Blown Off the Field

I was so excited to be met with a day above 50ºF that I quickly grabbed the easel and a few pastels and drove down my road until I spotted a likely subject. A cold front was moving in quite fast and the sky was very active. I kept a death grip on the easel against the gusts and did manage to get the panel covered with color before the rain sent me packing. I don't care; it was my first day out since Nov. 4!

I like this painting...it has strong composition, interesting color and it is fresh & windy. I might normally title it 'spring thaw' but we are far from spring here and we've all ready had several of these thaws, then ice storms, then foot of snow and we're only a week into winter officially.

December Thaw (11 x 14 UArt #800 on panel) will get some finishing work and I will publish the finished piece then. Such a delight to get out of the studio even if it was brief.

BTW the studio is open for appointments during most of the winter. email is best rtilley@rodricatilley.com

Day's End

SOLD
This is my first major painting of the year. I've been working on several large pastels in the studio and this one is the first to be framed. It will be for sale at The Butternut Gallery in Montrose, PA 570-278-4011. The show called Recent Landscapes and Wishful Thinking will open Saturday February 23rd. Cheryl Korb and I will be sharing wall space there through April 20.

I love painting for specific exhibitions; and I thrive on deadlines. I will have several brand new paintings for this show. Hope to see you there. This one is 30" x 18" image size.

Working in Series

all SOLD


The last thing I do at night before retiring is check the sky to see where the moon is...and the first thing I do upon rising. There is something reassuring for me to see the cyclical nature of the moon changing shape and position in a predictable way. Rounding a corner on my way home and catching a glimpse of a full orange just-rising moon can lift my mood immediately.

Today I am finishing up a small series of four winter moonscapes. These simple, four-inch high watercolors are part of a much larger series of moonscapes; sort of a series within a series. I've been putting moons into my paintings for decades.

Working in a tight series, like this one, gives me a chance to explore some options of color and composition. I have confined my subject closely by making the moon the center of attention in each painting and using a similar color scheme.

I rarely show these "little paintings" on my website...and the photos you see here are not the usual professional ones...I took these photos. (I'm sure my usual photographer will appreciate this disclaimer) You can see these four paintings here or framed the next time you visit my studio.