintings as during the previous month.  I guess painting is in my blood!

Off to paint another masterpiece today.  Hahaha.  Have a great month!

"Jefferson Memorial Sunset" (oil on stretched canvas; 8" x 10") sold

sold

During the Martin Luther King Day weekend, my daughter, an accomplished flutist, took a flute workshop in Washington, DC.  On the way home, we were on a road right next to the Tidal Basin.  I looked out the car window and saw the above scene.  It was not a spectacular sunset. It was a mellow, exquisite sunset that we were glad to see on a cold winter day. 

"Tidal Basin in Cherry Blossom Season" (oil on linen; 8" x 10") sold

sold

The Tidal Basin during the National Cherry Blossom Festival in early spring is the mecca for tourists.  In this painting, I nestled the famous Jefferson Memorial in a circle of cherry branches.

"Jefferson Memorial Nocturne" (oil on linen; 10" x 15") sold

sold

"Jefferson Memorial Nocturne" was the first of my new mini series--mellow nocturnal scenes of Washington landmarks.  Initially it turned out dull and boring instead of evocative and stirring.  So I let it dry and reworked with more paint and colors.  The famous memorial to the great president doesn't look dirty anymore; its reflections in the water have colors instead of mud. 

We are used to seeing Jefferson Memorial and Tidal Basin during the National Cherry Blossom Festival against gazillion, fluffy, pink petals.  I wonder what President Thomas Jefferson feels about that in his grave.  To this man of many talents and great vision, three achievements mattered the most. 

Thus, he penned his own epitaph on his tombstone at Monticello, VA as follows: "Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statue of Virginia for religious freedom, and father of the University of Virginia."

"Washington Monuments on Autumn Day" (oil on linen; 8" x 13") sold

After
sold

Before

Early this summer, I went to the National Gallery of Arts with a couple of friends.  We were in the French Impressionism section, visiting with each other and admiring the artwork--multi-tasking at its best!  That's when I saw Claude Monet's "The Bridge at Argenteuil."  I stopped talking.  My friends also stopped to see what was happening.  I knew I was being rude, but I couldn't tear myself away from the painting.  They kindly left me alone for a few minutes.  I was in awe, in heaven.

I have a poor reproduction of the painting at home.  It absolutely has nothing of the glowing quality of the original.  I fell in love with Monsieur Monet for the first time in my life.  When he painted the scene by the river near the bridge en plein air, things may or may not have been exactly as what he portrayed in "The Bridge at Argenteuil"--the fluffy clouds floating by, the sail boat with a white triangular sail conveniently breaking up the horizon line, and especially the shimmering reflections in the water.  Will I ever be able to paint like him someday?

Which brings us to "Monuments on Autumn Day."  Gravelly Point along George Washington Parkway is located right next to the National Airport.  A great view of the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial is why several of my friends and I were there two years ago.  What you can't tell from the painting, however, is that my nerves were totally shot during the paint-out thanks to the constant noise from the huge jumbo jets coming down to land at the airport!  My stress level was, therefore, higher than usual, which might account for the general drabness of the painting in its original state.  I am quite sure that Monet never had to deal with the jet noise!

The colors of the polluted Potomac river can only be described as dirty-looking.  Peope fish there, but I sincerely hope they don't eat a large quantity of their catch.  I figured that there is no reason why I should stick with the "real" colors.  When I quit my teaching job to become a full-time artist, I assume I was issued the artistic license!  Invoking Monet, I did my best to make "Monuments on Autumn Day" shimmer.  Do you think I measure up to the master?

"Tidal Basin in Bloom" (oil on linen, 7" x 7") sold

sold

The Tidal Basin during the Cherry Blossom Festival is an irresistible subject for a painter.  But it is impossible to paint en plein air with all those people milling around.  The reference photo was taken on a misty, overcast day, which created a romantic mood.  When parts of the country are under snow, it's perhaps good to remember that the spring will come in about three or four months.