Bela de Tirefort – A Forgotten New York Artist

Bela de Tirefort – A Forgotten New York Artist

Years ago while browsing a second-hand store I became entranced by a moody oil painting of a tugboat with a silhouette of lower Manhattan in the background. The painting was covered in grime and might have decorated a smoky bar that served longshoremen who worked the...
Painting the Historic Bridges of the Catskill Mountains

Painting the Historic Bridges of the Catskill Mountains

Few places match the mystique and gentle beauty of the Catskill Mountains.  Dotted with old barns and lush with winding streams, the Catskills are a lovely place to paint and enjoy fresh air only two hours from New York City. Thus far I painted four historic bridges...
The Demise of Art Supply Stores in Manhattan

The Demise of Art Supply Stores in Manhattan

There was a time when an art supply store was a destination of peaceful refuge and an incubator of dreams.  In these once revered halls of colorful wonder, the sales people were quirky but knowledgeable and eager to help.  I remember long conversations about the pros...
Turner Watercolors at the Mystic Seaport Museum

Turner Watercolors at the Mystic Seaport Museum

I’ve long been a fan of J.M.W. Turner’s huge luminous oils that hang in many museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in my hometown of Manhattan. However I was unaware of his watercolors, and when I learned about the exhibit at the Mystic Seaport Museum I had...
Returning to Cow Canyon Trading Post

Returning to Cow Canyon Trading Post

My relationship with making art has been complicated, mainly because of my day job as a medical doctor in New York City.  Years ago I maintained a painting studio, but gave up the medium when I moved into a small Manhattan apartment to pursue my training.  But the...
Plein Air Painting on the McKenzie River

Plein Air Painting on the McKenzie River

The wild McKenzie River runs through the Willamette National Forest, west of the Cascade Range in Central Oregon.  Over the July 4th weekend I went there to paint it.  I managed to film my work and post it, and this is the story of my trip. I flew into Redmond and...