Some Fairly Random Thoughts....

This morning, I took myself to the Woodstock Farmers' Market to get some heirloom apples.  For painting, not for eating.   I came out with a great sandwich and some very cool apples:   

     •  three "Knobbed Russets", all green and webby, also known as "Old Maids in Winter" back in England in the early 1800's
     •  A "Black Oxford", not really black--more like a deep, dark purpley red
     •  three "Reine des Reinettes", translating to "Queen of the Pippens"
     •  a "Holstein" (apple, not cow)
     •  three Ashmead's Kernels, a lovely 300-year-old variety with sort of scruffy green skin
     •  one "Hidden Rose" which promises to have pink flesh
     •  a "Hudson Golden Gem", gold, red and lime green, popular in this country in the early 1900's
I don't have any paintings of these lovely apples yet, but soon.

Below are the two plain aire paintings I'm now showing at Artistree Gallery here in Woodstock.  The first was painted back in May off Church Hill Road in South Woodstock....

"Early Spring, South Woodstock"

11" x 14" - oil

And at the end of August we found this site just off route 14 in South Royalton.  While we painted a fisherman was enjoying a day of fly fishing just upstream to the left and a couple of very noisy trains whistled by to the right....

"Railroad Trestle on the White River"

oil - 9" x 12"

I love this painting and will be sad to say goodbye to it when it goes to its new owners....

The New Studio

I am finally back to making art after our move and my new studio here at home is wonderfully convenient!

The computer is handy for blogging, referencing images, etc.  And it's a dream to have lots of storage space for materials.  There's room to breath here and a nice view of the south field through the trees.  

Of course, today the view is of yet more snow (and the window screen is showing!) but I'm looking forward to a greener vista in a little while with spring only thirteen days away.... 

This afternoon I am working on designing my next prints in the flower series.

Starting over....

How can it take so long, require so much energy and eclipse everything else to move from Gaysville to Woodstock?  It's barely 25 miles but it might as well be 2500 miles because everything you own has to be picked up, considered,  discarded or packed, moved, unpacked and installed somewhere in the new house.  And that's after the new floors and walls have been sanded, patched, painted and painted again.

The most fun painting was the dining room floor which was painted with a checkerboard "rug" using the colors of the walls in the living room, dining room and office.  Here's Sandy working on the Rockport Gray squares (thank you Sandy!) using Carol's little stool (thank you Carol!).

And here is the finished product....

Now that the really necessary curtains are up and only a little tweaking here and there is required, I am back in the studio.  Two months and fifteen days since I last posted, I am starting over!   And having a studio at home again will be lovely....