About Me

My photo
Paramus, New Jersey, United States
No, this in not a blog about gardening in any way, but a journal of my journey to become a professional landscape painting artist. For years, I’ve given my paintings as wedding gifts without thinking of profiting in some way from it. I worked for 18 years at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC as a computer programmer. I have been a painter since 1990, coincidentally, when I started working at the Met. I watched Bob Ross do his thing on Channel 13 in New York and decided I could do this, too. I have no formal training. I incorporate Bob's wet-on-wet technique for sky and water. My subject matter is covered bridges, lighthouses, fishing village scenes, barns, etc. Maine, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, Nova Scotia and Spain are some of the places I have painted. My style is detailed and sometimes people think a photo of the painting is an actual photo of the scene. I hope to continue and grow in this medium. I also like to cook & dance. I am also a committed Christian. I am taking commissions - painting your landscapes style photos or your vacation home. Prices on request. contact me - Jackmck@juno.com my website is www.artofjackmckenzie.com

Sunday, November 20, 2022

New Painting: COTW - Watching The Sunset

 As stated in previous posts, the Christian Family camp Camp-of-the-Woods in Speculator NY is one of my favorite places. My family has been going there for several generations. This particular time was a September Men's Retreat with the usual cast of sports figures, devotional meetings, good food and a pickle ball tournament. There are also great sunsets. This painting is of a man watching the sunset. As usual you can buy items based on this image from pixels  



Thursday, November 3, 2022

New Painting - Amish Harvest

One of my favorite places in Lancaster Pa, with the colliding worlds of Amish Community and "the English" commercialism somehow coexisting. Cars and horse pulled buggies co-existing (more of less) on the sames road. Lots of barns with clothes hanging out on lines. One place I enjoy is Sights and Sounds, which is a Christian Theater with Bible story related production. Very popular.

I was a passenger and I was taking pictures out the window and it was a cool, misty not quite rainy day. We came from route 30 to Strasburg Road, passing by the Railroad museum, up route 896 to Sights and Sounds, with a stop at the Agape Cafe and Grille for lunch., Somewhere along the way, I took the picture this painting is based on, several Amish farmers harvesting their corn using 3 horses and a wagon, out a mist streaked window with the car in motion. I have several other photos I may use. This is 11x14 oil on canvas board.

I had to go online to find similar photos, because I could not tell if the driver was standing or sitting. The pictures I found show both to be the case so I left him standing. As usual you can buy images of this painting via Pixels

Here is the painting and the reference photo