From The Bridge

The only solid thing that I saw, when painting the stream, was the concrete slab on which I stood that bridged the stream.  The water, the leafless bushes, the gleaming grasses, formed and unformed edges, appeared and faded away.  From the bridge at Canoe Meadows in Pittsfield, MA. 8x10 inches, oil on linen panel.

Deep And Dark

At the most remote point of the figure-eight trail at Hopkins Forest in Williamstown, MA, there's a dark ravine with a deep, rushing stream covered over with pines.  6x8 inches, gouache and watercolor on multimedia paper.

When The Snow Melts

At some point I will stop making these snow landscapes in gouache, but that may be when the snow melts.  Here's another view from the upper part of the Hopkins Forest trail in Williamstown, MA.  6x8 inches, gouache and watercolor on multimedia paper.

Woody Stream

A stream enlivens a winter forest without snow: a view from a footbridge in the woods at Field Farm, Williamstown, MA.  Happy New Year!  8x10 inches, oil on panel.

Gully And Stream

 

The dirt tractor road crosses a gully by going down and then up.  At the bottom of the gully, a stream crosses the road.  On the other side of the gully is a large grassy field, and more corn fields.  The stream always reflects the sky.  

I read yesterday the following from Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez: "Our first wisdom as a species, that unique metaphorical knowledge that distinguishes us, grew out of … an intimacy with the earth..."

8x10 inches, oil on panel.

This Time, Next Time

This morning I went back to the Green River expecting a downpour so I worked fast.  Then the sun came out but I was finished.  Alas, I forgot to take an in situ photo.  Next time.  12x9 inches, oil on linen.

On The Rocks

Yesterday's painting: to position myself for this painting, I stood on some rocks at the edge of the stream.  The water is lower than I remember for this time of year.  9x12 inches, oil on linen.

Looking Left

While standing on the culvert in the pasture and looking in a different direction, I painted this view of the sunken stream.  9x12 inches, oil on linen.

Invisible Brush, Vanishing Bush

Yesterday I went back to the pasture yet again.  It was bright, sunny, hot and green.  I was set up on the culvert bridge.  At least I could hear the stream babbling.  The longer I contemplated these bushes, the more they seemed to become invisible.  The day before when I started the painting, I lost a paintbrush in the weeds.  In my search, I was looking at it but I couldn't see it.  Yesterday, I found the brush. 9x12 inches, oil on linen panel.

Culvert And Greylock

A second painting from yesterday at the pasture with the stream.  One can see the culvert and Mount Greylock.  Sounds like a lawyer's firm: Culvert and Greylock.  Not as funny as Dewey, Cheatham, and Howe.   9x12 inches, oil on linen.

What Are You Doing?

The stream in the pasture with Mount Greylock:  I'm building my sense of place.  I did this painting over two days.  Yesterday I was on one side of the fence.  Today the cows were moved, so I set up on the other side in their old pen to avoid them even though I was a few feet farther away from the motif.  I was glad I did because they all came over to see what I was doing.  12x9 inches, oil on linen.

The Sun Was Shining

Since the sun was shining, I visited the stream in the pasture yesterday afternoon.  The sun doesn't shine every day.  9x12 oil on linen.

An Ancient Culvert

The stream runs through an ancient culvert under a dirt and concrete passage connecting two pastures.  9x12 inches, oil on linen.

Streaming Landscape

A plein air rendition in paint of the stream in the pasture.  9x12 inches, oil on linen.

Pasture and Stream

Spent more time working on this one from the other day: a view of the stream flowing through the pasture off of Sloan Road in Williamstown, MA.  The stream narrows down at one spot so I can jump across it, but it mainly is wider with very muddy sides.  9x12 inches, oil on linen.

Out To The Pasture

This time at the cow pasture off of Sloan Road in Williamstown, MA, I chose to paint something manageable.   9x12 inches, oil on linen.

Succumbing to Temptation

This afternoon I painted outside in a cow pasture through which runs a stream in Williamstown, MA.  It's not easy organizing a landscape painting when the branches and tree limbs fly in every direction.  I've been there before.  That blue is always so tempting so I succumbed.

A Large Rock, A Boulder

Instead of painting hay bales yesterday morning I painted a large rock, a boulder sitting on the edge of the Green River next to the new bridge at Mount Hope Park in Williamstown, MA.  8x10 oil on panel.

Time Was Passing

This site on the Hoosic River in Williamstown, MA I've painted before.  As often happens the second time, yesterday morning, all falls into place quickly.  While painting, I forgot that time was passing.   I was startled when I saw that I had nothing else to add.  12x16 oil on panel.

Variations

Two views of the same spot on the Hoosic River, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon, both 9x12 oil on panel.  These two are kind of abstract since they are all edges and reflections, edges of a stream and reflections of a water surface.