Mr. Blue Sky

Julian Merrow-Smith, Cabanon and Wheatfield, 2009, oil on gessoed card, 5 x 7 1/2 inches

Slowly but steady I have been working on the larger version of San Remo. What struck me most the morning I painted the study was the clear beautiful blue spring sky above Central Park. I didn't realize that painting a bright beautiful sky would turn out to be a little difficult. I have been looking through books and online at different artists to see how they dealt with painting the sky. Here are a few examples of the work I have been admiring. Mr. Julina Merrow-Smith, above, always hits the right notes in every little painting he does.

Kim Cogan, Homeward Bound, 2009, oil on canvas, 38 x 50 inches

Kim Cogan is one of my favorite contemporary artists. I ran into his work online while surfing the net a while ago. Since then I seem to see his work more often, especially now that he shows in NYC. I will be doing a post dedicated to him soon.

Marc Dalessio, Morocco

Marc Dalessio, a painter living in Italy, travels around the globe to exotic places in search for the perfect plein air landscape. Every time I look at his work and, countries and people he has seen makes want to have his life.

Camille Pissarro, Route de Versaille, Rocquencourt, 1871, oil on canvas, Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, the Netherlands

Johannes Vermeer, View of Delft, 1659-60, oil on canvas, 98.5 x 117.5 cm, Mauritshuis, The Hague

Thomas Eakins, Starting out After Rail, 1974, oil on canvas mounted on masonite, 24 1/4 x 19 7/8 inches, The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

I don't think I need to introduce, or say much, abut the three artists and paintings above. All done in different time periods, styles, and from different areas of the world. But they are all great landscape paintings. Out of all three, Eakins' boating scene draws me in the most. His blue is like no other, and the reflections in the water are pure magic. With all these artists in mind I continue work on my landscape, wishing that it will turn out at least a small fraction as good as these guys' work.