Cranberry Bogs

Pumphouse and Trailer

 BUY GICLEE NOW

Original:  SOLD

I have been working on several cranberry bog paintings, most of them started out at the bog.   I have completed 2 of the 3 that I described a week ago.   When the third one is done, I will post all three together.

I have been working on small canvases since Spring because when the weather is good - and this has been a great year weatherwise - I feel obligated to paint outside.   I have been itching to start something bigger and have been "toning" a 24X36" canvas with leftover paint for weeks now.     I was ready now to start a large cranberry bog painting.   All these smaller paintings have given me the color studies I need to get onto a big
 painting.



24X36 inch canvas with Vezina toning looked like this at the start

The undertones were filled with texture and color, perfect for an autumn scene like a cranberry harvest.

Starting photo

Next I worked on my composition.   I have several photos of bogs from Duxbury and Wareham.   I used a viewfinder with a proportion of 2:3 and reviewed my photos until I found a composition I liked.    Here is the original photo.

I decided on the cropping on the paper photo, then I returned to my computer and created a cropped version for my painting reference.     at this point, I was not sure what the foremost center of interest will be.   It could have been the electric meter on the shack or the wheel of the trailer.   The decision was delayed at that point. 

Pumphouse and Trailer in Progress

Plein Air from Anywhere

I have spent a fair amount of time searching for great locations to paint.  In the past few weeks, I have tried to resist the urge to wander around in the car, wasting precious painting time and just park.  

I was heading back from Boston on scenic Route 3A.   My thinking was to stop somewhere in Hingham or Cohasset.   Before I knew it, I was in Scituate - next town - Marshfield.   I circled around the rotary at the start of the Driftway and pulled into the parking lot for what looked like a public works building.   Beyond the parking lot was a beautiful pond with box turtles sunning themselves and plenty of gold and orange reflecting across the water.   I didn't even know this spot existed.   I set up and got to work.  What a spot - beautiful and right on a rotary of all places.



Scituate Rotary Pond



This next one is of the rotary itself.  It felt a little crazy at first as I was composing because of my usual quest for a perfect location.   Here is Rotary Motif #1. 





Studio Photo of Scituate Rotary

Cranberry Bogs

Roughing in color on first painting

I find cranberry bogs fascinating.   At this time of year, they are especially glorious.   I spent time painting this week at the bog in Duxbury on Route 14.   Warm October days may be my favorite.
I did three paintings from the same spot, the first one facing west, second facing south and the third facing south east.   Naples yellow and cadmium red, scooped onto my palette knife and spread onto the canvas seems to achieve the most accurate depiction of the floating cranberry harvest.



Second paintinglooking south across the bog.  Wind was blowing toward me and pushing cranberries toward closer bog bank.







Third paintinglooking southeast into the sun.  Working on a bright ochre toned canvas.


I have some decent photos for reference so that I can finish these off in my studio today, since it is pouring outside.