Started painting a couple of views at Red Hook

I haven’t had the chance to photograph the two paintings, but here are photos of the views I started last week. With the wonderful weather, I was looking for wide-open space by the water, and a break from the Gowanus Canal. I spent all day yesterday working on the two views. The painting of the barge (a.k.a. Waterfront Museum) will reflect the water being at low tide. Just when I thought the moving sun was a challenge! And, after initially putting the power boat in the second (afternoon) painting, I decided to paint it out yesterday.

Works in progress… a commission and another Prospect Park view

Yesterday I started this commissioned painting of a farmhouse in NJ. It was an amazing place to spend the afternoon with bullfrogs croaking in the pond behind me and a light breeze keeping everything nice and cool (and pushed a couple of bugs and small leaf bits into the painting… will get those out later when the paint is a little more dry). Must return here to fix the dimensions of the house and put light onto the house. The roof color came out too white, and will need adjustment.

And, today I went back to work on this painting of a path near the 3rd Street entrance at Prospect Park. Really an excuse to spend the morning at a gorgeous, relatively quiet location (except when I was wrapping up, a school group descended and what a raucous group of middle-schoolers they were!). Will need to go back to fill in tree branches and highlights on leaves, maybe put some people in… not sure yet.

“Time for a Swim” has a new home in Austria!

I finally heard from the collector in Klagenfurt, Austria, that their painting made the trip in one piece. Whew! It’s always nerve-wracking for me until I know a shipped painting has arrived safely. This lucky painting’s new home is in a lakefront house. A long story as to how an Austrian came to buy one of my paintings. It involves my husband who likes to practice speaking German, a high-profile murder trial in Manhattan, and an Austrian judge on vacation with her friends.

Fall Cafe on Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY

Finally a sunny day in Brooklyn this spring! The rich, saturated colors of this coffee shop were hard to resist, even while a block away trees were blooming away. Visit EllaYangstudio.com for details about it.