5×7″, oil on linen panel
Framing available for a small additional fee.

$150.00 plus $12 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

This painting features the fabulous view from the hills above Garrison, looking over West Point, and north through the Hudson Highlands to Bannerman Island. It is a stunning vista at any time of day, but sunsets are magical!

8x10 and smaller, Available, Bannerman Island, Beacon, Cold Spring and Garrison, Fall, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Oil paintings, Sunrise/Sunset | No Comments »

24×36″, acrylic on Ampersand Gessoboard

SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

This fabulous view of the northern gateway to the Hudson Highlands is one of my favorite Hudson River vistas. You can see Bannerman Island, with Storm King Mountain on the right, and Breakneck Ridge in Cold Spring on the left. I painted it from a photo, taken with a telephoto lens at a distance, which amplifies the atmospheric effects of the distance. Infused with the blues and greens of summer, it exudes tranquility. We can all use a bit of that! This is a large painting with an expansive feel, and would be a great centerpiece over a sofa. Below is an image you can click on for a slightly larger view of the painting.

16x20 and larger, Acrylic paintings, Bannerman Island, Beacon, Cold Spring and Garrison, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Sold | 1 Comment »

Email me at JamieWG@aol.com if interested in this painting.

The other day, I varnished ten of my new Hudson River and Hudson Valley paintings. They range from scenes overlooking the Hudson River and Palisades from New York City, to Peach Lake in Brewster, and Burger Hill in Rhinebeck, up to the ledges of Sunset Rock overlooking North South Lake (beloved Hudson River School site), and the Catskill Mountains. Some of these were started on location and finished up in the studio, while others were painted from my photos and other plein air paintings. They represent much of the terrain I’ve traversed over the past six months or so, in search of the best of what the Hudson Valley has to offer my muse.

The varnishing process takes time to set up, so I like to do large batches at a time. Usually that means about 17-20 paintings. Lately I’ve worked on some larger pieces, which has lowered my production in terms of quantity. Working on those big paintings has meant that the little ones tend to hang out in the studio longer, before they get photographed, varnished, and up on my website. As the weeks go by, they get more touchups and adjustments as I see them. I think this has led to an overall increase in quality. As I look at this set of paintings now, I’m really happy with what I’ve achieved in this batch. Here’s a photo that you can click on, and you can then zoom in on specific paintings.

The large, framed painting of the Hudson River and Palisades is already spoken for, and out the door. (I do miss that one already! But there is a smaller version of it available among the others, and I can always do another large one for you on a commission basis.) The smaller works above it are all available and in search of new homes. If you see one that interests you, send me off an email (or comment below), and I’ll get back to you with more information. They will all be posted individually as I adjust the single images. Some of those have already been posted with prices, and are visible by going to my home page and scrolling down.

16x20 and larger, 8x10 and smaller, Acrylic paintings, Available, Bannerman Island, Boats and Ships, Brewster and North Salem, Catskill Mountains, Cold Spring and Garrison, Columbia County, Dutchess County NY, Fall, Farm Scenes, Greene County, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Lakes and Streams, Landscape, Oil paintings, Palisades, Peach Lake and Brook, Plein Air--painted on location, Shows and News, Sunrise/Sunset, Varnishing Oil and Acrylic Paintings, Westchester | No Comments »

24×36″, acrylic on sealed archival foam board
$3,000.00 plus $125 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

I wanted this Hudson River painting to depict the colors of a summer day on vacation, and to take me to that “happy place” with all the time in the world, and without cares. I think I captured the warm Caribbean feel I was after, while maintaining the strong sense of the Hudson that the mountains of the Hudson Highlands provide. The photo for this painting was taken out on the river near Beacon.

Below is an image that you can click on for a larger view of the painting.

16x20 and larger, Acrylic paintings, Available, Bannerman Island, Beacon, Boats and Ships, Cold Spring and Garrison, Color Inspirations, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Monochromatic Paintings | No Comments »

5×7″, acrylic on sealed paper, mounted to canvas panel
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

This was painted as a fundraiser for Bannerman Castle Trust, and sold at their gala event a week or so ago. If you’ve never been to Bannerman Island and the castle ruins, you are in for a treat! You can take a boat trip and guided tour there. See their website for details by clicking here. It is one of those not-to-be-missed Hudson River adventures!
You can click here to see more of my paintings of Bannerman Island.

8x10 and smaller, Acrylic paintings, Bannerman Island, Beacon, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Sold | No Comments »

8×10″, oil on linen panel
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

This was painted as a commission last week of a client’s favorite location overlooking the Hudson River. I still have a few spots left for holiday painting commissions, so if you’ve got a favorite vacation destination or would like a painting to give as a gift of a special memory, pet, or person, send me an email at JamieWG@aol.com, and I can send you my commission price list and get you into the queue for the holidays.

You can click the image below for a larger, clearer view of the painting:

8x10 and smaller, Bannerman Island, Beacon, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Oil paintings, Sold | No Comments »

20×30″, acrylic on stretched canvas, custom framed

$2,500.00 plus $125 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

I’ve been wanting to paint this scene of the Hudson River for ages! It finally took the freezing cold of winter to be able to shut myself in the studio long enough to get it done. You can make out Bannerman Island on the right, up against Storm King Mountain. Little Stony Point comes out into the river from the left. The scene is from Dennings Point, facing south. Below is an image that you can click on to get a larger, clearer view of the painting:

16x20 and larger, Acrylic paintings, Available, Bannerman Island, Beacon, Dutchess County NY, Fall, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Valley, Landscape | No Comments »

5×7″, oil on linen panel
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

This was painted overlooking the Hudson River from the clifftops of Little Stony Point in Cold Spring, NY. It was cold and windy that day. I bundled up and held onto my painting box for dear life. The last time I painted up here, my easel blew over and broke. Painting from up here can be an expensive undertaking!

8x10 and smaller, Bannerman Island, Beacon, Cold Spring and Garrison, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Valley, Lakes and Streams, Landscape, Oil paintings, Plein Air--painted on location, Sold | No Comments »

7×11″, acrylic on watercolor paper, matted to 12×16 and framed (included in price)
$250.00 plus $30 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

I love the Hudson River views from Dennings Point in Beacon. There are great downriver views of Storm King Mountain and Bannerman Island, usually with lots of atmosphere. I’ve only been to this spot a couple of times, but I enjoy using the photos I’ve taken there to create drama and atmospheric conditions that I’ve witnessed elsewhere on the Hudson River. It’s an interesting challenge to create something new. I’m working on some ideas for a larger painting, and this is one of them.

Here is an image you can click on for a larger view of the painting:

8x10 and smaller, Acrylic paintings, Available, Bannerman Island, Beacon, Dutchess County NY, Fall, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Valley, Lakes and Streams, Landscape | 1 Comment »

10×8″, in ornate gold frame with linen liner (frame included in price)
Acrylic on archival board
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

I’ve been working a lot lately on capturing glow with multiple layers of transparent color. This allows the light to bounce off the white of the painting support and through the pigment, rather than mixing color with opaque white paint to produce a tint. I felt that the way the strong light hit the castle wall in the late afternoon light would be most effectively rendered with the sparkle of transparent layering.

8x10 and smaller, Acrylic paintings, Bannerman Gallery, Bannerman Island, Beacon, Cold Spring and Garrison, Gallery, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Sold | No Comments »

5×7″, archival canvas covered hardboard panel
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

My husband and I took a boat tour of Bannerman Island a couple of months ago, and I took a ton of photos. It was a gorgeous day with beautiful cloud formations. This was painted from one of my photo references. Bannerman Island has fascinating castle ruins, and sits at the entrance to the Hudson Highlands out in the river. The tower showing in the water is Margaret Tower — one of the three that sit guard around the island.

8x10 and smaller, Acrylic paintings, Bannerman Gallery, Bannerman Island, Beacon, Boats and Ships, Cold Spring and Garrison, Dutchess County NY, Gallery, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Valley, Lakes and Streams, Landscape, Sold | No Comments »

3×5″, acrylic on canvas panel, framed in a beautiful wide, gold, wood frame (included)

SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I went on a boat tour of Bannerman Island. Although I’ve been there several times to paint for Bannerman Island Gallery, I’d never gone on the tour before. It was my husband’s first time setting foot on the island! It was nice to relax and enjoy his company, and to spend the time taking photos instead of lugging painting equipment and feeling so rushed to complete something.

I took loads of pictures. It was a day with fabulous cloud formations and good light. While at the peak of the island, facing south toward the Hudson Highlands, this boat cruised along heading downriver, and the sun beamed a yellow pathway on the water. I painted this miniature from the photo I took at that moment.

It’s always tough to get a good image of a painting in a frame, but I tried! You can click this image to enlarge it a bit:

8x10 and smaller, Acrylic paintings, Bannerman Gallery, Bannerman Island, Beacon, Boats and Ships, Cold Spring and Garrison, Dutchess County NY, Gallery, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Valley, Lakes and Streams, Landscape, Miniature Paintings, Sold | 2 Comments »

5×5″ (7×7″ with frame), Acrylic on board
Framing included!
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

This is a nocturnal scene of Bannerman Castle over the Hudson River, with a full moon reflecting in the water and backlighting the castle. I painted this from a photo that I took before the collapse of much of this side of the tower a couple of years ago. Fortunately, restoration efforts are underway to try to save the remainder of the structure from a similar fate.

In order to add a little more sparkle to the painting, I used some Golden Iridescent paints along with traditional acrylics. I wanted the glimmer to be subtle, so that one would see it when walking by the painting as the angle of light changes. This sometimes causes paintings to have odd areas of glare and milkiness in photo images of the work, but adds a lot to the experience of seeing the piece in person, or owning it! I used two references for this painting. One was a plein air piece that I did on the night of a full moon over Peach Lake. The other was a daytime photo I took of this scene from a boat on the Hudson River. I used the landscape elements from the photo, and combined them with the color and light effects from the lake painting.

A portion of the proceeds of this painting will be donated to Bannerman Castle Trust for their continuing construction on the site. Although nobody is allowed on the island unaccompanied, the Trust conducts boat tours of the island and its structures. They go from Beacon and Newburgh to Bannerman Island, where visitors disembark, tour the seven acre island and castle ruins, and hear about the history.

Below is a larger file that you can click on for a slightly expanded view of the painting:

Acrylic paintings, Bannerman Island, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Valley, Lakes and Streams, Landscape, Sold | No Comments »

(Click image for a larger view)

You’re all invited to my show opening this Saturday, November 10, 2012, at Bannerman Island Gallery, 150 Main Street, Beacon, New York. The opening starts at 5pm, and includes small paintings by a number of Hudson River Valley artists. These small format works make perfect and personal holiday gifts. Come say hi and browse the Beacon shops and galleries. It’s Second Saturday, so the galleries will all be having their opening receptions, and all the shops are open late. I hope to see you there!

The image on the show card is a 4×4″ miniature acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, set on a smart, black table easel. It features a tugboat on the Hudson River, with the Palisades in the background. It is available at the gallery for $150.

Bannerman Island, Hudson River Valley, Shows and News | 1 Comment »

12×16″, oils on archival linen panel
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.
This painting can be purchased at auction tomorrow at 4:30 at Garrison Art Center. The painting looks far better than this photo, which was taken with my cellphone camera. The blues are not so intense and of course the painting is in focus!

I hiked up to the peak of Little Stoney Point in Cold Spring-on-Hudson this morning to do this 12×16″ oil painting for the Garrison Art Center’s famous event, Artists on Location. The painting will be auctioned tomorrow afternoon at the Art Center along with works by 75 other artists. I’m sorry about the awful photo, taken with my cellphone camera in dim room lighting after I framed and delivered the painting. I didn’t bring a better camera because I didn’t want to lug one to the top of the cliffs! But all the paintings for the event will be there for you to see in person.

The painting depicts the northern entrance to the Hudson Higlands section of the Hudson River, between Breakneck Ridge on the right, and Storm King Mountain on the left. The island on the right side is Bannerman Island, famous for the castle ruins located there and its history. The Highlands is to me the most dramatic section of the River. I was standing at the end of Little Stony Point, and the Hudson sweeps around and past as it makes its way down toward West Point. I could spend a month painting at this location and not get tired of it!

As I was finishing up the painting, a big wind gust came along and took down my entire easel. The easel broke and my paint, brushes and turp went everywhere! Fortunately, having feared the worst as the gusts got stronger, I had already removed the painting from the easel. After that, I forgot to even photograph the painting on site. It wasn’t until I had already delivered the painting that I realized I hadn’t taken a picture, so I dashed back in with my cellphone camera. What a day! But hey, any day painting is better than a day not painting!

Here’s an image of the framed painting, though I’m sorry to say that it’s not any better an image, also taken with my cellphone.

8x12 to 12x24, Bannerman Island, Cold Spring and Garrison, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Oil paintings, Plein Air--painted on location, Sold, Spring | No Comments »

5×7″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

I did a few tweaks on this one and also added the ducks. They didn’t understand why they were in the sketch and didn’t make it into the painting!

This is the painting I started yesterday on location at the Newburgh waterfront. Cold, cold, cold! I’m hoping for at least one warmer day next week! The island is Bannerman Island, home to some amazing castle ruins.

8x10 and smaller, Bannerman Island, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Plein Air--painted on location, Sold, Winter and Snow Scenes | 1 Comment »

8×10, Acrylic on archival canvas board
Custom framing included
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

This was painted from the boat dock during a recent trip out to Bannerman Island. Opportunities to go out to the island are so rare, and I truly cherish the painting time out there! The castle structures are exquisite. A winter storm brought down two large walls on the other side of this castle. 50% of the proceeds of the sale of this painting go to Bannerman Castle Trust for protection and maintenance of the castles on the island.

8x10 and smaller, Acrylic paintings, Bannerman Gallery, Bannerman Island, Gallery, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Plein Air--painted on location, Sold | 2 Comments »

12×16″, Golden OPEN acrylics on canvas covered hardboard

$535.00 plus $35 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

I stood out on a sand bar off Bannerman Island at low tide to take the photo from which this was painted. I also did a gouache sketch while I was out there on the sand bar. The tide came in before I realized it, and I had to wade back to shore!

8x12 to 12x24, Acrylic paintings, Available, Bannerman Island, Fall, Golden OPEN Acrylic Paintings, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Valley, Lakes and Streams, Landscape | No Comments »

16×12″, Golden Fluid Acrylics on sealed, primed hardboard
$535.00 plus $35 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

This is a companion painting to Bannerman Archway to the Hudson, which I posted yesterday.

8x12 to 12x24, Acrylic paintings, Available, Bannerman Island, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Valley, Landscape | No Comments »

16×12″, Golden Fluid Acrylics on sealed, primed hardboard
$535.00 plus $35 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

This painting of one of the arches from the famous Bannerman Castle is but a memory of what was. A huge collapse of the castle wall destroyed this magical archway to the Hudson River. I feel so fortunate to have been able to paint there and take photos while much of the structure was still intact. It is my hope that enough money can be raised to strengthen the remaining portions of the structure and preserve whatever is left. Half the proceeds from the sale of this painting goes to Bannerman Castle Trust for repairs of the castle.

8x12 to 12x24, Acrylic paintings, Available, Bannerman Island, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Valley, Landscape | 1 Comment »

This painting is already in an archival custom ivory mat with a backing board, ready to fit any standard 16×20″ frame. The painting itself is 12×9″, Watercolor on Fabriano Artistico

$300.00 plus $25 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

This was painted today from a photo I took on my last visit to Bannerman Island, which was just days before the recent major castle collapse.

16x20 and larger, 8x12 to 12x24, Available, Bannerman Island, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Watercolor | 1 Comment »

While out painting at Bannerman Island with friends two weeks ago, we were offered a show at Bannerman Island Gallery! The opening is this Saturday, November 14, 4-8pm. I’ll have some of my new fall works there, including the one featured below.

Available, Bannerman Island, Cold Spring and Garrison, Fall, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Quadricentennial Series, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Plein Air--painted on location, Shows and News | No Comments »

7×5″, watercolor, matted to 8×10″ (included in price)
$135.00 plus $10 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

Available, Bannerman Island, Cold Spring and Garrison, Fall, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Valley, Lakes and Streams, Landscape, Trees, Watercolor | No Comments »

5×7″, Oils on Ampersand Gessoboard
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

I’m doing a lot of small studies for larger paintings lately. This is a scene painted from a photo I took up at Garrison Castle, overlooking the Hudson River. It’s not surprising that Frederic Church of the Hudson River School painters selected this site for the Osborn family to build their castle in the sky!

This is a view straight up the Hudson River, where the currents are the most treacherous, and the river channel narrows and wraps around West Point Military Academy. Those are the buildings of West Point silhouetted in the painting in the foreground peninsula.

The scene is so complex, and takes in many of the most famous spots in the Hudson Highlands. You can see the point of Breakneck Ridge on the right, and Bannerman Island even further upriver. The mountain farthest back on the left is Storm King, and the Catskills are straight ahead off in the distance. The Hudson illuminates at sunset from this high vantage point.

I think this sunset view through the Hudson Highlands from above is deserving of a really, really big painting sometime in the not too distant future!

This painting is Number 21 from my Hudson River Quadricentennial Series, celebrating the 400 year anniversary of Henry Hudson’s travels up the river.

8x10 and smaller, Bannerman Island, Cold Spring and Garrison, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Quadricentennial Series, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Sold, Sunrise/Sunset | No Comments »

12×12″, Golden OPEN Acrylics on canvas covered hardboard
$375.00 plus $20 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

This painting was again done from the castle balcony. Breakneck Ridge was far, far in the distance, but I liked the way this square crop of the scene worked out with the weaving of the Hudson River, and Bannerman Island balancing the composition on the far left. I wished I’d had my binoculars with me while I was painting! The shadows on Breakneck Ridge are so dramatic late in the afternoon. This painting didn’t get finished until almost sunset.

8x12 to 12x24, Available, Bannerman Island, Cold Spring and Garrison, Golden OPEN Acrylic Paintings, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape | No Comments »

8×10″, Golden OPEN Acrylics on Saunders Waterford 300lb cp
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

This is an afternoon scene painted on location from The Castle in Garrison, overlooking the Hudson River and the sharp curves around West Point. What a location! Breakneck Ridge was occasionally thrown into deep shadow by clouds overhead. I thought it very dramatic! The light is quite different from the morning view that I posted yesterday.

8x10 and smaller, Bannerman Island, Cold Spring and Garrison, Golden OPEN Acrylic Paintings, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Plein Air--painted on location, Sold | No Comments »

SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.
I was able to get permission to paint at the old Garrison Castle today. I stood out on an upper floor balcony, with a straight shot above West Point, upriver, through the Hudson Highlands and beyond. You can even see Bannerman Island next to Breakneck Ridge from here. The river does a complete, tight “S” curve at this point between West Point and Constitution Island. It must be quite the navigational nightmare for a large ship. It is a staggeringly beautiful view.

It started out as a sunny day, but quickly changed over to cloudy, and then the rain showers moved in. (The photo above, painted toward the end of my session, was clearly after the light had changed!) This is a very complex scene, with layers of hills and mountains extending all the way through the Highlands, to the cliffs of the Shawangunks, and even to the Catskill Mountains beyond the Gunks. Plus, all those buildings at West Point! The shifting weather made a tough scene even harder. I had to pack it in before I could finish. There’s not too much left to do on this; I’ll either finish it from a photo I took, or else try to get permission to return.

Here it is in its current unfinished state. It’s 12×16″, oils on canvas covered hardboard. I’ll post it again when it’s finished.

8x12 to 12x24, Bannerman Island, Cold Spring and Garrison, Demos/Work in Progress, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River School, Landscape, Plein Air--painted on location, Sold | 4 Comments »

2×2.75″, Golden OPEN Acrylics on gallery wrapped canvas, easel included
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

This tiny gem of a painting features Bannerman Island Castle glowing in the afternoon light. It towers above the Hudson River and is one of the most awesome sights in the Hudson Higlands. Access to the island is restricted to public tours, so I consider myself very lucky to have been able to go out there to paint for Bannerman Island Gallery, and take photos to paint from too.

This painting will be available exclusively through the Bannerman Island Gallery beginning on Saturday, November 10. Part of the proceeds from the sale of this painting go to the upkeep and restoration of Bannerman Island Castle, structures, and grounds.
Bannerman Island Gallery
150 Main Street
Beacon, NY
For gallery hours, sales and information, contact gallery owner Neil Caplan at 845-234-3204, or email Neil at NeilCaplan@aol.com.

8x10 and smaller, Bannerman Island, Golden OPEN Acrylic Paintings, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Miniature Paintings, Sold | No Comments »

2×2.75″, acrylic on gallery wrapped, stretched canvas. Easel and gift box with gold bow included. (Quarter in photo is for size reference only.)
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

This is the perfect holiday gift item for Hudson River School lovers and admirers of the Hudson Valley. Steeped in history and mystery, Bannerman Island and its structures, situated in the middle of the Hudson River within the Hudson Highlands, are always interesting subjects!

This painting will be available exclusively through the Bannerman Island Gallery. Part of the proceeds from the sale of this painting go to the upkeep and restoration of Bannerman Island Castle, structures, and grounds.
Bannerman Island Gallery
150 Main Street
Beacon, NY
For gallery hours, sales and information, contact gallery owner Neil Caplan at 845-234-3204, or email Neil at NeilCaplan@aol.com.

8x10 and smaller, Bannerman Island, Hudson River Paintings, Hudson River School, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Miniature Paintings, Sold | No Comments »

5×7″, Golden OPEN Acrylics on Fabriano Artistico hot press 100% rag watercolor paper
$100.00 plus $10 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

This was painted on location at Bannerman’s Island along the shorline by the Wee Bay. Zack, who works on maintaining the grounds there, told me he’d just cut down brush in this area, and it might make for a great painting location. He was right! The skies had cleared a bit by then, so I even had some sunshine at last.

8x10 and smaller, Available, Bannerman Island, Hudson River Paintings, Landscape, Plein Air--painted on location | No Comments »

Acrylic on Fabriano Artistico hot press 100% rag watercolor paper
Double matted ivory/gold to 8×10″ and framed
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

Available exclusively through:
Bannerman Island Gallery
150 Main Street
Beacon, NY
For gallery hours, sales and information, contact gallery owner Neil Caplan at 845-234-3204, or email Neil at NeilCaplan@aol.com.

Here is another plein air painting from the wonderful Bannerman Island. This is the view downriver from the castle residence ruins at the peak of the island. It is quite a striking Hudson River view from up there! The skies were threatening and overcast, but it didn’t rain. When the little tug boat and huge barge went by, I snatched the opportunity and painted them in. They are so tiny next to the enormous mountains!

Here’s a photo of my setup on top of the castle ruins, before I started painting. I love using my little, featherweight pochade box for these small works. It’s about the only way to get around the island and paint.

A portion of the sale of this painting goes to Bannerman Castle Trust, which maintains the island and its structures, and undertakes renovation projects there. They also conduct guided tours to the island by boat, which can be booked through the gallery. Public access is not otherwise permitted because the structures are too dangerous.

8x10 and smaller, Bannerman Island, Hudson River Paintings, Landscape, Plein Air--painted on location, Sold | No Comments »

Golden OPEN Acrylics on Fabriano Artistico hot press 100% rag watercolor paper
Double matted and custom framed to 8×10″
$240.00 plus $25 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

There has been a lot of interest in my acrylics on watercolor paper, so Bannerman Castle Trust took me out to Bannerman’s Island by boat to paint more for the gallery! It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it. *big grin* I always have the time of my life when I go out there to paint, and this time was no exception!

To give you an idea of how tough it can be to get around parts of the island, here’s a picture of where I was when I painted this painting. I had to lug my equipment up the slope, and then down this side, then back up again. I initially set my chair where you see it here, but then moved it down to where I took this picture from, for the better vantage point closer to the water.

8x10 and smaller, Acrylic paintings, Available, Bannerman Island, Golden OPEN Acrylic Paintings, Hudson River Paintings, Lakes and Streams, Plein Air--painted on location | No Comments »

2.75×2.75″, Acrylic on stretched canvas, easel included. Painting will be gift boxed.
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

The castle remains on Bannerman’s Island tower above the Hudson River like something out of a movie. While plein air painting on Bannerman’s Island, I took lots of photos of the views and castle ruins to work from in the studio. This is a view of the Armory side entrance from the path above. The painting is a diminutive 2.75″ square, and sits perfectly on the easel to liven up any spot in your home with a piece of Hudson River history. The canvas edges are painted gold as shown below, for the gem-like quality that these miniatures evoke.

Although small, these minis take as much time to paint as their larger counterparts. I love the way they look and the charm of the small scale.

8x10 and smaller, Bannerman Island, Hudson River Paintings, Landscape, Miniature Paintings, Sold | No Comments »

5×7″, Golden OPEN Acrylics on Fabriano Artistico rag watercolor paper
$100.00 plus $10 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

The Garden Club has been very busy dressing up the island with gorgeous annuals and perennials. This flower and vegetable garden below the residence castle has an exquisite view downriver. I painted it on location the other day in a vertical format, but I like this horizontal a lot better compositionally.

8x10 and smaller, Available, Bannerman Island, Golden OPEN Acrylic Paintings, Hudson River Paintings, Landscape | No Comments »

5×7″, Golden OPEN Acrylics on Fabriano Artistico (100% rag watercolor paper)
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

I’m starting to work from the photos I took at Bannerman’s Island on Friday. This was the very beginning of the excursion, as the boat circled the island before approaching the north shore. It’s a beautiful morning view as the light strikes the structures, and the still water made for vivid reflections. Someday I’d like to do a large painting of this scene. The large structure is the Bannerman Armory. The small structure on the right is one of the towers in the water, which was to be part of a large entrance bay to the island.

8x10 and smaller, Bannerman Island, Golden OPEN Acrylic Paintings, Hudson River Paintings, Landscape, Sold | 2 Comments »

10×8″, oils on canvas covered hardboard
Not currently available as this is my color reference for other paintings from the island, but paintings of this scene in any size/medium may be requested (Email me at link at top of this page)

This is a second oil sketch that I did on location on Bannerman Island in the Hudson River yesterday. It was a real challenge with time consraints on such a complex subject. This is the remains of the castle residence at the peak of the island.

I tried to walk around the island as much as possible during the time I was there, both to take photos to work from and to do some paintings/sketches on location. I’m pleased with this one in many ways, and look forward to doing some more from this area of the island with this color reference and my photos. I may or may not go back into this painting and bring it to a more finished state.

Bannerman Island, Hudson River Valley, Landscape, Not Currently Available, Plein Air--painted on location | No Comments »

8×10″, oils on canvas covered hardboard

Bannerman’s Island and the castle-like structures there are amazing sites in the middle of the Hudson River. They are a plein air painter’s dream. The island is currently owned by New York State, and access is prohibited except by special arrangement. A huge series of explosions on the island nearly leveled the buildings. The remains are barely standing and very dangerous—hence the need to limit access to the public. Today, Bannerman Castle Trust took me to the island for a day of plein air painting. I have a show at the Bannerman Island Gallery in October and will be selling some paintings of scenes on the island.

This is one of the oil sketches I did there today. It is the armory where Francis Bannerman kept his stash of munitions. I painted it sitting on the dock before it was time to leave. (It still needs a few tweaks to finish it up; I had to pack up to leave when the boat was ready to go!)

I’ll be keeping this one for awhile as a color reference so that I can do many more paintings from the photos I’ve taken and this plein air piece. Those will be for sale and I’ll post them as I do them. If you’d like a painting of this scene, please email me and let me know what size you’d like, and what medium you want it painted in.

Tomorrow and Sunday I’ll be posting other paintings that I did out on the island today, so stay tuned!

Bannerman Island, Hudson River Paintings, Landscape, Not Currently Available, Plein Air--painted on location | 3 Comments »

SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.
5×7″, Gouache on hot press watercolor paper

Bannerman’s Island is supposedly haunted, treacherous to reach by boat due to strong currents, and covered with poison ivy. Although it is off limits to the general public, that description makes you wonder why anybody would want to go there anyway! The island has a fascinating history, and the last owner built a huge armory castle along the shoreline, with a residence castle at the peak of the island. He began constructing towers in the water to form a grand entrace, and sunk all kinds of debris around the perimeter to deter trespassers. A huge fire gutted the structures. Some of them are held up only by the poison ivy vines growing up the sides.

You can imagine the thrill I got when I was asked to go by boat out to the island to do a painting for an auction to benefit Bannerman Castle Trust, the organization charged with renovating the exquisite structures. I jumped at the chance. I took some pictures along the way, knowing that painting there on location was not something I’d be able to do again very soon!

I had hoped to return to paint there again this year, but wasn’t able to arrange the date. This is a small gouache painting on Arches hot press watercolor paper, done from one of those photos I took on my expedition.

8x10 and smaller, Bannerman Island, Sold | No Comments »