Bird Park beckons once again!

While working on another painting at the opposite end of the park, I decided to take a break. I walked through the park to enjoy the great fall weather and the park's beauty when I came across this little girl who was captivated by the migrating geese that had just landed. I was hooked when I saw her classic "sandbox squat". The concrete bench and distant bridge are included to give the painting a sense of place. Focusing on strong sunlit areas,  meandering edges and bright green patterns reflecting in the water lead the viewer to the young girl communing with the lone goose at the edge. The red of the girl's shirt repeats in the trees, reflections and turning grasses  to hint at autumn's arrival.

Masterpiece Masquerade

The Art Gallery and Studio at Patriot Place in Foxboro, MA hosted a "Masterpiece Masquerade" this month. Artists from 5 area art associations were invited to create a painting based on a famous favorite artist, but to give it a "twist" of some kind. My love affair with water and Monet made this choice appealing for me. I call it "Frog's Dilemma". In recreating Monet's painting, I realized the more spontaneous and abstracted the work is, the more difficult it is to re-create. In the end , it was a lot of fun working the many layers and glazing between some to create a watery effect. I loved using the frog that visits our fountain on the patio as a model for the "twist".