danielsdahlstromartist.com Blog

“Dusk” (Beavertail Light at Beavertail Park In Rhode Island)-Lighthouse

Hello All,

An artist is often asked “why did you paint this subject matter?” And this is the “why” of “Beavertail Lighthouse at Dusk.” By the way, this painting recently sold!

Inspiration for “Dusk” came about on a very blustery day. We wanted to check out the waves at Beavertail Park in Rhode Island because someone on Facebook posted how choppy the waters were on the bay. So off we went on an adventure looking for waves.

Upon our arrival, we discovered not quite as choppy as we thought but very blustery and chilly. I, as usual, stayed in the car and watched Dan wander around camera in hand. Too cold to do any “plein air” painting. He captured the essence of the day as it traveled into dusk and another painting was born. This one is on the large side–32″W by 62″L and was on display at the Ethel Walker School Bell Library located in Simsbury, Conncticut. And it sold from this exhibit. We were very excited to have it travel to a new home. This is the third time Dan painted the Beavertail Light and all three paintings sold. Picture of the Ethel Walker School Chapel….perhaps another painting?

Picture of Carl Sandburg, who was called the “people’s poet”. He was born on January 6, 1878 in Galesburg, Illinois and died on July 22, 1967.”Dreams in the Dusk”.

Here is his poem:

Dreams in the dusk,
Only dreams closing the day
And with the day

Morning all,

“Summer Stroll by the Sea” Oil Painting by Daniel S. Dahlstrom, Artist

“Summer Stroll by the Sea” happened by accident. Dan and I had to make a trip to Massachusetts, and heading back we took a wrong turn. We didn’t care (had all day), and it was a lovely summer’s day–wasn’t really too hot for a July day. Out of nowhere we came upon the state park, beach and food. Dan grabbed his camera and off we headed to the boardwalk, a bench and food. And then we walked–as we rounded a bend, unbelievable vistas greeted us. Dan just started shooting, and planning paintings.

We walked down to the water to check out the waves, and a woman dressed in a long, flowing skirt and

Hi all,

It is almost Christmas, and a cold snap is coming our way. It snowed the other day, and was very seasonal.

Oil Painting “Winter Wonderland” (Elizabeth Park, Hartford, Connecticut) by Daniel S. Dahlstrom

Little bit of information about Elizabeth Park, which is a very beautiful park. If you are in the Hartford, Connecticut area you should visit it. The information was gleaned from their website.

“GARDENS AND GROUNDS OF ELIZABETH PARK
Opened to the public in 1897, Elizabeth Park is the horticultural park of the Hartford park system. Because of its gardens, it has been

called the,

“Manhatten Mist” an oil painting by Daniel S. Dahlstrom

And what is the story and inspiration for this piece of art?

It was a very early misty, December morning in Manhatten, and the city looked surreal, as if it was another world. And not too many people were around so it almost looked deserted, and it was presenting itself as if it wanted to be painted.

Dan was near Grand Central Station, New York, and was just walking around photographing the sights and streets. One of the streets that he was shooting on had depth of field–it disappeared into the mist (low lying fog). The flow of the street had some of the same similarities as the flow of a river, both can seem to disappear into the horizon.

There was a glow to the mist as the sunlight began to burn through it, and Dan wanted to capture this glow onto his canvas. The city reminded him of his landscape palettes–earth tones of browns and grays. His color palette was muted and monotone and his instrument was a brush to create straighter, geometric patterns. Many times he uses a palette knife to create his art, or a combination of both knife and brush.

The city was dismal and depressing that day (later in the afternoon, there was a huge snowstorm), but Dan captured beauty in that scene and made it mysterious and ethereal.

So many people have commented that they know where that street is, and have stood on the same spot that he decided to build the painting around. This was one painting that had to be completed in the studio–the street was no place to set up his easel.

Varnish was applied to the finished painting to give it a deeper, richer look.

“The Maggie P” (Old Saybrook, Connecticut) — Fine Art Oil Painting by Daniel S. Dahlstrom, Chester, Connecticut Artist

Hi all,
Interesting story to Dan

The composition of “Reflecting” is an October late afternoon scene of Wickford, RI. Dan and I were on our way home from visiting Wickford. As we were leaving town, the late afternoon sun caught our attention, and Dan’s artistic eye. The essence of the day reminded Dan of works by Frederick J. Mulhaupt, who used the same colors as depicted in the Wickford water scene.

The mirror image, reflecting in the water, and the colors just lit up the atmosphere and the detail of the house and trees. Everything was falling into place, and the structure of the painting was a discussion for the ride home.

The structure or composition of “Reflecting” started by laying in the sky and water onto the canvas with a palette knife.

“Working with a knife is a quicker process than using a brush, and I like starting out with this tool, ” stated Dan.

To block out the main shapes in the sky and water, a brush is used at this point. Working the sky and water with a brush strengthens the chroma or color of the composition, and shores up the detailing.

You start traveling through the painting from the lower right hand corner and ride the current around the bend of the house, through the magnificent reflection in the water, and past the late October light illuminating the house and trees. The trees almost look as if they are on fire. What do you think? Feel free to respond!

Another scene of Wickford and Dan did paint the church scene and it sold! Wickford is a beautiful town with many wonderful shops, restaurants, and art galleries–great place to explore.

Water
BY RALPH WALDO EMERSON <
The water understands
Civilization well;
It wets my foot, but prettily,
It chills my life, but wittily,
It is not disconcerted,
It is not broken-hearted:
Well used, it decketh joy,
Adorneth, doubleth joy:
Ill used, it will destroy,
In perfect time and measure
With a face of golden pleasure
Elegantly destroy.

Fine Art Oil Painting by Daniel S. Dahlstrom–“Reflection of Wickford” (Rhode Island) and this did sell!

Dan will be having a “Meet and Greet Reception” at the Acton Library, Old Saybrook, Connecticut on Saturday, October 10, 2015 from 9:00 until 10:30. We will be in the Community Room on the second floor for the reception, and looking forward to it. His oil paintings will be on display for the month of October. Public is invited and there is no charge.

Wishing you a good one!
Nancy (the blogger) and Dan (the artist)

“Hydrangeas in Blue Pot” — Fine Art Oil Painting by Daniel S. Dahlstrom

I felt that Rudyard Kipling’s poem “The Glory of the Garden” would be a good choice to compliment the paintings

Ely's Ferry Boathouse

Inspiration? What was the inspiration? We headed out for a Sunday drive and before we knew it, we were enroute to the Connecticut River and the Old Lyme/Lyme, Connecticut area. Our destination became Ely’s Ferry landing, on the Connecticut River, and greeting us was the most beautiful color display in the sky. And we knew that this vision was going to make it’s way onto a canvas. Dan grabbed his camera and proceeded to photograph this vista, and hurried because the timeline was fleeting and he wanted to capture every tiny fragment of the light. This area is steeped in wonderful historic meaning, and beauty. The Connecticut River is a magical place to be, and it was on this late afternoon. When we got home his new masterpiece “Ely’s Ferry Boathouse” was started, in his studio, from the wonderful photographs that he produced.

“Ely’s Ferry Boathouse” has a very interesting background-well the area does anyways, and who was the first Ely? In the Congressional Library in

Fine Art Oil Painting by Daniel S. Dahlstrom, Chester, Connecticut Artist “End of Day” (Old Saybrook, Connecticut)

What was the creative process for “End of Day”:

Dan had been out painting “en plein air” (in the open air or outside)in the North Cove area of Old Saybrook during the morning hours. He had been taking classes to hone his craft and produced some great daytime paintings (which has since sold), and he decided he wanted to capture a sunset of the area. So he waited for a spectacular evening and off he went with his camera to North Cove. At this time of the day, he was not going to set up his easel and paint as the skies darkened-not a good idea. As the sky filled with the unusual colorization of the sunset-reds, oranges, and yellows reflecting in the water, against the blues, purples and greens