Duck House with Pigeons

This painting was started on a perfect 75 degree August day last year in Boston.  I just came across it during my studio clean up.   It was so close to being done that I set about adding the final touches.

Beautiful Boston Public Garden (BPG) is a popular spot for locals and tourists.  People stroll about, some enjoying the swan boats that slowly paddle around the pond.  One look at the green scene and I reached for a linen panel undertoned with burnt sienna.   I knew this reddish base coat would help relieve the myriad of greens.  It also allowed me to skip painting the brick buildings in the background altogether - at least for the paint-out portion.

Duck House with Pigeon - BPG

Duck House with Pigeons

The pond was essentially green, not because of dirty water, but because it was reflecting the green willows and beeches on the far side.   Out in the middle of the pond was a duck house, my center of interest.   Apparently nobody had told the pigeons that this was a duck house because there were dozens of pigeons sunning themselves on its pale gray roof.   This is a city after all!

So please excuse the insertion of a painting from August while in the middle of February!

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.