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).  

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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?!