Another Plein Air Landscape

Mary Herrick Forest Pond

6 x 4 inches

acrylic on canvas panel

Well, I hit the conservation land again yesterday (just finally got a working scanner tonight  ;-)

I went to Mary A. Herrick Forest, a beautiful property that is managed by The New England Forestry Foundation. Part of the land is used as a Christmas Tree Farm and I have to admit I was a little intimidated when hiking in I came upon a few trucks. I considered turning back,  unsure I was in the right place. I'm glad I continued on......I soon came to a scenic little pond, one side lined with lovely birches, filled with wonderful fall colors. I decided to set up on the birch side of the pond facing a colorful but swampy area where some pine trees were struggling to survive.

This time I was mostly in the sun, and my paints were drying faster than I could work - the opposite problem from earlier this week. I look forward to returning to this area - it is another place really close to home that I had never visited before.

Touch of Fall

Touch of Fall

2.5 x 3.5 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

The leaves are just starting to change here in on the North Shore of Massachusetts. I wanted to try to capture some of their different colors. Unfortunately this is not the best picture of the little painting.....my scanner broke down - hopefully I can post a better picture soon.

I did get out to work on a plein air piece today. I hope I will be able to scan it tomorrow.

Touch of Fall - $15 + $1.70 shipping and handling in the US

(please contact me for international shipping)

Witch Hollow - Plein Air Landscape

Witch Hollow

4 x 6 inches

acrylic on canvas panel

I finally made it outside to paint today...no more excuses!
It was a beautiful morning, and after taking the kids to school, I headed over to a local conservation area at Witch Hollow Farm. The trees are just beginning to show their colors around here in Massachusetts. At this field, the trees were still mostly green with just a hint of color, and the field itself was just lovely. I set up on an old road, facing the field. There is a beautiful old farmhouse dating back to the 1600's way off to the right of the conservation area - I hope to make it back there to paint the house some day. I drive by this area all the time, and it is fascinating to watch the changes in the field from season to season. I have a few more paintings I would like to do at the field as it looks now - and then maybe revisit it later in the fall when the leaves have turned.

I started with a canvas panel that I had toned previously - I had toned a bunch of panels with different colors to play with a bit. I THINK this one was red iron oxide. It was much too strong and really difficult to cover. I've liked lt. cadmium red in the past, but I just wanted to try some different things to see how it affects the tone of the whole painting. I think I also used too much retarder in the acrylic paints I had mixed up in my tiny pots - it just wasn't drying at all - the opposite problem to what I usually have when working outdoors. Oh well - I will keep experimenting - let's hope the weather will be a little more cooperative than it has been the last few weeks.

By the Tracks - One More Miniature

By the Tracks

2 x 2 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper
available matted and framed in my Etsy shop

I was determined to give miniature landscapes another try, so here is a tiny one of a track crossing in Stacyville, Maine. I'm not quite sure how I feel about the two landscapes. I think I will frame everything, and give it a few days before deciding!

The Topsfield Fair opens next weekend. I didn't get THE CALL to come pick my work up, so I assume that everything got juried in. I won't know for sure until after the opening on Friday. I am both nervous and excited to see how the exhibit looks. It is a HUGE fair and runs for 10 days, so it gets a ton of traffic. I also have 18 pieces for sale in their Art Room - it will be interesting to see if anyone actually buys art at this kind of exhibit. Keeping my fingers crossed!

A New Miniature - To Keep...or Not?!

Millbrook Farm

2x3 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

I really wanted to include a landscape with this group of miniatures for the upcoming miniature exhibition, so I returned to one of my favorite local haunts, Millbrook Farm Conservation Area in Boxford, Massachusetts. I did a very similar painting as a 4x6 - one of my first plein air pieces this spring. I'm not too sure about this little one - it didn't turn out quite how I wanted. I have one more landscape idea in mind for a miniature, so I will give it a try today. And then it will be decision time......

Colored Kernels - SOLD

Colored Kernels

2.5 x 3.5 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper
SOLD

Besides being the time of year for beautiful landscapes, it is also the time of year for CANDY, right? I'm not sure why I find painting candy to be so much fun.....maybe it is because it was always the forbidden fruit when I was growing up (there was NEVER any candy in our house!). Or is it the bright colors and fun shapes? I'm not sure, but my kids think it is really weird that I choose Halloween candy by what I want to paint, instead of what I like to eat  (I do this with produce, too!). Earlier this year I had fun with M&Ms. I really wanted to paint a package of Smarties, but I couldn't get any of my boys to give one up. So I went out and bought some candy corn. And if they are lucky, I might share.......

Lumberman's Lantern - Miniature Painting

Lumberman's Lantern

3.5 x 2 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Just putting the finishing touches on another miniature.....it's amazing how long the detail can take on these little guys! But my eyes are telling me it is time to take a little break from these, so I will work on some other paintings for the next few days......I still have a few weeks before the miniatures are due for the show.

This is a rusty old lantern hanging next to a door at a "logging camp" at the Lumberman's Museum in Patten, Maine. The museum has wonderful exhibits about the history of logging in Maine and an amazing number of old tools and equipment from the old camps. I took hundreds of pictures there this summer and plan on doing a series of paintings about some of the tools.

Street Shadows

Street Shadows

3x2 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Another miniature for the upcoming miniatures exhibition. It's hard to get these little guys to scan well! I am enjoying doing these tiny pieces - it is going to feel weird to go back to 4x6 again!

This was a wonderful little scene from Salem, Massachusetts. We were just wandering around, going down some little alleys and behind buildings and I loved the way the dappled sunlight lit up the corner of the building and brought out all the colors.

(Please forgive me if the formatting on this post is a little wonky....I'm trying out blogspot's "new interface"  ;-)

Bountiful

Bountiful

2x2 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Yes, you read that right - 2x2 inches! My smallest piece yet  ;-)

Here it is next to a penny for a sense of scale.

I'm getting ready for an upcoming miniatures show and decided to try one even smaller than my normal work. I've got a few more pieces to go, but I expect that this one will be the smallest!

Connections (again!)

Connections

5x5 inches

acrylic on gessobord panel

Okay  - now I have a better picutre (pictures?). The red didn't really scan quite right, and you couldn't really see the highlights, so I wanted to try again. Plus I now have the purchasing information as well.

This the kids' first full week back in school and the week is crazy with teacher meetings and open houses and all the back-to-school stuff.....can't wait to get back into the normal routine again. I am working on a bunch of tiny miniatures for an upcoming show, some of my smallest yet! I also hope to clean up my little paint box soon and hopefully get out to enjoy some of this nice weather while we still have it.

Connections - $55 + $3 shipping & handling in the US

(please contact me for international shipping)

Connections

Connections

5x5 inches

acrylic on gessobord panel

Still putting finishing touches on this one - the red doesn't really scan well - I may have to try taking photographs in the morning!

Got all my matting and framing done for now - 20 pieces off to shows and exhibits. Now I have to do some little pieces for another upcoming show in West Virginia....crazy time of year~and I'm still making a final decision whether or not to participate in any holiday shows.....

On a Sunday Drive

On a Sunday Drive

2.5 x 3.5 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

Still working on the tomatoes, but I needed to do this quick fun little one to fill a hole in a local display (one piece sold before the show even opened!). A little more matting and framing to do for the pieces that have to be turned in this weekend, then I can get back to paint, paint and MORE paint!!


[As an aside, to those of you who are big fans (like me!) and followers of Carol Marine's work (and her husband David who created the DailyPaintworks.com site), they lost their home, Carol's studio and most of their belongings in the Texas wildfires. If you care to donate to the fundraiser their friends are running for the family, please follow this link. My heart and prayers goes out to them and their Texas neighbors.]

Pleased to Meet You - SOLD

Pleased to Meet You

6x4 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper

SOLD

Yes, this is one from late last fall. I was in a fall mood and decided to repost it since I didn't have anything new to post!

It's been a busy family weekend. We spent a day at York Wild Kingdom - a smallish zoo and old amusement park. This trip was by special request of my oldest son (his "birthday trip") and I figured the kids would be bored to death because the place is really geared more toward the preschooler set. The zoo is small and the rides are old and fewer in number than you find at most county fairs. Happily, we had a great time and the kids declared it "one of the best trips ever"!

these guys always crack me up!

Today we spent time exploring two of the old stonework forts along the seacoast of New Hampshire. My three little boys seem to be obsessed with these mostly abandoned military forts - we have visited many! But they are lots of fun to explore, steeped in history, in beautiful coastal areas - and are usually free. I snapped TONS of pictures today and have a few compositions for some additions to my Abandoned Series.

The kids start school tomorrow with a half day. Part of me is happy to have more painting time. But part of me is really, really sad to see the summer end. Back to the grind of the kids' schedules, activities, sports and homework.....

Autumn Light - SOLD

Autumn  Light

2.5 x 3.5 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper
SOLD

I think this one is as much about the light and shadow as it is the little pumpkin itself. Something about that morning light ...it gets me every time!

I just looked at the calendar and realized I have a few shows coming up quickly. A lot of painting to be done...

Little Pumpkin SOLD

Little Pumpkin

3.5 x 2.5 inches

acrylic on watercolor paper
SOLD

It's been cool enough in the evenings that it has me thinking about fall....

Autumn is my favorite season! I get very excited about painting all the things that mean "autumn" to me. The colors, the light, it all changes in the fall - I'm looking forward to capturing all that I can.