Greenport and an Open Cockpit

First, an announcement. I am very happy to share with you that my painting “Oyster Bay Cove 2010” has been included in the FAV15% of entries in the September FineArtStudioOnline Bold Brush monthly competition. Translation: I am in the top 15% of all entries for the month of September. This marks the fourth time I have been recognized this year and the fifth time overall. My thanks to everyone at FASO for this much appreciated honor.

This past Saturday was my kind of day. The car is packed, Its 7AM, I’ve stopped for an egg sandwich at my favorite local deli and have pointed the plein air mobile to the east to participate in the second annual Greenport Maritime Plein Air Festival. This was a two day event but I was unable to attend on Friday. As the auction is Saturday at 6PM… well, let’s just say that the pressure is on to get something good on to the canvas. Time is short.

I’ve painted in Greenport a couple of times before (including this same event last year) and am always impressed by this picturesque village on the North Fork of Long Island. There is a lot to paint here but, if you know my tastes then you know that I like old boatyards. I think this has a lot to do with memories of time spent driving slowly through many marinas with my Dad so that he could enjoy looking at the boats. There is just such a yard in Greenport and I find myself there every time I visit. It’s my kind of place. “Out Of Commission” is an 11 X 14 oil on canvas and, I'm happy to say, did sell at auction on Saturday evening.

Sunday brought a different kind of adventure, an adventure sans brushes! My very old and very dear friend Mark Ranaldo who we have called Ope since we were children called recently and told me that he was of a mind to go flying. Not too far north of us is the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome where you can get a ride in an open cockpit biplane. I was a bachelor this past weekend and Ope announced that this was how I would be spending my Sunday. As it was his treat…

We arrived, signed in, got our safety briefing and, before I knew it I was flying at 1,000 feet over the eastern bank of the Hudson River in an open cockpit! What a thrill and what an amazing view of the surroundings. I don’t see myself as a competitive person but I did notice that, while I sat with my arms folded over my chest, a glance to my right found Ope hanging on to the fuselage with what I would best describe as a white knuckled grip! Despite this, upon landing and much to his credit, my old friend announced emphatically that he had not had enough and that we would be going up again. Immediately! So, Ope and I can scratch #1 off of our “Bucket List”. If you ever have the chance, give it a try. It makes for grand memories!

A friend of ours captioned this picture "The Wrong Brothers!"

Here comes our plane which is made of toothpicks and tissue paper!

I got this shot as we banked over the Aerodrome during our return approach. I am on the left side of the airplane and the left wingtip is pointing directly at the ground!

Note that all of these small sketches are available for sale directly from me via this website. Simply click on the “Paintings and Prints” tab and then on “Available Paintings”. The price includes shipping costs.