A Special Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours...

Snowy Path in the Blue Ridge... 6x8" Oil on panel, alla prima, 2008. Click on image to enlarge...

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my friends and patrons... Thank you for being a big part of my journey... May your journey bring you Peace, Hope, and Joy in the New Year.

Bernie

A "Blast from the Past"... Me and Santa, Christmas 1962.

"Oceanside Cabana" Plein Air by Bernie Rosage Jr.

Oceanside Cabana... 8x10" Oil on panel, en plein aire, 11-2008.

Private Collection, County Wexford, Ireland... Thanks Jane!

Click on image to see a larger view...

I painted this one on location at Onslow Beach aboard Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune... it was C-C-COLD! Once a month I gather with a few plein air artist friends... we call ourselves OOPS... to plein air paint around the county we live in. Read all about the outing HERE...

Corporal Cole's Mandolin by Bernie Rosage Jr.

Corporal Cole's Mandolin... w16.00" x h8.00" x d1.75", Oil on wood, 2008.
Titled changed to Pat Murphy og the Irish Brigade and added to Enchanting Ireland Collection.

This original oil painting by American Artist, Bernie Rosage Jr. is available for purchase... Email Bernie about purchasing details HERE... please include the paintings title in the subject line.

Click on image to see a larger view...

This painting, on wood, is box-framed and ready to hang.

All my paintings are signed originals using artist grade oils and archival surfaces.

Here I am portraying an 1860's period artist at a Civil War reenactment at Fort Branch near Hamilton, NC. I was working on this very painting at that event.

"Gathering Provisions" by Bernie Rosage Jr.

Gathering Provisions... 6x8"" Oil on panel, alla prima, 2008.

This original oil painting by American Artist, Bernie Rosage Jr. is available for purchase... Email Bernie about purchasing details HERE... please include the paintings title in the subject line.

Click on image to see a larger view...



This painting, on gessoed panel, is framed and ready to hang.

All my paintings are signed originals using artist grade oils and archival surfaces.

100/15

The Aman Farm... Plein Air by Bernie Rosage Jr

The Aman Farm... 9x12" Oil on panel, "en plein air", 2008.

This original oil painting by American Artist, Bernie Rosage Jr. is available for purchase... Email Bernie about purchasing details HERE... please include the paintings title in the subject line.
Click on image to see a larger view...



This painting, on gessoed panel, is framed and ready to hang.

All my paintings are signed originals using artist grade oils and archival surfaces.

125/15

Bernie's Ramblings: There is nothing like viewing art in person...

As Tami and I walked the lovely streets of Dublin we came upon many interesting sites. One of the best treats for me was our visit to the National Gallery of Ireland... here we are pictured outside.

My advice... never pass up a gallery or art museum. Paintings should be viewed in person to get a true sense of their splendor where they can literally communicate with the viewer. So many times we only get the chance to see works by the masters in print or online... neither are able to rival the awesomeness of viewing a painting in real life... it's a rush for me!

Some people would be ecstatic if they could see their favorite singer or movie star in person... that's how I felt when I rounded the corner in the National Gallery and came face to face with one of my top five favorite paintings... Caravaggio's The Taking of Christ.
Caravaggio (Michelangelo da Merisi) 1571–1610
The Taking of Christ 1602 (Click on image to enlarge...)
Society of Jesus of Ireland, on loan to the National Gallery of Ireland

The man carrying the lantern at the extreme right, who looks inquisitively over the soldiers’ heads, has been interpreted as a self-portrait of Caravaggio.

I wasn't even aware this painting was part of their collection so this was a special surprise. The gallery was almost empty and it was if we were able to have a private viewing of this spectacular work. I handed Tami the camera and asked her to snap a photo of me with the painting... at that point the private viewing was over... a security guard (who appeared out of thin air) quickly informed us about the "no photos" rule and I was forced to commit the painting to memory... a good one I might add.

The painting has an interesting story behind it and how it came to be part of the collection at the National Gallery...

By the late 18th century, the painting was thought to have disappeared, and its whereabouts remained unknown for about 200 years. In 1990, Caravaggio’s lost masterpiece was recognized in the residence of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in Dublin, Ireland. The exciting rediscovery was published in 1993.

Read the complete story about the rediscovery HERE....

YouTube Video... The Taking of Christ - Caravaggio


The guard was very pleasant once we conceded and actually gave us a tour discussing several other works which included pieces by the likes of Canova, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Poussin, Monet, Velasquez, Picasso, Goya and John B. Yeats as well as Jack B. Yeats to name a few.

Another one of my favorite Old Masters was represented in the gallery.... Johannes Vermeer (1632–75). His painting Woman writing a Letter, with her Maid (c.1670) was another real treat for me to see and study intently in person.


Johannes Vermeer
Woman writing a Letter, with her Maid (c.1670)
National Gallery of Ireland

Viewing great art with a great lady in a great city... what more could I ask for?

Those of you who collect art know exactly what I am talking about... a work of art is something to be savored in person!

Bernie

"Ye Olde Brick Store"... Swansboro, NC by Bernie Rosage Jr.

"Ye Olde Brick Store"... 6x8" Oil on Panel, alla prima, 10-2008.

This original oil painting by American Artist, Bernie Rosage Jr. is available for purchase... Email Bernie about purchasing details HERE... please include the paintings title in the subject line.

Click on image to see a larger view...



The small North Carolina coastal town of Swansboro is dubbed "the friendly city by the sea"... and aptly so. It's quaint shops and great eating places make for a must trip if you are ever in eastern North Carolina. One of my favorite structures in the old town is the Olde Brick Store circa 1839. The former warehouse scarred by Civil War mortar shells once held naval stores, thousands of barrels of turpentine and sometimes prisoners.

This painting, on a gessoed panel with painted sides, is easily framed or displayed with a decorative easel.

All my paintings are signed originals using artist grade oils and archival surfaces. "Certificate of Authenticity" included.

100 5/15

"Along the Marsh"... Plein Air by Bernie Rosage Jr.

"Along the Marsh".... 6x8" Oil on panel, alla prima "en plein aire", 5-2008.

This original oil painting by American Artist, Bernie Rosage Jr. is available for purchase... Email Bernie about purchasing details HERE... please include the paintings title in the subject line.
Click on image to see a larger view...



I am always drawn to the marshlands near my home... in fact... I never tire of painting them. I painted this scene on location en plein aire at the Cedar Point branch of the Croatan National Forest in eastern North Carolina. A great place to kayak, hike, camp, and PAINT! May this painting bring you the peace I experienced painting it.

This painting, on a gessoed panel with painted sides, is easily framed or displayed with a decorative easel.

All my paintings are signed originals using artist grade oils and archival surfaces. "Certificate of Authenticity" included.

100 5/15