The Process

I just completed a painting which you can see below in an early stage. Here,  the landscape has been brushed in quickly. 

As I continued, I brightened the sky and added details to the under painting.  I decided to balance the composition by adding a limb so that the tree would seem to "pose" for her portrait.  Here is the finished painting....

"Sap Buckets on Calendar Hill"

acrylic on canvas - 14" x 18"

Below is the photograph I took on March 17th and used for the painting.  As you can see, the painting in its finished state, differs substantially from the photo.  I was so tired of interpreting gray winter skies in my "Posted" series that I decided to crop out the background and change the mood with a blue sky.

There is a great advantage to working from photos.  When it is too cold to paint outdoors, I can work in the studio and change the landscape to suit my taste.  But I look forward to getting out to paint en plein aire soon as spring arrives and the weather warms up.

Posted on Cobb Hill

I've been working on landscapes that speak winter and mud season here in Vermont.  Often we drive by trees sporting posted signs and these signs make a colorful statement in the cold and gray scene.  This is my second painting in this series.  Last week this is how it looked:

After removing an errant branch, cleaning up others, adding darker values to the sky and finishing the sign, this is the finished piece....

"Posted, Cobb Hill"

acrylic - 14" x 18"

"Art That Celebrates Winter"

Snow is falling outside my studio window right now, and the media is calling this the Blizzard of 2013.  Having experienced the Blizzard of '78 while living in Massachusetts--four feet of snow and a week of "vacation" afterwards--so far this is disappointing!  Hopefully, before it is over we will have at least the expected 8" to 14" on the ground.

Speaking of snow, yesterday, I completed a painting for the Norman Williams Public Library's next exhibit entitled, "Art That Celebrates Winter".  It is an area group show which will be hung later this week in the Mezzanine Gallery.  The posted land that inspired this painting is on Advent Hill Road in Hartland.  Very seldom have I painted winter landscapes and this was a treat...

"Posted"

acrylic painting - 16" x 20"

  The Opening Reception for "Art That Celebrates Winter" is to be next Saturday from 5:30 to 7 on the mezzanine at the library.  If you're in the neighborhood, please come by!

"New England Landscapes" Exhibition at Norman Williams Public Library

My current exhibit, "New England Landscapes" is now showing at the Norman Williams Public Library.  It will hang until December 6th.

Please come to the Opening Reception
this Saturday,
November 10th at 5 pm.

The Mezzanine Gallery holds seventeen paintings done in Massachusetts and Vermont.  Several of them are plein aire paintings in oil, some are studio works and there are also two watercolors of barns, one in Rochester and one in Randolph.

I hope that if you can't make it to the Opening on Saturday you can stop by to visit during open library hours: 

Monday through Friday 10 to 6

Saturday 10 to 5

"Local Color" Exhibit at Artistree Gallery in Woodstock

It's that time of year up here in Vermont--leaf peeping time!  And in keeping with the season, Artistree Gallery hangs "Local Color" a fall exhibit of works by artists from the Upper Valley.  The three paintings I have entered are below.

The "Local Color" Opening is this Friday night, September 28th from 5:30 to 8 pm--and you're invited!

"Sailboat on Silver Lake"

9" x 12" plein aire oil painting

"Randolph Barns"

9" x 12" plein aire oil painting

"Twin Trees"

9" x 12" plein aire oil painting

Unfortunately, my photography skills leave something to be desired and these paintings look much better in person!  So, come see them at Artistree Gallery, here in beautiful Woodstock.

1206 Route 12

281 Barnard Road,

Mount Tom Building

Woodstock, VT 05091.  

The exhibit runs from Friday, September 28th through Saturday, October 13th, coinciding with the Fall Vermont Open Studios the weekend of October 6th.

The Summer Studio and Gallery

It's been a lot of work but now I think I can say the Summer Studio and Gallery in our barn/garage is just about complete thanks to my dear husband who did all the cutting, nailing and painting!  Thank you, Rick....

We used homosote panels painted dark brown to hold smaller works....

When the doors are open, the space is filed with north light--a perfect spot to finish plein aire paintings....

Smaller, unframed pieces reside in bins....

And I found a great old drawing table at a used furniture store--with a bit of sanding it's perfect....

Just a few more finishing touches and we'll be finished.  Then, we'll have an opening and you're all invited!  If you'd like a personal preview, just email me and we'll set it up!

Too cold, too windy....

A beautiful sunny April day but too cold and windy to be out painting....  The unusual weather last month had us ready and raring to go, but we're back to more typical temperatures for a Vermont April.  
Below is a just finished painting I started in South Woodstock last summer.  It is good to have all last season's plain aire work completed now.

"Summer field, South Woodstock"

12" x 16" - oil

Today, I spent some time out raking flower beds and there are definite signs of life--lilies and daffodils and primroses poking up green shoots.  The sun is warm and the sky is blue--a lovely early spring day.