About Hal
Harford County
With my retirement and relocation from Chicago to Maryland, I have time to seriously pursue a life-long interest in art and art history. As I develop/refine my skills in pen/ink, graphite/colored pencil, and oil/watercolor painting, I am creating life studies, portraits, and plein air paintings. My subject matter is wide for now, as I continue to explore my new avocation. I joined the Maryland Portrait Society and the Harford Art Association, and, in the HAA gallery Bel Air, my works are on… more
Jump to a project:
Scenes of Bel Air
Paintings and drawings from the town and neighborhood where I live. Oil on canvas, water color, or pen and ink. Some plein air, some started as plein air and finished in the studio. Others painted from my reference photographs.
-
The Golden YearsA painting of an old house along Tollgate Road, Bel Air. I have taken many photographs of this abandoned house, which I used for reference. The large sign advertising a golden-oldie radio station is really there. The house seems a bit melancholy, as it sits out its golden years. Oil on canvas. 24x18
Figurative Work
Mostly paintings and drawings from live sessions. Some inspired by holidays and celebrations.
Drawn from the News
I like doing portraits, and recent news events offer plenty interesting faces to draw or paint. I used print media and internet images as my starting point.
Scenes from greater Harford County
The greater Harford County region offers plenty of scenes to paint, and I am only just getting started in exploring the possibilities. Most of these paintings are the end result of plein air painting outings with fellow artists. Some were finished on site, but others completed later in the studio.
-
Cool Beans in Port DepositOn an outing with a plein air group from Lancaster, PA, we converged on Port Deposit, along the Susquehanna River. It was a bright, sunny day in early Autumn. The town center was very quiet and peaceful, and the small coffee shop (Cool Beans) with a few patrons was my focal point. Oil on canvas. 20x16
Self Portraits
I like to do self portraits. It allows me to capture myself over time, in different moods and different poses. Many times I do self portraits just for the practice.
Flowers
Flower arrangements and flowers from around the house. All in watercolor.
Jesters
The jesters, loosely patterned after medieval court jesters, are of my own creation, and I used them in various posings and grouping to illustrate themes or ideas.
Animals (Pets)
Family pets (cats) I have painted/drawn recently.
Irises
Plein air paintings of irises in the backyard.