The Blacksmith Shop

With all the snow, I decided to paint something warm and inviting. I paint a lot at Musterfield Farm in No. Sutton, NH. This building is used as their blacksmith shop. It was a sunny day and light breeze...ideal for painting as it kept the bugs away.

Painting plein air is always a challenge with the elements. I have painted in sun, rain and snow. Each offers a unique perspective on the world with the various atmospheric changes. I would recommend painting on location for any new or would-be artists. Photos just can't do the site justice. This painting is from a photo but I have spent many days at the farm. I am trying to introduce more color into my paintings.

#47 11x14 $295

I'm sorry I haven't been very diligent about posting new works. I had a very busy summer/fall this year and sold most of my newer works. I will be doing some new paintings in the upcoming months and promise to post more regularly. Be patient with me.

Father & Daughter

Sometimes a commission can touch your heart. In this case it is the story of a soldier in Afghanistan who has only seen his young daughter a couple of times between deployments. He wanted to give her something special for Christmas and commissioned me to do a portrait from a photo of he and his daughter. The painting was done inside a custom painted toy box.

We all pray that he and all the other young men and women come home safely to their families and friends. We also thank them for their courage and wish them a very Merry Christmas or whichever holiday is meaningful to them.
Stay safe...

Pet portraits

Keep in mind...pet portraits for Christmas gifts. Just contact me with your name and address and I will send you one of my brochures with prices, information, etc.

The Ah-h-h Moment

I wanted to create a painting that was both moody and serene. I actually visualized this while sleeping and woke up to make a sketch.

I am still making adjustments to the painting as I post this so it may change a bit before I'm totally done. This happens to lots of us artists. Give us time to stare at our work and we'll always find something to adjust. The illusive word in our vocabulary is "stop".

Anyway, shows this year have been surprisingly successful. I didn't know what to expect because of the economy but I have been selling at each show and look forward to my luck continuing for the next four shows. Check my website for places and dates.

Well, back to painting.

#46 20x24

The Perfect Day

This is one of four paintings I did for the Sharon Arts "paint out" this past week. The lighting was wonderful and the painting made me happy. The previous day that I painted I was grumpy all day as I had little sleep the nite before. Boy, does that affect your painting abilities.

Fortunately, I was able to bounce back for this image. We had really nice weather all week except for drizzle last Monday. I have mixed feelings about the weather since my well is still dry after almost a month. Thank goodness for neighbors and their generous offers to let me shower and do laundry at their homes. I have a dug well that is only 16' deep. It hasn't dried up like this for almost 16 years. It will take a lot of rain to fill it up again. We've only had a little over 2" since beginning of July. We look at other places that are flooded and I'd rather tote my water.

#45 11x14

Mt. Monadnock

I'm getting ready for my next 6 art shows and just finished this painting of Mt. Monadnock. I am aiming for more color in my landscapes and hope I have achieved it in this work.

I tried underpainting with very vivid colors (reds, purples, golds) which a lot of artists use and found it gives more life to the painting. I am also trying not to do so much detail work but rather a suggestion of the subject matter. It is difficult for me as I am so detail oriented, but giving it a go anyway. I will still do the fine details in the artwork that calls for it so that I don't have to go cold turkey.

I hope some of you will be able to make an upcoming show. My schedule is posted at my website: http://www.eileenbelanger.com/.

#44 18x36