Wavy Barn

This barn in near the five corners. It has a wavy roof that is like the contour of the mountains in the background.

Red Barn and Pole

This red barn with its barber's pole with Christmas lights has always intrigued me. Like a little touch of Venice on Route 43 in Hancock. Mitchell Albala in his excellent book Landscape Painting writes that one can get luminosity by using mid-values together, which is what I tried to do here. I also tried to keep the abstract quality. The pastel is 11 x 14 on uart paper, and the charcoal drawing is 5x7 on standard sketching paper.

PS. I revised the painting a day later.

Barns without Red

Preparing to do more barns. Probably will do the top one tomorrow in pastel since today it appears to be the better composition. These are 8x10 charcoal on smooth Bristol paper for something different.

Barn

This is one of those barns that gets put up very quickly, but hopefully will withstand the ages, or collapse tomorrow. Or get reworked. We'll see.

Beyond the Abyss

Maybe I am being overdramatic.

Looking into the Quarry-Late Afternoon

I made one more visit to the quarry this weekend, but late in the day when the sun was in a different part of the sky. Coming home I passed two large quarries in northern New Jersey. Half a mountain has been removed in both quarries, which makes the older, abandoned quarry in Vermont look quaint and intimate.

Back in New England

I am back in New England, and revisiting the Hancock barns and the Pownal quarry. These are preparatory drawings for coming pastels. You can revisit a familiar site many times, if you select a different time of the day when the sun is in a different location, or not shining at all. But the weather has been great despite the forecasts.

More Bending of Brook

The earlier, as in earlier in the morning, version of the bend in the brook.

Bend in Brook in Color

Another version of this may be coming, when the sun hasn't quite come over the hill on the right. The hill is not visible in the painting.

Bend in Brook

Only have time for the drawing. Rest to come tomorrow.

Early Morning Brook

I remember passing by the brooks last year and wondering if I could ever paint them. My neighbor told me this morning that they are known as branches of Steele Run. I like that name.

I went walking in the woods following the stream. Actually there are several streams that meet up and flow into the Delaware. This is a great time to walk in the woods. The leaf canopy hasn't yet appeared, the trails are starting to dry out, and the forest floor is bursting with green.

Streaming

I was standing on the little bridge crossing the stream this morning, and I had to get out of the way, while a dozen mountain bikers went by. At least they were polite. In the morning, a stream is like the sky rushing through the earth. Mountain bikers break the reverie.

Brook in Woods

Not simple enough. There's tomorrow.

Morning's Work

After making this drawing, I am not sure if I will make a color version in pastel. If I do, it will be simpler. Later today.