Painting sunlight

"Falling Water" 18x24 Oil

Every season our family spends time in New Hampshire. As a child it was summers at the lake with friends and skiing on vacations and weekends. In 1978, I bought a timeshare and we now go up in the fall and spring as well. Activities have expanded over the years with painting becoming a favorite. Hiking the woods and White Mountains I have encountered so many new painting spots that I couldn't possibly paint them all. The one thing that always captures my attention is the light. It changes the landscape by the minute as it filters in in the morning, dances through the trees and across the snow, hills and water during the day,  creates dramatic skies at dusk and a calming darkness at night. Consistent in the woodland streams are rocky paths cut through the land by rushing water, downed branches that gather along the edges and transparent pools that reveal the bed of the streams concealed elsewhere by white foam and deep dark pools of water.
What attracted me here was the serpentine curve of the stream that created rhythmic patterns of light and dark. The reddish tone of the rocks, pine needles and reflected light compliments the greens of the lush woods. The birches are quintessential NH. This painting represents the feeling I get when walking through the wooded landscape of NH.

I began with an underpainting of transparent red oxide to establish values and  composition. I wanted  to give a warmth that could show through in the final painting. I used underpainting white to establish the flow of the water. After that dried, I blocked in large areas using local color establishing some dark transparent layers first. The painting was built up with a number of layers finding areas to suggest rock forms under the rushing water and illuminating other areas with bright light to bring the viewers eye through the woods and down the stream.

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.

The Red Boat

"The Red Boat" on Cape Cod, Harwich, MA

When driving along Rte 28, this red boat and beautiful marsh scene beckon me at every season. I usually pull over and take a few photos or pull out the sketchbook. Sometimes I just sit and enjoy. When I went there this summer and saw that another boat was there with the formerly solitary red one, I felt like the mood was changing. I decided to paint the feeling it evoked before the addition of the second boat.  I loved the peacefulness and serenity of the place. The pop of the red boat was like a jolt of adrenaline.  Perhaps soon I'll do the new scene with the two boats.  It still has the wonderful red/green harmony and layers of receding landscape. I like it, too. It's just a whole different feeling.
I hope you like this one!

Another early morning walk...another painting opportunity

"Pres du Lac"  16x20  oil

While vacationing in Provence in 2008, I woke up while my 7 travel companions were still sleeping. The villa we rented was called "Pres du Lac", which means "near the lake". There was no lake visible in any direction. From the villa's name,  I knew there must be one somewhere nearby, so I decided my early morning mission was to find the lake. I walked for about an hour deep into woods on a long dirt road and eventually came to this hill just as the sun was rising over "les Alpilles'. The landscape was instantly illuminated and it was a very spiritual moment. Moments later, I found the lake on the other side of the hill. The scene is forever in my memory and one of these days I will paint that lake. It was incredibly beautiful. The locals were very upset to learn an "outsider" had found their hidden gem. Their secret is safe with me. I did bring the others that evening and we left it prisitne as we found it. We may have enjoyed some good wine there on a few evenings watching the sun set over the lake. After returning home, I painted this scene while it was fresh in my mind. However, I never finished it until this week. My early start left me with all the information I needed about the scene, but 5 years ago I was transitioning from watercolor to oil painting and lacked the experience at the time to get the effect that I wanted. It felt great to finish it up this summer. It stirs up a desire return to Provence.

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.