The Pochade Box

Lindale

2010-10-28T16:58:00.001-07:00

"Lindale" 12"x16" oil on linen

I found this old beat up boat in Millville, Florida at one of the boat yards I frequent. Sometimes it takes awhile to settle on a subject, but not this time. As soon as I saw the dark, mysterious presence of this old fishing vessel I quickly got to work. Since I was working relatively large for a plein air piece, my goal was to stay loose with the background and focus on my subject, the boat "Lindale". In the end, I was pleased with the results.

Henry's Pride and Rosa Marie II

2010-02-09T20:39:00.000-08:00

I've got two new plein air pieces to share and an announcement about an upcoming show. I will be showing this weekend at the Coconut Point Art Festival in Estero, Florida. More information on the show can be found here. I will have ten new pieces that I haven't shown before. If you live in the area, hope you can come out.
The piece pictured above is a 9"x12" painting I did recently in the small town of Millville, Florida, one of my secret painting locations. No fancy condos here!
The painting pictured below was done in Apalachicola, Florida. I completed about 75 percent of this 6"x8" on location two years ago and it's been in my studio hiding behind some other paintings ever since. I had forgotten about until I came across it a few days ago and decided to finish it up today. Glad I did. I really like this one!

In For Repairs

2010-02-08T13:49:00.000-08:00

I painted this one in Apalachicola, Florida on a gray winter day. I was set up to paint a boat closer in the harbor but when I saw this one pull in, that quickly changed. I was lured in by the interesting contrast of the white boat against a cluster of dark pines comprising the background. The crew was working on one of the outriggers, so, I figured (or at least hoped) I would have enough time to paint her before she took off. And I did.

Fresh Shrimp

2010-02-07T12:54:00.001-08:00

I painted this piece one afternoon in St. Andrews, Florida while set up on the dock at the "Shrimp Boat" restaurant, which, by the way, happens to be one of my favorite places to dine. It has a long history in our town, great seafood, and is just down the road from the main gallery in which I show my work. The boat I chose as my subject is named "Deep South" and it supplies the fresh shrimp which can be purchased at the seafood market located within the restaurant.

"Fresh Shrimp" 6"x8" oil on linen. Click here for purchase info.

Tropical Storm Ida, Laguna Beach, Florida

2009-11-22T11:29:00.001-08:00

I painted this piece in Laguna Beach, Florida the morning after Tropical Storm Ida came to shore a few miles to the west. White, choppy surf was coming in with a loud roar and double red flags danced violently against the wind as braced my easel and defied the cold drizzling rain. Once again, I felt "alive!"

Camp Helen State Park

2009-11-06T09:45:00.001-08:00

Lately, I've been visiting local beaches doing some plein air painting. There are some magnificent state parks here in the panhandle of Florida that have preserved the natural landscape. This particular one is Camp Helen State Park.

The weather has finally started cooling off, making my beach excursions much more pleasurable. In addition, the light seems a little softer and colors more crisp--truly one of the best times of the year to paint this area. I'll be posting more beach pieces in the weeks ahead but for now, I hope you enjoy this one.

"Camp Helen State Park" 6" x 8" original oil on linen. Click on painting for purchase info.

After the Rain, Massalina Bayou

2009-09-04T06:47:00.000-07:00

When I headed out today, there were dark ominous clouds overhead, but the threat of rain wouldn’t impact my decision to go painting.

I make no apologies for returning to one of my old faithful painting locations, Massalina Bayou. I paint here often but there’s always something different to see and besides, it’s close to where I live.

Today was one of those “good days” we all wish we had more often. I wasted no time in finding my subject, getting to work, and accomplishing my goal. Needless to say, it doesn’t always happen this way.

I got rained on a couple of brief moments but didn’t let that slow me down. A lot of people don’t realize that when plein air painting in oils, it is possible to continue painting during a light rain. Oil and water don’t mix, therefore, the rain drops simply bead up and roll off the canvas leaving the wet paint underneath undisturbed.

I imagined I would have to fake highlights on the vessel a little since it would have otherwise been a “flat” painting, however, I was pleasantly surprised when the dark clouds parted, letting the sun peek through and confirming the vision I had in my head.

After the Rain, Massalina Bayou” 6” x 8” oil on linen. Click here for purchase information.

Crooked Island Sound

2009-08-06T12:59:00.000-07:00

As the name implies, I painted this piece on Crooked Island Sound, which is in the panhandle of Florida. There's a little dirt road that leads to this beautiful secluded beach that's mostly free from visitors--largely due to the fact that it's owned by a military base and most people don't know it's okay for civilians to visit. I landed on the spot pictured below, mainly because I liked the suggested path that leads to the beach.

I got started by employing a technique called scrumbling to paint in the shadow side of the dunes which would serve as my layout of the scene.

I often use old worn out sable brushes like the one you see here to help suggest grass and sea oats without rendering each individual blade--which would appear too stiff and overworked otherwise.

The sun was extremely bright as it bounced up from the white sands we are so famous for in this area. As a result, my eyes began to strain pretty quickly, making it hard to read colors with a reasonable degree of accuracy. Knowing this problem before hand, I remained focused on getting the important elements down in a timely fashion. I returned to my studio later where, working with what I had captured and fresh memories, I made the final adjustments that rendered the painting complete.

Here is the finished painting. You might notice that I've made some slight changes to the view I had before me. I lowered the distant dune and raised the horizon a little to better show the water. This is one of the great advantages of working on location--I can view my subject from different vantage points and tie the whole experience into one convincing scene. Hope you enjoy!

"Crooked Island Sound" 6" x 8" original oil on linen. Click here for purchase info.

Shrimper At Scipio Creek

2009-07-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

I didn't catch the name of this humble little shrimp boat but it's the one that's sitting to the right of the "Dora Mae" in my last post. This was painted at the same location-- Scipio Creek, or Mill Pond (I hear it called both) but on a different day. It was becoming late in the day and the sky was taking on a nice rosy color, especially noticeable in the bottom side of the clouds. I really enjoy painting these boats-- In fact, I'm going to try to produce at least one painting of every old shrimp boat in Apalachicola this Fall, when it cools off a little, since these wonderful subjects won't be around too much longer. "Shrimper at Scipio Creek" 6" x 8" oil on linen. Private Collection.

"Dora Mae" and painting with Donald Demers

2009-06-15T10:33:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful time at "Florida's Forgotten Coast Plein Air Invitational" this year, largely due to the fact that I got to meet and paint with an artist I've looked up to for many years--Donald Demers. Don is a highly respected artist from Maine that is mostly known for his maritime paintings. Not only is Don a masterful painter, he is a very knowledgeable and articulate instructor. I had the privilege of watching two of his demos, one of which is chronicled in this post. It turns out that Don and I choose the same subject on this particular day. Below is my painting of the Dora Mae that I worked on in the early afternoon. Later that day, when Don did his second demo, he choose the same boat but from a little different vantage point. This made it a real delight for me to watch as I was already so familiar with the subject. It's always fun to see how another artist portrays the same subject. Following the two pictures of my painting, you will see Don's demo and his completed piece.

"Dora Mae" 6" x 8" oil on linen. Private Collection.

Above, is my painting in progress and starting below, you will see Don's demo.

I was excited to see Don start his painting much in the same way I start mine--a thin wash of color to serve as an under painting and to tone the canvas. Then he used a small "round " to sketch in the subject.

Now, on to some color. Don puts in the sky first using a mixture of colors with an Alkyd White as a base. Alkyd is a fast drying oil paint which will set up much quicker that standard oils, allowing him to detail the rigging of the boats over an almost dry background at the later stages of the painting. I should mention here, that Don does a lot of painting in the North East where it is much cooler than it is here in Florida. I've found that, at least for me, Alkyd white sets up too quick for my taste here in the hot months (which is most of them). My usual titanium white dries pretty fast on its own. But, like most things in life, painting is full of personal preferences. It's really just a matter of what works for each individual.

The finished picture below does a poor job of representing just how nice this little piece turned out but the photo I shot had too much glare and I had to steal this one from the "Florida's Forgotten Coast Plein Air Invitational" website. I encourage you to take a look at more of Donald Demers' work on his site here. He's a great guy and I hope to paint with him sometime soon up in Maine!

Carrabelle Riverfront

2009-05-01T15:14:00.000-07:00

I painted this piece in the small North Florida town of Carrabelle. While there's not much to this little place, there is an absolutely charming old waterfront. A waterfront where one can see a mixture of working boats, moored to old docks that look like they are about to fall down, to sailboats peacefully waiting for the next adventure. As luck would have it, they were having there annual Riverfront Festival this particular weekend. The street was lined with vendors and festivity, not to mention, fresh, cold, Apalachicola oysters! In addition to getting my "oyster fix," I got to enjoy the live bands while working on this piece. A nice day indeed.

"Carrabelle Riverfront" 6"x 8" original oil on linen. Measures 12" x 14" with included frame. This painting, along with many others, is available from "Florida's Forgotten Coast Plein Air Invitational."

Meander

2009-04-24T11:09:00.000-07:00

Today's painting adventure was not without some challenges. At one of my usual painting locations, I found an old fishing boat that I haven't seen before. Feeling lucking to have spotted a great subject so quickly, I immediately began setting up my equipment but just as I squeezed out the last color of paint onto my palette, my subject pulled away. I search on.

Pictured below, is the scene I eventually discovered for today's plein air session. This beautiful sail boat, named "Meander," seems to be visiting from Maryland, or at least that's what the lettering on the stern indicates. I've featured the boat moored to the right of her in several paintings but this one is new to the area, and therefore, a new subject for me.

Now, a little about the process. Working on linen glued to a birch panel, I started this piece the way I start most of my work-- laying down a very thin wash of yellow ochre and then wiping off the excess color with a paper towel. This leaves a "tint" on the canvas which will peak through here and there, helping to create a nice warm harmony. Now, with some very thin transparent iron oxide red on a small brush I lightly and freely begin to sketch the scene I intend to render.

In the next stage, I block in the general color of the sky and water. From these midtone colors I will later build my darks and then lights.

Next, I begin to render the boats and the background. I am mindful to keep the background, with all its clutter, very loose and abstract. In addition, I keep the colors of the background very muted, thus , pushing them back and giving the illusion of depth. Being able to manipulate a scene to better convey a "feeling" is part of what an artist does to create his interpretation of the scene as opposed to simply duplicating what would be in a lifeless photograph.

Also, at this phase, I start to put in the vertical lines of the masts and pilings which, in my opinion, is where the painting really starts to come to life.

A little cleaning up and better refining of shapes and details and I'm finished. I have to be careful at this point because it's easy to get carried away with overworking things and loosing the freshness of a plein air painting, which would defeat my purpose of being on location in the first place.

"Meander" 6" x 8" original oil on linen. Measures 12" x 14" with included frame. This painting is $500.00 and can be purchased from my website here.

Storm Surge

2008-09-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

I painted this scene on location in Mexico Beach, Florida. There was a huge tidal surge as a result of Hurricane Ike that provided some excellent painting opportunities. Mexico Beach is one of just a few beaches in Florida that has a marina feeding directly into the Gulf. This is the mouth of the marinas canal where it meets the Gulf and has to be dredged on a regular basis to keep the access point open. I was keeping a close watch on the weather and knew that on this particular day the tidal surge would be at its peak during high tide at around 10:00 am. My painting buddy, James, and I arrived around 9:00 am and set up our paint gear. There were quite a few onlookers as this was a great place to check out the awesome surf and to their surprise, watch a couple of artists work. When the massive waves would crash into the barrier rocks, they would send a spray of illuminated sea water reaching back toward the menacing sky. A few brave souls ventured out on the rocks to get a closer look at the forces of nature.

Above is a detail view.
"Storm Surge" 6" x 8" original oil on panel. Measures 12" x 14" with included frame which is black with gold undertones. $600 (click on images for a larger view)

SOLD

A View From Church Ave.

2008-09-08T16:17:00.000-07:00

After several days couped up in the studio, I decided I had better get back outside and do some plein air painting. That being said, I grabbed my gear and headed out to brave the heat and humidity that we are so famous for here on the coast of Florida. Being intent on not wasting any time, I headed straight to one of my regular painting spots on Church Ave. in Millville, where I knew I'd find a good subject.

I've painted the dark blue boat several times before but never from the front, as it's usually facing the opposite direction, so I was quite pleased when I found it today proudly facing forward. There was strong sunlight blasting down on the top of the boats (and me as well) creating a bright golden glow that shimmered against all of the cool greens of the landscape.

Above is a detail view of my main subject in the painting. There's a lot of detail for a 4" x 6" painting.

"A View From Church Ave." 4" x 6" original oil on panel. $250 (click photos for a larger view)

To purchase, click the "Buy Now" button below.

"Contessa"

2008-08-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

On this particular August morning, I set up to paint at St. Andrews Marina in the Panhandle of Florida. It was an off and on rain kind of day but that’s okay, because I like what happens to the sky on days like this. The dense water logged clouds create some dark, cool shadows that support the warm pinkish-yellow reflections of light in the upper less dense portions. This often sets the overall tone or mood of my painting. And so, here it was today, a beautiful sky with a sailboat gleaming on the dark reflective waters below. What more could I ask for?

"Contessa" 6" x 8" oil on linen $700 (click image for larger view)

"A Favorite Place"

2008-08-18T10:24:00.000-07:00

In the Panhandle of Florida, tucked away in an old part of Panama City, exists a favorite painting location of mine. Massalina Bayou offers some magical opportunities for an artist, like myself. Old buildings at the water’s edge provide a hidden oasis for a multitude of resting sailboats waiting for the weekend, waiting for adventure, waiting to be set free. I set up my pochade box and attempt to capture, with paint and canvas, the story laden charm this little inlet possesses.

"A Favorite Place" 8" x 10" oil on linen $1000 (click image for larger view)

A View at St. Andrews

2008-08-17T09:20:00.001-07:00

Today I’ve chosen to set my easel up under a gazebo in St. Andrews, Florida. I’ve painted at this spot several times before. In fact, I’ve painted this sailboat before, but never the front view. When I saw the vessel had been reversed in the slip, it took little time to decide this would be my subject, as I already knew how well this boat, with all its glorious accessories, would translate to canvas. She is an adventure waiting to happen.

"A View at St. Andrews" 6" x 8" oil on linen $700 (click image for larger view)

East Coast Seafood

2008-08-17T08:32:00.001-07:00

These are some of the views of the working waterfront on Tilghman Island, Maryland. I found lots of interesting subjects to paint on my recent visit here and at the bottom of the post is one of my choices. I hope you enjoy.

I felt the small seafood processing plant, along with the fishing boats in the foreground, really tells the story of this little area where generations of fishermen have earned their living fishing the Chesapeake Bay. It’s my understanding that this area is destined for some development in the near future. Fishermen will soon be pushed out by fancy condos or something of the sorts. I hope I’m able to paint here again before that happens. The proud white structure in the background had a sign that read “East Coast Seafood,” hence the title.

"East Coast Seafood" 6" x 8" oil on linen. $650 (click image for larger view)

"A Day At The Beach"

2008-08-05T06:48:00.001-07:00

Realizing summer is quickly passing and the kids will be back in school, I figured I’d better take my daughter to the beach soon. Fortunately for me, this doesn’t mean taking the day off from work but rather, taking my work with me. When we arrived at the beach, I was pleased to see there was a lot of action with the crashing waves and the quick moving clouds. I think this piece captures the essence of the day, a day at the beach, Panama City Beach, Florida.

"A Day at the Beach" 6" x 8" oil on linen

Plein Air Easton---Post 6 "The End"

2008-08-05T06:01:00.001-07:00

"Boats on Tilghman Island"

This is going to be my last post on "Plein air Easton." It was an exciting week and a wonderful event. I got to make some new artist friends, paint in some new places, and sold six paintings. I hope to return next year.

I found these two old boats on Tilghman Island, a small fishing village on Chesapeake Bay. The morning sun was striking as it cast it’s warmth on the hulls of the old friends. I was able to set up my pochade box on the opposing shore, where I painted, observed, and battled the menacing heat. There is a series of docks to the right of the boats where fisherman come to unload their morning catch of crabs. Seeing things like this while I am painting really helps me capture the spirit of the scene.

"Boats on Tilghman Island" 6" x 8" oil on linen.

Plein Air Easton---Post 5

2008-08-04T20:23:00.001-07:00

"Afternoon in Oxford"

I painted this little gem at a marina in Oxford, Maryland during “Plein Air Easton,” the premiere painting festival on the Eastern Shore. It was quite hot during my trip here, so, in my attempts to stay cool, I found a great little spot in the shade at this marina, where these two sailboats were resting in the afternoon sun. This was one of my three pieces that didn’t get finished in time to turn in for the sales event at the end of the festival. I just put the finishing touches on it and here it is. I’m glad I didn’t rush this one.

"Afternoon in Oxford" 6" x 8" oil on linen.

Plein Air Easton---Post 4 Quick Draw

2008-07-26T16:37:00.000-07:00

Today was the quickdraw event. It was open to not just the Plein Air Easton competition artists, but anyone who registered and paid a ten dollar fee could participate. There was an area of a few blocks that we had to stay within. We could pick our spot and set up but we couldn't start painting until 10:00 am. We had exactly two hours to paint our piece and put it in a frame and have it turned in by 12:00 noon. Kirk Larsen was painting behind me and I assumed he was going for a slightly different view of the same subject. As soon as I finished, I walked back to take a look at his piece and to my surprise, he painted me painting. How cool was that? What a nice job he did in such a short time. The painting is at the bottom of this post. This was my first quickdraw event and I must say, it was a blast! Tons of people showed up to watch all the artists paint. At 12:00 we all lined up our easels, displaying our "just finished" works, on both sides of a street where patrons could view and purchase the paintings. There was an awesome turnout and I'm happy to say, I sold my piece before I could get it up on display!

Oh yeah, my friend Larry Moore won a much deserved first place for his painting of the farmers market during the quickdraw. Way to go Larry!

The opening show last night was a success. The tickets were sold out and I managed to sell five of the eight paintings I entered. I've got a few more pieces that I still have to finish up that I will be posting soon.

Plein Air Easton---Post 3

2008-07-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

"Silver Heels"

I painted this little jewel at a marina in Oxford, Maryland. There were a lot of great subjects to choose from but I settled on this particular boat that caught my attention as it was sparkling in the sunshine as if to say “hey, choose me.” I liked the composition since it had some light distant areas contrasted with the darker foreground, thus giving it lots of depth. Despite its small size, I worked on this piece pretty much all day, with a short break for the rain. I got the colors down first since I knew they would change as the day progressed and then spent the remainder of my time refining the drawing and adding the finer details. By the way, the boat was named “Silver Heels.”

This is the second of my two competition paintings that I will be entering. Once again, it is a bad photo due to the glare of the wet paint. Oh well...........

Plein Air Easton---Post 2

2008-07-24T14:37:00.000-07:00

"Marina in Oxford"

Finding this marina in Oxford was probably the highlight of my trip to Maryland. There are so many things I’d like to paint there. The two old structures, where they service some of the best looking boats in the world, are painted a deep red, a red often seen on barns, a red that creates a breathtaking backdrop for a harbor scene like this one. The boat that found its way in my painting is just one example of the many fine vessels that can be seen there.

This will be one of my two competition paintings. The photography is not the greatest since the piece is wet and giving off a glare in areas.

Plein Air Easton--Post 1

2008-07-18T12:04:00.000-07:00

The next eleven days of posting on my blog are going to be a little different than my usual postings, which include pictures of a painting with a short blurb detailing my thoughts on the piece. Instead, I'm going to be chronicling my trip, along with my art, to "Plein Air Easton," the much talked about plein air event in Easton, Maryland. It is my goal to post my paintings, along with event happenings, each day. The paintings will be for sale at the collector's party at the end of the event. Above, are my tools of the trade. My trusty leather bag that holds everything I need while I am out painting on location, which includes my pochade box,tripod, paints, panels, paper towels and misc. items like sunscreen and bug repellent. Pictured on the left is the stack of of panels I'm taking to paint on. I will be working strickly on 6" x 8" panels. While this is small by some artist's standards, I find it is a good size for me since I put a lot of detail in my paintings and would rather spend my time developing a painting to a higher degree rather than being concerned about covering a large canvas. But that's just "me" and how "I" paint. Pictured to the right is my pochade box and a wet panel carrier. As you can see, I try to travel light.

Getting ready to leave in my Roadtreck, which is a small motorhome and my home away from home when I'm on the road. In addition to the equipment I mentioned above, I've got all of my frames I will be using loaded in the van. Water, food, clothes, linens, gas, propane, hmmm, guess that's about it.

Should be leaving at about 5:00 am tomorrow morning.

"Boatyard on Church Street"

2008-07-08T07:28:00.000-07:00

I painted this piece at a small boatyard at the end of Church Street in Millville, Florida, a little street in an even smaller town. I truly love getting off the beaten path and discovering what small coastal towns have to offer. This boatyard has a lot of old fishing boats up on blocks, receiving some much needed T.L.C. Each boat seemed to be saying “look at me,” like caged puppies in a pet store, wanting to be the chosen one. Since, like puppies, I couldn’t go home with them all, I decided on this old boat which seemed to be barking the loudest.

6" x 8" oil on linen. For purchase information, visit my site at www.martinfiglinski.com

"Sail Boats on Watson Bayou"

2008-07-08T07:06:00.000-07:00

I painted this piece while standing at the water’s edge on Watson Bayou, which is located in the panhandle of Florida. I paint on this waterway frequently but never from this particular vantage point. That would soon change, as I found a composition with these two boats, one being white, the other a contrasting dark blue, resting calmly in front of an interesting background, complete with some natural landscape and a few structures. It was begging to be painted.

8" x 10" oil on linen. For purchase information, visit my site at www.martinfiglinski.com

"Serendipity"

2008-07-07T16:00:00.001-07:00

This piece is a new favorite of mine for a number of reasons. I’ve been trying lately to make my subject take up less of the canvas, thus, including more elements in the composition, but without distracting from my focal point. I think I pulled it off well in this painting by making the surrounding boats softer and less detailed. The sail boat on the left is where I put all of the painting’s detail and the thicker passages of paint with a palette knife. This serves well in making the subject jump out from the supporting background elements. This piece was painted on location at St. Andrews Marina in the Panhandle of Florida and the name of the boat was “Serendipity.”

"Moored at Massalina"

2008-07-03T16:04:00.000-07:00

Massalina Bayou, a small bayou in Panama City, Florida, is a great place to sit on your boat and read a book while enjoying the peace and quiet this little paradise has to offer. Or, if you’re an artist, like myself, it’s an even better place to set up and do a plein air painting, which is why I can be seen here so frequently. I’m always fascinated by old buildings and sailboats. This place has both.

6" x 8" oil on linen. For purchase information, vist my site at www.martinfiglinski.com

"Miss Em"

2008-07-02T08:38:00.001-07:00

The full name of this beautiful boat is “Divine Miss ‘Em” and I have painted her before here in St. Andrews Marina, which is in the Panhandle of Florida. The last time I painted her it was on a cold winter day but this time it is mid June and plenty warm, which is why I’m under a gazebo, in the shade. I was lured in by the recent addition of a striped awning that was draped over the top of the boat to help shade the bright sun. It created an interesting pattern and a nice repetition to the red stripes of the American flag.

For Purchase information, visit my site at www.martinfiglinski.com

2008-06-30T17:22:00.000-07:00

Here I am, at one of my favorite painting locations. It’s Watson Bayou, in Millville, Florida. Today, I chose to paint this little sailboat, named “Dilliance,” that seems to visiting from San Francisco, or at least that’s what the lettering on the hull indicates. I spotted it a couple of days ago while painting a different boat and was impressed by the way all of its chrome trim was sparkling on the water below. I knew I would be back. It just had to be painted.

For purchase information, visit my site at www.martinfiglinski.com

Vincent Vu

2008-06-30T09:33:00.001-07:00

Old shrimp boats are on of my favorite subjects to paint. I found this one in Millville, Florida, moored at a boatyard where I’ve been doing a lot of painting lately. It’s a great place to find subjects since its always changing. As evidenced from the painting, it was late afternoon and the golden sunlight was glowing on the hull of the old work horse. This, along with the reflections in the water, is what caused me to decide on this particular boat as my subject on this hot June afternoon. Did I mention “Vincent Vu” was the name of the boat?

For purchase information, visit my site at www.martinfiglinski.com

Gills Rock Harbor

2008-06-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

"Gills Rock Harbor" 6" x8" oil on linen

I painted this little gem in Gills Rock, which is at the northern tip of the Door Peninsula in Wisconsin. Although it was mid June, it was still pretty cold here as the wind blew across Green Bay. And being a Florida Boy, I didn’t think to bring a jacket. I was especially drawn to how the white trim contrasted with the dark brown siding on the little building very much in the same way the white boat radiated against the dark cool water. Since it was such an interesting scene, I knew the rewards would make it worth braving the cold while I painted and so I did.

visit www.martinfiglinski.com for purchase info.

Tugs on Sturgeon Bay

2008-06-20T12:59:00.000-07:00

I found this fleet of old tugs moored at a harbor in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. I couldn’t resist painting the grouping of boats even though I knew this would be a challenge to paint en plein air due to the complexity of the subject. Thankfully, the overcast sky, with its consistent light, provided me plenty of working time.

8" x 10" oil on linen. Measures 14" x 16" with included frame. $1200. Call the artist direct to purchase at 850-814-7271 Visa, Mastercard and checks accepted. Don't forget to visit my site at http://www.martinfiglinski.com/

Afternoon at Laguna Beach

2008-06-08T10:14:00.001-07:00

It’s early June and it’s starting to get pretty hot here in Florida but I decide to brave the heat and head for the beach this particular afternoon in attempts to capture the long shadows and warm light reflecting from the dunes. Let’s not forget the emarald green water, water that beckons the overheated beach goers to come in and cool off. The location of this painting is the west end of Panama City Beach, Florida, at a small stretch of waterfront referred to by the locals as “Laguna Beach.”

6" x 8" original oil on linen. $500.00

Measures 12" x 14" with included frame (black or gold)

To purchase, call the artist direct at 850-814-7281 Visa , Mastercard and checks accepted.

Clouds Moving in Over Mexico Beach

2008-05-28T12:41:00.001-07:00

This is a painting I produced during “Florida’s Forgotten Coast Plein Air Invitational.” It was painted on site at Mexico Beach, which is in Northwest Florida. Cloudy days make for some nice opportunities to paint at the beach since there is less of the blinding glare that is prevalent on sunny days. The gray in the sky also changes the colors in the water, making them a little darker and more moody.

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Mexico Beach

2008-05-28T12:35:00.001-07:00

I painted this piece on beautiful Mexico Beach, Florida. Mexico Beach is in Northwest Florida or what we refer to as the “Panhandle.” It’s where I usually bring my family when we want to spend a day at the beach since it moves at a much slower pace than neighboring Panama City Beach but you still get to enjoy the sugar white sands and the gentle waves from the Gulf of Mexico. I had a few onlookers at times while I worked quickly to capture the changing afternoon sun. A special “Thanks” goes to Janet Young, who stopped by to watch and shot a few photos of me painting that she later emailed to me.

For purchase info. visit my site at www.martinfiglinski.com

Rosa Marie

2008-05-28T11:45:00.001-07:00

I painted this piece as a demonstration at “Florida’s Forgotten Coast Plein Air Invitational.” The location is Veteran’s Park in Apalachicola, Florida. This was the last day of our ten day event and a multitude of people showed up and watched myself and several other artists paint. This is a very popular spot in Apalachicola where you often see tourist taking pictures of the old fishing boats and I’m sure the “Rosa Marie” has been in quite a few. She has such a majestic presence contrasted by low profile existence of the sunken boat resting behind her. I'm pretty happy with the results and think I'll use this piece as reference for a larger studio painting.

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Going For A Swim

2008-05-08T06:39:00.000-07:00

You wanna know what’s so awesome about painting on location, from life? It’s the experience. It’s observing a scene over a period of time. It’s the special things that take place during the process. It’s the way things evolve . For example, this piece was going to be mostly about the fishing boats and the subtle colors in the cloudy sky but when I looked back and saw this lady in a small boat paddling my way, I knew that was about to change. She looked so picturesque in her flowered dress, straw hat and with her dog riding at the bow. I asked where she was going and she replied, “To a small sandy shore up the way where I often take my dog to swim. I snapped a couple of photos as she passed by and added her to the painting later, creating a new meaning to the piece. You never know what you’re going to end up with when you go out painting.

St. Pat

2008-04-23T14:07:00.001-07:00

I found this old fishing boat docked at St. Andrews Marina. It looked as if it had many stories to tell. That’s one of the reasons why I enjoy painting these old boats here in North Florida. The bright sunlight was casting a warm glow on her side creating a spectacular contrast against the cool dark water. In addition, the two green trim pieces running down the sides, along with the orange rust stains, added some interest to what would otherwise be a boring white plane. I'm constantly on the lookout for such elements when scouting a new subject. Did I mention the side of the hull read “St. Pat?”

St. Andrews Marina

2008-04-15T16:26:00.000-07:00

Days like this are great excitement for me. An impending rain storm can create some pretty interesting skies and lighting effects that are seldom seen otherwise. The obvious challenge is trying to capture the dramatic light and trying to do so before the weather makes it impossible. When I started this canvas there were some gray clouds dancing around but nothing too threatening. I knew from the forecast that things would be changing soon and I would have to work diligently. Sometimes, when painting under these circumstances, an artist is forced to abbreviate and suggest the supporting elements in a looser less labored manner, thus, allowing the main subject to take center stage. While this is usually the goal in a painting, it is often easy to loose sight of the goal when afforded unlimited time, like when working in the studio. Nothing sharpens your painting skills like working from life.

By the way, we made it back in the jeep just as the rain started. That was fun!

Ingenue

2008-04-14T12:52:00.001-07:00

The pictures above show my painting "Ingenue" (the name of the boat) as it progresses. The location was at St. Andrews Marina in the panhandle of Florida. For the most part, it was a pretty good day to paint. The only real obstacle was the bright glare on my palette as can be seen from the pictures. It was too windy to use an umbrella (as it usually is). While I would prefer to not have a glare, I've learned over the years to compensate for such lighting conditions. The yellow color in the unfinished areas you see shows the color I "toned" the canvas with. I usually use a light wash of yellow ochre for this when I'm doing a sunny painting. You will see this color peeking through in small places throughout the painting, especially in the sky, where it helps to "warm" the sky, thus making it appear sunny. If the blue in the sky is too "cool" it will read as an overcast day--not what we want here. The final picture shows the completed painting. You might notice how I have chosen to edit and omit certain things in the background. These are the kinds of decisions that artists have to make in order to create a painting that best conveys the experience, as opposed to a lifeless photograph. Hope you enjoy and as always, I welcome your comments.

Gale Force

2008-04-09T14:03:00.001-07:00

My friend James and I were cruising Watson Bayou in a boat, looking for that perfect subject to paint when James looks over his shoulder and yells "look at that." It took about two seconds for us both to agree this was what we were going to paint. So, down went the anchors and out came the brushes. Once the initial drawing phase began, it became evident we had chosen a challenge, especially with the afternoon sun slowly getting closer to the earth, as to say, "who do you think you are trying to tackle such complexity within the time limits I will allow." We tread on. I was actually making good progress with a steady pace that was beginning to show signs of fruition when a couple of gentlemen appeared on the fishing boat (Gale Force) and began moving things around. I saw this as a good opportunity to snap a couple of photos of the gents to include in the piece later. Then it occurred to us that they were untying the boat. Yes, as my usual luck has it, the boat pulled out, leaving the empty spot you see in the photo. No big deal though, since I had blocked it in and would be able to use my photo to add the details later. I continued to paint diligently and got the piece about three quarters finished while on the boat and then the sun started to fade so we headed for the boat ramp and called it a day. I added the finishing touches the next day in my studio while everything was still fresh in my mind. In the end, I think this painting captures a little taste of the "Old Florida" that still exists on Watson Bayou. By the way, James' painting turned out quite nice as well.

Margarita

2008-01-16T11:50:00.000-08:00

Here I am again at Massalina Bayou in Panama City, Florida. I've been wanting to paint this scene for a while as I liked how the buildings make an interesting backdrop for the boats which are my main subject. Knowing in advance how I wanted the scene to look, I knew I'd need to take some liberties with how I portray the structures. I changed the color a bit for more interest and made them a little lighter so they would recede slightly, thus, taking second stage to the boats. A few windows were suggested so to ease the industrial look that may be interpreted without them. It was mid morning and the sun was bright. This caused a nice reflection on the hull of the white boat (Margarita). I did my best to capture this effect of the bright warm white contrasting against the cool dark shadows under the dock. I knew this would be the most exciting area in the finished piece. I plan on returning to this location at a slightly different vantage point to do another piece as a mate to this one.

"Margarita" 9" x 12" oil on linen.

Divine Miss Em

2007-12-23T19:09:00.000-08:00

"Divine Miss Em" 6" x 8" oil on linen.

It's Saturday and we settled on a new location for today's "catch." We are at the old marina in St. Andrews, Florida. Once again, it's cold and even a bit damp. The forecast said it would be warming up as the day progressed but apparently that was some kind of joke or something. It just kept getting colder by the minute. James, via his whining rhetoric, expressed it was colder than the last time we went out but I think it was just that he didn't wear his "stylish" insulated jump suite. Despite the cold, we hung in there and got some painting done. I did my best to convey the cold damp day on this piece by keeping the background primarily cool gray colors. This, in return, helped bring the boat forward, making it the main focus. The name of my subject here was "Divine Miss Em" and it seemed to visiting us from Destin, Florida. I think this is one of the better plein air pieces I've completed lately. Hope you enjoy.

Below is my subject just before I started.

Roses for Connie

2007-12-23T16:34:00.000-08:00

The holidays are upon us and as we all know, that means our routines can get turned upside down but in a good way. While my intent for this blog is to journal my plein air adventures, todays offering is a piece I promised my lovely wife (hope I get brownie points for that) I would do for her mother as a Christmas gift. I did this piece in the studio from a nice little arrangement of roses I put together. Despite it's small size, I was pretty pleased with the variety of brush strokes and palette knife work.

Miss Kathy and Friends

2007-12-19T18:41:00.000-08:00

O. K. here we go.......Today's painting adventure presented several challenges. As I walked up and down the dock looking for that "perfect" scene, I spotted this group of sailboats that had some nice things going on with the reflections in the water. There was a nice large section on the dock where I could set up my equipment without getting in anyone's way. The weather was as perfect as my mother-in-law's fried chicken and the water as still as me after eating too much of it. It was, a nice quiet day but not for long. As soon as I got the initial sketching in, a group of workers migrated close to me and started working on the sea wall. Complete with pounding jack hammers and concrete saws screaming for mercy. Thank God for Ipods and the invention of noise cancelling earphones. Problem solved. Back to my painting. WOW, I think as I look up at the center boat (Miss Kathy) and see the captain moving around the stern of the boat. He is dressed as if I phoned earlier and advised I would be painting his boat and need him to pose. It would go something like this. "Perhaps you could wear something colorful like a fiery red shirt and maybe a bright yellow hat. Then bend down and act like you are untying the boat. I think that would create a nice focal point." Wait a minute, did I say "untying the boat?" Yea, you guessed it, problem number two. Since I hadn't called and he wasn't posing he really was untying the boat and LEAVING! Luckily, in all my excitement over the brightly clad captain, I pulled out my camera and took several pictures of him in various positions on the boat. This would serve me well, later in the studio, where I would have to finish the middle boat. Shouldn't be much of a problem since I could refer to the other two boats for color reference and not have to rely on the camera's inability to capture colors accurately. Despite these set backs, I stayed focused and finished everything else before packing up and coming home to the studio where I finished the missing boat. I must say, I'm quite pleased with this piece and think I might translate it to a larger studio painting using the plein air piece as reference. Sorry the photo is bad. I will re shoot and post later after the paint dries and has less glare. But for now............... "Miss Kathy and Friends" 6" x 8" oil on linen

Challenger

2007-12-18T13:07:00.001-08:00

6" x 8" oil on linen
for more info. visit my site: www.martinfiglinski.com

Today, my painting friend James and I braved the cold (the 40's is cold for us Florida Folks) to return to the same bayou in Millville, Florida where I did my last painting, "Stars and Stripes." This view is of the other side of the water where a few fishing boats dock. It was a mostly overcast day but the sun would come out intermittently. I tried to paint the light on the boats the way it looked when we would get a glimpse of the suns powerful rays illuminating their hulls. James painted this view the last time we were here but the boat on the left wasn't there. I knew in advance I wanted to paint the old fishing boat on the right (the Challenger) after seeing James' rendition of it the last trip. It was a pleasant surprise to find the new boat docked to the left making a composition that was a little more interesting. It looked as though it had just been refurbished with it's bright blue trim sparkling againt the water. A nice contrast to the Challenger with it's look of tales to be told. I'm sure I'll end up in this location again soon. Still more to paint!

Stars and Stripes

2007-12-16T20:02:00.000-08:00

This is a small painting I did Saturday Morning at a bayou I discovered in Millville, Florida. I was drawn to the nice contrast that was created by the white of the boats against the dark foliage and water. I especially like the American flag flying on the blue boat, hence the title, "Stars and Stripes." I will be painting at this location again very soon. 6" x 8" oil on linen.

Scipio Creek

2007-12-09T08:57:00.000-08:00

I spent this Saturday in Apalachicola, Florida painting at Scipio Creek. As the photos show, it was a grayish overcast day. Typical of the winter here in North Florida. Since the light was constant, I was able to complete two 12" x 16" canvasses this day. I've painted here several times before. It's one of the locations where a lot of us end up during the "Forgotten Coast Paint Out" that takes place in May. Apalachicola offers plenty of great subjects from old shrimp boats that are somehow still in use to the beautifully maintained victorian homes from a time when Apalachicola was a booming port town. Not to mention it's famous for it's oysters! " Scipio Creek" 12" x 16" oil on linen
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"Solitude on Scipio Creek" 12" x 16" oil on linen
for more details visit my site: www.martinfiglinski.com

Sanctuary

2007-12-09T06:15:00.000-08:00

My buddy James found this awesome place to paint in Parker, Florida. He approached the gentleman's house and asked if we could explore his property for some painting subjects. Turns out, the owner is a boat builder and has an awesome old wood shop that was built in the late 1800's. He showed me around a bit and I was quite excited about all of the painting possibilities but in the end I settled on this sail boat that was docked in the back of his property. It was late afternoon with not much time left before sunset but I was taken with how the sun was bouncing off this beautiful boat. I was told it belongs to a retired minister. I guess that explaines the name of the boat, "Sanctuary." I was just finishing up as the sun dropped and the whole scene drasticly changed. Good thing I stayed focused and worked diligently on this one (not always the case). I'm sure I'll be back to this spot soon. Hopefully I'll do a piece with the old workshop as the subject. It seems to be calling my name.......... Sanctuary 6" x 8" oil on linen.

for more details, visit my site: http://www.martinfiglinski.com/

Saturday Invitation

2007-12-05T20:41:00.000-08:00

I found this subject at one of my favorite painting spots, Massalina Bayou in Panama City, Florida. This was the first time I painted here in a while and was delighted to see many different boats since my last time here. This was one of them. A couple of days later, I was painting here again and a gentleman came to see what I was doing and introduced himself. As fate would have it, he was the owner of this boat and invited me to stop in on a Saturday afternoon for the weekly boat party. Saturday Invitation.
11" x 14" oil on linen.