Marais Park, Bonnard and Fairfield Porter

It may take me a couple days to get back on track. Here is another pencil drawing from the sketchbook. At Giverny, I saw a large Bonnard exhibition which had many landscapes and drawings, which one does not usually see. I learned that Bonnard routinely did preliminary drawings for his paintings.

Another fascinating thing I saw firsthand: Fairfield Porter said that he learned his ultimate direction in painting from seeing late Vallotton and Vuillard paintings in Paris. At the Musee D'Orsay, I saw some paintings that validate that statement. I mention this only because I have not seen these paintings before, and was amazed at how directly Porter evolved out of Vallotton and Vuillard, something that no one seems to have expanded upon. I think there's a future exhibition there for some curator.

Nice Drawing

Sorry for not checking in sooner, but I didn't have access to the Internet during the last week and a half. This drawing is a page from my sketchbook. I tried to fill it up during that time, which I spent in Provence and Paris. You will see some different images in the weeks ahead. Among other places, I visited, Arles, Aix-en-Provence and Giverny to pay homage.

Oil Sketches

Two oil sketches: the bush on a rainy day, and a path on the edge of a field at Field Farm on a bright day. It's hard to figure out right now if these are junk, or not, but they need to be done to get from one point to another. At least they inform me how a painting's beginning influences how it ends.

I came across another intriguing painter yesterday: E.M Saniga. His paintings are low key and haunting. He is situated not far from me, and has a computer technology background, another similarity. There's a fascinating interview with Saniga at the Jerusalem Studio School site. Check it out.

Drawing on Reserves

This weekend I spent the time looking out the window, since it was rainy, cloudy and cold. The only thing to see outside the window is the bush. Here it is in pencil. I will have more later, in paint, I hope. I have been using a soft pencil, instead of charcoal, for the last week, trying to stay painterly as much as possible. The pencil and sketchbook is not as messy, just a quick, and easy to carry around.

Lone Tree on Sheep Hill

Right now I want to paint in oils, which takes a bit more time, given the time that I don't have, or do have. In any case, the oils have it. This is a view from above looking down towards a single tree on Sheep Hill.

Greylock from Field Farm

A view of Mt. Greylock in the distance from a path on Field Farm. This is a 9x12 oil.

Pond View

The view from the wharf that juts out into the pond. There's more sky and water than land from this vantage point. Some kind of fish kept disturbing the surface but the glare kept me from seeing them.