The view from the Met Rooftop

After setting this one aside a couple of times, I finally completed the painting shown above - Met Roof Garden.  It was Fourth of July weekend two years ago, and the rooftop of the Metropolitan Art Museum offered a crystal clear view of NYC over Central Park tree tops.  It was also wicked hot and getting up there took some climbing as the elevator was reserved for special use.  The panorama was painted from a composite of 7 photos taken as I spun slowly left to right.  I think it will be a while before I try to paint so many building windows.  On another note, Alex and I attended a presentation by visiting artist, Nancy Blum, at Bowdoin today.  She was captivating and her work was just amazing.  She works very artfully in large scale drawings, sculpture and public art.  We are so glad we didn't miss her talk.

Creature Great and Small

"Selby Gardens Egret", Joe Godleski,
Oil

"Stranger", Joe Godleski,
Prismacolor and Graphite

My latest work is shown here.  The "Selby Gardens Egret" was done in water-miscible oil on canvas, 12 inch by 16 inch, and was based on an egret we saw at the Selby Gardens in Sarasota, FL.  The egret was doing a strange, undulating walk and did not seem at all put off by the humans strolling the garden grounds, which were quite beautiful.  I took several snaps and then sketched out the painting from the reference snaps.  I used a rich palette and was not bashful about applying the paint wet-on-wet.  The bug called "Stranger" was done in Prismacolor and graphite pencil on paper, 20 inch by 20 inch.  The bug was discovered last summer here in Maine sitting attached to the door of Alex's black car in the sun.  I took a couple of snaps and gridded out one of them.  Then using a limited set of Prismacolor and graphite pencils, I formed the image from multiple shape and size triangles to produce a crystalline effect.  Two creatures, two different locations, approaches and results.

Camden Harbor

"Camden Harbor", Joe Godleski, oil, 2011

Alex and I find ourselves visiting up the Maine coast from time to time and Camden is one of our favorite spots. When we can, we climb up Camden Hills for the view of the harbor and surrounding seascape. It is always a wonderful vista. Well, I finally sketched out a view of the harbor from the visits and resulting photos. I painted the view on DaVinci panel in 24" by 18" format. It's such a seemingly calm, organized locale to be the backdrop for a movie such as "Peyton Place."  You never know.

Carlo Pittore - Day of 1,000 Drawings

Last Saturday, the Carlo Pittore Foundation held a sale and silent auction of 1000 of the late artist's works on paper.  It took up the entire area at Fort Andross in Brunswick where the Winter Farmer's Market (see below) is held.  It was dizzying in scope, quantity and quality.  I first became familiar with Carlo Pittore's work when I submitted "Pastor Philip" for a portrait show at the Merrymeeting Arts Center in Bowdoinham few years back, and they hung my work right next to one of Carlo Pittore's.  It was a thrill.  He was at the forefront of postcard art and was quite prolific, the 1000 drawings being a small fraction of his total legacy.  My personal haul from the the day's event are shown in the pictures above.  I am especially happy about getting one of the boxers that were up for sale.  It was a good day.  To find out more about the Carlo Pittore Foundation, click here.

3 for 3 at 10 by 10

Across Frenchman Bay, Oil, Joe Godleski

View From Camden Hills, Oil, Joe Godleski

Last Friday night's 10 by 10 show benefitting Arts Are Elementary was really something.  Brunswick merchants and restauranteurs donated an abundance of very good munchies that this chow hound "appreciated" to the max.  The crowd was festive and generous.  The volunteers kept everything moving smoothly.  And all three of the paintings I entered were sold - November Morning, Old Pumper, Heading for Cover!  So, I've been working on a couple of mountain/waterscapes, and they are shown above.  The palette and detail for these were scaled back from my usual work, as a change of pace.  Next show upcoming is the Yarmouth Arts Festival at Saint Bart's, October 19 - 22.  The Coastal Garden Rhododendron was juried in.  I'm looking forward to the artist's reception Oct. 20, 6 - 8 pm.

Hanging Out in Portland

Dock Fore, Portland Head Light

Dock Fore, Day is Done grouping

A little while ago, Shaun McCarthy of the Dock Fore pub in the Old Port put out a call for artists to show in his establishment and to participate in the Portland Art Walk.   That led to my paintings and prints hanging in Dock Fore for the Portland First Friday Art Walk in October through to October 29th.  Dock Fore is cozy joint and I think my pictures work there.  Plus, it'll be fun to check out the Portland Art Walk.  So, with my pictures hanging elsewhere, there's empty spaces in the Brunswick studio that need to be filled.  The newly finished "Late November" will help.  I had gotten such positive feedback for "November Morn" which will be in the September 30th 10 by 10 show, that I decided to paint a larger variation, and I dig painting those rocks, using a lot of wet-on-wet technique.

Late November, Joe Godleski

November Morn, Joe Godleski

Dogging It

Maggie, Joe Godleski, Oil on Board

Foxy, Joe Godleski, Oil on Canvas

Here's a couple of portraits of family dogs - Foxy and Maggie.  Foxy's portrait was originally a much bigger canvas but upon further review, the interesting part could be distilled down to a 10" by 10" window, and so with scissors  and new stretchers, it was.  Maggie's portrait is done on gessoed Elephant board, which turned out to be a much smoother medium to work with versus trying to traverse the hills and dales of canvas.  I'll be using more board moving forward.  On another note, the Bowdoin season has resumed.  The lecture / slide presentation by Mark Wethli on his public art documented his efforts to complete a work, Civitas, for the Muskie School of Public Service.  Mr. Wethli abstracted Lorenzetti's 14th century fresco, Effects of Good Government on City Life for this work. The walkthrough from idea to design to build for this project provided a behind-the-scenes insight into the soon-to-be finished work of art.