Sugarbowl from Ferry



Sugarbowl Stage One

Growing up in South Boston we always referred to the halfway point of the "over water" causeway between Marine Park and Castle Island as the "Sugar Bowl."   The name comes from this landmark's round shape which used to be lined with a benches and a tall framework that resembled an old-fashioned sugar bowl, at least that's the notion I've always had.     The causeway and the Sugar Bowl were built up with boulders in the middle of the water, Boston Harbor on one side and the Pleasure Bay Lagoon on the other.

Today what I still call the "Sugar Bowl" is a modern day, two story gazebo with a pointed peak.    Its taller profile is more easily identified from a distance than the old Sugarbowl.    I spotted it readily from our Boston-to-Hingham ferry as we were exiting the inner harbor, and I took a photo of the scene.   This long view also includes Carson Beach and its bathhouses visible on the most distant shoreline.


Using Right Angle

The white foamy line in the water is the outflow from the locks between the Lagoon and the Harbor.  On a hot summer days the Lagoon would fill up at high tide and if the locks were closed, the high water level would be maintained for resident enjoyment until nightfall when the locks were opened again and the water would empty.   On this evening ferry ride the locks were open and the water was draining out from the Lagoon.



Sugarbowl from Ferry

This was a pinkish day.  I've noticed that on humid, shimmery summer days, the color of the light is really not white, nor yellow, but a bright light that leans toward pink.   Now maybe it's just my eyes, but I have found that if you "sense" a color (like I did with the pink), then apply a pumped up version of that color,  your eyes will quickly confirm or deny whether your canvas matches the scene. 

I added the mid-distance sailboat as balancing element, and I liked the way the mast connected the sky to the foreground, even thought the boat was not in the original photo.  Some of the handiest items to use in painting come from the carpentry toolbox.   This right angle is useful for getting a nice vertical sailboat mast.   I don't consider it cheating just because I didn't do it freehand. :)



Black and White and Torrit Grey 2014

Comerant

Perched on High

My favorite oil color manufacturer is Gamblin and each year they run a contest challenging participants to create a painting using only black, white and Gamblin's custom color, Torrit Gray.     Torrit Gray is a free giveaway color produced from collecting all the factory pigment that would ordinarily end up in the trash.   Rather than discard the pigment, an annual Torrit Gray blend is created, tubed, and then given away with Gamblin purchases as a customer bonus and environmental initiative.  I have entered the competition for the past two years, and this year I entered again.

Barnyard

If you paint, you may want to consider entering.   It is really interesting to see what people come up with when they are color-limited.   All the entries are posted on the Gamblin website and the company has been very generous in sending a free gift to participants.  I really love Gamblin - for many reasons - and the paint is manufactured in Oregon.

My strategy when brainstorming my entries was to hunt through my digital photo archive for a photo that would make a strong black and white painting.   A strong dark/light tonalism usually means added strength for the composition.  Obviously things that don't have much color or are already black and white were things to consider.  

Maybe you could try it too!

Painting at Peacefield

Yorkist Rose Tree Set Out by Abigail Adams - 1788

Painting Set Up at Peacefield

Today I painted at a national treasure located in Quincy, MA and it was located only about twenty miles from Marshfield.

Historic Yellowwood Tree and Flower Gardens at Peacefield

The estate is known as The Old House, or Peacefield, residence of the Adams Family for four generations from 1788 to 1927.

 

It was home to Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams, First Ladies Abigail and Louisa Catherine Adams, and a number of other Adams Family luminaries.  The National Park Service does a wonderful job caring for and giving tours of the historic property.  And even if you are only half as big a fan of the Adamses as me, it is a must see.



Peacefield Painting Stage Two

What a spectacular setting!  The summer gardens contained a wild array of blooms, and on this August day they were absolutely stunning.  They provided a grand and colorful scene for my painting.  I framed the scene such that the Stone Library (left) and the Old House (right) were included.   The Stone Library was built in 1873 and it contains more than 14,000 books that belonged to the Adamses.  The grounds include a historic orchard and an 18th-century style formal garden, containing thousands of annual and perennial flowers. 



Peacefield

The arched doorway into the Stone Library was quite unique and it was the center of interest.  (I actually made this interesting feature a little larger than reality.)     I left my "reward" until the end, which was the thick, juicy and bright flowers.    The one element I may still add is the weathervane on The Stone Library.     This is one of my favorite paint-outs and paintings I have ever done!  It is really loose where it can be, and the strong contrast of values strengthen the architectural elements.  





Duxbury Beach in August

Duxbury Beach August Afternoon - Stage One

For this afternoon paint out, I set up on the first crossover to the left after entering Duxbury Beach Reservation from Gurnett Road.    It was one hour until high tide, which was perfect for a painting session of two hours.   There were lots of people enjoying the beach, most of them clustered further down the beach near the bathhouse building.




Duxbury Beach August Afternoon - Stage Two

Duxbury Beach August Afternoon Stage Three

This canvas had a peachy underpainting which turned out to be a good color to let show through for the sand and grasses.  I began though, with the pretty summer sky, pthalo blue and titanium white with small cottonball clouds.  I learned from my Naval defense circles that the deep water vessels are called "blue water" vessels and shallow water, and more maneuverable watercraft are called "green water" vessels and it is no wonder looking at today's water.    The deeper sea horizon line was dark ultramarine blue, gradually lightening and turning more green toward the sandy shore.   The sand was peachy taupe and I added some pink for the fun of it.   The mature dune grasses were tall and leaning toward the beach from the westerly wind off the marsh.   The grass colors were beginning to turn yellowish gold (a mix of raw sienna, naples yellow, and various greens).  

The long beach was fairly populated, and it seemed that they were mostly in clusters.   I added some of the groups of people and also added few swimmers.    I began the people groups with a slender horizontal shadow line on the sand.   I then pulled skinny strands of paint up from the horizontal shadow to create the individuals.   The snow fence posts, large to small, walk the viewer down the beach to the bathhouse.

Everson Island from Dyke Road

The Green Harbor River separates Green Harbor from Brant Rock in the southern section of Marshfield.   Dyke Road connects the two sub-villages of Marshfield just beyond the Green Harbor Marina.  If you look upriver, you can see Everson Island in the middle.



Everson Island- Stage One

We drive by this stretch often and it is always a scenic spot, especially at sunset.  The land in the middle of the river is called Everson Island, named after a soldier from Marshfield who served in the Civil War.  According to a memoir I found online, Erastus Everson was granted ownership of the island as a reward for his Civil War service.  He, and subsequently his family members used their island paradise as a summer camp. 

<History lovers might enjoy the following (somewhat lengthy but personal and nostalgic) description of Everson Island back in the early 1900's.>
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze3nm2c/greenharborimages/id10.html



Everson Island - Stage Two

It was late morning in July when I decided to paint this pretty scene that I admire so often.  Although the scene looks serene and picturesque, in reality there were commercial trucks and tow boat trailers rumbling by almost constantly.   Maybe out on the island there was a degree of quiet and solitude?    I stood on the river side of the guardrail and it took some unorthodox adjusting of the gear to get set up to paint.  



Everson Island - Stage Three

I sight sized the scene standing quite close to the canvas.   (I didn't have much room to step back.)  The summery sky was bright with high clouds, and that meant that the water was not reflecting clear blue, but a grayed down indigo.   The river water just below where I stood was quite green, probably from the sandy bottom.

I'll still probably make some adjustments to this one, but I like that it captures the color of the sky and water.   I'll probably tone down the island grasses as they look too light.     Does anyone have any other suggestions for me?



 

 

Lucky Four Leaf Clover

Who doesn't like a four leaf clover and what it stands for?    The last time I may have had a real one in my hand was probably as a grade school child.   That was an age when there actually was time to sit around in a grassy spot and just comb through the soft clover - no place to be and no concerns about efficient use of time.  

I painted a four leaf clover on a penny earlier this year and it has since sold up at the South Street Gallery in Hingham.   I painted this four leaf (especially lucky) clover image on a new mailbox for my son's first home.     I painted it with love and warm wishes of good luck.....

Garden at the Edge of the Marsh

Marshside Garden

It was the end of July which meant the vegetable and flower garden was reaching its peak. My lettuce had been coming in steadily, the best lettuce year ever.  I had harvested more than a dozen cucumbers already and I was looking forward to the first batch of salsa once the dozens of green tomatoes started turning red.    The wide zinnia border in front of the vegetables was even starting to get edged out by the advancing vegetables.    Not every gardening year has been like this one, so it was gratifying to see everything doing so well!   So what better way to remember it than to record it in paint!

My purple butterfly bush had to be a prominent element for this 2014 garden painting.   When I trimmed out its dead wood in Spring, it looked quite lopsided but fortunately it sprouted symmetrically and it was in full bloom.    It towered over the rest of the garden and its purple blooms looked beautiful against the lush green marsh grasses.   It really does attract butterflies, and it also attracts bees and, occasionally, hummingbirds.

After roughing in the distant sky, tree line and marsh in more muted tones I turned my attention to the garden elements which would be most prominent.  The bright greens, yellows, reds and purples got me mixing big piles of paint that I applied impasto style - full, thick color with a palette knife.   I also included the one very large sunflower peaking out from Bob's garden beyond.

I love thick "out of the tube" paint color.


Marshside Garden