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.