Yachts and Mills

Yachts and Mills
Acrylic on gessobord 3/4" thick (cradled)
16"x20"
Chris Breier © 2017

I happened to stumble upon this boatyard when I was walking around the Buffalo waterfront. The buildings in the background are part of General Mills which is still active. Depending on which way the wind is blowing, I can often smell the aroma of Cheerios when I walk around the city on my lunch break. I assume they also make the chocolate variety because the neighborhood occasionally smells like brownies.



The large shadow on the left side of the building is from a billboard and the horizontal shadow below it is the shadow from the Skyway. I was going to eliminate it, but it's a subtle way to incorporate the Skyway into the painting. It's somewhat of an icon in the city and you can tell when the winter weather is especially severe because it closes down.

I like how this painting captures Buffalo's industrial history and the recreational aspsect of being located on the Great Lakes.

The gessobord is 3/4" thick with the edges
left unpainted. It has a wire attached
to the back so it's ready to hang.

Boat Hulls

Boat Hulls
Acrylic on gessobord 3/4" thick (cradled)
16"x20"
Chris Breier © 2017

I had spent the evening taking pictures of the Buffalo waterfront when I spotted these sailboats at a local boatyard. The sun was setting so I had to hurry before the boats disappeared into the shadows. I kept snapping pictures but I couldn't get anything that I liked. I was close to running out of daylight when I had the idea to find a different vantage point, so I squatted down and took a few pictures. Bingo! All of the distractions on the ground were out of sight, and the blue sky provided a simplified
background.



Most of my paintings are on 1/8" flat panels but for this painting I used a "cradled" panel that's 3/4" thick. I left the edges natural. There's a wire on the back so it can be hung without a frame. If you prefer a frame, the Ampersand Float Frame is a simple solution and you can do it yourself, or you can take it to a picture framer. Here are the instructions for how to install the float frame.

Most of my paintings are on 1/8" flat panels
but for this painting I used a "cradled" panel
that's 3/4" thick. I left the edges unpainted.
There's a wire on the back so it's ready to hang!

Trees Along Lake Ontario

Trees Along Lake Ontario
Watercolor, ink, and pencil on paper
8"x10"
Chris Breier © 2017

That small strip of blue along the horizon is Lake Ontario. According to Wikipedia "Ontario" means "Lake of Shining Waters" in the Wyandot language. I find that it's impossible to capture the massive scale of the lake in a small two dimensional painting. Lake Ontario is 53 miles wide, 192 miles long, and it's the 14th largest lake in the world. It's so large you can't see the Canadian side of it, although if it's a clear day with low humidity you can see the top of CN tower in Toronto. In this painting I focused more on the landscape of the park and used the lake as a backdrop.

Misty Afternoon

Misty Afternoon
Acrylic on Raymar canvas panel
8"x10"
Chris Breier © 2017

I thought the afternoon was going to be a dud because it started raining when my brother and drove to the lake, but it cleared up a half hour after we arrived. The rain soaked all of the benches and picnic tables but the misty atmosphere improved the mood of this painting. It was one of those days where you could literally see the moisture in the air and feel it on your skin.

This park has a variety of trees, some of them are evergreen trees and I wanted to capture the feeling of being in a park after a rainstorm. I will consider this a successful painting if you can smell the earthy smell of the woods and the scent of pine trees when you look at it...
 

Trees at Krull Park

Trees at Krull Park
Watercolor and pencil on paper
8”x10”
Chris Breier © 2017

A hot and sunny afternoon. Some local peaches. Stopping at a local popcorn stand. An afternoon of free time at a serene park by the water. What more could you ask for? It’s these simple pleasures that I enjoy most and it’s often the subject of my art. Sometimes I paint on location but I also take photos so that I can work in my studio. When I paint a scene I not only get to enjoy it while I’m working on it, but also when it’s hanging on the wall. When I hang it on the wall it gives me a boost whenever I glance at it.

Clouds Over Lake Ontario

Clouds Over Lake Ontario
8"x10"
acrylic on raymar canvas board
Chris Breier © 2017

I've always wanted to paint a picture of Lake Ontario, but I knew that painting a large body of water could end up with boring results. If it's an overcast day then the painting may be nothing more than two stripes of very similar shades of blue. I realized I needed to wait for interesting weather and lighting to make this work.

Then one evening a bank of clouds rolled in while I was enjoying the view of the lake. This was around sunset so the clouds had a much more dramatic appearance than during the afternoon. I took a number of photographs to work from because the clouds and the lighting change so quickly there was no time to get my painting supplies and set up my easel. The original painting is available.

Boats at Newfane Marina

 

Boats at Newfane Marina
Acrylic on Raymar canvas panel
8"x10"

I've painted this marina a number of times already, mostly in watercolor. I decided to take a more impressionistic approach and paint the basic shapes in a loose manner. A marina often looks like a jumble of white abstract shapes with an occasional splash of bright color, and few vertical masts. While that sounds simple, it's often difficult to reduce a subject matter down to it's essence. Painted on archival 1/8" thick Raymar canvas panel. This painting is available.  Bid in the ebay auction

Splash 17 Inspiring Subjects

Boat Harbor at Dusk
Watercolor on paper
8"x10"
Chris Breier © 2016

I'm honored to have my watercolor painting "Boat Harbor at Dusk" selected to be included in Splash 17: Inspiring Subjects, published by North Light Books. My painting is on page 133, I copied the caption that appears with my painting below. Prints of this painting are for sale.

"The Buffalo, New York, waterfront is a relaxing place to visit and find inspiration for watercolor paintings. I enjoy walking near the water and often bring my camera to take reference photos of the boats, people, industrial architecture and skyline. The boats provide a variety of shapes, and the surface of the water is constantly changing; in this instance it had a silvery reflective quality. I often combine pen and ink with watercolor because the pen allows me to quickly define the details, and then I can focus on applying the washes of color. I chose hot-pressed watercolor paper because the smooth surface works well with pen and ink."

Buffalo Lighthouse

Acrylic on wood panel

8”x10”

Chris Breier © 2016

The original painting is for sale. The weather was very turbulent when I took the reference photo for this painting. There was a storm brewing over Lake Erie and the winds were cold and strong. It’s a long walk to the lighthouse and I wasn’t sure if the rain would hold out long enough for me to take a few pictures. I beat the storm, but the wind blew my hat off and I chased after so it wouldn’t end up in the lake. The bell buoy at the bottom right is from the 1920’s.

Lakeview Villiage Shoppes

Lakeview Villiage Shoppes
8”x10”
Watercolor
Chris Breier © 2015

The original painting is for sale. Lakeview Villiage Shoppes can be found on the shores of Lake Ontario in Olcott, NY. The two steps lead up to a small boardwalk that’s lined with brightly painted shoppes that sell souvenirs, ice cream, and other treats.

Old Row Boat

Old Row Boat
Watercolor and Gouache on paper
8”x10”
Chris Breier © 2015

The original painting is for sale. This dilapidated row boat can be found along the shores of Lake Ontario, it was placed there for decoration. There's also a lighthouse nearby. I used Phthalo Green for the peeling paint on the boat, and warm grays to give the impression of sun bleached wood. The shadow of the house worked out great, it provided a dark green color to contrast with the far edge of the boat. I used gouache to dry brush some grass textures in the foreground and to create a few bold brush strokes.

Ontario Street

Ontario Street
Watercolor and Gouache on paper
8”x10”
Chris Breier © 2015

The original painting is for sale. Ontario Street leads to Eighteen Mile Creek, a small portion of is visible in this painting at the end of the road. I positioned the shadow of the tree to break up the the shape of the road. The houses on this road appear to be summer homes and most of them have flower gardens and other decorations in the front yard.