Memorable Paintings of the Forgotten Coast, FL....The Plein Air Paint Out

Very little text necessary....here are some gems from Frank's first week of painting, all of which I personally witnessed.  I'm back in CT, firmly planted in my "mom" role, while Frank continues to paint....he has cranked it up a notch, so I expect to post more paintings soon.  Here is more info about the event, the Plein Air Paint Out.

Billowing Clouds 9x12".  oil painting by Frank Bruckmann© SOLD

Sunrise over the Bayou.   11x14" oil painting by Frank Bruckmann©

Cloudscape at Turkey Point.  11x14.  oil painting by Frank Bruckmann©

Sunset from the Sandbar. 11x14" oil painting by Frank Bruckmann©

Porch Lights 9x12. oil painting by Frank Bruckmann©

Stowed Away!!

Frank was packing to attend the Plein Air Paint Out Event on Florida's "Forgotten Coast" and I was feeling a bit envious of his road-trip-painting-adventure that i've only heard about over the years....boats full of ice with oysters on the half shell, early sunrise paintings, Southern hospitality, oyster/tequila shooters, the "Forgotten Coast" in FL's panhandle, painting all day long, beaches and swamps and critters from the swamps and peepers so loud at night you have to close the windows,  being in our VW vanagon, with the ability to pull over and make yourself an espresso on a whim, meeting and painting with other artists and shmozing with potential buyers at cocktail parties, staying in very sweet accommodations....i couldn't stand it anymore!  So, i've stowed away, and our kids get a whole week long sleepover with their favorite neighborhood family!  win win x 2!

I'm writing from a particularly isolated patch of 95 in South Carolina. Pretty good time we are doing considering we left CT 16 hours ago and have only stopped for those necessary things, and one 2-hour power snooze. 

Giant chicken and the Vanagon at pit stop, N. or S. Carolina

Savannah at twilight.  Lots of live oaks with dangling moss...

Boardwalk at Summer Camp, outside Carabelle, FL

Frank getting to work at the Scipio Creek Marina

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TV Spot promoting 14th Annual Westville Village ArtWalk, this Friday and Saturday!

Frank is one of the many artists who will be showing their work during the ArtWalk on Friday and Saturday this weekend.  Frank's studio will be open from 11-3pm on Saturday, May 7th. Give yourself a lot of time to visit the whole neighborhood and bring the kids and grandkids or whatever kids are in your life as there are going to be many kinds of art (painting/sculpture/theatre/moving theatre/music/fashion/singing) to celebrate at this event..... check out my TV appearance on Channel 3 in Hartford where I have no shame promoting our art, in this short video: Me promoting the ArtWalk

And go to the ArtWalk Schedule for all the details. If you come for the day, you will see our village at it's best and understand why Frank chose Westville, the people and the scenery to be the subjects for 2 entire bodies of work. Need a reminder?  Here is the Occupational Spirit series, and below is a piece from his West Rock Series, most of which have found their homes on the walls of our neighbors!

West Rock in Autumn  original oil painting by Frank Bruckmann©

St. Barth Art

This small series was painted last summer when we spent almost a month in St Barth, French West Indies....the beaches and vistas are tremendous, the food and language very French and chic, and these paintings are hanging in the lovely villa  La Belle Vie . check it out.

Road up to Vitet 12x16" -Original oil painting by Frank Bruckmann

End of the Day (Grande Fonde) 11x14" Original oil painting by Frank Bruckmann

Pointe Milou 9x12"  Original oil painting by Frank Bruckmann

Pointe Milou -  Original oil painting by Frank Bruckmann

Around the Bend in Grande Fonde- Original oil painting by Frank Bruckmann

Through the Guanahani Palms-  Original oil painting by Frank Bruckmann

Pose in long black dress.

This picture was taken after roughly 5  3-hour sessions of posing for New Haven's Brush and Palette Club. Frank wanted a "finished" portrait of me, so I fished out that black dress that I wore to everyone's weddings in the 90's, added some pearls (a gift for being a bridesmaid in one of those weddings)  my grandmother's earrings, and BAM...fancy portrait time.  Frank claims he has a long way to go, I will post it when it is "complete".

SoNo, CT: Art-In-Windows Project

Frank lived in South Norwalk, CT for most of the 90's......South Norwalk still has some stalwart artists and advocates, mostly Dennis Bradbury, a visionary who has been touting all that is great about SoNo for decades. She curates the Art-in-the-Windows project through the Norwalk Arts Commission, and invited Frank to bring down one of his New Haven Cityscapes, an award winning painting that has left a huge empty space on our LR wall, as you can imagine...see pic below.

Clock Tower 40 x 62".  original oil painting by Frank Bruckmann.

In the living room with the Clock Tower painting reigning above.

As I mentioned, Frank lived in SoNo, in a really cool studio above the 3-Angle Liquor Store, just next to the busy and noisy train tracks.  Since he'd just returned from near a decade in Paris and different cities in Spain, he wanted to continue painting outside, and that is when he launched his SoNo series.  If you ever walked down Washington or Main Streets of SoNo in the 90's, you probably saw Frank, painting street scenes, chatting with anyone who happened by.  Below is an example.....and perhaps the only painting left from this era.  It is of Avery's which was a Jamaican restaurant, and it is the location where his art is currently being displayed through the Art-in-Windows project mentioned above.

Avery's. 18x24"  Original oil painting by Frank Bruckmann.

Congratulations Frank!

Frank was just awarded the prestigious New Haven Paint and Clay Club Active Member's Prize. The show opens this Sunday, March 20th from 2 - 5 pm at John Slade Ely House, 51 Trumbull Street, New Haven, CT. Here is the painting that made that happen....

Gabbro Series #13. Original Oil Painting by Frank Bruckmann 48 x 64"