Garden Tour Paint Out

Side Garden Dogwood

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was that time of year again.   June means garden tours in some places.  Painters are often invited to set up in the gardens for an added cultural dimension.   I love participating in them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, this is a redwood tree.  I was lucky enough to score a painting location on a spectacular pond with shade from a WWII era redwood tree.   The gardens at this home on the Cliff Rodgers Library Garden Tour were just beautiful, and truly, the star of the show was this unique tree.  They are rare in Southeastern Massachusetts.  In fact, the property owner shared that she believed there were only two others in the area, one in Braintree, MA and one at the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain, MA.    

Funny thing is, I did not paint it.  How could a 11x14 canvas convey its size and majesty.   I am including a picture with human figures so you get an idea of the mass.  As for what I did paint, it was a peaceful garden vignette from the side of the home.   The Koosa Dogwood was in bloom and had the maximum contrast against the shadow side of trees along the road beyond.

As always, the experience was so pleasant with dozens of garden tour participants, and unsurprisingly, a fair number who painted as well. 

Frontage

 I recently painted the frontage view of my house.   It served as a warm up for the Garden Tour paint out that was taking place the following week.   I was most interested with mixing up the best greens for late June and I figured the nearby garden where I would paint was be similar.    The color of the greens was where the similarity stopped!   It was a glorious expansive garden.

This is a kidney shaped bed that has an old (not visible) tree stump in the middle of it.   We created this planting bed after the tree fell in a storm.   We opted to be lazy and just build up the soil around it and plant some shrubs.   My lamppost and planter frame the entrance to the driveway and it will always be that way.  :)

Frontage

Garden Tour Splendor

 

 

 

 

 

Words cannot describe the beauty of the gorgeous garden where I painted recently.   It was part of a garden tour and deservedly so.   The garden lovers, myself included could not get over the many stunning scenes at this riverside oasis.   Peonies were the star as it was the third week of June and there were hundreds of blooms decorating every square foot of garden space.  I stood along a small pathway that led to the backdoor of this cedar shingle antique (circa 1740).  The underbrush mulch was dark and warm, yet the walkway was also bright and warm - sort of breaking the color temperature rules of painting.  I wanted the garden to dominate, but the house was so enticing that I gave it a bit of attention too.

Garden Tour Splendor

Shimmery Silk

Shimmery Silk

 It was literally 95 degrees and humid when a group of painters gathered in Adams Common in Quincy, MA for a live model paintout.    We had two hours which was enough with that heat.   Our wonderful model wore a pure silk skirt that gathered at the waist and of course only enhanced her perfect physique.

I used sight sizing to capture the drawing and once I switched to color paint I "wiped off" my extra paint repeatedly on the background which started to build up an abstract and harmonious wallpaper.  The added bonus was a multi-cultural concert going on.   It was a happening place!

Driftway Overlook

Set up

 

What a location!  This "little" North River is a tributary to the "big" part of the North River that separates Scituate, MA from Marshfield, MA.   The tidal flow causes the river levels to rise and fall along with the ocean tides.   At the start of my painting, the riverbanks were expansive yet by the time I finished up, the silty borders had started to diminish.   The stream of kayaks never diminished so I included a few in the painting.    

Stage One

 

This, for me, was also a good example of how distorted color can be in a photograph.  I had held up scoops of paint against each of the major local colors while I was painting. By my judgement, I had achieved  pretty precise color matches. Yet when I printed my reference photo back in the studio, the blues were oh so blue, the lightest shades of sand were white and the reddish undertones of the pilings on the left were black.  The reference was useful then only to check the drawing - not color.

Stage Two

Always let your eyes guide you on color. :)

 

 

 

 

 

Driftway Overlook

Summer Lilies Fading Glory

Water Lilies Fading Glory

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do the topics of waterlilies and oil paintings bring impressionist painter Monet to mind for you?    I personally love those paintings and as many times as I've seen one of the many renditions of waterlilies by Monet I marvel.  Up close they seem like chaotic dots of color, but step back and the real thing emerges.  Did you know there are at least 250 known waterlily paintings by Monet?    Amazing!  

There is great freedom and fun in painting water and water lilies.   Monet's paintings have exactly what mine lack- a casual looseness and variety.  I wouldn't be able to paint the same subject dozens, never mind hundreds of times.   I wonder if Monet's free flowing brushwork comes from  his being so familiar with the subject that his psyche practically paints it without conscious thought?

These are not south-of-France waterlilies, but rather New England pond lilies done in a "zoomed in" stilllife style.  As the end of summer approaches, the pads start to change color with more read and gold, similar to our foliage.

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. 

Wooden Wonder - Powder Point Bridge

 

Wooden Wonder - Powder Point Bridge

 

 Red sky at night, sailors' delight...

It's not quite red but the thick overcast was giving way to clearer skies, and setting sun was catching the underside of the cloud bank at the Powder Point Bridge.   This marvelous bridge is special to many on the South Shore of Massachusetts.  It's unique length and structure has made it into documentaries and movies over the years, and of course, it is a favorite of photographers and painters.

The bridge is, in fact, the longest wooden bridge in the United States at 2,200 feet.  When the original bridge was built in 1892 it subtracted seven hours of travel from the trip from Duxbury Center to the Gurnet which is at the furthest tip of Duxbury Beach.  The bridge has been a topic in this blog several times if you'd like to know more and see my past paintings of it.

This painting is large at 18x36 which makes it the perfect living room piece for "over the couch."

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!

Soft Iris on Shiny Aluminum

White Iris

Iris's are so short lived in summer.   I took several photos of the few white irises that appeared in my garden recently.   It struck me that a hard, shiny aluminum surface could be an interesting contrast for a painting of the delicate translucent petals.  Also, depending on what the background is reflecting - dark or light - the painting has a whole different look.

Capri Meets Boston

The "Stay-At-Home" challenge was presented to artist members of the Copley Society in Boston recently.   During the long storied history of the Copley Society of Art, there have been dozens of famous artists who were connected to or displayed at this historic Society.   We were challenged to choose a painting by one of the historic artists of the past and pay tribute to their work with a new creation.

John Singer Sargent was born to American parents in Europe, where he trained, travelled and worked.  Though very active in Europe, he frequented the Boston area in the late 1800s.   Many of Sargent's murals are found in the Boston Public Library, the Museum of Fine Arts, and Harvard's Widener Library. Sargent's largest scale works are the mural decorations that grace the Boston Public Library depicting the history of religion and the gods of polytheism. He worked on the cycle for almost thirty years but never completed the final mural. Sargent drew on his extensive travels and museum visits to create a dense art collection.  The murals were restored in 2003–2004.

Rooftop

Perhaps I should have paid homage to a Boston-based work, but his paintings from Italy are my favorites.  They have a flair all their own.   I particularly like this painting by Sargent because of the fun mood and carefree summer feel.  

Boston Harbor Grand View

This painting was a very large undertaking and now, after working on it for three years, it is "critique-ready".

The expansive scene depicts Boston Harbor from the fifth floor of the Boston Harbor Hotel.   This venue is a personal favorite, but not a place where we, or most, can often afford.   The painting depicts a busy summer vista; you name it - it's happening. On the water, along the shore and even overhead there is movement and action.   At water level, there are ferries, schooners, sailboats, tugs and tankers.   Along the water's edge the World Trade Center, several hotels, the Moakley Federal Courthouse, and lavish waterfront residences are visible.  In the distance is Logan Airport with jets lifting off every two minutes.   

"I really ought to tackle this scene in paint," I had declared on more than one occasion.  I remember being mesmerized at the hotel window trying to take it all in. It would have to be a large painting and in my old studio, I barely had room to work on it.  When I did put it on the easel, there wasn't space to work on anything else - how mundane.   In the new, larger studio, I have the space and I was able to dedicate a corner for this project and still be able to work on other creations.

The most challenging part of this project was assembling all the reference material.  I used several pictures of the harbor, covering this wide expanse.   The dome-topped pavilion became my measuring unit for sizing the many pictures involved.

The lighting scheme is late afternoon and there were tropical shower clouds drifting in from the northwest.   I am open to feedback, good, bad or otherwise!

Boston Harbor Grand View

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.

Summer Sunset at the Marina

Summer Sunset at the Marina

This painting depicts a favorite spot where we typically eat our Sunday night ice cream cones.    With one hand on the camera and the other on my cone, I would often capture the same scene which you could characterize as everything from peaceful to pretty to downright breathtaking.    This little 4x4 attempts to capture a particularly spectacular sunset.

Daily Catch - Alicia Out of Boston

Alicia Out of Boston

 This painting depicts a fishing crew docked at the fish pier.   With lockers full of the daily catch all around, there is barely room for the fishermen to maneuver.   They hoisted the containers via wenches up to the massive dockside set up.  Harbor seals were alert to the occasional fish that slipped off the conveyor.   It was a fascinating scene for all of us onlookers.

I liked the top-down angle of this photo and the steel on the boat prompted me to use a new substrate aluminum.  Anything new introduced to the usual process means it is an adjustment.   On the upside, it was immovable, smooth and solid, like a masonite panel.   The downside for me, using oil, was that the surface was slippery and did not absorb any paint.   Hence, it became a multi-step process - sketch, let dry, underpaint, let dry, top painting, let dry.    I also was mindful about letting the aluminum shine come through for various elements - water shimmer, and boat rails. 

If the painting doesn't look free and easy, it's because of all the extra thinking that was going on!! :)

Hanging Under the Apple Tree

Apple Tree

In the four short weeks since I painted this, the scene has changed dramatically!  The apple tree leaves are now dropping and the flowers' bright colors have faded.  At that point I was thinking, oh there is just so much green - too much.   The remedy was to scoop up pink flower pigment and mix it with the predominant greens.   The result was more varied reddish greens for alternating leaves.   This trick is handy for painters who want variation, but need a color that is consistent and harmonious with the rest of the painting. I even put some pink in the grass, just because it looked pretty.    I still may deemphasize the stone wall.   Did you spot that these stones look too blue?

Brant Rock Union Chapel

Union Chapel

The Brant Rock Union Chapel is a pretty little church on the edge of the Brant Rock esplanade.   Did the "fieldstone" walls come from the fields or the shore - which is just a stone's throw away?   It is a picturesque scene, even when the sea water inundates it.  It is enjoyed by all denominations and is open during the summer months.

Brant Rock Market

Brant Rock Market

This sweet "little market," is a family owned business in the Brant Rock section of Marshfield, MA.   It is a bakery, a butcher shop, a convenience store, sub shop and lottery outlet - but really so much more.  It has an old fashioned feel, staffed by super nice family and locals who serve and enjoy all of the "regulars."     The aroma of fresh bread hits you at the door, usually resulting in me getting much more than I had planned.   I even get my Thanksgiving turkey there.     The exterior is not exactly beautiful, but those who frequent this place no doubt, have a fondness for this scene. 

The market is only a street way from the open ocean and in the painting, the summer morning sky is moist and tropical looking.   Always there seems to be a steady stream of cars and customers; we love supporting this small local business!

Farmstand

Summer Farmstand

A local farm stand has been supplying me with some spectacular produce this year.   They provide the usual summer specialties: lettuce, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and eggs.  I've been stopping there at least three times per week all summer.   The fruit (especially the peaches and plums) have been so good that I am lucky if my purchases make it to the destination without being eaten en route.  And never mind my plan to use this fine looking bounty for still life paintings!  

In this scene, Drew, the attendant is helping a customer pick out her treasures.  Their figures are mostly shaded, although there is rim light here and there.  Two other elements that I included were the red wheelbarrow full of corn (half sunny, half shady) and the A-frame street sign. I took liberty with the placement of these rearranged for the sake of balancing the painting.   
Alas, this week the mums and pumpkins made their appearance, which means the farmstand will be closing soon.   Oh, sweet summer, don't go!