Wild Primrose

Is this the yellow rose of Texas?   That was the question in my head as I set up to paint.   It was the sole blossom I saw at a marshy beach-bordering area on the easternmost point of Galveston Island.   I do know it was a primrose, because there was a nature trail display describing the natural elements here.   I loved that there was also winter clover everywhere I looked, lush and green.   New friends, Galveston neighbors, said that once the heat of spring, summer and fall arrives, things dry out and no there is no sign of such moist greenery.

Wild Primrose

Just Some Trees

Winter Trees from Deck

 

 

A warm day in February is much appreciated.   The snow that was still covering most surfaces had melted off the sunny back deck.   I grabbed my gear and conveniently stepped outside - easy version of plein air - no pack up!  

I decided to practice my tree structures with this loose and easy snowscape painting.   The oaks don't always drop all their leaves and they remain on the branches in orangy clusters.   In this case they offer a nice compliment for the blue snow shadows.

Flowering Woodland Shrub

Daphne

                                                                                                                                                                                               We were deep into autumn and the temperatures were dropping.   I (suddenly?) realized that I hadn't been outside painting enough.   Soon it would be so cold that I would think twice about venturing out ...brrrr.   This was a good incentive for painting out now!  
This painting depicts a beautiful woodland shrub that is not as well known as our common azaleas and rhododendrons.   I loved the variegated leaves and the cruciferous blossoms of this shrub called Daphne.   Its cool bright/warm dark scheme results in a lively depiction of a day of full blue skies.

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. 

Path Behind the House

Getting Started

Path Behind the House - In Progress

Natural beauty isn't a plane ride away, or even a car ride away.   On this day it was literally in my own backyard.  I confess that I had made the short jaunt to the shore for a paint-out, but my two "secret" parking spots were occupied, so I returned, resigning myself to setting up at home.

Path Behind the House

There is an abutting woodland behind our property and on this spring day, only the white fir trees cast deep shadows.   The deciduous trees were only just starting to bud so this path where we walk was bright and sunlit, a bed of pine needles.  That's it;  hanging out at home.  :)
 

Pond in August

Pond in August

On this August day at the pond, wild things that grow seemed to be peaking.    There was honeysuckle that smelled heavenly, purple spikes that grew from a pond plant that I didn't know, and of course loads of water lilies.   A double trunked tree that leaned over the pond reflected its V-shape in the water.

I was standing on the little dock, and not only did the scene look nice, but the sounds were mesmerizing.  I heard peepers, frogs, birds and the lapping of the waves under the dock.   Could all this sensory stimulation be the reason I used so much paint?   I have actually been using up all the paint on my palette lately.   If you zoom in on this one, you'll see what I mean.   

This painting was very busy - just like the actual view.   I think once back in the studio, I'll established a stronger center of interest and downplay some of the chatter.

Spring Blooms and Mailbox

Spring Blooms and Mailbox

The new studio is located at the end of a cul de sac with thick old woods all around.  With spring upon us, various trees and plants I hadn't noticed before, are announcing their presence with spring sprouts and blossoms.    White flowering trees and pink azalea shrubs are the highlight right now and they look bright and vivid against the oaks, which are still a dull pinkish-gray.

I set up my easel right behind my mailbox and tried to capture my first spring here while it was this pretty. 

Trailhead - White Mountains

Old Version

This is a painting that I did a couple of years ago on site in New Hampshire.   I came across it since I needed a snowscape for an upcoming show.   With fresh eyes, I instantly saw what wasn't quite right with the painting - probably why it was relegated to "the stack."  It is now reworked and I think that the overall result is better.

Can you identify what I saw in the old painting that I didn't like?

Trailhead - White Mountains

If you said, blockers, you agree with me.  The beautiful distant mountains are the starring feature in this region of New Hampshire.   Although I included them in the painting, there was not just one, but two barriers between the viewer and those lovely mountains. Specifically, the row of shrubs and the sharp beginning of the foreground woods were dark parallel lines across the entire width.   The viewer's eye couldn't flow to the distance, and it was both a psychological block and a physical block.  I had painted the scene literally, so literally that the painting composition suffered.

To fix it, I added a path to a trail into the woods, chopped down the little evergreen to the left of center and added a trailhead marker   These features were borrowed from the trailhead entrance just a short distance away.  We can walk into the scene now - the artistic license everyone talks about!

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

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.

Summer Pond Impression

Summer Pond Impression

My son lives on a gorgeous little pond in southeastern MA, made all the more pristine because motorized watercraft aren't allowed.   On this very hot day, I worked on this summer color study - just for the fun of it.   The vast patches of lilypads were covered with pretty white flowers.  I was tempted to paint them as any Monet lover would, but decided to paint a long view instead.  Just like all the color studies I've produced over the years, it turned out better than a "planned and finished" painting.  I like the choppiness of the color, giving it a painterly quality.

Much of the paint was applied with a palette knife with the color barely blended.   A closer view shows the ribbons of color in a single stroke.   The only hint of sky is in the reflections in the water just beyond the rocks.   Looking downward at the sky reflections made them appear darker and almost murky blue. 

My Favorite Loop

My Favorite Loop in Progress

The Norris Reservation in Norwell, MA is a gorgeous open space that is now designated as a land preserve by the The Trustee's of the South Shore.   I set up for this painting along a beautiful trail that abutted a pristine pond.  There were so many choices for the scene, but what grabbed me about the spot I chose were the spots of sunlight cast on the trail itself.   Every so often someone would emerge from the sunny distance and walk toward me.   This woman stood out as she walked her beautiful black and white dog along their favorite loop.

My Favorite Loop

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

Stone Wall Amid the Meadow - World's End

Stone Wall Amid the Meadows

My second map assignment at the South Street Gallery paint out for Worlds End faced Hingham Harbor.  Of the two assignments, I expected this to be the nicer view scene, but unfortunately it was dead low tide.    There was virtually no water when it was time to set up, which helped with the decision to turn in the opposite direction.   I captured a gorgeous uphill view which included a nice old stone wall, large old maple trees and a puffy-cloud, fair-weather  sky.

Fiddlehead Ferns

Fiddlehead Ferns

Away from the New England coastline, in moist, woodland areas, it is common to see clumps of fiddle head ferns this time of year.    Their bright green curly tops stand out against winter's
peat colored bed of dead leaves and grasses.  They unfurl one-by-one in clumps and are among the first sprouts of spring.

The process of capturing these emerging greens began by setting out the composition, roughly a third in warmer light (the sunlit bed of leaves) and two thirds with blue/brown undertones, darker/deeper blues for shadows.  I then carved out the ferns with my rubber tipped wipe out tool; this was to ensure a smooth texture to represent the fuzzy gray-green sprouts.     In order to keep the colors in harmony, I mixed a bit of Gamblin's Radiant Violet into each of the colors on the palette as I worked.   The simple technique of putting dark ferns against light, and sunlit ferns against shadow helped to create a more eye catching pattern.  

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.

Pond Coming to Life

Pond Inhabitants

Today's painting location was a pond which was quite typical of the landscape of Southeastern Massachusetts.  This body of water was immediately surrounded by thick underbrush and beyond that, tall pine and deciduous trees.   It's spring and much of the greenery is just past the flowering stage and now sprouting emerald green leaf sets.

Pond Coming to Life

The pond was really coming to life.  Over the course of two hours, I saw a pair of bright orange orioles, cardinals, chickadees, a red tailed hawk and the young family of geese shown in the photo - multiple facets of enjoyment via plein air!

Pond Coming to Life

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.

First Snow of the Season

First Snow of the Season

This week an arctic blast finally pushed into New England.  The frigid temperatures, "warm" ocean water and wind whipping from the north resulted in several hours of "ocean effect" snow. Similar to summer fog, the ocean moisture blanketed the shore with swirling flakes while just a ten minute drive inland it was a bright, sunny sky.   This constituted the first measurable snow for the season - which got me thinking "snowscape."   I set up at the Daniel Webster Audubon in Green Harbor, planning to paint snow.   Most of the snow was in the shadowy areas, although the terrain sloping away from the sun was also snowy and sufficiently illuminated. Many areas had already melted or evaporated, but that was fine; just enough snow!

I painted this same scene a year ago without snow so it may look familiar.     As a wildlife refuge, it is pristine as can be, and as such there is always hope of seeing deer, fox, and hawks.   The most action I saw today was in the air, a red helicopter practicing landing and takeoffs.      

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Check out the scene in the following video (4:30 sec).    

https://youtu.be/95yx1hzkPwI

Gray Winter Bog

Inaugural Paint-Out with "Vanna"

The site of this paint-out was the Duxbury Bogs along East Street in Duxbury, MA.  The map and description in the previous blue link describes the three distinct types of landscape here, namely the "upland", the "transition area" and of course, the "cranberry bogs."  The forecast was "rain by noon," and I did finish by noon without ever seeing a drop - despite looking like it may rain at any minute.   I enjoyed swirling some pink, blue and lavender into my very gray-day sky.

Initial Set-up

Gray Winter Bog - Stage One

Cranberry bogs turn a deep rich purple color in late autumn.   I scooped up some alizarin crimson, held it up to the bog, and did a direct comparison.   The color was nearly exact, and the value of the bog was slightly lighter than the "out of the tube" color.  The intensity of the paint color was stronger and more vivid than the actual bog.   I decided I liked this pumped up chroma, so I used it "as is".

Bogs generally have a cool, moist and quiet feel to them, but substract the "quiet" part if it is 10 a.m., which was when I started painting.This bog is very popular for dog walking, giving me options for including a human/canine center of interest.   The pairs of Golden Retrievers were particularly colorful against the muted early winter colors.  The bright red hat of the owner also stood out against the dark pines.

Two Goldens and Red Hat