Allegheney River Archives

The Point (Pittsburgh)

September 27, 2024

A black and white whimsical ink illustration of Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers shows the confluence of the Allegheny and the Monongahela Rivers, to form the Head of the Ohio River at The Point. My drawing emphasizes the Acrisure Stadium formerly named Heinz Field, and The Point. Activities in the drawing are tailgating, roller blading, fishing and boating. One figure is kayaking and a Ducky boat is shown, while in the foreground crew boating is depicted by two figures sculling. A helicopter s overhead. The stadium is the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Pitt Panthers, the University of Pittsburgh Football team. Nearby is the Carnegie Science Center. Lewis & Clark began their westward voyage here near the point on August 31, 1803. It is one of a series of 5 ink drawings I call Silly Ink Drawings.
Silly Ink Prints are available in 3 sizes.
Large $100 +- Paper dimension 27” wide x 20” high
Medium $55 +- Paper dimension 15 1/8” wide x 11” high
Small $25 +- Paper dimension 11” wide x 8 1/2” high — The Point, Pittsburgh PA. Head of the Ohio. Confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers

A black and white whimsical ink illustration of Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers shows the confluence of the Allegheny and the Monongahela Rivers, to form the Head of the Ohio River at The Point. My drawing emphasizes the Acrisure Stadium and The Point. Activities in the drawing are tailgating, roller blading, fishing and boating. One figure is kayaking and a Ducky boat is shown, while in the foreground crew boating is depicted by two figures sculling. A helicopter s overhead. The stadium is the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Pitt Panthers, the University of Pittsburgh Football team. Nearby is the Carnegie Science Center. Lewis & Clark began their westward voyage here near the point on August 31, 1803. It is one of a series of 5 ink drawings I call Silly Ink Drawings.
Silly Ink Prints are available in 3 sizes.
Large $100   +- Paper dimension 27” wide x 20” high
Medium    $55       +- Paper dimension 15 1/8” wide x 11” high
Small   $25   +- Paper dimension 11” wide x 8 1/2” high

Lantern Glow on the River by Carol Skinger

Print (Glicee archival print on textured paper)

*Large $125

**Small $55

*Large print overall paper size: 25 7/8” wide x 17 3/4” high. This includes a 1” border of paper around the art. The art itself is 16” x 24” .

**Small print overall paper size: 14”wide by 9 3/4″ high. This includes a 1” border of paper around the art. The art itself is 12” x 8”

Intense orange afterglow in sky at sunset. Glassy luminous blue and viridian green on the water surface. Shades of blue from midnight blue to pale blue light the overlapping bluffs on the river edge.

You might want to know: Poet Paul Martin requested the use of this painting as a cover for his poetry book Floating on the Lehigh. Soon after it was published, Garrison Keillor read Martin’s poem ‘The First Voyages Out’ from Floating on the Lehigh on Writer’s Almanac. Its at the end of the 5 minute audio piece.

Paul Martin was Winner of the 2015 Grayson Books Chapbook Competition.
I love what fellow poet John Stanizzi said about Martin’s poems in this book, and I hope my painting embodied these sentiments as well.
“Each poem in Floating on the Lehigh is buoyant and clear, a powerfully understated, beautifully written commemoration of the might and magnificence of nature and our tenuous, fickle, irresistible relationship with it. Every poem is a small stone over which the rivers of clarity and intelligence flow gracefully.”
—John Stanizzi

Bicycle Art Fundraiser for Pittsburgh’s MS Society 12/7/2018

November 10, 2018

Cycling Across the Allegheny River, Watercolor and Gouache by Carol Skinger to be auctioned this coming Friday Dec. 7, 2018 Art of Cycling, A Benefit for Bike MS at the Wigle Distillery in the Strip District Pittsburgh MS fundraiser between 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM. Wigle Whiskey Distillery 2401 Smallman St, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222. Proceeds benefit the National MS Society, PA Keystone Chapter & Bike MS. Join us for cycling-themed cocktails, Blue Sparrow Food Truck and an auction of cycling-themed artwork by Pittsburgh artists including two paintings by me. They will be unveiling and auctioning the first-ever Wigle Whiskey cycling jersey, produced locally by Aero Tech Designs. Between now and then my two Art of Cycling paintings are on display with 2 others (one by Baron Batch) at Kindred Cycles, 2515 Penn Avenue in the Strip District.

(Here’s my other auction item) 2401 Smallman St, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222

Take a closer look at both my paintings now before the auction at Kindred Cycles 2515 Penn Ave, Strip District Pittsburgh

Painting of Aspinwall

May 19, 2017

“Aspinwall” a 24″ x 31″ painting of the rooftops of Aspinwall from Route 28 is original painting by Carol Skinger.

It is available for purchase $500. It is a watercolor, gouache & ink painting on 400 lb watercolor paper.

Prints available 11″ x 14″ printed on watercolor paper $55. Larger prints suitable for a 16 x 20 are $80. A high resolution scan has been made for future reproduction uses which can be generated (larger prints and other uses).

To learn more about buildings in the painting, see details within the painting and find additional information look here.

Progress images of this painting:

sketch of Aspinwall, PA by Carol Skinger

progress on Aspinwall, PA painting by Carol Skinger

Sketch on site, paint in the studio

October 14, 2015

“Downriver view from Highland Park Bridge” SOLD Watercolor ad Gouache

I like the idea of plein air painting, I really do but I don’t like doing it, at least it seems that way. Where would I go to the bathroom if I stood out on the bridge to paint this? Would I dump a few gallons of water from cleaning my brushes over the side? Even if that was OK and its not, there is a chain link fence. The amount of stuff I would schlep is not appealing but it happens sometimes and I have been known to say I like plein air painting, and in truth there ARE moments when I like it, but mostly I like the idea of it. Though working on site is good for sketching I rarely take a painting all the way through at the site.

People ask if I use photos when I create a painting. I very often do. Here are a few I took to visualize a composition for this painting. I see this view so often when driving over the bridge I wanted to paint it. There is a sidewalk on the bridge and I recommend walking it to slow down the view you see when driving.

A list of things seen in my painting is at the bottom of this post.

Some of the many pictures I took to help visualize this scene:

I walk out on the bridge and do a quick sketch and take a bunch of pictures. Then I put together my ideas indoors, where there is a sink, a bathroom, heat and air conditioning. Oh and a computer where I look at my photographs. So no. I am not much of a plein air painter. Not often anyway. I even take pictures of my painting while I am painting it and seeing them on a big screen helps me know what to do next. Pathetic words for a real plein air painter!

What you can see in this painting looking downriver from Highland Park Bridge:

Lock No. 2 on left at foot of Morningside . The bridge you see is the 62nd Street Bridge. The first neighborhood on the right is Sharpsburg and the docks and island nearest you are where, in 2015 you can rent a pontoon boat at Sharpsburg Islands Marina. The water tower is in Sharpsburg. A new plan is underway to develop a wonderful waterfront park. It is the vision of Susan and Currie Crookston. The Crookstons generated community support from the three municipalities the property runs through, Sharpsburg, O’hara and Aspinwall. The new Aspinwall Riverfront Park which you cannot see in this view. It is on the right and it is just on the upriver side of Highland Park Bridge.