Wollaston Yacht Club Plein Air

The Quincy Art Association organized and hosted this paint out and yours truly was the instructor/demo painter.   We arrived plenty early to get set up and it was a good thing.   We quickly realized (like boaters before a storm) that we needed more ropes (aka bungies).    The wind was gusting to 25-30 mph and it was the first lesson that was discussed regarding successful plein air painting.  The large tent next to me where the painting participants were working actually flipped over.  Equipment must be weighted down to the point were it will not budge!   In every photo, I'm gripping my easel out of habit, even though I was securely tied down.  The bright sun and warm temperatures (low 90s) were also challenging but the participants stuck with it and all came away with a work of art they should be proud of!

This is my painting from the demo, a depiction of the Wollaston Yacht Club and dock with Quincy Bay and some Boston Harbor Islands in the distance. 

Wollaston Yacht Club and Dock

 

 

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!

Two Boston Skylines from the South Shore

Along several locations on the South Shore, there are over-water vistas of the Boston skyline.  These two scenes were both done plein air - one from Quincy and one from Hingham.   

The Logan Airport approach corridor (presumably depending on the winds) crosses overland just to the west of the Atlantic shoreline, thus the jet and hints of colorful gas tank from Quincy.

Pink Boston Skyline

 

The second skyline is from a vantage a bit further south at Crow Point in Hingham.  This is a gorgeous spot in which many waterfront homes, are graced with their own docks.  

Boston Skyline from Crow Point

 

The paint mixing and application for the sky and water were done thickly via palette knife.   The buildings and hard-scape elements were done with brush - thick nonetheless.   These are the summer colors of New England; we seldom see turquoise!

Floral at the Fair

Oil Paint

 

 

 

These paintings were done at the 2021 Marshfield Fair.   At noon, twelve floral designers set out to create a ribbon winning design.  At 2PM twelve painters were assigned an arrangement to capture in paint.

 

 

It was a fun experience and so interesting to see how different painters approached their floral creation.   The floral designers seemed to basically have the same flowers, so to me, the color schemes of each were so very similar.   But as you see,the painters' works were vastly different!

Acrylic

Watercolor

Yaz - Gate B

Yaz - Gate B

 

Summertime in the city - that usually means baseball, but it is 2020, the year of virus fears.   A Boston Red Sox fan favorite, Carl Yastremski played his entire 23-year Major League Baseball career with the team (1961-1983).   

After Carl's retirement, a beautiful bronze statue was created by Sculptor Toby Mendez.  Carl Yastremski,  fondly known as "Yaz", is depicted saluting his loyal fans on the day of his retirement.  The statue stands at the back entrance of Boston's beloved Fenway Park on Van Ness Street.  When we finally get back to Fenway, Yaz will be there at Gate B waiting!

Plein Air Painting in Chatham

 

Chatham Dunes

Beautiful Chatham, MA is only a little over an hour from us, yet once we crossed over the Cape Cod Canal, it felt like a distant getaway.   This was a short end-of-summer vacation trip complete with lots of walking, touring, shopping, eating out, and - the bonus, plein air painting.     I painted three paintings over the three days, all of which are shown below.

On the first day after settling in, we sat on the beach for a while watching the incoming fishing boats being chased by seals and swirling seagulls.   The late summer colors were beautiful and subtle and I hadn't planned on painting.  I  figured though, if I gave myself one hour before dinner, I could get a color study done.  The thought was irresistable. The color match was pretty accurate and it may look nicer in person because of all the thick paint.  Chatham Dunes.

Chatham Boat Launch

On day two, we discovered the boat launch scene by using Google Earth.   I could see the kayaks stacked up on the sand and no houses nearby on this bird's eye view.  Sure enough we were able to drive right down to the shore and we had the place to ourselves.   Technology is occasionally great!   We both painted this pristine vista and you can probably make out my husband's figure on the left of the in-progress photo.

Boat Launch with Sand

I had just finished and stepped sway noting with satisfaction that it was just the way I wanted it, when the wind took my whole easel down.    The good news is that the painting landed face up.  The bad news is that - well - see photo. I was not happy and it took me a while to get over it.  I scrapped off the sky completely and decided that a little sand in the sand and grasses was okay!  True plein air after all.

Chatham Silhouettes at Dawn

The third and final painting was done the next morning about an hour past dawn.   The silhouettes of the veranda, chairs and beach house were dark and dramatic against the soft bright sky.    Luckily I worked the sky, ocean and far barrier island first.   I say "luckily" because these elements soon disappeared in the mist.    The up sloping lawn was very green and not a look that I wanted to emphasize.  I left that decision for the studio, and in fact, it soon started to rain.   I was very happy to have gotten a paint-out in at all!

Along the Shore Near Brant Rock

Along the Shore - Brant Rock

There is a public beach opening at North Street near the Marine store in Brant Rock that I hadn't been aware of before.    A tall new seawall separates the little neighborhood from the beach, but there was an opening where I could stand.  

My scene had beach houses on the right, rocks that lead to "the" Brant Rock to the left and a stunning, rocky shoreline in the middle.    The canvas underpainting was dark which was a good contrast for the sand, rocks and waves.    The impasto paint is plenty thick and juicy which you will notice if you zoom in on the image.




Occasionally I stopped to watch and listen to the rhythmic surf - only to snap myself out of this trance - surf hypnosis!

Breakwater

Breakwater - Stage One

Have I mentioned lately how happy I am while I am outside painting?   Add to that being a location like this breezy seaside view, gentle, rolling waves - pure bliss.    As I set up, I was convinced that this would be a boring repeat of a scene I've done before.   As I dug into my Gamblin Radiant colors (radiant pink, lavender, teal) to create the sky, I was more encouraged.   Next I mixed the various sea-grays and spread it thickly with the palette knife, I was very happy with it.  The actual painting is so much more colorful than these photos with streaks of pink and lavender in the sky and sand.  Maybe you'll see the original sometime.

I did meet one of my faithful readers who bought a Green Harbor painting a number of years back.       (S - It was great to see you!)  Nice paint-out all around!

Breakwater - Brant Rock

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

Homestead Ruins & Pasture - Isle of Doagh Ireland

McColgan Farmhouse

In the late 1800’s, two brothers and their respective families lived and worked two side-by-side farms on the Isle of Doagh, County Donegal, Ireland.    One brother’s name was John McColgan and the other’s name was Edward McColgan. 

    

John and his wife Grace had fourteen children.  They lived in the “larger” farmhouse which was also the house where the two brothers had been born and raised.    Edward and his wife Bridget acquired the land next to this original homestead and had eight children of their own.    In late 1898, Edward contracted consumption, a contagious disease that reached epidemic levels in Ireland and Britain at that time.   Today, the disease is known as tuberculosis.  Sadly, his wife Bridget soon contracted the disease as well.   They died within a month of each other in the winter of 1899.  

Four of their daughters and one son, ages 10, 14, 16, 19 and 21 were orphaned.   Their two oldest daughters had emigrated to Boston years earlier, when they had turned eighteen.   Their son Michael Joseph (my grandfather) had also emigrated one year earlier.

  

There was discussion of the siblings staying in Ireland under the supervision of their aunt and uncle next door, but with fourteen children of their own, John and Grace were likely unable to support five more.  Hence in 1900, the five siblings travelled together to Boston and settled in with their older siblings. The younger daughters moved in with their older sisters, each of whom were married at that point.  One daughter enrolled in nursing school at Massachusetts General Hospital.

As for the property owned by Edward and Bridget, it was sold to a cousin who continued to farm the fields but let the house fall to ruin.   The original farmhouse still stands and is in good condition.   In fact, it was getting a new thatched roof during our visit.   If you Watch The Video, it is the neat little white farmhouse with the red doors.

Donegal Homestead

Maybe you can imagine the feeling I had as I stood on the cart path just above the two homesteads, one farmhouse still standing and the other, barely recognizable ruins.  I had a tingly feeling to think that this was the land of my ancestors, where they lived, worked and died.  The sheep and cattle were probably of the same lineage through the years. Why, even the wild raspberries I sampled were probably the same as those eaten by the family.     Spirits of the past!   This visit and paint-out may have been the most gratifying of all.   I’m hoping the deep rich crimson darks and vivid green lights of the land shine through.

Westport Cove View - Ireland

Westport Cove - Color Study Final

The waterfront at Westport was one of my favorite spots for scenery in Ireland and we visited three times.  I chose a scene with this rustic boathouse on an beautiful inlet.  I later learned that what Motif #1 is to Rockport, MA, this painting scene is to Westport Harbor.   I got down in the mucky low tide to capture the scene I wanted.   The boathouse was stunning, especially its red roof, but the decrepit turquoise boat in the foreground was my favorite element.  It's great when an element is so decayed that a rough stroke with a palette knife is just the thing that makes it come alive.

Croagh Patrick from Murrisk Island - Westport Ireland

Westport River Channel

Our next stop in Western Ireland was Westport.   Similar to previous days, it started out sunny, but the clouds eventually took over, producing rain, then the sun came out again.   The town itself was beautiful with the river channel passing through the middle. There were arched stone bridges that crossed the river in several places, and these were adorned with lush flower boxes and blooms hanging down nearly to the water.  I didn't actually paint in town, but these scenes were gorgeous and I hope to paint a scene or two from the photos as I build up the Ireland painting collection. 

Croagh Patrick from Murrisk Island

Climbing Croagh Patrick, about 5 miles from us was on the agenda, and I will state right up front, it didn't happen (for various reasons, one of which was the rainy forecast).   The peak is one of the larger mountains in Ireland and is most well known because pilgrims (some barefoot) climb to the summit Chapel as an act of penance.  Historical accounts describe this sacred place as the mountain where Saint Patrick fasted and prayed for forty days in the year 441 A.D..  The peak is clearly visible from most of the Westport area and since we didn't actually climb it, I figures it would be wholly appropriate to pay homage via this painting.

We set up to paint about a mile from the trailhead on a small connected island, home of the fishing village called Murrisk.   Careful observation of the mountain revealed figures of climbers - small specs - silhouetted on left side of the slope.   It was very windy on this day.   My husband wisely chose a spot behind a wall and benefited from his wind blocker.  I chose a higher vantage point and paid a price, my biggest obstacle being my inability to keep my brush steady.     What colors!  Every shade of green, but also, reds, purples, golds, yellows...and even better when the sun peaked out!

Click here to see my view while I painted.

Dingle Harbor View - Ireland

Dingle Valley Greens

We had planned a whole day of exploring the Dingle Peninsula.  We left sunny Killorgen early and as we made our way toward Dingle Bay and drove through the valley, I saw the greenest greens I have ever seen!  It was a classic vista of green pastures and easily one of the ten most beautiful spots I have ever seen in person.   Yes, it would have been great to paint there, but due to the narrow, busy road, it was not conducive to safety or quiet.  We settled for stopping and getting a nice long look; perhaps a future studio painting!

Dingle Harbor View - Painting and Scene

When we arrived in Dingle Harbor, we walked around a bit both for touring and for deciding on a place to paint.   There were lots of choices and the bustle of the town area with its colorful buildings was enticing. 

Dingle Harbor

We noticed a long walking path and green space from with the whole span of the colorful town was visible, and that was where we set up.    This scene was an ambitious undertaking and as it turned out, actually took nearly three hours instead of the usual two hours.

"Painterly" is a word that describes a painting style in which the paint is applied in a way that is not realistic, but gives the essence of a scene through the colors and brushstrokes.   This painting is an example of a more painterly approach.   An honest, untrained eye might call it messy! :))

Silver Birch - Molls Gap

Silver Birch - Molls Gap

More spectacular scenery on our next sojourn from Kenmare to Killorgen.  We passed through the mountains and a particularly beautiful mountain pass called Molls Gap.   It is so well known that dozens of tour busses stop here daily.  


We set up our easels well out of the way of the tourist paths, although several people were curious enough to trek to where we were and take a look.  I chose the birch since it framed the long view of the lakes and yet more gorgeous mountains in the distance.  Again the goal was to capture the colors live and in person.  The valley was copper colored but the photos depict it as beige....hence the value of plein air painting.

Healy Pass Panorama - Beara Penninsula Ireland

Painting at Healy Pass

Outward bound toward Beara Penninsula, we drove the road that parallels the coastline.   After painting in the rain (see Rainy Country Road), we arrived in Castletownbere where we enjoyed expertly made coffees, served with unbounded warmth and friendliness.   (Can we bottle that and bring it home, we thought?  Not the coffee, the cordiality:))    This nice stop in the Southwestern region of Ireland re-energized us in preparation for the return trip.  It was my driving day, a deliberate plan because of the hair-raising nature of this leg of the sojourn.  (It is less terrifying for the greater neurotic to be in control.. lol)  In fact, why don't I share a snippet of it here.

Healy Pass - Beara Penninsula

As you saw, once we were just beyond the highest elevation, we pulled over.   What a spectacular panorama!  I just had to do a quick sketch.   The colors of the mountains, slopes and valley were indescribable.   The color match was what I was after, and in the end I was glad I did.   The river bed was literally golden and copper colored in person, yet the photos depict that same area as a murky dark tan.  The small mountain on the right looked like a peachy color, similar to salmon, breaking the rule about the blue in receding mountains.   So pretty!  True color matching can't be achieved from a photo - my strong personal opinion!

Rainy Country Road - Beara Penninsula Ireland

Rainy Country Road - Beara Penninsula

The sky in Kenmare was bright and sunny when we began our scenic drive through the expansive Beara Penninsula in Southwestern Ireland.   We hoped to find a great spot to paint near Allihies, the region where my husband's ancestors originated.   Intermittent rain and drizzle had begun, but we remained hopeful that it was temporary.   The drizzle did let up when we pulled over near a scenic spot east of Allihies.    The long and winding road snaked its way down a valley and the Atlantic Ocean bordered the land to the east.  The moisture gave the scene a misty feel and it made the distant cliffs look pale gray.

WET Painting

 We started painting with vigor, and the thing about painting is, its hard to stop halfway, and before long, it was raining again.   We had raindrops dripping from our hoods, paintings, and palettes.  We kept painting; were we in a trance?    I felt like the two colors I most wanted to color-capture were the stones of the wall and the grasses just above it, so once that was done, I started to pack up.   I blotted my painting with a dry paper towel and wiped down my palette.  We left our paintings and palettes out to "dry" in the rear of the vehicle.   Its a good thing it is oil color!

Rainy Country Road - Beara Penninsula Ireland - Color Study Final

I can't share much about my painting process on this day.   I was on autopilot and on a mission to finish a painted sketch...here it is.    It will serve as a color study for a larger painting in the coming weeks.   This one was hard earned!

Hayfield Harvest at Dusk- Ireland

Hayfield Harvest at Dusk

It was late afternoon of the day we arrived in Kenmare, Ireland.  The plan was to paint the following day somewhere along our drive of the Beara Pennisula, so I decided to go to our vehicle and get ready.  As I was squeezing out fresh color onto the palette and organizing my gear I took a good look around.   I was surrounded by picturesque scenes in every direction.   There were lovely flower gardens, tall stone walls with an arched, embedded gate, and a water fountain.   These subjects were tempting but they were already mostly in shade and daylight was waning.  

A tractor had been noisily harvesting and baling the next property over, and with perfect timing, and maybe the luck of the Irish, he finished as the sun broke out.   It lit up the field, the green pastures and the mountains with almost magical golden light.  I broke out my easel and the result is this (very rapid) color study.  For me, speed means palette knife and very thick, bold paint application. 

It was a good thing this was toward the beginning of the trip given the amount of paint that was applied.   What a memorable experience and the color study will be useful in the future for a large studio painting.