This is, for me, a great opportunity to feature portraits I painted between 1997 and 2012. I exhibited the first wall of portraits at Nashawannuck Gallery, Easthampton, MA in 2000. Nearly 90 townspeople were portrayed in oil on 10 X 10 inch panels for that exhibit. It might be interesting to see again how I made these impressionistic renditions. There have been many new ones painted in these past 12 years. I paint these portraits in "conversation sessions"of not longer than 2 hours. No one is required to sit still. That brings excitement and challenge into the effort and results in

studies that are full of movement and imperfection.

It cleared up nicely this afternoon and we got these light fluffy clouds floating gently by.

I am absolutely addicted to painting the fast-moving clouds we have been having for the past month. Today they started like this and now are fleeing even faster but dull and angry-a real SW storm.

Maybe we will have seen the last butterfly in the garden, but the sunflowers are holding on to their blazing glory. First frost last night and that is the sign of winter to come. I can hold the feeling of late summer flowers in my paintings. They give my house the extra warmth it needs on those frosty fall days.

Our view between the two trees going out and back into the polder. I have painted this many times. Everthing is constantly changing although the two trees and their unique shapes "sculpted" by Herman every spring are somewhat constant points. I never tire of looking into the distance and dreaming of infinity.

Dutch Skies

                                                          Here's the dessert today.

Painting Dutch Skies

It doesn't look like I will run out of subject matter. Every day is a continuing procession of changing forms and colors. Following the flow of movement is addicting.