30-in-30
January 2024

A half dozen of my remaining favorites from this January paintathon will be in the February featured exhibit at Art Plus Gallery, West Reading, PA. If you’d like a firsthand look at any before then, contact me directly at [email protected], 610-781-6560.
                 -Russ Slocum, 1/1/24

January 30: Down from the Top
This is a water-level look from Moose Point State Park, past Belfast on the way toward the top of Penobscot Bay. Not the top of a hill as the name might suggest, but between the view down the bay and this being my final entry in the 30-in-30, “Down from the Top” seemed an appropriate title. Oil, 8 x 10”. $400

January 29: The Old Nolde Bridge
As the 30-in-30 season nears its end, a scene from Nolde Forest three weeks ago, a day after our first snow. It was an overcast day, but with a blink of blue sky that reflected in the creek. Oil, 8 x 10”, $290.

January 28: Back to the Bench
The sitting bench in Wyomissing Park is still a picturesque spot. I’ve painted the setting and view a dozen times, and between the various seasons, day-parts and angles, never the same painting twice.  For this one I referenced a photo I took several summers ago, before the towering trees got ash-bored and taken down. Oil, $190
 

January 27: Fog on the Farm
On the bounce back from Lancaster yesterday, my plein pal Karen Weber and I took advantage of the warm weather and hospitality of the amiable Amish folks at Kissel Hill Fruit Farm to paint there. This 9 x 12" oil will need a little studio time before it's frameable. 1/28 UPDATE: Here's the finished piece -->

January 26: Orchid & Deck Prism
I started this 12 x 16” oil four years ago, but deemed it a cold, flat a blob of off white, so I put it aside. This morning I reworked it with warmer tones, sharper edges and the knowledge that you can make things brighter by making areas around them darker. $290
 

January 25: You Looking at Me?
This is either Lewis or Clark, one of the normally laidback bovines at Rodale Institute farm in Kutztown, PA a few years back. The pair was usually unphased by attention, although when I got close to take a couple photos, he seemed mildly perturbed that I interrupted his 10-hour meal. Oil, 6 x 8”, $290
 

January 24: Ripple Effect
With a whole lotta shimmering going on the water and foliage, an Impressionistic approach was in order this bend in Wyomissing Creek. The spot is off the path the runs behind the pool, where it take the turn toward Oldman Echo. Oil, 6 x 8”. $190.

January 23: Red Sky This Morning
If you were in Berks County PA this morning, awake at 7:15 and looking at the southeast sky, you were greeted with a view like this. Dawn light shows are fleeting yet there are a few artists who can catch the glory en plein air. I’m not one of them but I was awake enough to grab a few photos to work from. This 8 x 10” oil is $290. RESERVED

January 22: Breaking Skies at Bayside
Bayside is a charming, tidy little community toward the northern end of Penobscot Bay. The subdued hues of the village were accented by a blanket of paddleboards that popped like jelly beans. Oil, 8 x 12”, $400

January 21: Back to the Bend
This is my fourth and smallest take on one of my favorite painting spots in Wyomissing Park, near the spring house, where the road runs right next to the creek. My previous one was done during Plein Air West Reading 2023; before that, another fall look, plus one in spring. Oil, 6 x 8”. $190. SOLD

January 20: Feet to the Fire
Getting the photos to work from for this 8 x 10” oil couldn’t have been easier–chillin’ on a cool May night at my brother-in-law’s fire pit near Rockland, Maine, I didn’t even have to move my feet. $290

January 19: Running Cold
Wyomissing Creek was running cold on Wednesday, as were a couple hardy souls. Two other things in this spot interested me: the crosshatched reflections and shadows of the trees on the water, and the burnt sienna winter brush and the complementary blues that together dominated the palette. Oil, 9 x 12”, $390.

January 18: Winter Walk
I painted this 8 x 12” oil this morning from one of the fresh snow photos garnered yesterday at Wyomissing Park. A couple years ago I tried painting en plein air near this same spot, with similar temps in the mid-20s, and the water-soluble oils on my palette froze. I don’t know if I’m wiser or softer. Maybe both. $390. SOLD

January 17: Sunup over Spruce Head
As I recall, rain came later this October day, but the incoming clouds made for a beautiful dawn on Midcoast Maine. This is from Atlantic Quarry Road looking across Mill Cove toward Spruce Head. Oil on panel, 5.25 x 10.5”, $500. SOLD

January 16: Fog at Marshall Point
I’ve painted the Marshall Point Lighthouse in Port Clyde, Maine several times before, all sunny days. A blanket of fog provided the chance to bring more attention to the sea of granite that surrounds the iconic landmark on three sides. Oil, 8 x 12”, $700.
 

January 15: Old Road Run
Old Wyomissing Road runs half the length of the borough park, much of it along the creek, with minimal traffic and (not surprisingly) plenty of runners, strollers and dog walkers. “Old Road Run” is a 6 x 8” oil, $120. SOLD

January 14: Horizon
I am normally draw to bright days and strong shadows for painting landscapes, and admire those artists who can find drama and depth in any conditions.  So I’m using a stretch of the 30-in-30 to brush up on painting inclement days. Horizon is one of the draggers/scallopers among the otherwise lobster-centric Spruce Head fleet. Oil, 8 x 10”, $600

January 13: Frosted Glass
Taking the hazy theme to Maine, on a still morning along the coast you can feel like you’re looking through frosted glass. This is Mill Cove, south of Rockland. Oil, 9 x 12”, $500
 

January 11-12: Hazy Day
An afternoon haze lent more depth than usual to the hills beyond The Highlands lot toward the western end of Wyomissing Park. This one took me two days, partially due to a tripod part being MIA when I was planning to work at Art Plus yesterday. The set-up I cobbled together was slow going, but so far I’m still painting every day. Oil, 8 x 12", SOLD

January 10: Banner Shows
The Rocky side of the Philadelphia Museum of Art seems to be the more familiar view, but the architecture is even more awe-inspiring on the opposite, downtown-facing side. Catching an outside break between Whistler and Vermeer exhibits, I found it presented an interesting artistic subject in itself, as well as a challenge to handle some strict geometries with a relatively loose style. Oil, 9 x 18”, $490 SOLD

January 9: Long Look at Highlands Hill
I’ve been contemplating a sweeping scene of The Highlands Hill for many years, how to capture this slice of Wyomissing Park from the pines along Cambridge to the barn of Old Mill Rd. This took 5 reference photos and a 9 x 24” panel. This oil is $490.

January 8: Down for the Season
A nice shot of sunshine on an otherwise cloudy day at Wyomissing Park. Across from the maintenance barn on Old Mill Road, the purple martin house  hunkers down until its residents return in spring. Oil, 8 x 12”, $290. RESERVED

January 7: Manhattan Before Dark
This is the official 2024 entry in my on-going Manhattan Project. The predecessors all had seasonal themes (e.g. Manhattan in Summer), this was my first on dark background. The 8 x 10” oil is smoother than it looks in this photo, so email me if you’d like a firsthand gander. I'll also include our family recipes for the summer and winter versions. $290. SOLD
 

January 6: Champlain on the Rocks
This is another one resurrected from the Finish Someday archive. My original pass in 2018 didn’t capture the awe of the Palisades on the NY side of Lake Champlain, the biggest we found on the 2018 cruise. Since then my palette has evolved as I dove deeper into foliage, rocks and water subjects. Oil, 14 x 18”, $390.

BEFORE

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January 5: Camden Falls
I started this in Camden, Maine in October, 2023, using a lot of palette knifework to try the capture the energy of these falls that run right under the main drag before roaring into the harbor. After two hours, changes in the light (different shadows) and wind direction (nearly blew my easel into the water) convinced me to put it aside. It felt good to be back there in my mind and finally wrap it up this afternoon. Oil, 12 x 12”, $390. RESERVED

January 4: Sharps Island Light
What looks at a glance like a red channel marker leaning with the tide is actually a 50’ lighthouse at the mouth of the Choptank River, south of Tilghman Island on the Chesapeake. The slowly eroding island completely washed away 50 years ago, and in the 1970s a huge icefloe knocked the structure onto its current, semi-permanent 20 degree tilt. I started this years ago, just needed a 30-in-30 to nudge me into finishing it.  Oil, 16 x 20”, $390.

January 3: The Dawn Redwoods
In the middle of Wyomissing Park is a stand of towering dawn redwoods–deciduous conifers that turn a brilliant coral color in fall. AKA Metasequoias, this prehistoric species of tree was thought by western botanists to be extinct until the early 1900s, when a team from the Smithsonian discovered an isolated forest of them in Mongolia and brought back seedlings that were shared with museums around the U.S. Oil, 9 x 12”, $390

January 2: Golden Pond
I was going to entitle this “Parking It” with respect to the folks kicking back on the benches, but the brilliance of the foliage won out. Cad Yellow is not normally on my palette, but there was no way around it for this scene. It's the fifth time I’ve painting around Wyomissing Park's stone house, each a different angle or season. This 9 x 12” oil might be my favorite. $390. SOLD

January 1: Autumn Turn
I’m starting my 30-in-30 by finishing a few paintings I started last year. This is the trail running along the north side of the creek near the spring house in Wyomissing Park. “Autumn Turn” is a 9 x 12” oil, $390.

DECEMBER 30: Jumpin’ Gessophat, it’s another 30-in-30! I’m aiming to finish and post a new painting every day through January 30. You can follow my daily progress at https://www.facebook.com/DailyArtPlusChallenge