Doorways on Marlborough St

Marlborough Street 18

The doorways in the Back Bay of Boston shine with style and finesse all year long, but in late summer the flowers are peaking and the frontages are especially pretty.   For capturing city scenes in paint, I gravitate to Marlborough Street because it is quieter than Boylston or Commonwealth, which are just as grand.   Even the less manicured frontages have the elegance of mid-1800 architecture.

Festive Windowboxes

Little House and Snowy Greens

Every year as Christmas approaches, I work on at least one holiday painting. This year, one became four paintings as they were fun to create

The plan was to give the gallery a related grouping during the run up to Christmas.   Window boxes decorated for the holidays became the theme.   This idea came to me as I start thinking about how to decorate my own real window boxes.  The options are endless and I hope my real window box has as much color.

Red Ribbon Window Box

And speaking of color, the palette knife was useful for laying on the thick masses of cascading greens and flowers.  It was also good for creating rustic clapboards with a bit of scraping and multi-layering.

'Tis the Season!

Window Box Splash

Ornaments and Pink Ribbon

Commonwealth Ave Window Boxes

Comm Ave Window Boxes - Stage One

In Boston's Bay Bay, Commonwealth Ave is undoubtedly among the most picturesque urban stretches in Boston.   The greenway down the middle is always busy with walkers, and now with Spring upon us it offers a pleasant and shady path that connects the Public Garden and Kenmore Square.

Most of these residential buildings have exquisite mini front gardens, each one more lovely than the next.   This "brownstone's" color was more plum than brown which is probably why the fuschia window boxes looked so striking.

Comm Ave Window Boxes - Stage Two

My canvas was a small 8x8", underpainted in a neutral tone. The architectural drawing of the buildings took most of my time.  I wanted my verticals perfectly vertical.  The facets of the bay windows each relate a different value of the plum.  The photos do lie in that they don't quite capture how warm and yellow the light was.

Among the people who stop to watch or ask questions, my unscientific estimate is that 75 percent have painted and/or want to paint.    And why is it that people who want to paint more, don't?   Well, I've been that person and there are lot of reasons.  It's waaaaay too complicated for a single blog post!

Comm Ave Window Boxes - Stage Two

Here is the painting result so far.   The most fun is yet to come - the sunlit tree branches and the flower highlights.   And definitely more yellow!
Finished painting is now on the website.




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Arched Stone Portal

Arched Stone Doorway

The rustic brick villa looked mysterious but inviting and was capped with a beautiful stone archway. Simple geraniums planted asymmetrically enhanced the lovely old entrance to the cottage inn.  It was located down the end of a moist, shaded path through some woodlands. Ivy clung to the brickwork which looked extra green against its warm pink complement.