First Day of Summer!

First day of Summer!  16x20 oil 

The first day of summer was spectacular! The colors were amazing and the days following  are treating us to a "super moon", a heat wave interspersed with some powerful thundertstorms and amazing lightning shows. The color transitions needed expression and I chose to capture it at one of my favorite beaches. The solo walks are time for contemplation and wonder. The WOW moments are, for me, the ones when the clouds form beautiful patterns, the colors harmonize and the light is reflected in the wet sand and rolling waves. The wet sand mirrors the show above.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Wellesley inspires!

Wellesley spoils 16x20

My college reunion yielded leftovers crying out to be painted. I brought home the centerpiece from dinner and some leftover pears from lunch and got to work. Since it was my Wellesley College reunion, adding some Shakespeare books and shades of blue -actually created by mixing viridian and alizarin crimson-seemed a perfect addition. In the next few days I completed this still life as I worked against time. The petals fell off the peonies. The lily buds opened fully. I painted my lasting impressions as the scene before me unfolded daily. In the end, I warmed up the foreground to bring attention to the beautifully shaped pears that held their own throughout the week. I placed the cat there to give a sense of scale as this is bigger than I usually paint a still life. He also made me giggle as he looked so intently for so long at my painting; such a loyal admirer.

Make Way for Ducklings!

Make Way for Ducklings -Boston Public Gardens 11x14 oil

A favorite childhood memory were my many visits to Boston with my parents. We would ride the swanboats and walk around the beautiful public gardens which was the setting for a favorite book, Make Way for Ducklings. In a stroke of genius, the city commissioned this sculpture of Make Way for Ducklings. It is possibly one of the most photographed spots in the city. As a lifelong Bostonian, I would be remiss not to include it in my favorite painted places. I love the  sun reflecting off the ducks, the warmth of the bricks, the meandering lines of the sculpture and the backdrop of my beloved city and it's gardens.

Spring flowers-always beckon.

Bleeding Hearts, Bottles and Apples

Dorothy's Duck with rhododendron

 I noticed as I started looking at the gardens the abundance of pinks and reds surrounded by the lush greens and earthy tones. The flowers are so beautiful and their beauty is so fleeting. Capturing them requires a certain decisiveness in putting the paint down. Mostly I try to capture the essence of how they feel. Once cut they don't last, but their image makes an imprint on my senses and I try to savor the few days they are at their peak. With a storm forecast for tomorrow, I knew today was the day to paint peonies. And we connected. Looks like the red green harmony is in season.

Peggy's Peonies  11x14
Update-happy to say this painting has been selected for the Zullo Gallery's 19th annual Juried Exhibition
in Medfield, MA Sept 21-Nov. 9, 2013

Friday, June 7: Hidden Treasures | Chronicle - WCVB Home

Friday, June 7: Hidden Treasures | Chronicle - WCVB Home
I will be on Chronicle again on Friday June 7th.

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.

Vintage!

She's got her eye on him!  11x14 oil

Vintage cars aren't my only interest in the past. Both my grandmother and mother were antique dealers. I grew up learning the history of so many items and their connection to us personally as well as their  connection to the past in general. Being part of a gallery  opening in an antique mall this past month, I was drawn to these items and the story they might tell. There was a photo of a woman that wanted to be in the still life but just didn't seem to fit. I resolved that by putting the woman's reflection in the mirror. I imagined her watching her man as he prepared to groom himself for the upcoming day.