I Sold My First Painting!
Having given away more than 300 paintings for free or as donations to nonprofits, I unexpectedly accepted a commission. This project not only inspired me to work on a 12-foot composition based on a Claude Monet masterpiece, but it also helped to establish a valuation range for people who already have my paintings. Let me tell you about what happened…
Read MoreWhirlwind Giveaway & 150th Anniversary of Impressionism
I taught “Impressionist Painting for Beginners” and had a two-month solo exhibit with 25 paintings. In 2024, I’ll be hosting a series of events celebrating the 150th Anniversary of Impressionism.
Read MoreRevisiting Van Gogh
Inspired by the recent birth of my first grandson, I painted a triptych of a sunset behind his home in Tilburg, The Netherlands. Since my son moved there in 2016, I’d visited twice before; but, of course, this time the baby was the star attraction. Nevertheless, as usual, my visual senses were colored by thoughts…
Read MoreFundraiser Results & Reflections
Exceeded Expectations The goal of my 2022 “Painting with a Purpose” plan was to raise $10,000 for the Ocean Conservancy. When I announced the project, I explained how the idea came to me; and, here I’ll summarize the results. But first, THANK YOU again to everyone who supported this cause. The campaign focused on 300…
Read MorePainting with a Purpose
Roughly 75% of the pictures I’ve painted in the last ten years have included water—oceans, lakes, lagoons, rivers, canals, and harbors. I can see the Pacific Ocean from my home, and it gives me serenity and inspiration. Now, it’s time to give back! My 2022 project “Painting with a Purpose” was created to raise funds…
Read MorePainting in a Pandemic
First, I’ll preface this article by saying that I didn’t expect to be blogging so soon about my new series and hope that my readers will appreciate a positive diversion and perhaps even some inspiration in this piece. Early on, while hordes of people were hoarding toilet paper, I was ordering more canvases. Like most…
Read MoreMy Year of Monet #5: Wives & Families
Featuring 2 of Leigh’s 2019 Paintings In this post, I’m going to talk about Monet’s love life. As an aside, I hope you received my announcement about available paintings being offered until December 9, 2019. So far, I’ve received far more requests than paintings being offered, which has been exciting but disconcerting, because not everyone…
Read MoreMy Year of Monet #3: Monet & Me – Reinventing Ourselves
Featuring 6 of Leigh’s 2019 Paintings A Monet-Like Painting Project I recently attended “Monet: The Late Years” at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, an exhibit of works from the last two decades of Claude Monet’s life. I took the selfie below at that show, which opened with a short 1915 film by Sacha…
Read MoreMy Year of Monet #2: Painting with Monet’s Techniques
Featuring 2 of Leigh’s 2019 Paintings Monet Painting Sells for WHAT?! Before I describe my use of his techniques, I’m going to react to last month’s $110.7 million sale of Claude Monet’s “Meules” (Haystacks). It broke the record for an Impressionist work of art, but I think Monet would have been disappointed that the price…
Read MoreGlacier Painting: Fathers, Sons & Misfortune
While recently looking through a 2002 photo album, a striking photograph fell out of the book. Taken from a cruise ship in the Alaska Passage during an ill-fated family vacation, I knew instantly that it could be used to create a powerful painting, especially on a large canvas: The image viscerally called to me, at…
Read MoreVirtual Exhibit & Give Away Announcement
You are invited to my virtual exhibit, “Painting Venice in a Pandemic,” which features 20 pictures from 2020 and a seven-foot wide, six-canvas composition of the Doge’s Palace Flooded. This video presentation (7:57) includes my previously untold Venice love story, home movies, the entire process for the large piece, and an in-house soundtrack. I really…
Read MoreNew Venice Pandemic Paintings
Early on in the pandemic, Italy was severely hit; and now they have the highest death rate for the coronavirus in Europe. But, in the springtime, Venice was locked down and cases dropped. Without masses of people outside, this already picturesque city took on a more poignant beauty, which I tried to capture. on canvas.
Read MoreStill Painting in a Pandemic
In the earliest days of isolation, I felt more driven. After all, faced with mortality, it seemed best to fill my days creating art. However, as I settled into a routine at the easel, I came to a more comfortable place within myself. That peaceful feeling is attributable to the enthusiasm so many of you have had for my work. Gone are the doubts that used to regularly pop up, because you’ve already allowed me to fulfill my goal of getting paintings on walls.
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