Catskill Mountains Paint Outs

I've always been fascinated with the Hudson River School Painters and although their painting style was only "in vogue" for a generation and a half, the epic works of Fredrick Church and Thomas Cole still hang in the country's finest museums, many of which are works of epic proportions.   These two painters along with a group of painters known as "The Ten," made pivotal contributions to the American painting movement. 

This fall, we drove to the Hudson Valley, traveling through the picturesque hills, ravines and riversides that inspired Thomas Cole and Fredrick Church.  The Cole Homestead was modest but beautifully situated on a hillside where his veranda had sweeping views of the Catskill Mountains - inspiring scenes he had painted.  

We toured the home, the grounds and his studio.  Here we got to see the four 1840 studies he executed in preparation for the renown paintings at the National Gallery in Washington, DC that comprise the "Voyage of Life" series.

Thomas Cole Voyage of Life Studies in Cole Studio

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

There is something special about standing in the same physical spot as a historical figure who lived, worked and touched the very work you are looking at!  

Thomas Cole's protege, Fredrick Church built his homestead nearby.   Not modest!  It was a hilltop mansion across the Hudson from Cole that was enormous by comparison. Church was a wealthy world traveler and collector.   The emphasis of his estate tour was more his status and lifestyle, but there were many beautiful paintings to see as well.   We painted from the location of Church's studio, a west facing vantage with views of his property leading down to the Hudson River.   

These two painters made their mark on the entire area.  When we hiked at the Kaaterskill Falls some of the trail markers had images of their paintings.   One Cole painting spot in particular was at the very lofty (scary!) overlook where we stood.  Great trip and of course, when we get to paint - even better!

  

Catskills View

Fredrick Church Studio View

Middleboro Paint Outs

 These three paintings capture scenes in Middleboro, MA, a mostly low lying area with ponds, lakes, streams and cranberry bogs.   True Grit Art Gallery holds an annual painting event where painters capture scenes from within the town boundaries for a month long exhibition of the masterpieces that result.

The first scene is from Lolans Farm in mid-October.   The displays are bursting with harvest bounty with every kind and color of pumpkin you can imagine.   It was a brisk and mostly cloudy day when this woman walks through scanning for the perfect pumpkin.

Scanning for the Perfect Pumpkin

 

 

 

 

 

The next painting was done along the Nemasket River next to the Oliver Mill.  This spectacular old stone bridge was first built in 1859 and was referred to as the Muttock.   It was repaired/rebuilt a number of times since but the structures' sturdy, rustic design remains true to the original.   The bridge was a visual  magnet for a painter like me - love of water and Irish roots.   The gorgeous reflections of the stonework and autumn color doubled the magnificence of scene.

The Muttock

The third and final plein air exhibition painting was done at an area called Betty's Neck.  It was a perfect day for enjoying the fall color.   I met a couple who were scoping out the spot from where they were going to watch the Northern Lights that evening.   They agreed my very spot was going the get the nod once it got dark.   For me, it was very much the bright sunshine, water and peak foliage getting the nod.

 

Causeway View - Betty's Neck

 

Cranberry Bogs Along Fuller St in Middleboro

Early Autumn Bog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The gorgeous autumn tree colors, and the calendar say October, but the daytime temperatures would have you thinking May or September - warm and dry.   This is perfect weather for plein air painting.   The cranberry bogs are particularly pretty just before the flooding and harvest.  They get a distinctly crimson chroma, contrasting beautifully with the green bog fringe.   Of course the surrounding trees are often wildly colored and even clashy with the cranberry red color scheme.   But that's where a painter can even out the disharmony with a touch of cranberry color throughout.  See if you can spot where crimson brushwork softens the greens!

Golden Light at the Bog

Oliver Mill

Oliver Mill

Along Route 44 in Middleboro, MA there is fascinating place where the Nemasket River passes under an old stone bridge and divides into several prongs that comprise the outskirts of the old Oliver Mill.   Today, the various levels in the streams create an elaborate and effective herring run from Narragansett Bay through the Taunton River and back to the Nemasket River.   The spot where I painted on this day was from within the mill structure - surrounded by three of the walls of the mill but open to the sky above.

 

 

The stone wall remnants of the old structure offered a gorgeous contrast with the end-of-summer greens and yellows. In fact, things were already shifting toward yellow and red.

The thing about plein air is that during the course of standing in a spot for two to three hours,  you are bound to see something unusual.  In this case it was a blue heron that decided to sit up on a railing overlooking the streams squirting out below.   A dog walker came along and of course there was intense curiosity by this young dog.  A better and more memorable title may be "Black Dog Spies Heron."

Nemasket Herring Run

Nemasket Herring Run

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here at the Oliver Mill in Middleboro, MA,  the old stone walls brought back memories of painting in Ireland.   Of course there were plenty of differences not the least of which was the stunning New England foliage.   

These stone walls comprise the original footprint of the old Oliver Mill adjacent to the Nemasket River.   The painting vantage point is west facing and I'm actually standing within the mill walls - no roof though.  The focal point of the painting is beyond the mill where the river widens out.  Presumably the calmer, downstream waters offer better fishing opportunities for this snowy egret.

Bog Pumphouses

Bog Pumphouses

 

 

 

 

 

 

A friend and I painted at this huge cranberry bog in Middleboro, MA.   The winding road with three visible pump houses attracted my attention right away.   I hoped to capture the perspective of just how big these bogs were by virtue of the diminishing size of the three structures.

The day started out a little cloudy and dismal, but gradually, it brightened.   Light changes can dramatically affect your painting.   "Chasing the light," is a common mistake, meaning, you paint your initial scheme of light as it appears (in this case cloudy - very pretty).   Then things may change.   The lighting scheme brightens and we observe the new light and paint that (in this case it became full sun).

The funny thing is, if you are really engrossed in the process, light changes may not be immediately apparent.   It's sometimes only when you start sweating that you realize it got warm and sunny :).  I did chase the light a bit, but since I worked the far horizon first, which is cooler and bluer - even on a sunny day, painting a sunny foreground an hour later worked fine.  I did have to go back and add the shadowy section on the road to be consistent.

I thought about adding the first visitor to our area of the bog - a coyote!   It was walking through the bog straight toward us but then, about 40 feet away, took a right turn away!  Yikes!   Plein air can be very exciting!

Pegotty

Pegotty

 

Scituate Harbor is sheltered in part by a rising land mass known as "Second Cliff."  From the one-way loop road there is an overlook to Pegotty Beach, the place from which I painted this scene.  It's most interesting landmark was the remarkable beachhouse on tall pilings.  It reminded me more of the sea stilt structures commonly seen on the Outerbanks of North Carolina.  I believe there were many more structures along this shoreline which have been claimed by the Atlantic Ocean over the years - during our notorious Nor'easters.    This beachhouse is still hanging tough!

Water, Rocks and Salty Air

Water, Rocks and Salty Air in Progress

 

 

It's so exhilarating to be at the shore and especially so when the surf is up.   The waves that pummel the rocks send a salty mist into the air that I have to believe is more therapeutic than any medicinal alternative!  The earlier question, "will it be too chilly?"  was quickly resolved.   "It's actually sort of hot!"  The rocks all around began to heat up. :)

Water, Rocks and Salty Air

Scituate Light Vertical

 

 

This painting depicts early morning with unsettled skies at beautiful and historic Scituate Light.   This portrait style 12x6 inch canvas worked out well for this subject.   As I painted a nice couple came over and asked various questions about this painting and painting in general.   I forget exactly what statement informed me that they were a "new" couple.   He asked me how much I would take for the painting.  (The painting was not nearly done and not yet in a state I would want to own up to.)   

Now, if you sell paintings you know that an offer like this is a gift on a silver platter.   Seldom does a painting sale happen that way.   In retrospect, maybe he wanted to impress his new friend with an unusual on-the-spot gift.  What did I say?  "Let's exchange cards and I will email you."      Well you know the ending to that story!  hahaha...I probably could use a lesson in sales.

 Now on display at Framers' Edge in Braintree, MA. 

 

Soaring Back from Minot

Soaring Back from Minot

This spot probably takes as bad a beating from Nor'easters as any coastal spot along Massachusetts.   It faces due northeast, directly in the line of fire when the coastal storms hit.   Hints of past house damage was evidenced by mismatched roof shingles and/or fresh/new wood supports.  Yet it was a different story on the mild and clear Sunday afternoon that this paint out took place.   The water was calm and frequent walkers passed along the loop to Scituate Light.  Despite the distance, Minot Light was clearly visible at the horizon line.   The scene was complete when this aerial glider motored past; his route seemed to skirt the shoreline and presumably he got a view of Minot Light that few of us can hope to ever take in!

Cape Cod Canal Sunset

Cape Cod Canal Sunset

It's seven miles long and was man-made just about one hundred years ago.  The Cape Cod Canal cut 62 miles off the water route between Boston and New York.   The previous route took mariners through treacherous waters around the tip of Provincetown to reach Buzzards Bay and Long Island Sound.

It was a modern day maritime marvel then, and it still is, but land lovers get to enjoy it as well.   Access to the shores of the
waterway has never been easier and people can walk, cycle, fish and of course, watch the scenic vistas.    This painting depicts an exceptional sunset with the Sagamore Bridge in the foreground and the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge in the distance.   

Copper Woods

Fourth Cliff View

It was a chilly day in the first week of December.   Although it was cold, the sun was shining so I bundled up and headed out for a plein air paint-out.   I drove to Humarock, a barrier island separating the mighty Atlantic from the easterly reaches of "northern" Marshfield.  I decided on a scene where the North River meets the South River and empties into the ocean.  Here the currents produce amazing churn and whitecaps. 

Copper Woods - Initial Stage

My gear was just about set up when a very nice military official asked me if I had a Military ID.    Apparently I was on government property and this installation was not open to the public.   Shucks...I was all ready to go.   The churning water and whitecaps were not going to make it into a painting on this day.



I eventually returned to the edge of some woods not far from the house - in fact I was at the edge of my property.   The sun was shining through the trees and illuminating the bed of fallen oak leaves.  It looked like a copper carpet.     And what started out as a scene I thought was boring, revealed its pretty patches of sky, branches, dry grasses and woodland under growth.  No rocks, no people, no animals, no house, no barn, no whitecaps...just some trees - but pretty trees.  :)

Copper Woods

Rocks and Seals - Take Two

Brant Rock Seals

There is a section of rocky coastline between the Green Harbor River and the Brant Rock neck section of Marshfield, MA that has become home for a small seal population.   At low tide, the seals can be seen sunning themselves on the more distant rocks.  They actually looked like rocks themselves, except that the shape was a little different - two pointed ends (head and tail :)).

The seals were the highlight of this paint out, along with the mild temperatures and calm seas.  As for the painting, there were challenges.  I've been painting a lot of rocks and surf lately so I mistakenly thought it would go smoothly.  I set up on the (sinking) sand, near the (rising) water line, just down from the (windy) opening along Ocean Street.   I began sketching the myriad of rocks and boulders connecting the abstract dark shapes across the scene.   Fast forward one hour...the easel blew over and I couldn't seem to get set up the same way again.   I painted for a few more minutes holding the board in my hand, working around the sand and gravel on my palette.  Arrggrrhhh!  I remind myself that a bad day painting on the beach beats a great day in an office every time!

The painting was only about 60% complete when I packed up.  That was a year ago.   I just found this painting again and with fresh eyes, saw what it needed.   So this is "Take Two" with a few improvements - I think.

Here's a paint-out bonus...a short clip of the seals.

https://youtu.be/-sd13uJa2gw

Kayak Rack

Kayak Rack at the Pond

This pretty little spot along the pond offers many "painting-worthy" vistas.   I liked the late afternoon sun patterns on the various elements, trees, kayaks, and the bed of pine needles.  A simple vertical kayak rack was built by affixing wooden braces between two large trees near the water's edge.    Not only were the kayaks colorful, but the late October foliage added brightness to the scene as well.    Near the kayaks, a sitting area had been constructed, a platform with an overhead roof.  Nestled here were two Adirondack chairs and I'm picturing a peaceful afternoon nap for the owners.

SOLD

Boston Hatch Shell Reflections

Boston Hatch Shell Reflections - Stage One

I found a parking spot on Beacon Street in late morning as I was heading to the Copley Society to drop off some paintings.   This spot was just a few yards from Arlington Street and the intersection that leads to the Arthur Fiedler Footbridge over Storrow Drive.  I've wanted to paint along the Charles River for some time now, but I had myself convinced it was not really accessible, and would involve too much walking.   This was my chance though, and it did require some hiking. 

Boston Hatch Shell Reflections - Stage Two

I placed my gear on wheels and headed for the famous Hatch Shell, a half-moon shaped outdoor stage located on the Boston side of the Charles River.   The green space here is also known as the "Esplanade."  There were several little footbridges over the parallel waterways and I painted one that was bathed in sunlight.   I painted from the next footbridge over. 

Mounted State Police Unit Passing By

Although leafy trees largely obscured my direct view of the Hatch Shell stage, its golden sunlit reflection was visible in the water.  As is often the case with plein air, the scene was loaded with elements to the point of being chaotic.  As the painting progressed though, the wildness was tamed down by the rhythm of color mixing and palette knife strokes.  With reflections, they are best developed right in synch with their subjects and not as an after-thought.

Boston Hatch Shell Reflections

Weir Farm Slopeside Pair

Slopeside Pair

At the Weir Farm in Hingham, MA annual Farm Day was coming up, and in the days prior to the event, painters were invited to set up on the premises and capture a scene.    The parking lot at the top of the hill has a beautiful view of the Boston skyline to the north and I did contemplate tackling that.  But I thought, why paint a city skyline when a bucolic hillside with Belted Galloways is just a 90 degree glance in the other direction?

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Bright September Beach

Bright September Beach - In Progress

Hurricane Maria hardly influenced our weather here in New England, bringing only some tropical fog bands.  It took a right turn and headed out into the Mid Atlantic when it was just 400 miles south of Cape Cod. 

Bright September Beach - After Paint Out

The storm did pump up the surf this week though, resulting in big, long, rolling, four-foot waves.  The rhythmic crashing of waves were mesmerizing and the fresh ocean scent of salty moisture was heavenly.  It was a perfectly sunny September beach day and the perfection of the scene had the pull of a giant human magnet; I had no choice but to give in - gather up the gear and set up for a quick paint session.

These warm autumn days are glorious and knowing that the weather will not last, I ventured out to the beach access and let the sun and water reflection wash over me. That wasn't all that washed over me.   The salty moisture in the air coated my hair, skin and clothing... and come to think of it, probably my painting and palette.  I read somewhere that the air at the beach is super charged with negative ions from the pounding of the waves and the propelling of moisture into the air.   I never get sick of this view, or of painting it.   I hope my blog readers do not get sick of seeing it.  Every one of them is different - really!

Equestrian School

Equestrian School - Stage One

Late afternoon light poured across the sloping hillside just off of Livingston Street in Tewksbury, MA.   Good fortune that I had pulled into the driveway simply looking for a pretty autumn scene.   Getting to see the riders, instructors and beautiful horses put through their paces was thoroughly enjoyable.     Some riders had multiple instructors assisting.   The young lady depicted here led her auburn colored horse down the path to the riding ring off to the right undoubtedly an experienced rider.

Equestrian School

The pair were captured in paint as they passed in front of the brilliantly lit horse barn.   The barn door opening offering the strongest value contrast, perfect for balancing the center of interest.   This was a paint out to remember and if I am up in the area again, it's a location to be added to the painting locations list!

Twirling Ribbon and Little Pumpkins

Studio Set Up Little Pumpkins

In late summer, painters sometimes lament that there is just too much bright green in the landscape.   We look for any other color than green and play that color up - to the extent possible anyway.   This year was different;  the lack of rain in New England has had an impact on the look of the landscape and the amount of green.   The tips of the leaves have prematurely turned a dry yellow.  Even the sound of the landscape is dry and "rustling" instead of moist and quiet.  

In the vegetable garden, the watering restriction has affected the amount and size of the tomatoes.  We didn't get too many tomatoes, like most years!

Monochromatic Underpainting

The pumpkin variety I planted seemed to thrive despite the arid conditions.   These pumpkins were not the monster-sized, county fair type pumpkins that require lots of water, but rather, the small ornamental variety called "Jack-Be-Little."   Approximately twenty-five little pumpkins were harvested from a mere six plants. I decided to set up a still life with several of these little fruits.

Twirling Ribbon - Stage Two

Using a larger 22 x 28" canvas, it was important to plan out the composition carefully. This still life plays up a complimentary scheme of orange and blue.   What would look nice with a bunch of little orange pumpkins?   Blue things, of course.  A rustic blue pottery vase, a clay pot, blue hydrangeas and a spool of blue ribbon were the elements that seemed to harmonize.    Several set-ups were attempted and rearranged before arriving at this arrangement.  A monochromatic block in was completed first.  In the stage two photo, see the mid-tones, some blues and oranges.

I applied a transparent dark wash onto the bare canvas.  The monochromatic stage photo above shows the wipe outs that established the structure of the painting.   This stage was worked over the course of two days while the transparent wash was since workable.

Since this was a studio still life, the painting method used was "indirect."   The indirect method means many thin paint layers of paint were built up over time to achieve a luminous glow that resembles a classical realist look.

Stage Three with Real Bittersweet

Once the painting was at Stage Three, it needed something more.   I placed the painting on the floor and positioned a length of fresh bittersweet over the front of an awkward area in the middle of the painting.   I liked it how the bittersweet masked the "not so great" spot, so I painted it in as a way to unite the two sides of the still life.  Over the next few weeks, additional layers were built up warm glow to the lights and blue glow to the shadows.   The complete, or at least nearly complete painting is shown.

Twirling Ribbon and Little Pumpkins

The last issue to address with a luminescent painting like this is capturing a quality photograph.   The extra oily glow makes it difficult to get a good, shine-free image.  A polarized filter and low light setting helps.    This image isn't too bad, but I'll probably work on getting an even better image.


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Boston Guild at Public Garden

Painting with the Boston Guild

Today a number of painters gathered at the Boston Public Garden to share easels and supplies with anyone who wanted to give painting a try.    It was a gorgeous October day so in addition to interested painters, lots of tourists and walkers were enjoying the demonstrations.

Footbridge in Progress

My painting depicts a classic Boston scene, namely the footbridge over the duck pond.  I don't mind painting a scene that I've painted before, in fact, it seems easier.    Perhaps being familiar with the lines and angles from a previous paint out frees up the mind to inject some creative flair.  In this case it was using multi-colored piles of paint (unblended), applied in a thick layer for the high key bridge supports, and the darkest transparents under the bridge.   And although it was October, few trees had peak autumn colors.  That didn't deter me (and other painters) from pumping up the greens with yellow, gold and red.   The many trees were reflected in the duck pond, broken up by the surface ripples.  

Engagement

I noticed several couples pausing on the bridge, enjoying their romantic moment.   Hugs, selfies and even engagements happen here.   This famous spot is a beloved Boston scene, and a perfect scene to share with your beloved.


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