“I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day. “ Vincent van Gogh
“Night is a world lit by itself.” Antonio Porchia, Voces, 1943, translated from Spanish by W.S. Merwin
The paintings here are all night scenes. For years, I’ve been enraptured by the unique beauty of night, the way the darkness transforms the mundane into the mysterious. An unremarkable tree, under the glow of a single streetlight, against the layered shadows of night, becomes the archetype of all things magical – Yggdrasil, the Tree of Knowledge, the Tree of Life, and so on.
A discussion with a friend about plein air painting, and the constraints of desert life in the summer, led me to experiment with plein air painting at night (plein air de nuit), to explore some of those transformations. A few other night works were created in the studio, with the lights out, working from a reference photo projected onto the wall – to recreate as much as possible the experience of painting in the dark, for subjects and places that are unavailable or unwise to paint plein air nocturnally.
Downhill
DownHill Acrylic on Canvas Board 8″x10″ Description: The second of two paintings depicting the view of Palm Springs, California, from my back patio at night. This was painted on a night, plein air de nuit, with a full moon which … Continue reading
Echoes
Acrylic on Canvas Board 8″ x10″ Description: The front entrance to the Palm Desert Public Library, by night. I was particularly caught up by the way the light striking the support of the front of the building repeated the branching … Continue reading
Lean
Acrylic on Canvas Board 12″x16″ Description: One of my favorite trees in the parking lot of the Palm Desert Public Library. Provenance: 2006 Collection of the Artist Status: Original available – $1,575 * I Hate Entropy 1/2 Off Sale Price: … Continue reading
Night Gold
Acrylic on Canvas Board 11″x14″ Description: Painted on site at the Palm Desert Public Library, late in November 2006. My coldest night painting outdoors to date. The parking lot outside the library has been planted with a great selection of … Continue reading
Night Sketch I
Acrylic on Canvas Board 8″x6″ Description: The first of two paintings depicting the view of Palm Springs, California, from my back patio at night. This was painted on a night with a new moon, leaving the valley particularly dark and … Continue reading
Night Sketch II
Acrylic on Canvas Board 8″x6″ Description: I’m really fascinated by the way ordinary places that we often take for granted are changed at night. What could be more ordinary than my own front door? I’d love the opportunity to paint … Continue reading
Palm Walk
Acrylic on Canvas Board 8″x6″ Description: Painted on site at the Living Desert in Palm Desert, California, on a favorite trail in the palm garden. Provenance: 2006 Collection of the Artist Status: Original Available $400* I Hate Entropy 1/2 Off … Continue reading
The Latin Quarter, Paris
Acrylic on Canvas 12″x16″ Description: My favorite part of Paris, France, was the Latin Quarter. It seemed to bring together the best elements of life in a metropolis – an eclectic mix of sights and sounds and tastes paired with … Continue reading
Trees of Knowledge
Acrylic on Canvas Board 12″x16″ Description: Another view of the arboreal landscape outside of the Palm Desert Public Library, in Palm Desert California. Many desert trees naturally assume a multi-trunk form. Provenance: 2006 Collection of the Artist Status: Original available … Continue reading