Sagamore Bridge

Precarious Position

It's This Big

I needed to make another trip to the Cape today so I stopped at the Scusset Beach side of the canal and pulled into the parking lot at the base of the Sagamore Bridge.   Three weeks ago we had discovered a spot further down the canal and we painted the waterway with the bridge in the distance.   Today's location was practically under the bridge and what a sight it was.      I really got a feel for how huge the bridge was when I spotted workers up underneath it on the other side.  See the photos to the left.   There does not exist enough money to pay me to do that job!




Sagamore Bridge - Stage 1

As for the painting, I had brought a previously painted 14 x 18 inch canvas and composed it with the bridge arch shooting out the top of the canvas and the road exiting right.   The sky was bright with thick, colorful clouds.   The water in the canal was a bit puzzling; it was not a true reflection color of the sky, but instead was a chromium green type color.      The winter tree line on the other side of the canal was a muted grayish rust color.   The thatched roof and windmill of the Christmas Tree Shop was a recognizable silhouette that I wanted to include.






Sagamore Bridge - Stage 2

 The foreground was so non-descript that I worried at first that it was quite ugly.    As the painting developed, I realized that the dull foreground would provide relief from the detail of the various mid-range elements.  I kept the foregroung subdued and void of any attention grabbing features.




Sagamore Bridge Late March

I find design elements with interesting detail - like bridges - somewhat difficult.  My tendency is to want to produce an accurate depiction of all the detail - in this case - the intricate supporting rails and beams.   Artistically, I knew that not only was it not necessary, but it would probably detract.

Stage 2 is far from an accurate depiction of all the steel beams.   Hopefully, I've included enough  to allow the viewer to get the gist of the structure, without overwhelming it.

When the painting was nearly complete, I realized that the color harmony was somewhat disjointed, ranging from red brown in the distant trees and foreground grasses, to blues in the fence shadows.   I decided that I would play
up the yellow/purple harmony, which was the dominant scheme in the bridge and grasses.

Back to Plucky Bog

We returned to a small cranberry bog in Duxbury called Plucky Bog.   This bog is situated right alongside Route 3 in South Duxbury.   We had painted here before in late fall at which point it was quite a bit warmer than it was today.  

Bogs in late winter/early spring turn a dark, rich maroon color.   Some of the snow in the distance had still not melted and the contrast looked really beautiful against this alizarin crimson bog.

Late Winter Plucky Bog - Duxbury

It was a spectacular sky as well.   I mixed both cobalt blue and cerulean for the deepest blues of the sky.   I created the midday clouds using my sky blue, the cranberry bog crimson and a little brown oxide to warm it up.   I used Gamblin Fastmatte Titanium White for the sky and I am so glad I did.   It enabled me to layer the clouds because of how fast this product dries.

I was facing South, hence looking into the brightest of the sun and snow. The blue shadows of the trees creeped out onto the snow.   The brightest snow and shadows alternated which made an interesting pattern on the farthest bog bank.

The Concert Reproduction - Post 4

Custom Stretcher Frame

I continue to push to finish my copy of Vermeer's famous painting, "The Concert."     This week the infamous Gardner Museum heist which resulted in this painting's disappearance is in the news again.   The Boston FBI announced that it has a "high degree of confidence" that they know who was involved and also that the stolen art was taken to Connecticut and Philadelphia.   They are asking for anyone with information to come forward with the reminder that there is a $5 million reward at stake.  After the labor that went into this reproduction, I would love to see the original someday!

For further FBI information, follow this link:

Close up of stretcher bar corner

http://www.fbi.gov/boston/press-releases/2013/fbi-provides-new-information-regarding-the-1990-isabella-stewart-gardner-museum-art-heist

The Concert Repro Dismounted

My husband built a custom stretcher frame to the precise measurements of the painting (28.5 x 25.5 inches).  To the right is a closeup of the corner with brace.   The outer edge is capped with a narrow strapping that protrudes by 1/16th of an inch.  This is to allow a clearance between the canvas and the wood frame

The painting is sitting on the couch waiting to be mounted.

Beachside Couple and Fisherman

Beachcombing and fishing seem to be pastimes that are universally enjoyed.   No matter where in the world the beach is, people will be strolling along the shore, heads down, looking and searching for their treasure.   Treasure is different for different people.  I imagine some is the same as what I consider shoreline treasure, namely, shells, unusual rocks, perfectly smooth driftwood and seaglass.   And as for fishing - in my experience - people either love it or could care less about it.   Similar to beachcombing, a good amount of time in fishing is spent waiting for the prize to appear.





Shoreline Leisure - Stage 1

Water's Edge Enjoyment

In this painting, a couple was slowly strolling along the shore.   The woman notices that the fisherman has a bite, but just continues along her way.   Her husband has spotted something of interest in the water and it takes all of his attention.

I like painting beachcomers because of their relaxed, unassuming, and natural poses.      It is a pasttime that I personally love, so recording people doing it is a favorite of mine.  People come in all shapes and sizes which also makes for interesting figure painting.

On the first pass of the painting, using my reference photo, I painted the scene quite literally.   Since producing the stage one painting, I received a very helpful critique on another recent beachcomber painting "Look at the Size of that Jellyfish."   In stage 2, I have incorporated a couple of the lessons I learned while painting "Look at the Size of that Jellyfish."  


1) Designed the color harmony (this meant deviating from the photo)
2) Established the primary subject (strongest color/contrast/clarity and subjugate supporting cast with muted color and softened edges).

Snowy Golf Course Paint Out

Golf Course Parking Lot

Here at the coast there is not much snow left on the ground and the clouds are locked in over us.   The morning weather promised sun  - for inland areas.   We set out to find snow and sun; we found it at a golf course about ten miles away from the ocean.      The parking lot snow piles and the car providde a wind block and although somewhat cold it was beautiful and invigorating.  

Snowy Golf Course - Stage One

 The scene I chose had a distant tree line, a snow covered golf holes, a small frozen pond, nearside snow covered shore and finally, in the foreground, a grouping of trees and vines.   My canvas had a green, gold and brownish underpainting.   I began by painting the sky and snow with a large brush, leaving the shapes of the trees unpainted.





Snowy Golf Course

In the span of only two hours, the local colors changed quite a bit.   At the start, the frozen pond had been a light slate blue and the tree shadows on the snow were light bluish grey.   Gradually the pond and the shadows got darker and more pronounced and actually got very close in color - dark slate blue.   I liked the latter colors because of the greater contrast so tried to match those darker shadow values.

Here is the painting at the end of the paint out.  At least two more changes are needed, 1) convey receding distance of the trees with lighter values,  2) soften all but focal edges.     Once I complete it, the finished painting will be on my website in the "Plein Air" folder.

The Concert Reproduction - Post 3

The Concert After Vermeer (Vezina Reproduction) - Stage 5

There are three embedded paintings in Vermeer's painting "The Concert."   Opinions differ as to the motivation for Vermeer deciding to include these three contrasting works of art within his painting.     

On the wall to the left in a black frame is a landscape painting thought to be the work of  of Jacob van Ruisdael, although writings on the painting do not offer a specific title.    He was known for his rugged landscapes that were painted in the same manner of this painting. 

On the wall to the right is a painting of The Procuress by Dirck van Baburen. The subject of this painting-within-a-painting seems to suggest that something improper is taking place, specifically the procuress playing the lute, her turbin wearing handler and the dark bearded customer.  The question it does the inclusion of this painting suggest an inappropriate scene in the primary painting scene as well?   This theory is disputed by many since The Procuress was in fact owned by Vermeer’s family. Moreover, the figures in the room are intently preoccupied with their music: they do not look at each other, and seem unaware they are being observed or painted.

The third embedded painting is on the harpsicord lid which is in the open position.  According to experts, the harpsichord with the idyllic landscape on its lid was almost certainly manufactured by the renowned Ruckers family in Antwerp with an original landscape by Jan Wildens.

In my reproduction of The Concert I decided to use reference photos of the wall paintings in all their colorful detail instead of trying to copy the very muted versions of the paintings from within my reference photo of The Concert.  I depicted the two wall paintings brightly and colorfully as backdrops for the main painting.    Perhaps Vermeer would cringe at how bright they look and consider them a distraction.   Perhaps I will dull them down at the end, but not yet.  Much color fading has taken place in this painting over the last 350 years, so can anyone say for certain how vibrant the colors were when it was first painted?

Here is my reproduction version of The Concert - still a work in progress. 

A Yellow House in the Snow

Snowy Yellow House

The early March ocean storm still lingers and the clouds continue to sit over us in Green Harbor.   We head inland where the sun is shining brightly on the snow piles and instead of a deafening ocean roar, it is pleasantly quiet.   That is, except for the Spring songbirds.   Since our favorite landscape spots are snow covered, we pull into a local elementary school noting that the parking lot was nicely plowed and already dry.  

My first impression was that there was nothing there to paint.   As I have said before, even when there does not seem to be a scene worth painting, by picking something simple - even mundate - it will be transformed and seem entirely worthy. 

Across the street beyond a couple of snowbanks and trees, there was a small yellow house with black shutters and a brick chimney.   A large conically shaped cedar was on its right.   I set up my canvas portrait style and roughed in the sky and foreground snow with a one inch brush.  

The melting snow on the black roof formed some nice shapes.   My underpainting had been a swirl of cool pastels and some turquoise, and where I could, I let some of that show through.  I took liberties with the snow color and really pumped it up using lavender, yellows and pinks.

Cape Cod Canal

Occasional trips to Cape Cod Massachusetts mean crossing over the Cape Cod Canal, a manmade marvel that changed commerce for and transportation through southeastern Massachusetts,



Cloudy Cape Cod Canal

Next year will mark the Cape Cod Canal Centenial as its grand opening was July 29, 1914.    Just three short years after the arrival of the Pilgrims on the Mayflower in 1620, Miles Standish of the Plymouth Colony proposed a man-made canal separating Cape Cod from Massachusetts’ mainland. At the time, a major factor in the decision to dig this canal was to create more efficient trade routes between the Plymouth settlers in the north and the Native Americans and Dutch in the south. Instead of braving the treacherous waters around the arm of Cape Cod, Pilgrims would be able to leave Cape Cod Bay and head directly south.   This would allow vessels to avert the treacherous waters and rocks along the outer shores of Cape Cod.  Unfortunately, the settlers were unable to take on such a task, as their labor force and technology could not bear the required work.

During the American Revolution, building a Cape Cod Canal was again of interested in order to circumvent British harbor blockades. Going into the nineteenth century, many plans were made, but none succeeded. Meanwhile, the toll of shipwrecks along the hazardous outer banks of Cape Cod continued to mount. During the late 1880′s, shipwrecks occurred at the rate of one every two weeks.

Eventually, by the 1900s, ideas and technology were both advanced enough to finally build the canal.

In 1927, US Corps of Engineers selected two land areas that were naturally elevated, and erected fixed high-level bridges designed to accommodate the superstructures of large ocean-going vessels. The Corps created a vertical clearance of 135 feet above water and a horizontal clearance of 480 feet.

So not only is the Canal an important and functional wonder, it is beautiful.  There are numerous scenic areas along the canal and finally today, we took a walk along the canal while deciding upon a spot to paint. Late winter gray clouds predominated and there were even flakes in the air. We found a great parking spot right next to the canal so we set up knowing we could quickly pack up if we had to. The weather actually improved as we painted and a bright sun peaked through the puffy clouds. This is the Sagamore Bridge over the canal.   What a treat to watch the swirling canal currents and large colorful fishing trawlers pass by. Oh - and we produced paintings too.

At the Dock in Hyannis

Photo of Painting Location - Hyannis Dock

I was driving to Cape Cod to deliver paintings so I took the opportunity to find a nice spot and do a painting "en plein air."   Was it a sparkling, picturesque, postcard type day?   Not at all.  It was late February, gray, and overcast.    I headed to the water in Hyannis and turned into the Fast Ferry Terminal parking lot.  It was deserted except for the off-season skeletal crew who pointed out a spot where I could set up. 



Waiting for the Ferry at Hyannis - Stage 1

The location was at the dock railing overlooking the ferry lane.    I stood between two rows of luggage carts, which served nicely as wind blockers, although it was fairly calm.  As I was first setting up, the ferry arrived.   It was so large with respect to the small inlet that it essentially filled up the entire middle area of my scene. I decided that I would include the ferry in my painting.  Until another one came I would begin working on the static elements which included the multiple shorelines to the left and right of the ferry lane at their different distances including a beautiful little lighthouse. 

I sight sized the scene onto a 9x12 inch panel. It consisted of tan-gray shrubbery, winter-bare blue- gray trees and yellow gray sand.  The pigments for the thick blue clouds and the water were grayish blends of yellow, pink, eggshell and lavender.   I felt like I was honoring the day, as gray as it was.       I love the gray days for painting!

Waiting for the Ferry at Hyannis - Stage 2

When it began to rain lightly, I moved under the ticket counter overhang until it stopped.  I wasn't able to paint in a ferry as I had planned because unfortunately there were no more ferry arrivals or departures - at least up until the point I had to leave.   What a different painting it would be to have added a ferry.   Instead this is a serene understated winter scene - still nice I think.   I am reminded by this experience that I am not able to paint from memory very well.  That would be a good thing to practice.