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".

Sunlit Pears

On Friday I went to Jonathan Fairbanks for our first painting session in several months. He arrived with an armload of fruits, vegetables and some wild weeds, plopped them on a table and said, "What are you planning to paint today?" I looked at the bounty before me and instantly made up my mind. Instead of a park bench I had planned on, I selected 3 pears and a weed and found a sunny window. I arranged the purple cloth and then the pears and weeds until I got a composition I liked and felt I could complete in a couple hours before the sun completely disappeared from that window. I enjoy the challenge of working quickly and spontaneously. I always like the freshness of the painting and the honest quality it imparts. I decided to simplify the scene outside the window giving just  enough information for the viewer to get what was going on and stay focused on the pears. In the end I was pleased with my choice.

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.

Inspiration

"Inspiration" 24x30 oil

"Inspiration" 8x10 study and 24x30 studio version

If you have looked through my paintings, by now you've discovered that I love to walk in the early morning and evening. I am captivated by the stunning light and color I am treated to by sunrise and sunset. The light reflecting on the water and earth brings a harmony to a scene that can leave me breathless. In creating the small 8x10 painting, I became so enamored of the scene I wanted to keep painting when I was done. I went into my studio and began working on a larger version. The different proportions of the 2 canvases meant some alterations, but that was just another challenge that made it fun. The large version is a gallery wrap; I find it easier to deal with edges when I do a smaller version first. I particularly was drawn to the blues and violets in the sand as darkness descended. I used the meandering storm fence to draw the viewer back into the distance at a slow,  leisurely pace. The shapes of the houses silhouetted in the distance are meant to give enough information with only a suggestion rising up against the sky. My aim is to  keep the scene quiet and the viewer transfixed on the transformation  in nature.

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.