First Parish Church United on the Common Westford, Massachusetts

This painting is of the First Parish Church United which is on the Common in Westford, Massachusetts.  A beautiful building with a great deal of historical significance since it served as Westford's Meeting House for over 100 years.  The early records of this wonderful rural town are still housed among the church records. The painting is an 8 X 10 oil on canvas board.  I am pleased with the results I achieved.  This painting is the second of a series of paintings that I intend to do of sites around Westford.  In an earlier post I showed a view of the Gazebo on Mill Pond in Graniteville, one of the villages of Westford, which I painted in the Spring of 2010.  The painting is available and is copyrighted 2010 Joe Lapiana..  I am looking forward to the cooler weather of September and October to do more plein air paintings and to working at my studio at #326 on the third floor of the Western Avenue Studios in Lowell, MA.

Mountain Hideaway

It's been a lomg hot summer and I have only been painting once a week, primarily with an Open Studio Group that meets on Mondays at the Cameron Center in Westford. The room we use has been beautifully renovated and best of all air conditioned on these dog days.  With the heat I was thinking of cooler places and so I was inspired to paint this scene reminding me of an area in Estes Park, Colorado.  I am fairly happy with the depth that I was able to achieve and how the tones create a distinction using lights and darks.  This painting, an 8 X 10" oil on canvas board, is copyrighted 2010 Joe Lapiana and is available for purchase.

Last Friday, 7-2-10 several of the Nashua Area   Breakfast Club Artists met in Hollis, New Hampshire to paint Plein Air.  This is my painting of "A House On Monument Square.  It was so much fun to paint outdoors with a group of artists who each chose a scene to paint.  Some of us painted the same scene from different angles. We will repeat the plein air experience each Friday as weather and time permits.

The Dunes

It's summer and all thoughts turn to the beach.  This painting which is called The Dunes is an 11X14 Oil on Canvas.  It was inspired by two of my favorite beach spots in New England, the sand dunes at Crane's Beach in Ipswich, Massachusetts and the Province Land dunes just outside of Provincetown in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  I am pleased with the overall composition, movement in the ocean, and the mood of a windy day at the beach.  The painting is available as an original or a giclee print.

Chelmsford Art Society - 4th of July Exhibition

Just a quick post to invite all that are around for the 4th of July to visit the 42nd Annual Chelmsford 4th of July Art Festival.  Many of my art friends have pieces being shown at the festival. I have submitted three pieces this year Summer Flight (Dragonflies) a 16X20 Oil on Canvas, The Gazebo at Mill Pond In Graniteville (Westford) a 16X20 Oil on Canvas, and Fishing at East Boston Camps (Westford) an 11X14 Oil on Canvas.  The Festival is open to the Public July 4th Sunday 6-10:00 PM and Monday, July 5th from 8:30AM until 1:00 PM.  Come by and enjoy the art as well as the festivities across the street on the common. The Art Festival occurs in the Old Town Hall, 1 North Road, Chelmsford (in Chelmsford Center).

My studio mate brought a Phalenopsis orchid into our studio many months ago and this plant has thrived and bloomed and rebloomed,  Orchids have always been a favorite of mine and so here is my representation of an orchid which I call The Sentinels.
I am quite pleased by the results and enjoy painting flowers.

Several of my friends have joined the new movement to raise chickens for fresh eggs. This painting which I call Chanticleer captures a rooster struting his stuff.  I have enjoyed painting a variety of subjects, learning and revising my approach as I paint each one.