Champagne Lane, 30 x 40, oil on canvas

I'm having an exhibition in Johnstown, April 14. It will feature about 65 paintings from the last 15 months. I think of it as a portrait of the rust belt city. The above painting is Luzerne Street, actually in Westmont. It is the last cathedral-arched boulevard left in the United States. There are 195 elms, the longest continuous stand of American Elms in the country, planted along the street. I call it Champagne Lane because, not only is a lovely street, an elm tree has a champagne glass shape to it.

Arrangement of Light, study, 12 x 16, oil on panel,

These houses, which are only a few blocks from my studio, were painted last week. I painted them about two years ago for my daughter. That version was larger, 30 x 40 inches. I find it useful to revisit my favorite places. First of all I know where to park. That may sound stupid but when all these skinny streets are packed with snow, the last thing you want to do is move someone's "Pittsburgh chair". So yes parking is an issue, but so is knowing which direction the sun is moving. You only have so much time before the entire light and shadow distribution changes. It is a race against time. There is also comfort painting the same scene because you learned something that can be applied again, hopefully to your advantage. The paintings never look alike. I think of them as journal entries. They record that particular day. One painter friend refers to his daily paintings as tracks in the snow. That makes sense. We learn from our own work – one painting at a time.

Blackwater, 16 x 20, oil on linen

Last week we had a brief period of sunshine here in Pittsburgh. Even if I'm working inside on a commission, like I was, it is impossible for me to stay there. Light on snow just has that effect on my senses. A favorite place to paint winter landscapes is Fox Chapel. This was done by Trillium Trail. The real challenge is painting the shifting shadows over ice that is melting. Add the chilling 15 or 20 degree temperature and it is easy to understand why most artists prefer to work inside using photos as reference. But for me there is a special feeling of accomplishment that working outdoors brings. It is difficult to explain. The spirit of a place somehow becomes part of the painting. Even if I'm not satisfied with the finished painting, I'm always pleased with the experience. Time spent looking closely at nature is never wasted.

House Backs by Ron Donoughe

This is a painting I did of the Hill District in Pittsburgh. It is an area that doesn't get a lot of good press, to put it mildly. Hopefully paintings such as this give a voice to areas of the city that are often overlooked as subject matter. Also, I really liked the random placement of the windows and the overall geometric feeling.

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First Blog from Ron Donoughe

I'm a regional painter based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but I also live and paint in the Cambria County area between Altoona and Johnstown. Recently I just completed a large series of plein air paintings done in Indiana County for an upcoming exhibition. This show will be held in March at the Indiana University of PA (IUP) Museum in conjunction with my twin brother Don.

This show will contain over 80 small landscape paintings done in and around Indiana County. Here are a few examples of this work.