

February - March 2018
31
boatingonthehudson.com
S T R A I G H T TA L K F R O M
T H E A R T I S T H I M S E L F
I don’t actively try to connect with nature when I paint, nor do I
invite viewers to have out-of-body experiences when they look at
a specific painting. There are no hidden meanings or messages
in my work. What you see is what I saw! I’m a simple guy with a
few tubes of paint, a couple of brushes and decent quality, long-
lasting watercolor paper. However, 100% of the time, the subject
matter of every painting I create is of something that I’ve witnessed,
experienced and really enjoyed looking at. Before starting a new
painting I always ask myself, “Will someone else actually enjoy this
scene as much as I do?” And then I’ll ponder, “Will it stand the test
of time?” If I respond YES to these simple questions, I will proceed!
How do I price my paintings? A number of issues come to play. First
is the power of the painting itself. Does it make a strong statement.
Is it well conceived and executed. Size and framing costs come
into play also and finally, an inner feeling based on time and energy
spent, in not only the final execution, but all the preliminary unseen
labor and thought that preceded the “brush to paper” phase.
Photo by Barbara DellaFamina.
above:
“PT 615. AWAITING REBIRTH ON STRAND STREET”
(Kingston, NY) 2017,
Watercolor. 15 x 10”. At the edge of the Hudson River, World War II PT boats await complete restoration.