Lifting Fog

Lifting Fog

12"x12" | Oil on panel

Steve Allrich
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In my time on Cape Cod I probably painted the dunes more often than any other subject (marshes would have to be a close second). To get to this spot, I followed (on the advice of a friend) an unmarked, overgrown dirt road for about two miles. I thought I'd taken the wrong road and was about to turn around when this view opened up. There was a simple elegance to these shapes that I found irresistible, and the morning haze over the water softened the light and color just a little. Wonderful spot.

Sand and Sky

Sand and Sky

8"x8" | Oil on panel

Steve Allrich

$500

This is about as minimalist as I get. My idea was to keep it simple and uncluttered. I also wanted to add some activity to the large foreground shape, but without getting too picky - especially on a canvas this small - so I used a palette knife to add some texture. My teacher used to tell us that it was preferable to suggest something - create the appearance or illusion of the thing - rather than try to be too literal about it. 

Twilight Sky

Twilight Sky

12"x9" | Oil on panel

Steve Allrich
$900

I painted this very quickly using a lot of palette knife, intending to go back in afterwords and refine it a little. But after my initial pass on it, I decided to leave it alone: even though it's quite sketchy and a bit rough in execution, I liked the energy of it.   

Path Through the Dunes

Path Through the Dunes

9" x 12" | Acrylic on panel

Steve Allrich
$700

This is a quick dune study done from memory. I walked and painted the dunes on Cape Cod for years, and know them (almost) like the back of my hand. There's a cove on the other side of this little hill. The proximity of the water has a dramatic effect on the quality of the light, and also makes for sudden changes in the weather and sky. I used a heavily textured surface to add some drama. One of my favorite subjects to paint.

Morning Light, Dunes

Morning Light, Dunes

12" x 12" | Oil on panel

Steve Allrich
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This painting is really about the contrast between the sky and the glare light on the sand. I painted the grass (silhouetted against the sky) darker than it really was in order to emphasize that contrast, to add drama to the painting and to add additional punch to the light on the sand. The grass in the foreground is an invention. I wanted to break up the big foreground shape and add some interest to it.  

Seen Better Days

Seen Better Days

9" x 12" | Oil on panel

Steve Allrich

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What can I say? I love to paint abandoned, forgotten, broken down stuff. (paging Dr. Freud...). Old trucks, dilapidated buildings, piles of junk. If it's old and decrepit and there's sunlight falling on it, I'm a goner. The trick, I've learned, is to paint it (whatever it is) before it's towed away or torn down or hauled off. The handwriting was on the wall for this old shack: there was a For Sale sign out in front of the property when I painted it.
    

Twilight Path

Twilight Path

9" x 12" | Oil on panel

Steve Allrich 

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This is a view along another favorite walk in Northwest Connecticut, painted from memory, aided by a photo I took with my phone. The light this time of day is magic. Values are close - there's usually not a ton of contrast - so you have to do a lot with changes in color temperature. The warm light and cool shadows are so appealing. There's a reason they call it "magic hour" in the movies... 

Morning Fog

Morning Fog

12" x 12" | Oil on panel
Steve Allrich
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There are a couple of things you can count on when painting on location. One is that no matter where you are, people will find you. Chances are they'll be harmless. They'll probably want directions. They may want you to take their picture. Or ask you which local clam shack has the best lobster roll. But  be prepared for anything. A man once walked across a fairly busy street to ask me what I knew about electricity. The fact that he was dripping wet and wrapped in a towel concerned me.   

The other certainty is that the light will most likely change completely during the course of your painting. The first time I ever painting on location on Cape Cod, it rained, hailed and snowed, in that order. And then the sun came out. One of my teachers advised us not to chase the painting. Pick an effect and stick with it. Easier said then done... 

Arroyo Trail

Arroyo Trail 

12" x 12" | Oil on panel

Steve Allrich
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I've been walking this trail daily for a couple of weeks now and it's quickly become a favorite. There are painting everywhere you look. I was drawn to this composition by the path, the way it meanders through the field, and by the color of the mountain in the background. The overcast sky (a bit of a rarity) gave the scene a harmonious feel.       

Marsh on a Stormy Day

Marsh on a Stormy Day

12" x 12" | Oil on panel

Steve Allrich
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I lived on Cape Cod for nearly 20 years, and (having grown up in suburban Chicago) was fascinated by salt water mashes from the start. They change by the minute. The tides rise and fall, shadows come and go and the sky is in constant flux (on the Cape, anyway), sunny one minute, stormy the next. Trying to capture the light and feeling of place is a real challenge - but that's the fun of it!