TM9348 Assabet River Afternoon #2 7×7 oil on paper
I’ve been visiting the banks of the Assabet River occasionally, enjoying its meanders and charm. These four oil studies show the transition that happens every. The first is from early September, the following three are resplendently late September and October. Enjoy.
TM9347 Assabet River Afternoon #1 7×7 oil on paper
TM9349 Assabet River Afternoon #3 7×7 oil on paper
TM9346 Hello October! 7×7 oil on paper
TM9345 Quiet Morning at the Quarry 36×36 oil on panel
Maybe it’s because I went to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams and saw work by an artist, Clifford Ross, who was as impressed as me by the heroic paintings of the Hudson River School painters. Along with the early Dutch landscapists, the Hudson River painters were my go-to artists to study and emulate as I learned to paint. I think their veneration of nature struck a chord, while their fascination with detail felt natural to the etcher in me.
Quiet Morning at the Quarry is my response to what I saw at the museum, Sometimes, going back in time can also push one forward. Enjoy. Details below.
TM9345 Quiet Morning at the Quarry – detail from far wall of quarry
TM9345 Quiet Morning at the Quarry – close-up with water and reflections
TM9345 Quiet Morning at the Quarry – detail from right side
TM8396 Passing Time 30×36 oil on panel
There’s a small creek that runs along the studio building – nothing much, but I’ve enjoyed walking my dogs along the parts that are free of poison ivy. We like to pause and watch the drifting leaves and occasional muskrats or ducks as they go about their business. Occasionally we’ve seen a great blue heron, it’s wings spanning the creek from bank to bank. Sometimes the reflections and light are extraordinary. Passing Time, which I began years ago, is a painting I’ve tinkered with – I work on it a bit, then put it aside, thinking it might be finished. I pulled it out again this week, and discovered there was more I could do to enhance the color and light, and especially the feeling of movement. So here it is….maybe finished? Enjoy.
TM8396 Passing Time – detail from right side of center with floating leaves and ripples
TM8396 Passing Time – detail from left side with leaves and pine needles
is an homage to our little creek, and to taking the time daily to enjoy its special offerings.
TM9341 Gloucester Quarry 7×7 oil on paper
TM9342 Stopping by the Pond 7×7 oil on paper
These two mirrored compositions with still water and reflections are a delight to paint. The “other” world, upside down and mysterious, needs to be convincing but not fussy. I used a palette knife plus a little brushwork to find the forms. The colors are less saturated – by September the greens start to look a bit tired, as if they really can’t wait to get the dressed up again in gold and yellow. Enjoy.
An ordinary
TM9339 Poem from the Berkshires 36×40 oil on panel
An ordinary corner from the back of the field, but isn’t it also extraordinary? So much life – these trees are creating rich loam, oxygen, and nesting sites. They provide cover for small animals and shade for us. They can calm the soul and bring joy to the eye. An eloquent subject for a poem. Enjoy. Details below.
TM9339 Poem from the Berkshires – detail from foreground with brush and roller application of paint
TM9339 Poem from the Berkshires – detail from lower right with young pine
TM9337 Cheerful Young Woods 36×36 oil on panel
Early summer is such a delightful time to enjoy the woods. All the greens are singing, the light is exuberant, and, with a bit of bug protection, the trails are readily accessible. This stand of pine and mixed saplings was singing the praises summer this week. I couldn’t resist. The feeling of lift, as though the trees were all members of a gospel choir, provided the context for my approach to the painting. Rhythm would rule, supported by as many shades of green as I could mix. The painting speaks of joy, but is also a praise poem to trees and the work they do keeping our dear planet as healthy as possible. Trees deserve our support and protection. Details below. Enjoy.
TM9337 Cheerful Young Woods – detail from upper left with tree limbs stretching toward the light
TM9337 Cheerful Young Woods – detail from lower right with sunlight and saplings
TM9331 New England Coastline #12 7×7 oil on paper
The scarred fingers of ledge reaching into the water at Bass Rocks are such a gorgeous color – all ocher and red oxide, not like the grey granite found toward the middle of the state, or like the maroon, black, and deep mars violet cliffs you can find up north between Lubec, Maine and New Brunswick, Canada. So much color and geometry, so little time! Enjoy.
