Mary Byrom

Winter Hike to Orris Falls

2012-01-02T22:29:00.000-05:00

Orris Falls is a beautiful waterfall in a wooded hilly area near Mount Agamenticus in York, Maine.

This waterfall is on land that is part of a collection of land trusts.

Field Sketch Orris Falls watercolor 6x8

It is an easy hike through the woods to reach the falls.

The path is an old road that passes through wet lowlands with winding brooks and thickets of pines.

As you get closer to the falls the path climbs higher and higher. Soon you are walking on the crest of a tall ridge.

At the very top of the ridge are two ponds. Beavers created the large ice-covered pond...

...which flows into a smaller ice-rimmed pool of faster moving water...

...that spills into a small creek...

Field Sketch Orris Falls watercolor 3x3

...that carves a path through the trees ...

...splashing and foaming around rocks...

Field Sketch Orris Falls watercolor 4x4

...making collars of ice on boulders and along the edges of the stream.

Field Sketch Orris Creek watercolor 6x8

It gathers speed as it rushes down the hillside in between large granite ledges.

The sides of the ravine are steep.

Field Sketch Orris Falls Ravine watercolor 4x5

Over the years many trees had toppled down into this narrow valley.

Some were old and rotting; others looked like they were up rooted in a recent storm.

Field Sketch Orris Falls Ravine watercolor 4x6

I scouted for painting locations on a high trail as Marcus climbed down into the bottom of the ravine.

He found a perfect spot for me to sketch down near the edge of the falls...

...on a narrow ledge below the top of the rushing cascade.

I sketched the water as it surged down from above me.

It streamed down forming interesting ice formations on the mossy granite outcroppings.

Field Sketch Orris Falls Ravine watercolor 7x9

I sat very still sketching. The hillside was sharply angled and covered with slippery leaves.

The rock ledge I was sitting on hung out over the falling water.

It is the only level spot on the falls. Beside me the land falls abruptly down to the bottom of the falls.

The water roared by with a crashing sound.

Field Sketch Orris Falls watercolor 6x6

I'll definitely return to this location with my oils paints to do some plein air paintings.

PAINT EAT SLEEP

Friendship, Maine in December

2011-12-23T23:28:00.000-05:00

It was a cold and gray Monday morning, a chilly 14 degrees as we headed up the coast of Maine.

When we arrived in Camden there was ice on the harbor and the schooners were wearing their winter coats.

In the summer you can't see the water in Camden harbor because it's so full of pleasure boats...not true in winter.

The docks were quiet and the sky, land and water colors were muted and silvery.

I stopped by Camden Falls Gallery for a visit. My paintings will be shown there this summer. Its namesake is a crashing waterfall at the head of this picturesque harbor.

On our way down the peninsula to Friendship, Maine the road twisted and turned as we passed farms and rolling fields covered with fresh snow.

In Cushing, Maine I spotted this incredible old farm. It looked like no one had touched it since the 1950's. It is in the neighborhood of the famous Olsen farm from Andrew Wyeth's "Christina's World."

Even on a gray winter day there is nothing as beautiful as a midcoast Maine pennisula.

Friendship has a great harbor with lots of large and small islands.

All along the edge of the harbor are docks and buildings for lobstering.

A change was coming in the weather. After an overnight snow storm and frigid morning, a warm wind started blowing off the water.

The bright colored lobster traps glowed in the muted light.

I walked around sketching different views.

Whitecaps appeared in the harbor. The wind really started gusting.

I knew I couldn't set up on the docks to paint.

The dock community in Friendship is amazing. There are all kinds of buildings on the docks out over the water.

I parked my car near the town landing. I found a perfect spot to set up my easel out of the wind.

Some of the fishing shacks on the docks are brand new and well kept.

I did several sketches from the view in front of me .

I wanted to paint the soft colors of the small islands in the harbor.

The clouds were breaking up and the sky was getting brighter.

I kept it small and simple.

There were stacks of traps everywhere with their colorful floats tied up in bunches near them.

The floats were very interesting to look at. Their colors were eye popping...

...compared to the muted blues and grays of their surroundings.

To my eyes It felt like their colors were lit up from within especially after looking at all the subtle grays of the landscape.

Even the traps which are very colorful, looked slightly grayed next to the psychedelic float colors.

The afternoon started getting brighter with spots of blue sky holes in the clouds.

The wind was still totally wild. But I didn't care.

It was warming up. I kept painting.

There are many scenes waiting to be painted in this neighborhood.

A fishing shack had rows of floats hanging from the ceiling.

The docks reach out into the harbor one after the other all the way down the point.

It looked warm and cozy inside the small lit buildings.

Some of the shacks were heated like little houses.

Others were simpler, more like storage sheds.

It really feels like a little fishing village out there, though no one lives on the docks.

The sun set just after four. The best and brightest light of the day came right before twilight.

As we left Friendship the Christmas lights were coming on in the village.

Someone had taken two of their boats out of the water, parked them next to their house...

...and dressed them in holiday finery !

It's time to celebrate Christmas in Friendship, Maine.

PAINT EAT SLEEP

Vermont Farms, Snow and Mountains

2011-12-16T17:30:00.001-05:00

It was a fine December day when we drove from the seacoast up into the hills of Vermont to deliver paintings to Galleria Fine Arte in Stowe.

An early morning storm was clearing out.

Fresh snow covered the landscape...

...the higher the altitude, the deeper the snow.

We arrived at the gallery shortly before sunset.

Giancarlo and Maria helped Marcus and I bring the paintings into the gallery. They hung the paintings so fast that by the time I came in from sorting out my car they were already on the walls!

We reviewed my videos and set up the laptop for easy viewing by the collectors.

The gallery is a cluster of intimate rooms. It has a wonderful feeling to it.

Giancarlo and Maria are gracious, warm and friendly. Did I mention they are Italian?

You might enjoy espresso and biscotti as part of the viewing experience...

...from cozy chairs with great art all around you.

The a gallery is on one of the most scenic thoroughfares in Vermont.

Stowe is in a picturesque valley in between the Green Mountains and the Worcester Range. It is close to Mount Mansfield, the highest mountain in Vermont.

All across the valley you can find many old farms with great barns.

This area is in the snow belt. It snows here even when the sun is out 30 miles away.

The mountain ranges hold the clouds on their peaks. When a snow squall moves in you can no longer see the peaks beyond the nearby trees.

The light and color on the fields reminds me of paintings by Russian painters. They would be quite at home in northern Vermont!

Johnson is a neighboring town to the north of Stowe in the Lamoille River Valley.

I love this place ! The old farms are my favorite. I used to live nearby in Burlington and visited often.

The Bryan Memorial Gallery in the town of Jeffersonville is a special place. On exhibit were a great collection of Vermont paintings.

Jeffersonville is on the west side of Mount Mansfield. Smugglers Notch is a gap on route 108 through the Green Mountain range.

The road is closed from November to May because snow and ice make it too dangerous to drive across.

There are a thousand paintings waiting to be painted near Jeffersonville. The landscape is dramatic and it has a distinctive character.

It is crisscrossed with narrow dirt roads. It was on these roads that I got my expert driving experience to navigate single lanes in rural Scotland when I visited there.

It was almost time for the opening !

Lights twinkled at the gallery.

The Stowe Community Church tower was lit up as well.

Giancarlo arrived to light tall candles in glass boxes along the walk way.

The guests started arriving and the party began !

We were a happy trio after long weeks of preparation.

The show stays up until January 22nd. Please stop by Galleria Fine Arte if you are in Stowe, Vermont.

"The Moods of Nature" in Stowe, Vermont

2011-12-07T22:43:00.000-05:00

This weekend I have a show opening at Galleria Fine Arte' in Stowe, Vermont.

I've been working for weeks selecting and finishing paintings for this show.
Dusk 11x14 oil

I looked through my plein air work and chose ones that fit the theme of the show.
Afterglow 11x14 oil

I added finishing touches to some of them, while others were ready to varnish.

Moonrise 16x8 oil

I wanted to show a variety of seasons and landscapes.

After the Snow 12x16 oil

I noticed a lot of water images in this group of paintings .

Red Sky 8x16 oil

I painted some of them along the Maine seacoast and others in the mountains of New Hampshire.
Reflection 24x24 oil

One was painted in a meadow very close to where I live.
Winter Walk 12x16 oil

Another on a deep ocean bay just a few towns away.
Safe Haven 28x38 oil

I also noticed that I really like capturing reflections...and moods. Twilight is becoming a favorite time for me to paint.
Twilight 11x14 oil

I've never been a big fan of painting buildings. I noticed at night they change into something else. Their boxy shapes merge into the landscape and their lit windows are beacons. Their reflections transport them into another world.

Cabin Glow 8x10 oil

It is this other world that I am interested in.

Reflection Study 11x14 oil

This desire to paint nocturnes arises from a childhood memory. I was six years old the first summer I went cat fishing at night. It was magical being out in a row boat on a pond in the dark. The stars twinkled on the surface of the water. Farm lights glowed in the distance. It was only when you hooked a fish and hauled it up in the beam of the flashlight did you remember that you were floating on deep water.

Quiet Cove 8x10 oil

“Day and Night: The Moods of Nature,” a collection of new paintings of peaceful, luminous New England landscapes, by Mary Byrom , opens on Friday, Dec. 9, with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Galleria Fine Arte, 6 Sunset St., Stowe.

The Point of Graves

2011-12-02T17:30:00.004-05:00

Sometimes when you go out to paint there is so much subject matter to choose from...

....that you can't decide where to start.
2 Boats Sketch 8x12 ink, watercolor

This was one of those days.

My friend Barbara and I met in Portsmouth, NH to paint. After looking around in a couple of different locations ...
2 Sketches, ink, watercolor

...we finally decided to stop at the corner of Peirce Island Road and Mechanic Street across from an 1600's burial ground named The Point of Graves.

From this spot we could paint boats, houses, streets, the skyline or the park ! You could just turn your head and the view was completely different.

Clock Chimneys Sketch, 6x8 ink, watercolor

Portsmouth has so much to offer...

...a working harbor with large and small boats...

...great architecture, a variety of old houses, large and small ...

Old Neighborhood Sketch, 6x8 ink watercolor

...and fine vistas of rooftops in the Strawberry Banke neighborhood.

It's a busy port with the hustle and bustle of oil tankers coming and going.

While we were painting the largest amount of joggers we'd ever seen in a 3 hour period scampered by.

Barbara and I sketched a variety of subjects before we set up to paint.

We were lucky. It was a warm day with no wind blowing off on the ocean.

As it is no longer peak tourist season, we could park and paint where ever we wanted.

Small furry friends watched the activity from above.

The muted colors on this overcast November day were typical for New England.

Everything along the water had a silvery blue-violet tint to it.

Every now and then cloud holes would appear out over the ocean and sunshine would break through.

At high tide the tugs were busy fetching and guiding huge oil tankers into berths up the river.

I looked toward the river, painting the park and the drawbridge beyond it. Barbara painted an old interesting house on the other side of the street.

In this neighborhood the streets are small and narrow with uneven brick sidewalks.

One of the docks is slowly disintegrating into the channel.

Small lobster boats travel under the Peirce Island bridge to the docks on the Island.

It is almost the winter solstice. The sun sets early, shortly after 4 pm.

The old dock buildings looked mysterious in the soft light.

The moon rose above the roof tops.

Lights started to glow in the windows of houses all over the neighborhood.

There are so many lights in a large town. When they come on at dusk the landscape is all lit up.

The "Puddledock" neighborhood has all kinds of little gleaming lights. Christmas trees twinkled in some of the house windows. I'm coming back to paint nocturnes in this neighborhood!

PAINT EAT SLEEP

Late Light in Portsmouth

2011-11-25T00:15:00.043-05:00

Portsmouth is a really great town on the New England seacoast. It's the biggest port in the state of New Hampshire.

I've always loved this place. It is old. It has great alleys, buildings and streets. It's a destination for visitors...

...and the biggest town in my neck of the woods.

So when I was feeling like painting in a downtown setting last week...

I headed for Portsmouth and set up my easel right behind my car in front of the post office.

There is very limited parking in Portsmouth as it is a real busy little hub...

....so I painted fast ! Today I had two hours to set up, paint and break down.

I was more than lucky with the weather; it was quiet, sunny and warm.

This spot picked me. I was going to set up in Market Square to paint the people walking around.

Pencil sketch,4x6

No way! While driving down the one way street into the square I saw this view and yelled "Stop - this is it !"

I moved fast. After my initial pencil sketch, I put my brush into paint and laid the design in.

The streets were humming with cars and people. I had to concentrate on what I was doing.

It was nice to have my car parked next to me. It created a buffer and I only had to make sure I didn't step out into traffic in the road.

Everything down the street into the square was back-lit and side-lit as the sun went down in the south west.

Canyons... was all I could think of. I've only painted canyons during the brief time I visited out west.

Obviously it had a big effect on me. When I'm in cities with tall buildings they remind me of the canyons in Arizona, Wyoming and Utah.

Yes. This is unusual for me to be seeking out a man-made landscape. Buildings? And lots of buildings?

Yet it seemed like the place to be even with the parking restrictions in the prime painting locations.

It's like I'm backing into my subject matter these days instead of heading straight at it.

I'm not thinking "Oh I'd like to paint buildings."

It's more like, "What does that place look like in the evening or after dark ?"

I've found that it doesn't look like I think it will !

You can never tell. Lighting makes all the difference

I think I have a perfect place and great view picked out ....to discover later as the light changes that I have what I want for 15 minutes if I'm lucky .

And now after one quick outing on the streets of Portsmouth I realize I'm barely scratching the surface...

...of the hundreds of paintings waiting to happen here.

Of course I need to have those great lighting conditions for some of them.

And it doesn't hurt to have a warm feeling for this lovely old port.

Daniel St Sketch, 12x12 oil on canvas panel

PAINT EAT SLEEP

Water, Color & Town Dock #1

2011-11-18T00:15:00.026-05:00

I am painting every day in the late afternoon. I've been doing this for a few weeks.

I can't resist the subtle colors of twilight. The winter solstice is almost here with its beautiful velvety mood and twinkling night time lights.

8X6 Sketch pen, watercolor

After many nights out I was bound to run out of steam at some point... it happened the other day at the town dock in York Harbor.

This was a day time painting excursion...

4x4 Study, pen, watercolor

I arrived, looked around for a subject to grab me and... all I wanted to do was sit somewhere and sketch what was in front of me.

I find sketching a very relaxing, zen-like experience. The pen or pencil slides and floats smoothly on the surface of the paper.

4x6 Sketch, pen, watercolor

I slow down to capture what is in front of me...... which is often a subject arriving or departing for somewhere else.

I found that if I am sitting down I can just look at something and imprint it in my memory.

I haven't got a clue as to why sitting down makes such a difference.

4x6 Sketch, pen, watercolor

When I paint I always stand up. I can't paint sitting down...I like to keep moving, walking around, looking at what I'm doing from different perspectives.

On a day like today it was perfect to sit and observe from a quiet spot.

It was also very warm and comfortable for a mid November day.

I sketched in black ink and added color with watercolor pencils.

Did I forget to mention that it also started raining every now and then?

I was sitting under a pine tree.

It didn't seem to be raining on me so I just ignored it, sat there and continued sketching.

Sure enough after a few minutes the rain stopped.

My sketchbook pages were dry with just a raindrop here and there.

8x6 Sketches, pen

The boats started coming in, the lobstermen were pulling up to the dock with the day's catch.

This harbor isn't very crowded now. In the summer it has a lot of pleasure boats.

4x6 Sketch, pen, watercolor pencil

Now you can see the working boats easily, they are the only ones left on the moorings.

Its peaceful and there is plenty of parking all along the two town docks.

6x8 Sketch pen

The bustle of summer is over. The big summer cottages along the river are mostly empty now.

I actually like it more than in summer. September, October and November are my favorite months on the coast.

4x6 Sketch, pen, watercolor pencil

When the snow and cold arrive I paint really beautiful pictures but its usually too cold to hang out like today.

The season is changing really fast, almost daily I notice variations in the landscape. It's really so nice to take a day and slow it way down.
4x6 Sketch, pen, watercolor

PAINT EAT SLEEP

Twilight on the River

2011-11-11T00:15:00.043-05:00

There are three kinds of twilight. Who would have known? Civil, Nautical and Astronomical are their names...I discovered this when I wanted to know the exact time of the sunset.

With my twilight chart in my back pocket I headed out to York Harbor, Maine, to paint some sunset pictures on the York River...

I've discovered that if I set up early when there is enough light to see the lay of the land, I'm well prepared when it gets dark...

I wanted the twilight and tide to work together so I would have some nice light reflections.
Steadman Woods Study, 8x10 oil

When I arrived in early afternoon the tide was going out, the sky was clouding up and things were looking gray.

I spent some time walking around looking for a spot that would offer me a view with water, land and sky and be interesting enough to paint several times as the light changed.

The tide was going out fast. Sand started appearing where there was once water and nice reflections.

I started painting, focusing on completing my studies at timed intervals, so I would capture the different moods...
Sand & reflections study, 11x14 oil

The sun hadn't even set and the moon was already up in the sky peeking over the tops of the trees !

As the clouds arranged themselves in attractive clusters I gathered up a variety of additional panels to paint on.

It was now "civil" twilight and the view was expansive.

Lobster boats were returning from a long days work.

The light was shifting fast and "nautical" twilight was approaching.

Twilight I study, 8x16 oil

I set up to paint facing southwest because the light would last the longest in that direction.

The banks of trees and wet sand on the edge of the river steadily changed colors as the clouds and sky deepened in tone.

The lights came on in houses on the marsh edge and on the docks along the river front.

It was that time of the day when the sky and river surface were glowing.

Sometimes the water looks like it is lit from within, the color is so rich and beautiful.
Twilight sky study, 8x16 oil

The last boat came up the river from the harbor's mouth.

As the moon rose, the sky got darker and the moored boats on the river floated like blue ghosts on the surface of the water.

Twilight II study, 8x16 oil

PAINT EAT SLEEP

Dramatic Skies over Maine Farms

2011-11-03T00:15:00.027-04:00

One of the great things about fall in New England is the dramatic, changing weather.

In southern Maine it's been a sunny warm fall with the trees turning colors in start and stops...

The turning leaves have been bright and colorful in some neighborhoods and dull in others. Some trees are bare while others still have their green leaves.

Marcus and I went out for an afternoon drive to check out some of the neighboring farms.

We parked at the golf course and I set up to paint. I wanted to try for a few sketches of the quickly changing light on the landscape.

The Dunn farm is one of those rare small dairy farms that are still in operation. I love this farm!

I used my large Gloucester easel because there was a strong wind from the west and my other easel wouldn't have a chance in this steady onslaught...

The cows moved in slow motion across the pasture as clouds raced across the sky, alternately lighting and darkening the landscape.

I moved briskly as I put colors on my palette.

It looked like mother nature had plans for a change in the weather.. the clouds kept building.

Ooh... it was getting pretty nice out there, the farm was face-lit, the trees and cows had nice shadows behind them and the distant trees were a deep wine color in the cloud shadows.

Late afternoon low light offers such a nice dramatic contrast. I was hoping there would be enough big sky holes so I could keep getting glimpses of sunlight on the farm.

The clouds got thicker, and soon everything was in shadow.

I sketched in the outline of the farm.

The cows kept moving in and out of these great patterns across the meadow. I really like the challenge of painting cows, as they rarely stay still in one spot.

I had my panel set up facing the sun, so the light on it and my palette stayed consistent.

I put in more colors as spots of blue sky appeared overhead.

All the great dramatic contrast of shadows and light had disappeared from the meadow.

Hey, that's the nature of plein air painting...here one minute, gone the next. That's what I love about it!

PAINT EAT SLEEP

Food for the Palette

2011-10-28T00:15:00.062-04:00

I've discovered that painting is an endurance sport, especially if I'm outdoors painting for long lengths of time. I notice that if I make good choices and eat enough food I'm fine no matter how long I'm out there.

I change what I eat according to the season. We are having our first snowfall in Maine as I write this. The really cold weather hasn't arrived for real... yet.

Back Road Field Study 8x16 watercolor

This morning I changed my breakfast to my cold weather menu. I had a huge cup of steaming hot decaf coffee and a slice of baked oatmeal. Yum ! It's the best stuff ever! I'm hooked!

I'm trying it out as my new cold weather breakfast. I can have it packed and ready when I have to dash out early in the morning to paint.

Ogunquit River Field Study 8x16 watercolor

This week I'm doing some big chunks of studio time in-between my plein air trips.

Carvers Harbor Field Study 8x16 watercolor

Vermont Pasture Field Study 8x16 watercolor

I'm finishing up some paintings I started outdoors and beginning some new larger paintings from field studies.

My wonderful husband Marcus was home today and fixed lunch for me! I eat the same thing almost every day and never get tired of it.

My field sketches are so important when I am painting in the studio. I paint large paintings en plein air finishing them on location and sometimes in the studio.

I also paint large paintings completely in the studio using my field studies as the basis for the paintings.

Clouds Moving Out Field Study 11x14 watercolor

For years I was only a studio painter, then I was only a plein air painter. Now I do both. The two have merged and I am really focusing on this development.

Lobster boats in N'oreaster 8x16 watercolor

I have a super lovely studio. It's all bright and airy. In the summer it's cool and shady. It is also warm and toasty in cold weather. On sunny winter days it fills with light.

I travel a lot in warmer months to paint on location so I don't often get to spend much time in my studio. In winter I usually paint closer to home so I can work on large paintings in the studio.

Winter Marsh Field Study 9x12 oil

I'm coordinating my winter indoor/outdoor schedule so I get enough fresh air and studio time every week...I'm looking for that nice balance.

Marsh Evening Field Study 11x14 oil

I notice I burn a lot of fuel when I'm painting outdoors in the cold. And I notice that I have to eat hot food at the beginning of the day and the end of the day to feel right. If I eat cold food for breakfast or a salad for dinner I get chilly.

I keep my studio temperature in the 50's. If it is too warm I become overheated while painting. I'm always moving and walking around when I'm at the easel. It's a habit. When I'm outdoors I walk away from the easel to get a view of the painting from a distance. I do the same thing indoors...I like staying in motion.

Moon Night Field Study 8x16 oil

PAINT EAT SLEEP

Clouds in the Berkshires

2011-10-21T00:15:00.064-04:00

Cummington is a beautiful old town in The Berkshires of western Massachusetts.

In these rolling hills you find two hundred year old farms and maple trees .

The Berkshires are part of Appalachians that run up the east coast of the United States.

I scouted the back roads choosing my favorite spots to paint during my short visit.

The foliage was spectacular. It was at peak in some areas and starting to move a little beyond peak in others.

I was so lucky in timing my trip. Four days before I arrived the trees were drab and boring. A day before I arrived the trees lit up !

I choose a favorite spot of mine that I have never had the time to paint during past trips.

When I was five I used to pick blueberries here with my mother.

A couple of years ago I stumbled upon this place again while looking for a short cut across the hills.

Its the William Cullen Bryant property and the Bryant Farm. Part of the property is in the Trustee of Reservations. Bryant's childhood home is now a museum.

The land in this part of the Berkshires is high and hilly with open pastures and criss-crossing narrow roads.

There are still a few working farms left, but not as many as there used to be.

It is heavenly up there. The views are sublime.

I could have chosen a hundred places to set up to paint.

In the morning the sun was out down in the nearby Pioneer Valley, while up in the hills the clouds were scraping across the meadows.

I set up to paint along the roadside to Bryant Farm.

It is so quiet in this area that you hear every car that drives up the road to the five corners.

It didn't rain... painting in the clouds was a soft, thick moist experience !

One cow , Two cows...

Three cows...

Four ! Curious creatures these guys...

One of them came down to check me out and the rest to followed at a stampede pace. They literally ran straight at me until they reached the electric fence!

On my second day of painting I wasn't so lucky with the weather...

Rain poured in torrents out of the clouds.

I started painting under the hatchback of my station wagon.

When I found myself standing in a flash flood up to my ankles, I decided that was enough. I removed my wet clothes and moved into the car.

Comfortable and cozy in the front seat, I started to drawing and painting in my sketchbooks with watercolors.

I moved the car along the road to each new view I was painted.

From every spot there was a gorgeous view.

As the afternoon wore on and the time neared for me to start my drive back home, the clouds broke up and the sun pierced through the gloom.

I could again see the farms on the nearby hills.

The puddles and brooks running down the road disappeared.

The colors of the wet leaves lit up the landscape.

I love this place ! It was really hard to leave...I wish I lived nearby and could paint up here in every season.

PAINT EAT SLEEP

Painting in the Dark

2011-10-14T00:15:00.001-04:00

The moon was full this past week...with perfect Indian summer weather to accompany it...

...so of course I stayed out late almost every night painting.

Cottage Lights, 8x10 oil

It was clear that these were the last days of warm weather for a long time.

Low Tide, 6x12 oil

Marcus and I headed over to Long Sands Beach in York, Maine.

I parked on the edge of the beach and set up to paint.

The summer people are gone.

I painted a beach scene as I waited for the moon rise over the ocean.

The colors were vivid and beautiful and changing every few minutes.

The sun was still in the western sky when the moon rose over the ocean.

Moonrise, 6x12 oil

The sky was a bright blue for a long time after sunset.

Large flocks of migrating birds are on the beaches now with the sea gulls.

The sky slowly darkened and the moon got brighter.

The sun sets so early now !

It was dark by 7:30 pm.

I wear this great head lamp when I'm painting at night.

I can see my painting and my eyes adjust easily to the dark.

There were lights across the street from the beach but I didn't notice them while I painted.

My headlight is designed for cave exploring, so it is very bright.

The tide was going out... the reflections on the water and sand were spectacular!

I'm looking all around at night now...getting ideas for the next series of nocturnes. With all these months of long nights coming up I'll have plenty of time to paint in the dark !

PAINT EAT SLEEP

Stowe, Vermont ~ Mountains, Valleys and Farms

2011-10-07T00:15:00.001-04:00

Bright colors are beginning to show up in the hills of Vermont.

I was in Stowe last week painting in a plein air event during Stowe's Octoberfest.

Autumn Mist, 6x8 oil on panel

I stayed in a lovely 200 year old house deep in the woods on the eastern slope of Mount Mansfield.

The house was moved in pieces from China, Maine.... to this present location in Stowe. The barn was moved here from a nearby Vermont town.

The trees in the yard were turning lovely colors.

The barn has a slate roof with moss growing all over it . It was built in 1837.

I set out to paint on my first day in gray weather. Vermont is still getting more than its fair share of rain.

The four days I was there were rainy, sunny, cloudy, rainy.

Even on overcast days the barn roofs were a shiny silver color.

The meadows and cornfields had the golden tawny colors of early autumn.

With dark skies the meadows and farms were bright spots in the landscape.

The valley below Mount Mansfield still has a few working farms...

...though it isn't unusual to see huge barns unpainted and looking forlorn.

My hosts Lyndall and Scott gave me a map of some great places to paint in Stowe.

The variety was endless... it reminded me of my painting trips in Idaho and Wyoming.

As the rain clouds cleared out I set up to work.

I sketched a view of barns and mountains.

The light changed constantly. Big puffy clouds swept across the brilliant blue sky.

Cloud shadows drifted across the hills and valleys.

I sketched my design and started putting in colors...

while watching the light change...

...and painting the patterns of dark and light.

This one was a wrap and ...

...there was still some sunshine...

...and time to get in one more painting before sunset.

The clouds were building in the west.

It was looking like more gray weather.

Sure enough, early the next morning...

It was raining steadily.

Stowe has lots of hiking and walking trails.

I painted at an entrance to one that was named "The Quiet Path".

My painting stayed dry under the hatchback of my car. The temperature dropped. It got cold. It was a perfect day for wool sweaters, hot coffee and hot chocolate.

The sun never came back during the rest of my stay...but at least it stopped pouring.

On my last day I wandered over to the property of the Von Trapps (of "Sound of Music" fame) to sketch and paint along the quiet dirt roads.

In the middle of their cow pasture a vivid red maple caught my eye.

These cattle are a long haired Scottish breed... and very feisty.

A bull actually jumped the fence into the road where I was painting.

He ignored me, and I didn't pay any attention to him and kept painting.

A friendly Vermonter stopped by to see what I was painting. He told me the bull had jumped the fence twice that morning. He did it all the time.
Autumn Sonata, 9x12 oil on panel

PAINT EAT SLEEP

OUTDOOR WANDERINGS

2011-09-30T00:15:00.001-04:00

For five years I painted outdoors. I didn't like painting in a studio.

I was so happy to be able to walk and hike and be out and about in natural places. I appreciated every minute of being in a wild place no matter how cold or warm it was.

Evening Lights Study, 8x16 oil

In 1988 I was injured after being hit by a car while standing in a cross walk. For 10 years I was unable to walk for any length of time. A surgeon repaired my broken bones but the damage I sustained was extensive.

Maine Field & Pine, 4x8 oil

I spent eight hours a day in physical therapy. I swam three miles a day to build up my endurance. In 1998 I started practicing a spiritual cultivation practice called Falun Dafa. After practicing every morning for a couple of months all my injuries healed and I could run, jump and hike again! I had my health and life back! It was great!

Island Study, 6x12 oil

When I was in physical therapy all those years I'd have visions of landscapes. When I started to paint again the first thing I painted were landscapes.

Lake Night Study, 8x10 oil

The first year that I painted outdoors I went once a week with a good friend.

Autumn Marsh Study, 8x10 oil

Later that summer I traveled with my husband Marcus on his concert tours and brought my paints with me. I discovered that I really liked painting alone.

Three Bridges Study, 6x12 oil

I soon went out to paint everyday. I loved to go on "painting wanders". I'd hop in the car and drive any where I felt like going.

Red Sky Marsh Study, 8x16 oil

I'd see a spot, stop, park the car and paint. It was like being in heaven...healthy and free at last.

Rockland LIghts Study, 8x16 oil

I know how lucky I am.

Salt Bay Farm Study, 8x16 oil

PAINT EAT SLEEP

MEADOWOOD ~ A VERMONT FARM

2011-09-23T00:15:00.001-04:00

In southwestern Vermont there are some really beautiful places to paint.

Open meadows are plentiful because farmers have kept the land clear. You can see for miles and miles.

Chickens, 6x8 oil

Meadowood Farm is a lovely place on the upper slopes of West Mountain in Shaftsbury, Vermont

Jane Ramsey and I were invited by Cliff and Donna the owners of Meadowood to paint on their property.

Not only did they invite us to paint, but they insisted that we also come for breakfast.

They operate an elegant Bed & Breakfast inn at the farm.

We arrived at the house and were treated like royalty.

Jane immediately started sketching our breakfast.

It was a 5 star breakfast cooked to order! It was so perfect and delicious it felt like a dream... we had to keep pinching ourselves.

After breakfast we were ready to paint ! The hen house seemed like a good place to start. The chickens were lively and friendly.

I made a large variety of sketches.

The chickens never stopped moving; running around eating bugs and little things in the grass.

We tried to gather them in one place so we could paint them. Ha ! Ever hear of "herding chickens" ?

Jane and I set up near the fence to paint them in the yard.

They promptly took off, jumping the fence and running all over the lawns and woods.

Jane had some crackers in the car... so we tossed them bits... to tempt them to come back.

Some of them stuck around long enough for us to sketch and paint them.

We were working fast... it's difficult to paint chickens-in-motion.

I finally knew what "herding chickens" really means !

Chickens Too, 6x8 oil

Soon Cliff came by with his bucket loader to carry our gear to our next painting location.

Jane and I walked down the stairs to the large open meadow below the house.

This farm is pristine. It has everything, a babbling brook, acres of hardwoods, open meadows and a river.

Cliff drove through the woods on a road he built down to the meadow.

It was a perfect late summer day in Vermont... the Green Mountains were dusty blue in the distance.

For the past two weeks Vermont had a ton of rain. Flooding was everywhere. Why was this meadow so perfect ? Cliff had built a berm at the top of the meadow where the river curved and he managed to keep it from flooding the meadow.

Is this man amazing or what ? The farm is a reflection of his care for the land...not to mention how thoughtful and kind he and his wife were towards us.

Jane painted quickly with her watercolors.

The shadows steadily crept across the meadow.

We decided to call it a wrap. We were expected back at base camp, Taradin, for an art opening that evening.

We packed our gear and Cliff drove it up the hill delivering it to our cars.

The meadow was now all in shadow.

The tops of the trees caught the last rays of the setting sun. It was the end of another perfect day on West Mountain in Vermont.

PAINT EAT SLEEP

Vermont ~ Farms, Mountains and Meadows

2011-09-16T00:15:00.012-04:00

It rained and rained and rained in Vermont a week ago and the creeks and rivers went wild. Roads, houses, trees and cows were swept away in the deluge.

A few places in Vermont were spared the flooding and destruction. North Bennington was one of them. The 2nd Annual North Bennington Vermont Plein Air Competition went ahead as planned, on schedule.

Farms, Rain and Mist Study, 6x12 oil

Artists arrived from distant corners of the country on Tuesday afternoon to meet on the beautiful grounds of Taraden.

Dave and his team of American Cream draft horses took the painters on a nice slow tour through the center of North Bennington.

The Park-McCullough Estate is elegant. It has a gorgeous period carriage barn.

Wildlife abounds in Vermont. Two moose were seen trampling across the grounds!

The variety of life in North Bennington is elegant, lovely, charming, gritty and authentic. Real Vermonters have storefronts in downtown. The small motor repair garage is a favorite spot to paint.

Heavy rain clouds hung around on our first day of painting.

It alternately drizzled and poured buckets for hours... not a chance of sunshine breaking through.

Jane Ramsey and I went to the Park- McCullough Estate to paint under cover of the carriage barn.

The pastures and woodlands were filled with water.

Meadows in the Rain Study, 9x12, oil

All kinds of antique carriages were parked in the barn behind us.

Jane set up in a dry corner to paint a view of the gardens to the south. We painted under cover until the sky brightened.

When the rain lightened to a drizzle we headed over to the Paran Stream in the center of town. We parked our cars near the river to paint in them if it started pouring again. Andrew set up next to me with plenty of waterproofing ! He was totally prepared for anything.

A light rain started to fall... I was getting wet... my paints and canvas stayed dry in the car.

I marked in the color notes on my painting as the clouds built up overhead and it started to rain steadily. It was calm, no winds, so we all could paint comfortably.

In a couple of hours the rain lightened and the storm moved out. The valleys made clouds that rose up into the sky.

Rain and Mist, 14x18, oil

It looked like it might really stop raining. We noticed bits of blue sky!

The next day brought clouds and sunshine so we headed out into the high hills of North Bennington and Shaftsbury. Andrew was our adventurous scout who could navigate to any hilltop we chose.

We painted at a private farm and along the country roads.

Four Corners, 9x12, oil

Bruce painted larger canvases as the day went on. He was having fun for sure!

So were the other happy campers! Andrew and Jane took a break after Jane arrived at our encampment with her watercolor of Four Corners.

Bruce picked up speed as he realized the clouds were moving back in changing the look of the landscape.

On my way home after painting all day I spotted the sunset behind some high meadows. I stopped to do a quick painting. All the meadows sloped down to a curving zig-zaging valley.

Meadow Sunset, 9x12 oil

The next morning the sun really came out and it was gorgeous ... we needed our umbrellas for shade! Andrew, Hui Lai and I headed over to the quarry to paint in the morning. Hui Lai used 2 umbrellas while painting in the quarry.

Every day it got better. On Saturday Jane and I were invited to paint at Meadowood Farm where we were treated like royalty and served a sumptous breakfast ... Jane sketched pictures of our colorful feast !

As we painted the sunshine returned to Vermont, the fields glimmered green and gold....

... the ridges of the Green and Taconic Mountains rose wild and blue in the distance. It was heavenly to be in Vermont painting the warm colors of early fall.

The Quarry, 8x10 oil

PAINT EAT SLEEP

DREAMS OF LAKES & MOUNTAINS

2011-09-09T00:15:00.035-04:00

Early this summer I fell in love with waterfalls.

In late summer I fell in love with lakes...especially ones surrounded by mountains...

...with big pines and islands sprinkled across them.

Lake Wentworth is a gem. It is in the "Lakes Region" of New Hampshire where the distant White Mountains are dusky blue in the distance.

This week is our vacation week which means; My husband Marcus and I don't have to be anywhere at any specific time for six whole days ! We grabbed this big open window to wander and paint wherever the impulse took us.

On this perfect late summer day a fellow painter spotted us near a bridge between Rye Marsh and Lake Wentworth. Frank paints watercolors and spends his summers at his house near by. When he spied us working away he pulled over to check out our paintings and chat for a bit.

I sketched a bunch of different views today. I loved the bright open water on the lake in front of us and the intimate scene on the marsh behind us.

Marcus set up and dove into his huge painting of the lake and wind whipped waves. Marcus is on a "huge" painting trend this summer. They keep getting bigger and bigger. Pretty soon they won't fit into the car...we will need to get a trailer for them!

We had a great view facing west across the water. I knew the light would change drastically as we moved toward sunset. To be ready for anything I set up two easels and palletes waiting to go at a moments notice.

The bit of land we were parked on between the lake and the marsh was very narrow. I had to pay attention. If I stepped back from my easel too far I'd fall into the marsh!

I looked in the direction of the sun and started a small study of the lake, islands and mountains back lit by brilliant sunlight.

The smallest brush I am using today is a 10 bright. I'd use the edge and corner of the brush for small spots.

I keyed in my painting and only put the colors I was using on this limited palette.

The sun dropped down in the west and the light started to reach the "luscious" level. I finished the "sun on the water glow" and put the wet panel in the car.

I moved to a new canvas and started painting the marsh behind me that was now face lit by the setting sun.

The wind was calming down, and the surface of the water became still. The colors of the trees and grass were warm and golden in the setting sun.

I didn't have a lot of time left to paint this scene.

There was barely a cloud in the sky as the sun set over the distant mountains.

Small breezes skipped randomly across the water.

Up close to me near the shore line it was very still and the water was a deep inky midnight blue.

I had the colors on my panel and most of the scene painted as the sun disappeared behind the mountains.

People drove past us on their way home from work. A few lights came on in cottages across the lake. We cleaned up our paints, put the new paintings in the car and headed back through the woods toward home.

PAINT EAT SLEEP

Painters at Turbat's Creek

2011-09-02T00:15:00.006-04:00

Turbat's Creek in Cape Porpoise is a piece of southern Maine coastline that has the same look as 40 years ago. The cluster of traditional fish shacks is still there. The water in the creek is cleaner now than it was then.

It's a favorite spot for painters. When you visit you will know why.

Island View, 16x20, oil

At low tide the creek is so shallow you can wade through it and walk out to the nearby island.

All kinds of old dock pilings poke out of the sand on the edge of the creek near the fish shacks.

It was sunny and warm on this day. I chose this location for a meeting of Plein Air Painters of Maine. When I arrived Ellen And Flo were already busy painting.

Flo had a big solar umbrella that kept both her and the easel out of the direct sun, so she could see her colors clearly.

Barbara arrived and tucked herself in under the shade of some small trees for a good view of the back of the fish houses.

Carol went out on the pebbly beach near the harbor. Painters were all over the place! It was a hub of productive activity on the creek today.

I spied a nice patch of marsh grass with tidal pools looking toward Vaughn's Island.

I sketched my design in pencil.

Next I painted in the view on my panel in burnt sienna. I marked my dark areas and looked at the shapes I was placing.

I put in colors and kept building the shapes in a three dimensional form as I went.

The day started out perfectly clear. In the early afternoon clouds began to fill the sky.

It was actually nice to have some relief from the sun. The cast shadows made the landscape look more interesting.

When I had arrived at Turbat's Creek in the morning the tide was low and still going out.

Recently I've been painting larger on location. Today I was painting a mid-size painting and finished most of it on site.

My husband Marcus arrived by mid-afternoon and set his easel up by the boat launch near a fish shack.

Painters arrived and departed all day long, some came early, others came late in the day depending on their preference for lighting conditions. Suzanne arrived to paint the late afternoon light from a nice vantage point on the the rocky beach.

There were many visitors coming by all day. It was great! I saw friends I hadn't seen since last summer. I'd stop to talk to them then continue on with my painting.

The sun dropped lower in the west, and the colors on the land, sky and water were beautiful. This is my favorite time of the day to paint.

Long shadows stretched across the sand.

I had recorded enough information to call it a day. I can finish the painting in the studio.

I went to over to the beach to tell Suzanne I was heading home. She and I were the last painters left.

Suddenly a police car and big red truck towing a boat pulled into Turbat's Creek Road. I had to move my easel out of the boat launch area - fast!

The police launched the boat in the water and took off for Vaughn's Island - hot on the trial of some outlaw reported to be over there.

It was an exciting day at Turbat's Creek. I was happy to head home with an almost finished painting!

PAINT EAT SLEEP

NIGHTFALL ON OSSIPEE LAKE

2011-08-26T00:15:00.001-04:00

From the shores of Ossipee Lake in southern New Hampshire you can hear the loons calling from across the water.

It is a beautiful haunting sound, one I don't often hear living here on the seacoast.

5:45 PM.... Ossipee Lake, Study, 8x10 oil

I hitched a ride up to Ossipee Lake with my husband who was performing a music concert at a private beach on the lake. Last year I went with him to this same location to paint.

6:45 PM...Storm Clearing Ossipee, Study, 8x10 oil

It was one of those perfect late summer days. Warm and sunny with a slight breeze on the water.

Scattered thunderstorms were predicted for the White Mountains of New Hampshire and along the seacoast of Maine.

As soon as we arrived I unloaded my painting gear and set it on a picnic table in a stand of pines near the water's edge while I walked around looking for a place to set up .

Suddenly a gray mass of low clouds moved rapidly across the lake from the west. It was a column of pouring rain.

The sun was shinning where I was standing. Several large rain drops fell for a few seconds. Everyone on the beach stopped and stared as this bright double rainbow formed a short distance away.

The storm cleared out in a few minutes. The sun lit up the departing clouds.

I set up my easel and sketched in my first design. This evening I had a plan to paint a series of paintings as the sun set and darkness descended on the lake.

Planning was required for this. I set up in a location where I had a variety of scenes to paint.

I premixed some of my colors so I could paint really fast, changing colors slightly as I went. I knew I would have enough daylight to finish two studies easily.

The sun began to drop as I was working on my second study.

The light and colors were beautiful!

As the sun set behind the White Mountains I made sure I had all my color groups in certain spots on my palette.

As dusk arrived the lake became very quiet. The wind stopped and the mosquitoes attacked. I painted faster.

A big camp fire was lighting up the beach. People gathered around and began to sing songs. The music drifted across the water. I could still see the difference between the colors on my palette...but they were beginning to look muted.

7:45 PM....Camp Songs Study, 6x8 oil

The lavender sky reflected in the water. Lights came on in cottages across the lake. I took out my flash light and put it in my apron pocket. It would be needed soon. Now it was so dark I was almost painting by intuition. I knew where the colors were on my palette. I could see the values of the paints and by shinning a flash light on my palette every few minutes I could make sure the colors I choose were correct.

8:15 PM... Lavender Evening Study, 6x8 oil

At 8:45 PM it was dark. All the colors I was using looked like gray values. I painted as if I was making a value painting of many grays. I checked my batch of mixed colors with my flash light every few minutes to make sure I was picking up the right color. A voice behind me in the dark asked "What are you doing? Painting?" It was so dark he couldn't see the painting till I turned on the flash light. I put in my finishing strokes and called it a night. By then the stars were twinkling in the sky.

Summer Lake Night Study, 6x8 oil

PAINT EAT SLEEP

Showers on Great Salt Bay

2011-08-19T00:15:00.004-04:00

I just painted through sunny, cloudy, and rainy weather all in one four day stretch. I didn't care. I stayed close to Great Salt Bay in Damariscotta, Maine, loving every minute.

One day I painted a row of large pine trees ...

Great Salt Bay Pines, 8x16 oil on canvas

The next evening I painted a pond and meadows as the sun set behind the distant ridge.

Sunset Study, 8x16 oil on canvas

Another evening a huge bank of clouds moved in and the pond had such gorgeous colors...

Evening Study, 9x12 oil on panel

I love August ! There is a deep summer atmosphere going on. Even on a misty showery day it is very subdued.

I stayed near my car in case the clouds decided to drop a lot of rain.

It was bright, and the air was thick with moisture.

The clouds moved steadily overhead. It sprinkled for a few minutes.

I kept painting, laying in the muted soft colors I saw in the meadows, trees and distant ridge.

Every now and then the sun poked through so I kept my hat on to prevent a sun burn.

By mid-morning I finished a painting of the hilly meadow with the trees.

Great Salt Bay Farm has a mile of waterfront. Walking trails cross all over the property. I planned to walk down to the shore to paint, but it started to rain.

I always carry my binoculars with me....so out they came. They are so handy in a situation like this.

I could paint my chosen subject and stay right next to my car !

I worked on the composition by painting in all the masses of trees, bushes and grass and leaving my lightest water and distant shapes unpainted.

I love painting this way because this is how I actually perceive everything...

as interesting arrangements of shapes, lines and masses of different colors.

A visitor ! My best friend Libby arrived bringing a basket of blueberries hoping I would pause and have lunch with her. It's not raining, therefore a perfect time to sit and munch.

Then it's back to the binoculars and paint brushes.

I look through the binoculars and stare intently at the trees. I memorize what I see. I put the binoculars away and paint. Gustav Klimt did this for some of the landscapes he painted. That's where I got the idea.

It's still threatening to rain, but I know I have go paint at Oyster Creek before I pack up the brushes for the day.

I park near the bridge looking up the creek at a farm on the distant bank.

It is getting late now and I know I have to move fast on this one. I sketch in the shapes on a 16x20 panel.

The tide has turned, it is just starting to go out.

I mix a batch of colors. I place the color notes and values, picking and choosing as I go, painting with a large brush so I can get this scene down fast!

This creek is way up at the top of the Great Salt Bay. It's tidal but the land around it looks more like inland Maine.

It's almost evening but I still have enough light from the high overcast sky.

I like the feeling of this open expanse of water. I wish I was painting this view on a bigger panel so I could put in more details .

The breeze started to pick up and create patterns on the surface of the water. Is this a sign of rain coming?

I put in a few more colors, packed my car and hit the road. I have enough blocked in to finish all these paintings in the studio. And I'm coming back here to paint in October... guaranteed!

FOR MY NEW FALL CLASSES see... PAINT EAT SLEEP