Two Days Sketching Locomotives
of the
West Chester Railroad
Wanting to escape from New York for a few days, my wife Vicki and I headed to West Chester, Pennsylvania. While there, I visited the West Chester Railroad, which runs excursion trains for seven miles along the Chester Creek. I met Beth Keates, president of the West Chester Railroad Heritage Association and expressed my interest in painting their impressive collection of historic locomotives and railcars. Beth enthusiastically invited me to return the next day to do so. She showed me around and gave free rein in choosing a spot to paint. It was a cold and windy day. I shivered as I worked. My fingers struggled to open a tube of paint. But, one must make hay when the sun shines, even if it's freezing. The subject of that day's work was Engine No. 3 which will be transferred to a museum in West Virginia sometime in the near future.
The next day was fortunately much warmer and I chose Alco 4230 as a subject. Really it was the light and the way it shone on the locomotive and the Pennsylvania RR baggage car behind it that was the real subject. For safety, someone from the railroad had to be present and on this day Larry Jensen kept me company.
I hope to get back there to paint again. The engines and cars provide endless opportunities for good compositions. Thanks to Beth and Larry for making it possible.
Recently Sold Work
Friend and art conservator Gloria Velandia recently visited my studio and purchased some work.
I know Gloria through my work with the art shipping company Atelier 4. She is a lovely person and highly regarded conservator. She is always a welcome site at art fairs where not only her skills but also her warm personality provide assurance to those around her.
I did these two drawings while manning the art storage area for Atelier 4 at The Armory Show in 2018. Gloria thought they were an appropriate choice to hang in her conservation studio.
Works in Progress
I've got a lot of work in various stages of completion. Shown here are a 12 x 20 painting of the Ashokan Resevoir that is probably done and a 24 x 36 painting of the Madison Avenue Bridge over the Harlem River. This one has been a work in progress for ages but finally seems to be going somewhere.
Still Open for Studio Visits!
I love visitors to the studio. It's great to share the work and the conversation stimulates creativity and helps to develop ideas.
Would you like to see some paintings? Let me know if you'd like to visit (call or text at 347 348-1823 or email jgebersole@gmail.com). Saturdays are the best days to visit. The address is 3611 14th Avenue, suite #607 Brooklyn, NY. The Church and MacDonald stop on the F and G lines is close by. Of course, masks are required and no more than three visitors at a time. I've had my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. The second one is scheduled for April 25th.
Sale Ends Soon
Sale prices have been in effect since late November. I think this has helped some people to take work home but in early May it will be time to go back to normal pricing. That being said, there is always some room for flexibility.
