This painting is the result of an interesting exercise for me. I had done a 9 X 12 study on site and had a picture that was taken while we were painting and painted this piece using this reference. When painting on site you are often able to get a feel for the light and shadow and value relationships but not too often get much of a “finished” piece. Sometimes I feel that the studies are enough and can stand on their own as a complete impression of the subject. But I wanted to take this one further.

I gave the piece the rather long title of “Lloyd Neck, the View Looking East Toward Eaton’s Neck”. The area we chose to paint is actually a private beach and mooring area for some of the locals. There is a long dock directly behind me with a number of skiffs tied up to it. These small skiffs are rowed out to the larger vessels moored in Lloyd Harbor. From there you navigate toward the east and out into Long Island Sound. We decided we could probably get away with setting up there for a couple of hours especially as it was a Monday and not liable to have a lot of “weekend traffic”. I’m happy to say that we were able to finish without being run off of the property!

The finished painting, as you see it here, is painted on canvas, which is taped to a 16 X 20 panel. I will eventually have to stretch it or mount it permanently to a sturdier panel and have not yet decided what the final size will be.

This is a piece that I really enjoyed doing but for completely different reasons than I usually set out to achieve. I was asked to do a demo at the Utrecht Art Supply store in Carle Place which is not too far from the massive Roosevelt Field shopping mall right smack dab in the middle of the Island. Utrecht was celebrating their first year anniversary in this location and had a number of special events going on as part of the celebration.

If you know this area then you know it cannot be confused with any of the more picturesque places I normally choose to paint. It is flat and lined with strip malls with lots of traffic on a very busy Glen Cove Road. So I decided to demonstrate from a photo I took a number of years ago of my favorite Hewlett House at the Old Bethpage Village Restoration.

Here on Long Island we were having one of the most humid days I can ever recall as Hurricane Bill was passing well to the east but was still pumping a lot of hot, humid air into the vicinity. I was set up out on the sidewalk in front of the store. Being in this kind of location under these weather conditions, painting from a photograph in front of a number of people watching my every brushstroke was, to say the very least, not the sort of conditions to which I am normally accustomed.

However, I am surprised at how much I like the result. I managed to get the canvas covered and did some rendering while I was demonstrating but did clean up a few details in the studio. I’ve never painted from start to almost finish for an audience before and I think the fact that I had to explain everything I was doing helped me to stay focused on my subject. But because I didn’t have a lot of time there is also a looseness or painterly quality in this piece that I find very appealing.

I should also point out that my compensation was a Utrecht Gift Card, which I immediately cashed in for a large umbrella that clamps to my easel. It would be difficult for me to put into words how much this excites me! But if you know me then perhaps you’ll understand.

I was ready to paint this! It had been two weeks since I got the rig out and set up, paints squeezed out, brushes in hand. We tried last week. We drove upstate in and around the New Paltz area looking for subjects, which were as plentiful as the rain that started coming down before we were even off the Island. I don’t mind a little bad weather, that’s just part of what I do. But I’m talking rain! The kind of rain my Aussie friend Avril describes as “pissing down with rain”.

So this week I was itching to get out and get something done. See, I’ve come to be very addicted to doing this, tossing the gear in the truck and heading out to look for something that excites me.   It bothers me now when I’m doing something other than pursuing the paintings. Everything else seems to be a waste of time.

This picture is actually the second of the day. We spent the morning on the grounds of Coindre Hall overlooking the elaborate boathouse and the Sound and I’m pretty happy with the result.

But this piece is the kind of view I’ve been looking to do since last week…well lit trees in hazy, late day summer sun. I didn’t want anything that looked to manicured but something that looked like it could have been out on the way to the mountain in Ulster County. And while I am not usually the kind of painter who finds that satisfaction comes easily, I am quite happy with this picture. It looks and feels like an on site painting and I think I was able to represent the kind of day that it was and that makes me happy. Not entirely satisfied mind you…but happy.

This painting is the result of one of those strange days that will occur from time to time in the life and career of an on site painter. There were, to say the least, many opposing factors. It was a beautiful day, but hot. I was painting with my painting buddy Anthony Davis. We were in a beautiful location but had trouble finding a composition that seemed to work well as a painting, which meant a lot more walking than usual while carrying all of our gear. When we finally happened on this view and got set up and started painting, the tide came in so quickly that the path, which attracted both of us to this view, was soon submerged.

And then, there were the horseflies. Now I do not know of anyone who enjoys being bitten by an insect but I simply cannot stand it. In fact I cannot stand it to the point where it situates me on the verge of a panic attack. On this particular day there was evidently nothing very attractive about my friend Anthony, as they showed no interest in him. I, on the other hand seemed to be the object of great desire. But not all of me, mind you. Just on my socks!

Sometimes I looked down and saw 5 or 6 of the little bastards chewing on me. I seems that the more I sprayed my socks with insect repellant the more they were attracted. It was only after my socks were completely saturated that I was attracting nearly a dozen at a time! However I was more and more satisfied with the result on the easel and decided to work through my phobia and the painful bites. Never let it be said that Paul Bachem was chased from the field by carnivorous insects!