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.

Inside the Quarry in Color

I am going to give the quarry another rest now, and move back to other landscapes.

Inside the Quarry

In a 1977 book on Pownal, Vermont, I learned that the quarry is known as the "lime quarry" since the limestone was removed to be turned into lime. Small carts on rails were used to transport the limestone over a small trestle that crossed the nearby road to the lime factory. I am still trying to find out when the quarry was active. One photo shows workmen with a horse and wagon. The quarry unfortunately was the scene of a fatal leap "a few years" before 1977.

Looking over the Quarry

Here is another pastel painting based upon a drawing below. 11x14 on uart paper.

Quarry Corner

This is one pastel from the last drawing. It's 11 x 14 on uart paper. Color adds another dimension.

Quarrying

I have time to do black and white drawings, but not for pastel paintings at this moment. I am hopeful that I will get one or two paintings from this group. Within the quarry, or peering over the edge, and looking beyond to the horizon, I experience a strange feeling. Awe, fear, marvel, emptiness. I don't know.

Aboveground looking down

I have returned home, and went underground. Actually, I climbed above the quarry again to look at the underground opening. In this part of Vermont, the snow is gone. These are preparatory drawings that may lead to paintings.

Quarry Face

This may be the last quarry for a while. Back to the canal and other things.

Looking into the Quarry

These two drawings look down into the quarry towards the entrance.

Querying the Quarry

This may be an instance that the drawing beats the painting. One doesn't learn anything by not trying. This view peers into the quarry from one of the top corners. I had followed some animal tracks that went straight down the side right at the "v" in the bottom middle. The critter seems to have scrambled back up.

Querying

Since I spent the morning moving a lot of snow around, and I am a bit worn out, I decided to do a couple of black and white drawings. The first drawing above is the preparatory drawing for yesterday's quarry edge view. I am showing it since I like it. The top two drawings show the quarry entrance from outside, and the entrance from inside.

In the Quarry

I didn't fall in.

More Quarry

This is a little closer to the edge.

Still Quarrying

Now I will try to push more to the edge, pun intended.

Another Quarry Drawing

Previously I mentioned holes in paintings. There's depth in this image, but it goes down. It's Bob's Bibemus.

Quarry

This weekend I visited a quarry in Vermont. These are 5x7 sketches in preparation for larger paintings. This quarry is a cube of limestone cut out of a hillside. I don't have details yet on when the work was done. These sketches show the view from the top, which is a bit scary if you don't like heights.