On Exhibition

I am happy to report that my painting "The Cold River," 8x16 inches, oil on panel, was accepted in the upcoming exhibition "Small Works: Harvest Light" to be held at the Monument Arts & Cultural Center in Bennington, VT from August 14 to November 1, 2026.  

The Faults of Nature

When I first looked at this site, at the edge of the Cold River, I thought that nature is so concentrated, difficult, & messy, that it's hopeless to think you can paint it. I still think so.  I just read that painters were once encouraged to improve upon the faults of nature by emulating Raphael.  The faults of nature are only those that reveal the faults of the artist. 9x12 inches, oil on linen panel.

The Cold River

 The Cold River at the Mohawk Trail State Forest in Charlemont, MA.  8x16 inches, oil on linen panel.

At The Cold River Again

This Sunday afternoon I visited the Cold River again.  It has shrunk in volume, and though I didn't put my feet in, it probably isn't as cold as when I visited it last month.  The Mohawk Trail has visually exciting high steep peaks and deep ravines (keep your eye on the road!), and no place to park on the narrow, S-curved road.  So I have to confine my painting to the less exciting park area.  This 9x12 oil on panel I did while set up under the bridge that connects Route 2 to the park.  At least there are a lot of shady spots from which to paint the sunlight.

Mohawk Trail

A third version of the Cold River at the same location in the Mohawk Trail State Forest.  I did wander up and down the river, and stopped at several places along the river on Route 2 to see what was there to paint.  One spot had a sign asking fishermen to release all salmon caught.  I never would have expected salmon to be there.  What is there along a several mile stretch are deep gorges, steep mountains, dense forest, and the Cold River.  I wonder why it's called the Cold River.

The Cold River

Yesterday, a nice sunny day, I visited the Cold River at the Mohawk Trail State Forest.  It's not that far away, but the terrain is quite rugged and wild in appearance, and very challenging to paint.