Local Cranberry Farm

A friend of mine and her husband own a beautiful cranberry farm and she invited me to visit for a paint-out.   She noted that the cranberry harvest was in progress which was music to my ears.   Bogs are harvested one at a time and although I do not profess to know the exact sequence and process, I do know that it is a gorgeous scene once the berries are jarred loose from the plant and float to the top of the flooded bog.

Local Bog - On Site in Progress

Gentle sloping hillsides led to the expansive bogs at the bottom.   Apple trees, cold frames and a rustic fenced vegetable garden dotted the winding country path to the bogs. Some of the massive trees that dotted the property had to be a century or two old.  It was as if I was in a remote rural location instead of a half mile from the busy center of our large town.    

Local Bog

I set up on a slope next to a couple of apple trees to my left, and behind me was the vegetable gardens and domed coldframes which provided a wind block.    From here I had a view of the harvest in progress with two thrasher machines skipping across the watery bog in tandem.     I had hoped for the classic and iconic crimson sea of berries being corralled, but the pre-flood,  maroon bog was stunning as well.  The foliage in the distance and the apple tree next to me provided lots of sunlit color as well.

I was imagining that this 2014 farm scene was probably not much different than it was fifty years ago or more.  It was truly like stepping back in time and a beautiful hidden treasure.

Golden Waves of Grain

Golden Waves of Grain

This painting was done as part of a demonstration for my friends at Compass on the Bay Senior Residence.  I decided to use a beautiful photo of a farm in autumn for my reference.  Each person in the audience had a copy of the photo in hand so that they could have a good look at what I was painting.

The painting session became an interactive experience with many seniors offering input into the painting process.   Seniors are refreshingly direct, and they freely offered their opinions and suggestions.   The farm scene provided a bright and colorful subject, working out well even for those with more limited vision.