Christmas Still Life

2012 Christmas Still Life Set Up

 The Christmas decorations are up and everything is sparkling.   For this year's Christmas still life painting, I chose a few festive objects, a Santa Claus statue, some holly, a roll of curling ribbon and a wine bottle gift tube.    I covered my still life shelf with gold satin fabric. The wine bottle tube had some height to it so I elected to turn the canvas portrait style.    The Santa was in the middle with holly and berries at his feet.

The first photo shows the set up and an early version of the painting. I made the mistake of using some Ivory Black of a cheap brand to fill in the background. It was like trying to spread black lard across the surface. I ended up wiping it off canvas, scraping it off my palette and throwing the tube away. I dug out my Gamblin Ivory Black and used that mixed with some Prussian Blue for the background.    I vow to not use that cheap paint again.

Christmas Still Life before Ribbon

I liked the wine tube because the top had a mottled gold pattern that I painted by layering with my palette knife.  I took some liberties with the color and pumped it up in a few places.   Here was the painting after completing the objects, but prior to adding the shiny red ribbon.   At this point I was thinking that this painting was fun and relaxing after several plein air, and live model paintings in a row. It's not that those aren't fun too; it's just that they are much more demanding mentally and physically.

Then easy fun became challenging fun.  The painting was fairly dry and ready for adding the ribbon.
This is a photo of the painting prior to taking the last bold step which was to paint a long twisting strand of red curling ribbon coming off the roll and winding all around the painting.

Christmas Still Life w Curling Ribbon

I unfurled several feet of it and wove the curls in and out of the objects on the shelf so that it travelled all over.    (I did something similar on another painting "Gotta Get Gardening," in which I used gardening jute the same way).   What I wanted the ribbon to do was unify the objects by connecting them and potentially supplying an overt guide to the viewer when scanning the painting. 

For the record, the jute was much easier since it had a uniform thickness and no shine.   The ribbon had the complexity of a shiny side and opaque side as well as the changes in the ribbon from visible to invisible, varying widths and twirls.

Here is the painting with the ribbon and its shadows.   The question is, should I have left the ribbon off?   Maybe.   Well too late now.

Merry Christmas!

Green Harbor Jetty

Green Harbor in December

Even though it is December, temperatures the day of this painting were in the high fifties.   With full sun and added warmth from the water's reflection, it was comfortable for painting plein air.   I have been wanting to do a beach painting to record the low angle of the winter sun.   The long, low sunrays give the water, sand and sky a cool northern look that I wanted to capture.

I set up at the base of the concrete public beach steps facing northeast.   The sun was shining directly on my canvas, my palette and my back.   The tide was coming up so I estimated that I only had about an hour.  

Green Harbor Jetty

Matching the color of the water was not hard because I could mix my color, hold it up in the bright sun and check the match against the horizon.   I measured up from the bottom of the panel to make sure the horizon line was level.   I then applied that dark mixture (ultramarine, transparent oxide brown and a little white) to draw in the horizon.  The mid-distance water was lighter (more sky influence) and I made that from cobalt, ultramarine and white.   The closest breaking water had more green in it (because of the churned up sand and shallow depth.)   I made that with some viridian, sap green and my mid distance blue.    For the long uniform waves, I first painted a dark skinny wedge that receded to the left.   I then painted dark brushstrokes of ultramarine, viridian, sap green started at the bottom of the wave's underside and curved up at a about a thirty degree angle to where the wave's break would be.  After I got all the dark strokes in, I used my palette knife to smear the darks against each other, not to blend, but to have them sit beside each other smoothly, like is common in these kind of waves.

Plucky Cranberry Bog

Plucky Bog Set Up

There are dozens of cranberry bogs in the Marshfield and Duxbury area.  I try to be vigilant in watching for flooded bogs because I know that immediately following the flood, the cranberry thrashing and crimson harvest will occur.   I wish I knew the local bog harvest schedule because these bogs are tucked into various backroads that aren't visible from my regular routes.  



Plucky Bog First Painting Stage One

When I haven't been able to find a flooded bog, there are always the non-flooded bogs - the scene chosen on this day.


Plucky Bog First Painting Stage Two

The "Plucky" cranberry bog is located on East Street in Duxbury and it runs alongside Route 3.   Aside from the constant whiz of highway traffic, the spot was perfect for painting a typical Southeastern New England cranberry bog scene.     It was not flooded, but rather it was moist, peat-rich, and dark magenta color. 

The color shown in the Stage One painting depicts a magenta shade that was too light and too intensely purple.  The morning sun was to the east and it was casting light on the far grassy bank.   There was a pumphouse on the other end used for feeding the water channels that surrounded and cut through the bogs.


I started a second round of changes lightening the sky and adding the jet contrails.  I also changed the color of the bog, making it much redder.   It was still not right. Although colorful, I though it was too red, so I put it aside.  I need to come back to this one.




Plucky Bog Second Painting Stage One

I grabbed another canvas and turned toward the south.  

Really accomplished artists would never begin another painting for the reason I did at this point.  The reason was that I had a lot of paint on my palette and I didn't want to waste it!   


Plucky Bog Second Painting Stage Two

Quick studies with leftover paint mixtures can be pleasant surprises and this was one good result I think.  



The painting that got the least amount of time turned out the best.   I think it is true that warming up can be a valid exercise for painting as it is for anything else.  It can help a painter get into a groove, work out some flaws and can result in a fresher more spontaneous result.   






Built in 1923 - Study

It was a perfect fall plein air day in Marshfield.  We set up at a sunny local spot at the bottom of a grassy hill adjacent to the Furnace Brook in Marshfield, MA.    An abandoned building sat atop the hill with the words "Built in 1923" engraved in mortar over the front door's roof peak.   What was this building anyway?   Back at the computer later that day, and despite searching the online land records and town municipal building information, I was not able to determine what the original use was for this old building on Hatch Street.  My guess was that it had been a school or municipal building.  It is now located right next to a new modern school.  

Hatch St Building Built in 1923

What attracted me was the building's architecture.   It had red brick facade and large arched windows, but a closer look revealed that the building was boarded up with plywood on some of the broken windows. From the bottom of the hill looking up through the autumn color though, the gracefully arched windows and roof line looked almost regal.  Once something becomes the center of interest of a painting, its status is instantly elevated, no matter what it really looks like.

This is just a quick study, but I am considering doing a larger studio painting using this and my photos for reference

Turtles on a Log

During my recent paint outs at the Daniel Webster Audubon, I took several photos at the watering hole that attracts the local wildlife.  I particularly like turtles.  I think my interest in turtles comes from the fact that they were my first pet when I was about seven or eight. I have this vague recollection of losing one of them and then my mother finding it hiding under a radiator. This is either true or is something that happened in a childhood movie. I can't remember!
 
On each visit to the Audubon, there have been a group of turtles that like to bask on a log that slopes diagonally up out of the water.   As I watched, a small turtle approached and started climbing onto the log at the bottom, but there was no room, and he slipped back into the water.   He dove under the water and approached again.  This time when he started his ascent he seemed to nudge the bottom turtle, which took a couple of steps up, and one by one they all cooperated taking a step or two up the log which made room for the bottom guy.  Seem pretty mundane?  It made me smile.

I looked up these turtles to find out what kind they were.  According to the Turtle Conservation Project website, this group of turtles are Painted Turtles. The head, legs and tail are black with yellow stripes. The undersides of the marginals have bold red markings. The bright red markings contrast nicely with the top shell, log and surroundings, which I thought would make a good subject for a painting.

Here are the stages of the painting all in a row in small thumbnails.


Turtles on a Log Stage 1



Turtles on a Log Stage 2

Turtles on a Log Stage 3

Stage 1 - Blocked in shapes an the darkest darks.
Stage 2 - Refined the turtles more, especially the way the bright sunlight was whitewashing the shells on the sunlit side, and darker on the dome facing away from light. Added signature red undershell markings, nice and bright, knowing I could tone it down if I needed to.
Stage 3 - On a dried canvas, redefined the darks, the stripes on heads, legs and some undershell shadows.  Yellow accent stripes on heads.   Painted the reflections of the shells and legs in the water.  Added grasses.

Painted Turtles on a Log

Audubon Pond

Audubon Blind Shelter Set Up

It was a cold windy November day and I had my equipment box on wheels loaded up for a trek further into the Daniel Webster Audubon trails.   There is a watering hole a mere quartermile from the parking lot which usually hosts a variety of wildlife.    There are two blind shelter enclosures, one on either side of the pond and I decided to paint from inside one of them and have it serve as my wind shield.



Audubon Dead Log Stage 1

The Audubon is a nature lover's paradise and I had my choice of subjects for my painting - ducks, geese, birds, turtles or hawks.   While I mulled over which wildlife to include, I began with an immobile subject, a sunbleached log that was angled up out of the water.   The scene was light and bright with the darkest area being the log's reflection.    The colorful ripples of the many different grasses and water plants only multiplied this October's show.





Audubon Dead Log Stage 2

The openings in the enclosure reminded me of readymade viewfinders.   I maneuvered my easel around until I had a spot from which I could sight-size my subject.   It's not evident by the photos but the paint is applied very thickly with my palette knife - almost having the look of icing.






The grasses emerge from the pond in reddish sheaths turning lighter and greener as they go up.   Pairs of ducks seemed to be the most prevalent resident on this day so I added a pair knifing up and away from the log, their wake forming the familiar "v".



Audubon Pond

White Lilies for Antique Frame

Generating a lot of paintings means needing a lot of frames.   I love going to the framing store and my favorite is The Frame Center in Hanover, MA.   It's not just their expansive selection, but the staff are talented artists themselves and offer a keen eye if another opinion is needed during the selection process.

The frame store is not the only place to find frames though.   Antique stores invariably have a few frames, sometimes with art in them and often just stacked in a dark corner awaiting discovery. Over the years I have found some really stunning frames this way.   The quality varies of course, but if a coating of dust and a bad painting within are the only problems, an effective rebirth may be possible.


White Lilie Still Life

When I came upon one particular old frame recently, I immediately knew that combined with the right painting, the look could really be something different and special.    I would customize a painting to the frame, and it would have a three leaf grouping to echo the ornate wooden frame corners.   A measurement of the opening revealed it was an odd size, 17.8" x 14.8".   I bought it anyway knowing I would be able to use a custom cut panel.   I gave the frame a good cleaning and amazingly the carved cherry wood had no scratches or flaws. The only issue was the gold leaf of the inner frame had many worn spots. I had been experimenting with gold leaf in the past year and decide to give the inner frame a try. I removed the inner frame from the carved wood frame and methodically applied my size and gold leaf. I'm certain that a gilding expert would be critical of my work, but it was a big improvement to the frame from its previous state.



White Lilies in Blue Vase Early Stages

The weather in New England in November guarantees being forced inside often and I took advantage of several rainy days to work on this still life.   I used my studio still life shelf to set up the silk white lilies. I sketched in my drawing with Transparent Oxide Brown on an MDF board that my husband had custom cut for me.   With only two lilies on hand, I set up for the upper blooms and just sketched in the face down blossom on the left.



White Lilies Stage Two

I didn't like the white vase shown in the photo at top of this post, so I substituted a fat round blue vase.   The true size of the blue vase was only six inches in diameter, so I was only able to use it for color and shape reference, and improvised on the size, enlarging it for the painting.  

I continued to work on the lilies.  The gold satin tablecloth for my still life looked flat and lifeless.   I attempted to remedy the issue by painting in the edge of the table and the folds of the tablecloth that hung down in front.  Much better.


White Lilies

The use of a miniature blue vase and pretending it was large was not easy.   In the stage two photo of the painting, the vase looked like it was floating but I didn't know why at first.   I copied a version of my painting into a Word document.   I then superimposed an oval over the vase in my painting so that it stretched over the vase in the painting and checked the symmetry.  What I discovered was that although the vase was symmetric, given the shape of the vase cavity and my "looking down" vantage point, the base of the vase should not be visible like I had it.   I returned to the studio and painted the bottom of the oval vase down below the base.  I also emphasized the shadow line under the vase.  

One other exciting detail was using some gold leaf flakes that were floating around from the frame work as a decorative gold band on the blue vase.  The painting was literally made for the frame and vice versa (figuratively).  

BUY NOW








Audubon Gate

Audubon Gate

Another fine autumn day at the Daniel Webster Audubon.   A rustic old gate was catching late morning light.   One half of the gate is closed,  and the closer half is opened away from view.   The dark rusty sumacs leaves were standing out clearly against a pale blue sky.   A good sized maple with nice twisted branches hung over the pathway and its yellow leaves were sparce.

Christian Science Reflecting Pool Boston

Initial Drawing Christian Science Reflecting Pool Boston

I had a lunch date with my sister who works in the Back Bay of Boston.  I packed my painting gear so that I would could set up somewhere and get a cityscape painting done before our lunch.   I knew that I would have a maximum of two hours to paint, the limit on my parking meter.

I found a metered parking spot on the street across from the Christian Science Center and Reflecting Pool.   It was a damp, overcast day with a raw biting wind, especially on the trek across Huntington Ave with all my equipment and along the length of the pool to what I hoped would be a sheltered spot.   The view I wanted to paint was northeast toward the Prudential Center and Tower.





Christian Science Reflecting Pool - Block In

Sure enough, along the edge of the Christian Science reflecting pool there were some alcoves which effectively blocked the cold wind that was sweeping through the surrounding skyscrapers.   I set up and got started on this intensive exercise in perspective. 

Although the three sided alcove was good for shelter and privacy, it did not provide enough light on my canvas.   To compensate, each time I mixed color, I held it out to the light to compare with my target scene.    You can tell from this painting that the light was insufficient when looking in the direction of the pool.



Boston Christian Science Reflecting Pool

I liked the muted reflections in the pool, and beyond the pool, under the line of trees in the distance were colorful pushcarts and kiosks.  The photo doesn't clearly show them, but my plan was to accentuate this color and draw it down into the pool as well. 

The two hours passed quickly and when more people started walking by I new that it must be getting close to lunchtime.   I took some additional pictures for reference since I knew I would need to work more on this painting in the studio.

As you can tell from the final painting, I decided to jazz up the sky and water by separating my gray into its pieces (pink and cobalt).  I dabbed in figures walking along the left side as well as the kiosks on the far side of the pool.   This is a very scenic spot and not an easy plein air subject, and for me, finishing in the studio was essential.



Boston Harbor Fish Pier

Boston Fish Pier Fleet

The properties on the rim of Boston Harbor vary from swank hotels and restaurants, to popular attractions such as the Aquarium and Bank of America Pavillion.  During a daytrip by boat into Boston, I took photos of the many piers, boats, planes and skylines.  Sandwiched in between some pretty exclusive properties is the Boston Fish pier.   I wondered as I took several photos how old it was because I thought that it probably did not look much different than it did 100 years ago.   As it turns out, it actually opened almost 100 years ago, in 1914.   It is the oldest continuously working fish pier in the United States. The historic Boston Fish Pier is really three buildings: the East and West Buildings which are connected by huge archways; and the Exchange Building.  The trademark seagreen trim and one of the archways can be seen in the painting.

It was sunset as we passed the pier on the commuter boat, and the fishing boats were lined up for almost the entire length of the pier.   The sun was lighting up just the tops of the boats and masts, as well as the trees and the yellow building on the left.  It was a striking scene and definitely worth capturing in oil.

The challenge on this one was simplifying to the basic masses, before worrying about all the busy detail.   I worked from my photos.  There were five values in six masses numbered here darkest to lightest:  1) boat hulls, 2) Fish Pier building and parking lot,  3) the sunlit building and trees 4) the water and sky, 5) boat tops.   Once those were in, I worked within the masses to add some recognizable elements.

This painting was done on a maplewood cradleboard, a new substrate for me, and I liked it.  I am going to sit on this one for a few days before I call it done.   Any comments for me?

Powder Point Bridge

On the South Shore of Boston, there are many peninsulas, bays and inlets from Cohasett to Scituate, Marshfield and Duxbury, and then on down to Plymouth where the largest opening is found, the Cape Cod Canal.   So numerous are they that these jagged and beautiful shorelines provide endless scenic waterviews to paint.  



Aerial View of Powder Point Bridge, Duxbury, MA

The satellite view on the left shows a long stretch of land that forms Duxbury Beach Reservation,  a natural barrier for both Duxbury Harbor and the northern rim of Plymouth Harbor.   This is the stretch of beach where I walk each day.   Walking or biking is one thing, driving is another.   To my knowledge, there are only two over land ways to drive to Duxbury Beach.  One way is via Canal Street in Marshfield to Gurnet Road, Duxbury (4WD vehicles recommended).  The other route is by crossing the Powder Point Bridge at the terminus of St. George Street, Duxbury. 

The focus of this post and center of interest in this post's painting is the Powder Point Bridge.  The bridge is a marvel,  a true treasure from the past.   The bridge is in fact the longest wooden bridge in the United States at 2,200 feet.  When the original bridge was built in 1892 it subtracted seven hours of travel from the trip from Duxbury Center to the Gurnet which is at the furthest tip of Duxbury Beach.  Despite this benefit, when the first bridge was erected, there were worries about a building boom and plans for too much beach development.  That did not come to pass and conservation efforts have thwarted any development plans for Duxbury Beach. 

As for the bridge, over the years, there have been fires and repairs.    In 1987, a "newer" bridge was built using the same structural design as the original, but made from an exotic wood called basralocus from Suriname (a country in northern South America)  and bongassi wood from West Africa.    It was discovered last winter that the wooden supports of the current Powder Point Bridge have deteriorated beyond expectations and the bridge was closed for repairs just recently (October 25, 2012).

This painting was done upon request for a summer visitor to the area who recognized how amazing the Powder Point Bridge is.   Just prior to its closing, I visited the bridge, started this painting and got a few reference photos.   The view chosen was from the northerly "mainland" side of Powder Point Bridge at low tide (from just about where the "A" pointer is in the aerial photograph above).  Blue skies and puffy afternoon clouds are the backdrop.

Powder Point Bridge

The sandy neck of the beach at the base of the bridge had a curved pattern of multiple tide lines and wild sea grasses which contrasted with the straight rigid lines of the wooden structure.  I liked this view of the bridge best and it gives a good sense of just how long it is for a small town bridge.  The color temperature scheme was influenced by the cool blue skies.  The shadows of the bridge and grasses had a reddish tone.

Hopefully when next they return to the area, it will be repaired and open for crossing!

Boston Harbor Watercolors

My favorite medium is oil, but that isn't to say I don't work with other media.   The most important elements of a successful painting are media independent, and relate to composition and all of its components, especially value (lights and darks correctly representing the subject).

The truth is when switching to something different, three things happen. 
1) A Break from routine  Different media have characteristics and techniques (constraints even) that are inherent in their use.  Altering the usual routine and shaking up the thought process is important and I think makes me paint more deliberately.  For example, I usually work darks to lights in oil, like most painters.   In watercolor, I work light to dark and in doing so experience a period of retraining my brain to think that way.

2) Applicability   Taking a turn with watercolor, pastel or charcoal can spawn new thoughts of their methods' applicability to oil.  For example, can a thin wash of oil color be used to get an effect in a similar manner as would be used in watercolor?   Should I measure a bit more specifically in a particular area of this oil painting as I would if I was rendering in charcoal?



Boston World Trade Center

3) Appreciation and validation Returning to the best loved media after a stretch of alternatives is a pleasant reminder of why it (for me - oil) is so satisfying!

The verbose editorial above might lead you to believe a substantial work is appended for reinforcement, but no,  only the two humble watercolors below, each a mere 4x6 inches.   I painted these back in the summer while on vacation, since watercolor is my preferred medium for travel (it's clean and portable).    I used photos from a prior visit and  detailed pencil drawings preceeded the actual painting as you would assume.  



Boston Harbor Wharf

The vantage point for both of these is almost the same, from Northern Ave near the Institute of Contemporary Art.  Boston's World Trade Center is the daylight painting and the Boston Harbor Hotel and surroundings is the nighttime painting.

If you have never done Boston's Harborwalk, you may want to think about it for your next Boston painting adventure and why not try doing it in another medium?!



Green Backhoe at Duxbury Cranberry Bog

One of my favorite spots for painting is on a stretch of Route 14 in Duxbury, MA at Temple Street next to a small cranberry bog.   This is the same location painted in another one of my paintings, "Pumphouse and Trailer."  A large, aqua backhoe appeared alongside the oxide red shed back in the spring.   I had been thinking that this old relic would make a nice, rustic painting subject.  I'm not sure this piece of equipment has even moved in the past seven months, but perhaps with the impending cranberry harvest, it will see some action.  

Since it is October, the tall summer grasses are leaning over and are bleached out.   In some areas the clover grasses look like they are having a rebirth due to the cool, damp autumn air, the only growth that looks true green.   Even the copse of trees beyond the backhoe and shed have a hint of rusty colored needles as does the ground beneath.   



Rt 14 Duxbury - Bog Backhoe Stage One

My canvas had been the beginnings of a seascape as can be seen in the Stage One Photo.   I blocked in the dark shadows of the distant trees and the backhoe.   Having painted many "red" barns and sheds, I know that they are really never red.   For this shed the sunlit red plane was a warm pink, made from cadmium red, naples yellow and some titanium white.   The shed plane in shadow was a alizarin, cobalt blue shade, with a darker version of that same hue just under the roofline.

Once I sketched in the two main subjects, the shed and the backhoe, I wasn't satisfied that the composition was unified.   I decided to play up the trunks of the trees in the distance between the subjects as a way of connecting them.   I feel like it made it better, but I wonder what an objective observer would think.

The small bog canal enters the scene on the left and winds back around the shed.   It was completely covered with pea green algae, which I didn't like, so I made it blue - initially.   The blue looked wrong and I don't know if it was because I knew it was made up, or if it was the wrong blue, but I decided to mix up some algae green and have it cling to the shorelines.



Bog Backhoe and Shed

The most fun for me as a painter is applying the last small touches on a painting.   For this painting, there were about four things I did at the end on the dry painting.  It amounts to punching up (down?) the darkest and lightest spots.   In applying these finishing touches, I try to do it in one stroke to give it a loose look

1) Retouched the darkest darks under the shed and backhoe.
2) Used my "sideways" bristle brush dipped in some naples yellow (and in some places cad red) to touch on the random dried out grasses. This softens the mid-distance greens too.
3) Mixed a cool white with just a tinge of cobalt to brighten the shed trim that was sunlit
4) Used a lemony (cool) yellow to lighten the sunlit side of the backhoe.


Toddler Art

Toddler Art I

A year ago, a precious little baby came into this world, marking the start of a new generation in our family.   A one-of-a-kind work of art was begun for this baby-to-be.  We didn't know if it would be a girl or a boy at the time so bright colors and vivid value contrasts (infants like that) were used to make a wall hanging a baby might like.   I thought back to when I was a young mother pacing gently around the house with a baby on my shoulder.  When it was time to wind down at the end of the day I would turn them so that they faced a window or a picture.   Where's the ball?   Where's the dog?  Where's the tree?   See the doggy?   Those memories spawned the first Toddler Art painting.   Brianna is turning one, so happy birthday pretty girl!

Toddler Art II

Two months ago, a second precious little baby of this next generation came into this world.   When I say little, I mean little - too many weeks early.   Our family has held a collective breath, put faith in a fantastic medical staff, devoted parents and God, saying countless prayers with a focus on this amazing little miracle baby.  To everyone's relief and with much joy, we learned that tiny Will has achieved the milestones necessary to go home with Mom and Dad.   The original painting is en route, special delivery, and here is a photo of it,  the second Toddler Art painting - dedicated to another precious baby, William!

Autumn Color at Veterans Memorial Park

Veterans Park Stage One

It was a serene Sunday morning at Veterans Memorial Park in Marshfield and the foliage was peaking.   Add to that a crystal clear stream reflecting all the color, and you have my idea of a perfect crisp autumn day.    This little park was deceiving in size and scope from the street. Veterans did a wonderful job tending it and commemorating local heroes. 







Veterans Park Stage Two

There were winding pathways that offered several options of where to set up to paint.   I chose a spot that had a view up the stream with bright foliage accented by dark,wet riverbanks on either side.  This was in fact, such a pretty spot that when two different photographers arrived for their respective family photo shoots, I correctly predicted that I was going to have to share this ideal location - at least temporarily.







Veterans Park Stage Three

 I painted in the furthest riverbank which was a dark brown oxide toned down with some cobalt blue to account for distance.   I built up the tree color from the riverbank up.  With each application of tree color, I would apply the same color just below the shore line mirroring the color above.   After I had blocked in the leaf color above and put matching color in the water, I used my pastry brush to drawn down the color into the water creating the watery reflections. 






Veterans Park Stage Four

 Next, I worked on the outcropping of bluish gray rocks on the left and decided which of the many pale gray tree branches and trunks I would include - not many.   Finally I put in the bright red sumac shrub that was at the far riverbank and its reflection.  As always, I'll fine tune in the studio, but here is the unpolished plein air version.

Audubon Farm Day 2012

This past week, the local weather forecasters had been predicting wet weather for this weekend.  Our Saturday paint out plans at the Daniel Webster Audubon would be hanging in the balance.   It did start out somewhat murky, but the clouds eventually gave way to some sun by mid afternoon.   Temperatures soared and it was a bonus given that were in October.



Farm Day Paint Out

I've painted here before, and have at least one previous blog post on it.   Today it was a vastly different place from the quiet, pristine reserve it usually is.   This event attracted hundreds of people, mostly families with small children.   The old barn was transformed into a hot soup station for the day.    Bales of hay were used to construct a children's maze, borders between events, food lines, bumpers for the hayrides and of course, sitting areas. 

I set up at the top of a dirt path that led down to the old barn.   Pretty foliage was almost at peak, a mixture of rusty green, golds and cool yellows.   A white sun umbrella was set up in front of the barn and it caught me eye right away.  It provided the sharpest contrast, against the wide black openings.   A large yellow and white striped tent was positioned on the left, a pretty counterbalance to the bright trees behind the barn.



Farm Day Oct 20

Most of the attractions, beekeepers, blacksmith, wool spinners, animals, hayrides, merchants, etc., and the hundreds of people viewing them were behind me and only occasionally would someone use the path I was painting to descend to the barn.   Pretty scene in all directions, and so much to enjoy while getting to paint! 

Once I had completed most of the landscape, I sketched in a young man with a black backpack when he got to the bottom of the path.

Corraling the Cranberry Harvest

I started this painting a year ago.   I loved the composition at the time, but I was not happy with the figures, especially the foreground figure in the painting.   I like to do the cranberry scenes in the fall when the bright, bobbing cranberries are harvested, so I gave it another chance this year.   This piece was painted using both a photograph that I took last year at the Makepeace Cranberry Festival (for the subject and placement), and a plein air cranberry harvest painting that I did on site last year (for color reference).

The workers were pulling a black corraling strip into a spiral that is used to gather the floating berries while a vacuum hose suctioned the berries.  The berries then passed into a sifting machine and were hosed off into an 18 wheeler stationed beside the bog. 

I virtually repainted the entire canvas, but having the ghost of the previous painting underneath made the adjustments quicker and easier.   Another benefit was that the overpainting resulted in some extra texture and color variation.

Manning the Cranberry Corral

This time for the figures I tried to think of each cranberry worker image as a collection of colored brushstrokes, rather than people.   This helped give an impressionistic look and improved the perspective.

My son who has a keen eye and on whom I rely to give me a critique toward the end of my paintings noted that one problem was that the shape of the corralled cranberries was somewhat warped and even though was accurate to the photo, it did not seem right in the painting.   He suggested straightening the distant edge of the red strip by widening the water.   I had been blind to it, but it made a big difference.

More cranberry harvest paintings are in progress since this is the season.   I'm not tired of the scene yet and hope you're not either.

New Website - Same Blog

Thank you to all my blog readers.   More and more often, I run into people who say they are reading it regularly.   I like writing it and one major reason is that it keeps me bringing paintings to closure.   I have a tendency to keep working on things, so recording the stages of the painting for the blog makes it come to completion faster.  I plan no changes to the blog.

This week I converted my old website to a Fine Art Studio Online (FASO) website.   The FASO user interface is geared toward artists and the optimal display and organization of their artworks.  After a few initial issues with the site, I think things are functioning properly.   During the course of the conversion, I also experienced a temporary problem with my email which should now be working properly.

If you have any extra time and can take a look at the website, I would appreciate getting any comments, especially bugs or mistakes.   It will take a couple of weeks to get all my content posted, but the navigation links are done - I think.

The website URL has not changed.   www.vezinart.com

I'm glad that these administrative tasks are done because the cranberry harvest is in progress and needs to be painted!

Thank you.

Marcia Thomas House

Identifying new painting locations is often on my mind and for some reason I equate new, exciting locations with driving somewhere "else" rather than someplace closeby.   I have to remind myself that it is not how far I go, but looking closely at what is right in front of me.   There is a particular antique cape-style house with a historical marker that I drive my daily.   I think I had become blind to this gem so I finally set out to capture it on canvas.

I pulled into the gravel driveway and set up facing east so that the sun was over my right shoulder.   There is a lot of history behind this fascinating house.   It actually was moved in 1997 from Ocean Street in Marshfield to this current location, on Webster Street, adjacent to the Winslow House.  It is now the headquarters of the Marshfield Historical Society, and appropriatedly so since it was originally the home of Marcia Thomas (B:1800) who is considered to be Marshfield's first historian.   For more on the Marcia Thomas House, I suggest visiting the link.



As I began painting, it got cloudier and colder.   I tried to pick up the pace, concentrating on the structural lines of the house and color scheme, figuring I could  always work the grasses, trees and shrubs later in a warm studio.   Despite the grayness of the day, it was still very bright.   My challenge was how dark to paint the front of the house, which was a northeast facing plane, technically a "shaded" plane.   It still looked very light in value.    I painted it as accurately as I could, then got a photo image.   With the front house plane as a good data point, I would be able to then use the photo in a relative manner.

Toward the end of my paint out, I was pleased to meet Tim Davidson, President of the Marshfield Historical Society.   At first when he stopped, I thought it may have been because I wasn't allowed to be there.   Quite the opposite!   Mr. Davidson was most gracious and told me that my interest in this historic site was welcome.   He noted that the Marshfield Historical Society is coming up on their 100th anniversary, having been established in 1913.  Many commemorative events are now in the planning stages for 2013.



Marcia Thomas House

We even discussed hatching a plan to include an art event or contest sometime during the anniversary year.  I would be happy to participate and know many other artists who would as well.

I hope to visit and paint two other sites managed by the Historical Society, the old Winslow Schoolhouse and the Winslow Blacksmith Shop in the near future.  For now, here is the "nearly final" product.