"Armstrong Road"

Another painting done during the Billsboro Winery Plein Air Festival – and my personal favorite from the weekend.    For a plein air work, it is large – 14″ x 21″.  Generally I work at quarter sheet size, or smaller, when I paint outdoors.   I chose a larger size for this work mostly because of the nature of the landscape.  The geography of the area around Geneva, NY is mostly flat with some rolling hills and very large farm fields.  Unlike my home state of Vermont, this area features roads that stretch out straight toward the horizon, hardly broken by curves and turns.   The format of a half sheet of watercolor paper emphasizes the horizontal and seem particularly appropriate for this scene.

I wanted to capture the road stretching into the distance and the expansive fields of crops interrupted only by a few farm structures that, though vary large in reality, are dwarfed by the rest of the landscape.

The painting would suggest that it was a rainy day.  It wasn’t rainy, but the sky was moving and moody.  The puddle to the far left was not actually there.  The ditch was, but I felt that the ditch without a pool of water would be a bit uninteresting so I added the puddle and reflections.

It was also very breezy – I had one hand on the easel for most of the painting session.  During those times when I stepped back to take a look – I had also to be prepared to sprint to catch the easel from being blown completely over.   Just to show that plein air painting can be hazardous, it once blew over and whacked me upside the head while I was looking away – a week later, I still have the wound on my temple to show for it!

Why is it my favorite from the weekend?  Not totally certain but it came out fairly well given the trying conditions and the mild headache delivered by my easel halfway through the session!  This kind of subject always appeals to me – rural landscape, moody sky, the contrast of color and value.  This work was especially fun and challenging because of the variety of greens needed to separate one field from another.   I completed three other works during the weekend – “Lady in the Park” was posted earlier this week and the other two works “Balmanno Glass” & “Rose Hill Afternoon” can be seen on my facebook page.

Contact me if you have an interest in this or any other paintings on the site. Email me at tc@tonyconner.com or by phone at 802-375-5548.

I enjoy welcoming visitors to my Studio Gallery. It is open by appointment – please contact me to arrange a visit.

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"Lady in the Park"

This painting was completed during this weekend’s Billsboro Winery 3rd Annual Plein Air Festival and was awarded Third Prize in the Competition.

The scene is the war memorial pool, fountain & statue, titled “Peace” in Pulteney Park, in downtown Geneva.

I began the work early in the morning and wanted to capture the feel of the light on the statue and the four fountains.  The pool itself is constructed of an unusual orange colored stone, perhaps granite, and is lined with a bright blue material. In contrast, the statue is a light colored stone that captured light, shade and shadow in very subtle shades of gray.   Being in a park setting, the memorial is surrounded by all sorts of trees and shrubs of varying shades of green.

Often in my work, I take liberties with local color.  In this instance,  the bright orange and blue of the pool seemed just right to me, so I stayed fairly true to the look of the scene as it exists.

As always, working “en plein air” has its challenges.  On this particular day, with bright sunshine and summer temperatures, the biggest challenge was getting washes that were wet enough.

This work has been purchased and is now in private collection. Contact me if you have an interest any other paintings on the site. Email me at tc@tonyconner.com or by phone at 802-375-5548.

I enjoy welcoming visitors to my Studio Gallery. It is open by appointment – please contact me to arrange a visit – email:mail@tonyconner.com or phone:802 375 5548

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"East Gloucester Rental"

The Billsboro Winery 3rd Annual Plein Air Painting Festival takes place this weekend, August 13-15, 2010.    Plein air painters from near and far – including myself -  will be painting all around the area Geneva and the beautiful northern shores of Seneca Lake.

The public is encouraged to observe the artists painting scenes in the area both Friday and Saturday and to attend the Juried Competition and Gallery Reception on Saturday evening and the Public Exhibition and Sale on Sunday.

For more information about the event, see the Billsboro Winery website.

Contact me if you have an interest in this or any other paintings on the site. Email me at tc@tonyconner.com or by phone at 802-375-5548.

I enjoy welcoming visitors to my Studio Gallery. It is open by appointment – please contact me to arrange a visit – email:mail@tonyconner.com or phone:802 375 5548

Sign up form for my email list for News, Events, Exhibits & Classes

"Beached"

The Manchester Arts Festival takes place this coming Saturday, July 24, 2010, 9am – 6pm.  The Festival features a variety of work in many different mediums, all by New England artists.  You’ll find – fine art, sculpture, textiles, pottery, jewelry, apparel & accessories, garden ornaments,  and photography.

Located on beautiful Cape Ann, Massachusetts, Manchester-by-the-Sea, is a  quintessential New England coast community.

I’ll be exhibiting 20 original watercolor paintings – including “Beached”, above – along with limited edition glicee’ prints.

Contact me if you have an interest in this or any other paintings on the site. Email me at tc@tonyconner.com or by phone at 802-375-5548.

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"White Boat, Red Boat"

Arts Fest Beverly takes place tomorrow, Saturday, June 19, 2010 from 10am – 4pm on Cabot Street in Beverly Massachusetts.  Over 100 artists and crafters, including myself, will be offering a range of unique items.

“White Boat, Red Boat” is one of the 18 original paintings I’ll be exhibiting, along with limited edition gliclee’ prints and unframed originals as well.

See you on Cabot Street in Beverly tomorrow!

Contact me if you have an interest in this or any other paintings on the site. Email me at tc@tonyconner.com or by phone at 802-375-5548.

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"Time Gone By"" Back to Basics"

The North Adams Artists Co-op gallery opens a new exhibit called “Back to Basics” next Thursday, May 27.  The Opening Reception is Thursday, May 27th, 2010 from 5 to 8pm and is open to the public. The exhibit runs May 27 – June 20, 2010.
The theme of the exhibit allows the artist to show work that may go in a few directions: simplification is obvious but the artist may also choose to go back to his/her beginnings, as an artist. We all have arrived at our current art/state through a series of progressive steps…so perhaps, the work for this exhibition re-examines where we came from, literally or figuratively.

Three of my works will be on view; “Time Gone By” shown above as well as “Common Old Man” and “Hoosick Falls”, below.

"Common Old Man"

"Hoosick Falls"

The NAACO Gallery is located at 33 Main Street, North Adams, Massachusetts, and is open Monday,  Thursday, Friday & Saturday from 11am – 6pm and Sunday from 12pm – 4pm.

Contact me if you have an interest in this or any other paintings on the site. Email me at tc@tonyconner.com or by phone at 802-375-5548.

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The Better Bennington Corp’s annual downtown art event will take place on Friday, March19th and Saturday, March 20th, in the 210 South Street Building <link to Google map> in downtown Bennington.  One hundred works of art by local and regional artists will be exhibited and offered for sale for  $100.00 each.

The first One Hundred for $100 event was a blockbuster success, with enthusiastic crowds and a number of artists work selling out.  A special feature this year will be an exclusive preview of the exhibit from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m., with champagne, special hors d’oeuvres, and smooth jazz by  Blueprint. Tickets for the preview event are $15/person.  At 6:00 p.m., the doors will open to the public and the artwork will be available for sale.   The proceeds of the event benefit the non-profit Better Bennington Corporation as well as the artists,  who receive 80% the purchase price for their artwork.

Three of my small works -”Barn Snowscape”, pictured above, “Woods Edge – Afternoon” & “Snow Cover Landscape”, both pictured below – are included in the exhibit.

After 6pm Friday the 19th, admission is free.  For more information please call the Better Bennington Corporation at 802-442-5758 or visit www.betterbennington.com.

"Snow Cover Landscape"

"Woods Edge Afternoon"

Contact me if you have an interest in this or any other paintings on the site. Email me at tc@tonyconner.com or by phone at 802-375-5548.

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Park McCullough View

Myself, along with 31 other nationally known fine artists will be descending on Cranford, NJ to PAINT THE TOWN! The artists will transform Cranford into a town-sized outdoor painting studio for three days.  The event culminates in a grand finale show and sale of all artwork.  All participating artists are accomplished and jury-selected artists and will be creating  original oil, acrylic, pastel and watercolor paintings at locations throughout our area.

The public is welcome to watch and visit the artists who will be painting in the town parks, along the river, in select private gardens, and at historic sites and in the downtown.

Plein air painting events are extremly popular and fast growing art experiences – you’re invited to join me and the other artists at this premier event.  The event begins Wednesday June 9th and continues through Sunday June 13th.

This Event is hosted by Jersey Central Art Studios, the Cranford Chamber of Commerce, and the Cranford Downtown Management Corporation.

“Equinox Road”

20″ x 27″

My painting, “Equinox Road” has been accepted into the 11th Biennial North American Open Exhibition of the New England Watercolor Society.  There were 418 works submitted by watermedia artists from all over the United States.  One hundred works were accepted.  It is a thrill to be included in this prestigious show.

The exhibit will be open from September 19 through November 2 at the South Shore Art Center, 119 Ripley Road, Cohasset, Massachusetts. The public is invited to the Opening Reception & Awards Ceremony which will be held on Friday, September 19 from 6:00 to 8:00pm.

I wrote about the process of creating this painting back in April of this year.  That post can be seen here. It includes information on the germination of the idea, exploration of compositions and the final creation of the actual work.