Erie Canal - Lockport, NY

Erie Canal - Lockport, NY

pencil and ink on Fabriano hot pressed watercolor paper

8” x 10 "

Chris Breier © 2017

This is a drawing from this past summer of the Erie Canal in Lockport, NY and it's going to be published in "Strokes of Genius 10" by North Light Books in 2018.

The bridge in this scene is called "Big Bridge" because it's  330 feet wide and one of the widest bridges in the world, at least according to the plaque that I found on the corner of Main and Church streets. The church in the background is St Mary's.

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.

Tree Composition

Tree Composition
Acrylic on gessobord
8"x10"
Chris Breier © 2017

I took a walk around the neighborhood for the pleasure of it. I wasn't looking for exercise or looking for subject matter, but then I spotted the way this sunlit tree and I decided I wanted to make a painting from it. I've always had an affinity for trees. When I was younger I had a book that could be used to identify the various species that are found in the Northeast. The funny thing is that I can't identify this tree by looking at the painting, I'd have to go back to take a look at the leaves and bark.

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.

The Pond at Glen Park

The Pond at Glen Park
Acrylic on paper
8"x10"
Chris Breier © 2017

I enjoy painting outdoors during the summer when the weather allows. On this occasion my brother and I decided to paint at Glen Falls. On previous painting excursions I have painted the waterfall at Glen Falls but this time I decided to focus on area with the ponds. A small strip of the pond is visible in this painting and it continues under the arch of the bridge. My brother and I refer to the park as "Duck Paradise" because that's where they like to congregate, although on this occasson they were hanging out at the other end of the pond so I didn't get a chance to put them in the painting.

It's a serene place to visit and and that's what I aimed to capture with this painting. It's a small oasis in the middle of the bustling village. Many people who work in the area spend their lunch breaks there. As a painter, it's a great location to spend an evening painting outdoors while listening to the sounds of rushing water and quacking ducks.

The majority of this painting was completed outside with a few finishing touches applied back in my studio.

I have also painted part of the gravel path at Glen Park,  Autumn trees at glen Park, a watercolor painting of the waterfall, and another plein aire acrylic painting of Glen Falls.

Nature Walk

Nature Walk
Acrylic on gessobord
8”x10”
Chris Breier © 2017

I've painted this lake many times over the past few years. Anybody who follows my work should know that I get a lot of my inspiration for my paintings from taking walks in nature or near bodies of water. I enjoy the solitude and the seclusion from the stress of modern life. I believe every body should take time away from cell phones, email, social media, and work each day to daydream and think about things.

Before the Falls

Before the Falls
Acrylic on gessobord
8”x10”
Chris Breier © 2017

During the summer I often wake up early to take a walk over to Island Park to visit the library, or buy fresh tomatoes, sweet corn, and blueberries at the farmers market. I enjoy walking early in the morning, especially on a warm and sunny day. The birds are active and shops are beginning to open. The sunlight is at a dramatic angle, and it's warm but not uncomfortably hot. I often bring my camera with me to capture some of these scenes so that I can use them as reference material for paintings.

This vantage point is of Ellicott Creek as seen from the only bridge to the island. The creek flows around the island and then passes underneath Main street before going over Glen Falls.

Ellicott Creek at Dusk

Ellicott Creek at Dusk
Acrylic on Gessobord
8”x10”
Chris Breier © 2017

What attracted me to painting this scene was the surreal mood that the woods can take on right after sunset. I wanted to capture the luminosity of the sky and water so I used acrylics in a transparent manner similar to watercolor. I know from my experience with watercolor that if I overwork the painting it can lose the brilliance that can be achieved with transparent washes, so I focused on the essence of the image and aimed to get the colors and the values correct without making too many corrections. The original painting is available.

Williamsville Train Depot in Winter

Williamsville Train Depot in Winter
Acrylic on Gessobord
5”x7”
Chris Breier © 2017

I like to take walks early in the morning when most people are asleep. It’s a way to get some mild exercise and to think about things. Walking outdoors in the winter can be uncomfortable but it can also be beautiful when it’s sunny. I took the reference photo for this painting when the sun was just about to come up over the trees which gave them a warm glow.

The Williamsville train depot was built in 1896 and it was recently restored by the The Western New York Railway Historical Society. The depot is open to the public and it’s used for special events such as car shows, hayrides, and small concerts.

The original painting is available.

Sunlight and Trees

Sunlight and trees
Acrylic on Gessobord
5”x7”
Chris Breier © 2017

This is another painting from the bike path. As I was walking I noticed how the sunlight was illuminating the trees so I walked into the weeds to take a few reference photos. The sunlight brought out the warm colors of the bark which works well against the blue reflections in the water. I took the time to take a number of photographs so that I could try out a number of compositions, but I used the one that positioned the creek so that it was curving off to the right as it receded into the distance. The original painting is available, bid on Sunlight and Trees in the auction.

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