Snowy Stone Wall

Snowy Stone Wall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just before leaving for a warmer place, I painted this scene from a photo I took.    To me, the prettiest winter scenes happen right when the snow stops and the sun is starting to emerge.  That was the case here.  It was clean and bright with maximum snow and shadow contrast.   

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

 

Full Moon Dog Walk

Full Moon Dog Walk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Living at the shore, anytime, day or night, people would stroll to the seawall and enjoy all the beach has to offer.   The full moon always seemed to draw people outside even more and I have no shortage of spectacular pictures of the moon rising out of the water.   This full moon scene isn't quite as dramatic as those over-the-horizon full moons, but it was bright enough to cast fascinating blue shadows.   The dog walker took advantage of the moonlight for his pooch's last trip out of the day - and no flashlight needed.

 

Late Light Bog in Winter

Late Light Bog in Winter

 

 

This bog is just down the road from me so I pass it all the time.    I've painted it before and I think I had become blind to how pretty it can be.   In winter, the cranberry plants become dark alizarin in color, which is part of the crimson/purple color family.   Dramatic long shadows were cast on the bog from the western trees.   Last week's snow was still piled up in a few low-light places.   All of this created an interesting scene, and the fact that it was a balmy 55 degrees made it perfect.    Since I was losing the light to early sunset, I painted quickly and somewhat wildly and was happy that I ended up with a very usable color study.

Crock on the Path

Roughing in the Scene

Walking the wooded, stone lined path in this painting put me in and out of sunlight on this early morning in June.   During the set up, the long morning shadows were somewhat horizontal which presented a mundane light/dark pattern. I roughed in a sketch of the scene nevertheless, and as time went by, the change in the sunlight and shadows I had hoped for did come.   The first tree's shadow was now at a more dynamic angle. and the big crock of geraniums was fully lit.  

This "fresh paint" work of art is much more colorful and vivid in person than in the photo image and the painting is much more colorful than the real scene.

 

Crock on the Path

 

This painting is my Copley Society of Art "Fresh Paint" entry for 2021. 

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!

Morning at Sea Street Bridge

Morning at Sea Street Bridge

Our closest beach is now Humarock, presenting variety of nice views for plein air painting.   The vantage point of this painting is from the ocean side of the Sea Street Bridge looking back across the South River.     The small buildings on my left provided deep foreground shadows on me and the beach roses at the base of the bridge.   I made sure these rosebushes were dark enough to contrast with the dazzling sunlit boats and buildings across the water.   Does it look hazy, hot and humid?  Because it was!

Tropical Watercolors Jamaica

Beeline to Purple Spikes

I seriously thought about packing my oils for Jamaica, but elected to again bring watercolors.   They are so much cleaner, and lighter for packing, but as I've noted many times before, I'm not a watercolorist.   Watercolor experts are in a league of their own in my view.   I'll share a few amateur tries today. The colors look a little washed out - see?  I can't get good color! :)

Big Old Leaning Tree - Jamaica

Beach Huts at Dusk

View from my Chair

Pink Freesia with White Roses

Although tiny, this little crystal vase is my new favorite.   It is perfectly shaped and looks lovely with miniature blooms from the garden.   I placed it on a small pedestal in a sunny, studio window and prepared to paint.    Shadows from the window grids were cast onto the set up and I was trying to decide if they added or subtracted from the composition.

Pink Freesia with White Roses

"Is there a term for the window grid things?" I asked my husband.   Without hesitation, he blurted "mullion bars."  He said it with an intonation that implied this was common knowledge.    He spotted my doubt immediately and he proceeded to look up the phrase.  Now to me, "mullion bars" is some vague, unknown term.  But expert carpenter/renovator that he is, he further added more terms that also mean window grids, "muntin bar, stiles, grids."     Haha, whatever they are called, they were casting shadows on my still life and the question remained was this good or bad?

I began painting.  The backlit still life had two white rose buds and a small freesia stem.   There was an interesting vase shadow, and within that, a bright refraction from the crystal.    The verdict of those other shadows came easily once I saw how much was going on in this small painting - no extra shadows from the mullion, muntin,stiles, grids or whatever you call them! :)

Sweetness of Summer

Sweetness of  Summer

What a fun and enjoyable project.   Painting children as I've said many times before can be challenging.  It's a fine line between the soft and sweet expression and achieving an adequate likeness.  Tots have neither wrinkles or angular features, like adults and painters use these as convenient facial landmarks.   Tots have faces with airbrushed angelic-like perfection.    So the painting process of them may involve painting, wiping out, and repeating - until the soft likeness is achieved.

A good reference photo can make a positive difference when creating a painted portrait, and this was a good one.   The challenges in this project, besides the likeness, were 1) transforming the greenish-yellow tones in the photo into a more summery color scheme, (making it lighter and brighter), and secondly, realigning the rectangular photo onto a square format while maintaining the balance of the landscape, parasol and figure.

Warm summer sunlight on young, healthy figures in back-lighting often have a bright red glow, especially in the ears, hands and feet.   I intentionally pumped up the warm flesh color to contrast with the nice summery blue - its complement. The toddler's shadow is stretched to the right bottom corner, balanced by the shoreline entering from the left, leading to the figure. The loop of the parasol handle is a good compositional element for leading the viewer's eye back up to the sweet smiling face.

This painting will hopefully turn a simple summer-day photo into a permanent family heirloom.

Hot Vacation Week at the Beach

Hot Vacation Week at the Beach

Beach houses that are situated on the east facing shorelines of New England are lucky for many reasons.   One of the best reasons is that they have a perfectly clear view of sunrise.   As a morning person, I've noticed that often people will rise early and get right out onto the beach, especially the big family groups like in this scene.  It may have been too hot to sleep.   Perhaps they haven't gone to bed yet - ha.

 I liked this composition where the shade tent offered a dark contrast and some silhouettes against the orangey dawn.   I added some atmosphere to the shoreline figures to convey the humidity...more? less?   I'm all ears.... :)

Fenway Farms

Fenway Farms

Over the past few years, venerable Fenway Park in Boston has been improved, expanded and modernized in many ways - at least to the extent it can be.   Its tiny footprint in the middle of the city of Boston may be a drawback, but the special character and electric atmosphere at Fenway more than makes up for its old-fashioned aspects - for example, seat size!

One fascinating upgrade is the addition of a rooftop garden which supplies some of the produce for the wide variety of nice cuisine now available.    Here is a pre-game scene, an hour before sunset, depicting the long rows of mixed greens. What an unlikely location, all surrounded by brick and concrete.  Why the produce is as green
as the dazzling Fenway Park turf!

Relaxing Riverside

Relaxing Riverside

We carved out time during a trip to Western MA for plein air painting.  Lots of streams and rivers crisscross the Connecticut River Valley.   We stumbled upon this beautiful spot along Millers River in Erving, MA.   I shouldn't say that its discovery was completely by chance, because my husband speculated that there would be access spots below the several bridges that traverse the waterways.   Similar to how people hang out and relax at the ocean shoreline, a few people sat in the shade of the bridge buttress enjoying the water.   This sweet pooch was full of energy and would greet all who came down the path.   He also put on a show for us.  He would float with the river current, then scramble to the edge and bound back to his owner, who barely moved a muscle.

Blinding Bridge Light

Blinding Bridge Light - Strolling at Sunset

In the quaint village area of Mystic, CT, a 1920 vintage bascule bridge spans the Mystic River, and carries vehicle and pedestrians within the tourist district of town.   This amazing bridge is opened for five minutes at forty minutes past the hour for six months of the year.   The concrete filled counterweights hoist the 85 foot movable span into the air allowing boat traffic to pass beneath.   Rather than feeling inconvenienced for having to wait, most people, including us, seemed truly fascinated with this engineering marvel, a wholly mechanical spectacle in an (overly) digital world.

Toward dusk we began to walk over the bridge to find the spice shop we had spotted on our map.   The sun was directly ahead, a golden, blinding type of glare, and it was casting long figure shadows toward us.   The light and shadows on the bridge made fascinating shadow effects, and the sun obliterated the bridge crossbeams, creating a blindspot effect that I have tried to mimic in the painting.

Peacefield in Full Bloom

Peacefield

My first paintout at Peacefield, the homestead of President John Adams and First Lady Abigail Adams, was exactly three years ago, in August of 2014.  The National Park Service oversees the property and does a nice job interpreting the Adams Legacy as well as maintaining/preserving the house and property.  The Rangers welcomed me, and since not all organizations are accomodating of a painter who plans to place themselves in the middle of a tourist area, I was very grateful for their hospitality

My favorite feature of Peacefield is the 18th-century style formal garden. Thousands of plantings, colorful perennials and annuals to enjoy line the gardens.  As I mentioned in the previous Peacefield blog, a rose bush planted by First Lady Abigail Adams in 1788 continues to stand guard; it leans on a large trellis to the south of the larger garden.  To think that I was walking upon the same soil enriched by the hands of such historical icons was truly inspiring.

Peacefield in Full Bloom

Inspiring also was the graceful old house and presidential library.  Similar to the last paint out, I set up on the far west end of the garden to maximize the split of light and shadow, a wide view so as to include foreground light.    I began by establishing the darks and lights in muted greens and grays and rusts.  I labored a bit over the mansion and library since accuracy is important for famous structures.

Finally, I was ready for the best part, the colorful blooms.  The sun illuminated the bright and vibrant petals - "oil-paint-right-out-of-the-tube" bright.  I liked how the rows of flowers and hedges led into the library and residence. This is not a great photo because of the wet paint glare.   I'll make some studio fixes and put on the website soon because this painting is my entry to the "Best of Quincy" Arts Fest next weekend.

SOLD

Stone Church Ruins - County Clare, Ireland

Stone Church Ruins - County Clare, Ireland

Iconic images of Ireland's countryside invariably include stone walls bordering the green patchworked hills.    Many old churches and castles were also built from stone, now in various stages of disrepair and/or preservation.   Thick textured paint lends itself perfectly to depicting these rough surfaces. The lichen covered stones had a distinctly green tinge and I don't think it was just the reflection of the emerald green pastures.  The stonework in the shadows was a crimson shade of grey on the side of the road in County Clare, Ireland, northwest of Ennis.   Here is the close-to-done painting.  

Spring Bog after Snow

Spring Bog after Snow - Stage One

Spring Bog after Snow - Stage Two

This winter we've had less than average amounts of snow (thus far), so yesterday's spring storm provided some clean white trim to the landscape.   At the cranberry bogs, the deep crimson winter color looked stunning against the bright white and blue snow.  



Spring Bog after Snow - Final

I had a new revelation about painting in the cold.  I have decided that I paint more efficiently if it is cold and windy.   Perhaps I don't stop and watch my surroundings as much if the temperature and wind are harsh.   This painting was 90 percent complete at the 90 minute mark.   The colors were thick and vivid, if only I can leave them alone once it is ready for a frame!

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Here's a 360 degree view of where I was painting.
https://youtu.be/k5RnpOz6pWY


Winter Sunrise at the Dock

Winter Sunrise at the Dock - In Progress

It was a balmy 45 degrees on this early February morning.   I was taking every one of these warm winter days as a gift, and a day closer to spring!    The sunrise was the brightest part of the day and a thick blanket of clouds filled in as I painted.   Boats don't look half as large in the water as they do dry docked (literally and figuratively).   This large and imposing commercial lobster boat sat on its trailer in the boatyard, a green tarp tied across the top.    A dinghy full of moorings was wedged against the Harbormaster's office and a pile of lobster traps were stacked to the rear.   I was going after a dramatic composition and hoping that having a large mass to the right might be striking enough.



Winter Sunrise at the Dock

The peach glow of sunrise turned everything orange - orangey green tarp, orangey white boat, orangey gray pavement.   In contrast, the darkest shadows were as blue as could be.   Then just as quickly, the scene turned into a black and white photograph.    The objects didn't move and they were "painted from life" but I was improvising on color for the last 90 minutes of the paint out! 

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Festive Quincy Market

Lobster Bake

A day trip or weekend in Boston wouldn't be complete without a stroll through Quincy Market.    It is colorful and festive in every season but especially when the weather is warm and sunny.   There is truly something for everyone, especially if you are hungry!

The Quincy Market could provide years of subject matter for a painter and I've taken photos of these displays with the intention of creating paintings from them.   I haven't yet painted en plein air for various reasons, not the least of which is accessibility (by car with gear).



Cherry Cordials

Usually, food is the focus.  :)  If we plan on eating at the market, we make one pass down the center aisle to remind ourselves of what sweet and savory goodies are available.   Chowder, oysters, Greek, Italian, Indian (and of course cases and cases of pastries and confections) are a few of the categories.

On this day we selected our culinary delights and carried them outside to search for a bench.   People watching here is legendary, colorful whirlwind of folks young and old.   A balloon artist sat in the middle of the action to the fascination of plenty little people who were mesmerized with his creations.

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Festive Quincy Market

View from Bear Mountain Lodge

View from Bear Mountain Lodge - Stage One

We packed up our gear for hiking and painting and headed north into New Hampshire for a mid-January getaway.   There has been relatively little snow so far this season in New England, but as we reached the White Mountains it got a little whiter.   By the time we reached our destination in Bethlehem, NH, north of the notch, it had the look of winter.



View from Bear Mountain Lodge - Stage Two

The back deck of our lodging at Bear Mountain Lodge faced northeast with a spectacular view of the White Mountains.    When the skies were clear, Mount Washington was the furthest visible peak and its snowcap was lit up brightly when the sun was on it.  

The decision of what to paint first was inevitable and I never did get to a second painting.      I had brought a 12x24" canvas board which worked out well for a wide, sweeping landscape view such as this. 

For most of the painting session it was cloudy and grey.  Since I wanted to depict a sunlit scene, I had to switch gears whenever the sun peaked out - observing and mixing in more yellow color and blue shadows.  (The variation from minute to minute is always the challenge of plein air!)    For most of the painting session, Mount Washington was not even visible, but I was determined to include it and had to act quickly when it made an appearance.  (See white peaks behind birches on the left.)



View from Bear Mountain Lodge - Final (Maybe)

 I'll be letting the super thick impasto cure for a while before I decide if any additional changes are needed.   I know the color is the way I want it, but compositionally, I may insert another rock or two in the foreground.