Brussels Sprouts in a Box Lid

oil on board

6"x6"

sold

Brussels Sprouts are my favorite vegetable, sliced in half and roasted with olive oil. I think I have that for dinner about twice a week. 

I've been wanting to get back to still life, so I can still work when the weather isn't fine for painting outdoors. After months of looking at complex panoramic views, and trying to get information down as quickly as possible (before the sun moves too much), it's been difficult for me to paint from a still life without staring too hard, getting too hung up on detail, and losing sight of the whole. This one went better than the last one (which I wiped out).

I'm a little shy about this, but what the heck. A Philadelphia videographer has made a short film about my work. John Thornton makes excellent films about nationally recognized artists, Philadelphia area artists and jazz musicians. You can view more of his work at his Rusty Scupperton YouTube channel. 

Souderton Feed Mill

oil on paper

6"x6.5"
sold

I'm not sure what this fantastic contraption made up of cylinders, triangles and lines is used for. I think maybe it is a fuel refinery (but please correct me if I'm wrong and I'll change the title). As far as what exactly goes on inside a fuel refinery- um, I really couldn't say but maybe this.

Added later: Guess what?! I heard from one of the owners of this facility, who has corrected me, and boy I sure needed correcting! He says "this is a grain storage facility with accompanying grain-moving equipment such as elevators, augurs, etc. The grain is moved from these outside silos (the cylinders) to equipment inside the feed mill to be processed into bird and animal feed." 

If you have a second, please check out my "Still Life of the Week" over in The Art Room.

  

Lumberville Towpath

oil on paper

6.75"x6"

sold

I spent a lovely Sunday along the Delaware River, in the small and timeless town of Lumberville, PA. I went with two women painters, one of whom grew up in Lumberville and had lots of great memories of the place.

There were so many, many different shades of green in this scene that I worried the painting might be a little monotonous, but after a half hour of fumbling to make sense of it all by claiming the big basic shapes, it started to come together. The colors in the real painting are a tad bit richer and more varied then what you see here.

I've been feeling kind of stuck this past week. I've wanted to work in my studio, but feel so uninspired by still life after all this plein air painting. Wish I could get interested in a bowl of cherries again! 

Raven

 oil on board

5"x7"

sold

For me, a portrait is a careful balance between getting the little details right and trying to show the spirit of the person. I could have kept picking away at this, but when I started to feel like Raven was looking back at me, I stopped.

If you are so inclined, you can stop by The Art Room to see my choice for Still Life of the Week, and the latest contribution by another reader.

A Boy Behind a Girl

graphite

8"x6.5"

sold

The last few days the skies have been full of dense haze or rain, and so instead of painting outside I've been working on business. It's not always such a bad thing to take a break from making art, but today I thought I'd get ill if I didn't paint or draw or something. 

I took this photo back in January, and it's been simmering in my brain ever since. I like the unclear meaning. In fact, I think that is what I like about painting and drawing- the ambiguity of meaning that is possible. 

This weekend I worked on my new website. I cancelled my FASO website and designed a new one using Other People's Pixels.  FASO is great, and they've always given me excellent technical help, but I was tired of spending $28 a month. OPP is $13 a month if you pay for a whole year in advance, and $16 monthly. So far I'm very pleased, and thought you might be too.