Paintings of Walter Lynn Mosley

Walter Lynn Mosley was born in 1960 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and lived in Brooklyn, NY. He received a BA in Art from San Jose State University and attended the Art Student's League. He studied under Bob Gerbracht, Maynard Stewart, and Frank Mason. He was a member of the Salmagundi Club, fellow of the American Artists Professional League, and a signature member of the New York Plein Air Painters. I like that every painting he did seems to be personal and unique to him, and he explains the location, context, and intent of the work as he did for the paintings he sold to me. He died at a young not too long after I bought my last painting from him but I did not find that out for several years. I have eight paintings by him so it makes them a good candidate for posting to CW.

Image 1: "Mary Painting Along the Recreation Path", Walter Lynn Mosley, 14" x 18", oil, 2008

Walter Lynn Mosley was born in 1960 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and now lives in Brooklyn, NY. He received a BA in Art from San Jose State University and attended the Art Student's League. He studied under Bob Gerbracht, Maynard Stewart, and Frank Mason. He is a member of the Salmagundi Club, fellow of the American Artists Professional League, and a signature member of the New York Plein Air Painters. I like that every painting he does seems to be personal and unique to him, and he explains the location, context, and intent of the work as he did for this painting:

"This was painted last summer, 2008. It is a Stowe, Vermont painting done along the Recreation Path that is very popular among hikers, rollerbladers, bicyclers, etc. It is an excellent hike and offers wonderful views along the way. Besides the path this is a classic Vermont painting, lush in greens and showing mountains and trees of the type that I associate with Vermont. The painting was done looking east at sunset. A tree by the hillside casts a long shadow in the foreground. My friend and fellow artist, Mary Poerner is seen painting in the foreground in the shade. You can see all the accouterments of the artist, an easel and pack chair and she is wearing a large white floppy hat to shade her eyes for the purpose of painting the landscape."

Image 2: "Little Hunters Beach", Walter Lynn Mosley, 12" x 16", oil, 2004

"Painted en plein air• in 2004 on Mt. Desert Island, near Bar Harbor, in Acadia National Park. This scene is of a beach called "Little Hunters Beach" which is slightly off the beaten path, in fact it does take a short hike to get there, and then there are large cobblestones on the beach, so off the beaten path is a fairly accurate description. But it is a beautiful, peaceful spot and worth the effort of getting there I feel. I saw no one else there while I was there which was nice, and a contrast from the more popular Sand Beach. Swimming at "Little Hunters Beach" might not be recommended because, as I said, there are cobblestones rather than a sandy beach and the waters and rocks seem a bit treacherous. However, it is really a lovely, scenic spot and one well worth painting."

Image 3: "The Purple Beech Tree at Hyde Park", Walter Mosley, 12" x 16", oil

Mosley also included a short paragraph about his motivation for this painting which is another thing that attracts me to his work. Even though these are plein air oil, which he paints every day, he takes the time to share his motivations and other interesting information. It is easy to see that he cares about his work and is just not cranking out "a painting a day":

"This was painted just this past summer, in Hyde Park, a National Park, and once the estate of the Vanderbilt family. On the grounds are some of the most exceptional trees to be found in the United States. Prior to the Vanderbilts taking over the area, another wealthy land owner landscaped the area, therefore the trees are several hundred years old and are among the largest of their species in the United States. To read more about the history of the grounds and there trees, and to see a picture of the purple beech tree in the painting itself, click here.

The purple beech gets it's name by the fact that the leaves can take on a deep hue of red-purple. I was drawn to this scene, the composition, by the majesty of the tree itself. In the background, a family of Indian origin picnic on the ground, a standing female figure can be seen with a colorful long flowing pink gown that the women of India are known for. The figures were quickly jotted down in the field (with no further manipulation later in the studio.)"

Image 4: "Winter Shadows", Walter Mosley, 11" x 14", oil, 2007

An example of a winter painting without snow. WLM had this to say about this one:

"Winter Shadows" was painted last year in winter (2007). It was painted in upstate New York in Brewster, NY, the name of the street is Seven Oaks Lane. This is a late morning painting in which my aim was to capture the moment of sunlight on a clear sunny, albeit wintry day. Aside from the various greens, mostly warm in tone by the sun, the painting is chiefly made up of a subtle interplay between blues, red-violets and blue-violets. The house and its tones intermingle with those of the trees behind and in front, yet clearly stands out because of the warmer tones which face the morning sunlight. A human presence is indicated (almost inconspicuously) by the parent and child walking along the street. There is a variety of textures used throughout the painting from thin washes for the sky and street to thick impastos for the trees, grass and house.