Merion Triptych

Almost every day for the past forty years I have walked past this house,
during my morning 2 1/2 miles jaunt. The new owners had commissioned
me to paint it, about six years ago.

But three weeks ago, for the very first time, my walk was interrupted by
the dancing white flowers, and contrasting shadows, within this little grove
of trees, on their front lawn.Obviously they needed to be painted.And not just once, but on
three canvases, as a "Triptych," showing them in the early a.m., at noon,
and in the p.m. A humble homage to the Master; Monet. and his haystacks series.

So for three days, when the light was consistent, I set up my easel and painted.
Painting "En-Plein-Aire" like this, one is always at the mercy of the moving sun.
(And bugs, and the comments of passers-by.) There's only about a 2 1/2 hour
window of time, before the light has shifted, to get it down.Any longer than that,
and you're faking it, painting from memory.Which can be fine, also, but a totally
different painting experience.

Here's early a.m.

Here's noon.

And here is p.m.

And finally, here are all three paintings, framed together as a triptych, and hanging in my show at
Tim Noble's Town Hall Coffee Co., in Merion. 

Painting outside, "from the motif," as Bonnard said, is not everyone's cup of tea.
I happen to thoroughly enjoy it. Probably from playing cowboys and indians all those
many weekends, as a kid in South Jersey.

Here I am, heading out to look for a wagon train, on my horse, "Jerry.".     

I was about 16 years old. Note my shield; to protect me from those
notorious South Jersey mosquitoes, no doubt.