More Wishful Thinking

In the summertime, the complaint is that there's too much green.  In the wintertime, the complaint is that it's not summertime.  Here's more wishful thinking, showing the farm buildings at Sheep Hill in Williamstown, MA.  8x10 inches, gouache on mixed media paper.

How To Do It

From the other day at Field Farm. 12x12 inches, oil on linen panel.  Delacroix wrote, "Constable said that the superiority of the green he uses for his meadows derives from the fact that it is composed of a multitude of different greens.  What causes the lack of intensity and life in verdure as it is painted by the common run of landscapists is that they ordinarily do it with a uniform tint.  What he said about the green of the meadows can be applied to all the other tones."

Looking North

Even though there's not a body of water in sight, there's still, thankfully, plenty of green.  This is the view I saw at the top of Luce Road in Williamstown, MA. looking north this afternoon.  9x12 inches, oil on panel.

Greeeen Again.

A painting done at Sheep Hill in Williamstown, MA on Friday.  I was halfway up the hill path looking back towards the farm buildings.  I was trying to make green work once more.  A 9x12 oil on panel.

Curious Cows

Yesterday afternoon I stood in a cow pasture to do this 9x12 oil on panel painting.  Fourteen cows slowly munched their way towards me until I was surrounded, but I didn't pack up and leave because of them.  The clouds gave way to a steady mist, and my panel started dripping, so it was time to leave.  The cows were quite curious about my painting equipment, but they let me go.

Red Truck in the Woods

One of the best ways to deal with green is to find a red truck in the woods.  Oh, look.  I just happened to find one.  This is a quick 8x10 oil sketch of an abandoned red Dodge truck in the woods.  I'll have more trucks soon.

Hopper Screen

Unlike yesterday's painting, which is cool by comparison,  this one from this morning seems like it was painted on Tahiti by Gauguin.  But it's a view of the Hopper from the back of a field now accessible because it has been mowed.  I'll probably try this view again.  I like the trees up front creating a 'screen' to the mountains and Hopper behind.

Compliments to my Friend

Working with my new best friend, green, today.  This 12x9 oil on panel was done at the Green River's edge [an aptly-named river though that 'green' refers to the water's color from earlier in the season] below the bridge on Route 43.  I like this spot because I can ignore the car traffic, but I can't ignore my new friend because he is everywhere.  I keep searching for ways to compliment my friend with complements, such as blues and reds.

Diamond on the Farm

This is an uncommon view of the Haley Farm barn.  One would have to go down the road and look diagonally left at this point.  The path at the left was created by cows.  I liked the diagonal cut created by the fence.  With the two right corner triangles and the tree branches, the fence creates a diamond shape enclosing the barn.  Of course there's light, lots of light.  The painting is a 12x24 oil on canvas.

Distant

A 9x12 oil on panel from yesterday afternoon.  I find myself viewing the barns from farther away.  All the trees are filling in, and the grass is getting taller.

On the Road

This is a mid-morning view of Stratton Road facing south.  Not much one can say: bright, country, birds, dust.  It's another variation on green.  I like that tree with the palm like look.  8x10 on colourfix paper.

More Canal, More Green, More Rain

I'm getting to the point where I might switch to doing potatoes and old shoes.

Gray Day on the Canal

Still on the green and canal theme. Another variation.  8x10 on colourfix paper.

Not Far

This location on the D&R Canal is near the same view as yesterday.  Late afternoon this time.  8x10 on colourfix paper.

Root Canal

I can't avoid the canal when I go for a walk or for a car ride.  It's at the center of my world.  This is a view at about 9:30 this morning.  The sun was shining.  The air was bright. 8x10 on colourfix paper.

Doing the Canal

On a roll, doing the canal, without a canoe. 8x10 on colourfix paper.

Canal View from Path

This is a view of the D&R Canal looking south across from It's Nutts restaurant.  8x10 on colourfix paper.

These words of wisdom from John Ruskin are in the section of Modern Painters where he writes about the relative importance of details in the foreground: "...to the rightly perceiving mind, there is the same infinity, the same majesty, the same power, the same unity, and the same perfection, manifest in the casting of the clay as in the scattering of the cloud, in the mouldering of the dust as in the kindling of the daystar."

Through the Shadows

This is the view early in the morning walking past the sidewalk that leads to the front entrance to the museum in Washington Crossing Park.  I like looking under the trees through the shadows down the road into the sunlight.   This reads like Hemingway.   5x7 on Wallis paper.

Field Training

Still out in the fields in the park.  

Watch out for ticks.  This is a 5x7 on Wallis paper.

The Problem of Green

Everything is now green.  The ground is green.  The trees are green.  If you want to paint landscapes, what do you do?  Green is unavoidable, though there are ways to make green work for you, instead of against you.   Well,  that's the theory that I am using to deal with green.   This is an 8x10 pastel view in Washington Crossing Park looking towards the soccer fields,  which I did on location looking at all that green.