New England Fishing Boat - circa '73

Mom would paint several sea scenes through out painting career. She loved New England and the north eastern US, romanticized it really. She dreamed of living in a 18th century house and collected pewter and colonial things. Or she would gladly have lived on the coast of Maine and paint, very Andrew Wyeth or Winslow Homer of her.  Here she is continuing to develop her techniques in oil with a port scene, probably from a picture. There are many charming aspects to this painting.

New England Fishing Boat

Unfortunately the painting has suffered some damage on the left side. Although a bit naive, the painting has nice atmosphere and a lot of charm. The boat shown below obviously is the center of the painting and the main subject. It has a nice reflection setting it in the world.  I like the looseness of the style.

boat detail 

bird detail

The best things for me in this painting are the little details. These birds are wonderful as is this little boat in the distance.  The birds really feel confident and animated with just a few brush strokes. 

detail of birds 

seagulls detail 

These two little seagulls could easily be missed but they are just awesome, again a couple of brush stokes and they come across with charm and again a confidence that lacks somewhat in the rest of the painting. 

signature detail 

Here Mom has added the B. back. It seems she could be trying to figure out what here signature should be. 

Seascape - oil 1973

Another oil from 1973. A prolific year, Mom must have gotten into a routine with taking care of Lisa, Chris and I, that she found time to take painting classes and to paint. She really jumped into painting oils this year. Probably mom's first seascape, an area she would comeback to a few more times, it being her first it is somewhat developmental: the water having a more solid feel then liquid, except for the foam area (noted below) almost belongs in another painting. The sky is quite nice and you can see she is developing here.

"Seascape" oil on canvas board 1973

detail: this crashing wave lacks the power she develops in some later seascapes

detail:  the foamy surf is actually quite nice, I can feel and hear it. 

detail: signed Capobianco '73, establishing this painting in her early getting back into her painting 

detail: 1973 nicely dated

Early Oil - Little Red Barn

This painting I am guessing predates the previous two posts. It seems cruder in some aspects. The tree in particular seems less realized then the Old Mill or the Red Barn. The colors though are great, the purple hills and the orange tree. There is a story here. You can't help but be drawn to that little red barn. It is a good example of mom's early development as a painter.

Little Red Barn oil 1973

detail: i do like this orange.  

detail: love this little barn though

detail: less thoughtful depiction of trees then later oils

nicely dated and signing 'capobianco' 

Wine Bottle and Grapes

Another still-life roughly in the same period as the previous post. Mom is still trying to find her way here it appears. It is as if she had gone back to school which I would imagine she had. Joining the Saddle Brook Art Association and taking many art classes, although I don't exactly know when she did join her "Art Club" as she called it. This is another of those paintings I remember just hanging around in different locations in my early childhood, mainly in the basement near, appropriately, the bar. 

oil on canvas board

detail

detail

Signature is now just "Capobianco" having dropped the B. This looks like it is the case through 1973 and 74. 

But it is B. Capobianco on the back and kindly dated.