JB's Bench/Bird Park

 Plein Air painting at Bird Park usually means being watched while I work. Passerby often stop to chat,  comment or just watch.  Today was one of those days

“JB’s bench”is a  5x7 oil done Plein air painting at Bird Park this morning. I went with Lisa to grab a bit of the first sort of cool morning in a while after weeks of oppressive heat. As we were painting, a gentleman stopped by, excited to see us painting. It turns out he grew up in Walpole and that the bench I was about to paint is his father’s bench. I went over after finishing and took a photo of the plaque. It felt like serendipity that we picked that spot today. Love to make people smile.

Having spent years visiting the park when I was a child in the1950's & 60's, it is like a magnet for me when it comes to subject matter. I have painted the bridges, gates, pathways and music court. I have painted the old cement benches that were there when I was a child. The trustees have been replacing them with these more modern benches and this is my first  attempt at the new benches. The landscape design with it's meandering paths,  sloping  hills and contrasting mowed and wild areas creates many compositional possibilities. Mature trees, ponds and wild life offer a plethora of choices. Scenes that are primarily greens I find challenging to paint. The red tree on the upper left and the reddish sidewalks helped create a nice color harmony and influenced me when choosing this spot. The water level in the pond was quite low as it  had dried up from the drought. I chose to paint it as I remembered it with the water level up and duckweed floating on the surface picking up the light values in the birch branches further down the path.

I hope you like it!

It's Bird Park again

"Contemplation" 11x14 oil

Certain subjects will always be in my repertoire. Bird Park is one of them. No matter how often I go there and paint there, I never will be "done". I decided this time to try something a bit different from previous paintings of this bridge and put a figure in the landscape. I continue my relationship with using light as a compositional  and unifying element. When I had my friend pose on the bridge, I intentionally viewed her from the back. Most anyone can relate to having the sun on their shoulders, contemplating nature and listening to the sounds of summer. As someone who frequents the park,  there is a magical connection. I worked with analogous colors mainly-blue green, blue, and blue violet, using orange in the light for a harmonious effect.

Bird Park Beckons

Welcome to Bird Park 12x24 oil

Painting the entrance to the park is a favorite of mine. I intend to paint all the different seasons, so I planned it for the late afternoon early summer sun. Inspired by the light reflecting off of the wrought iron gate, I headed down around 4:30 pm to get the right  angle. The summer afternoon sun makes the entrance glow with a welcoming warmth. Since the last time I painted this gate, a local boy scout working on his eagle project here, removed plantings and added new ones. On this particular day, other folks  were there taking photos and posing in the open gate on the right.  The reddish blocks along the walkway are a hallmark of the park and harmonize well with all the lush greenery and expansive lawns. The stone walls and iron fencing enhance the earthy tones and fit in beautifully with the park design. I used the panoramic format this time to accentuate the horizontal expanse of the entrance.

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.

Always a favorite-Bird Park in winter

They didn't read the sign!

Nemo came to Walpole and buried us in snow. It was the first time I recall a snowstorm being named. My first trip after digging out was to Bird Park. I have been painting the bridges in Bird Park, all of which are different from one another. This particular bridge has no good vantage point when the leaves are on the trees. With winter the bridge becomes the focal point of this beautiful snow covered scene. The ducks on the ice juxtaposed with the keep off the ice sign provided a bit of humor. The blue violet scene accented with the red orange and yellow orange  branches provided a perfect color harmony as you get pulled back into the distance.