22 April 2012

The land is always with us

Been busy with work -- as I've mentioned before in earlier postings.  But it's also spring and the gardens need ALOT of work after the punishing snow storm last October.  We lost several beautiful Japanese maples and white birch -- so sad!

And finally the rains came today, which is great as it's been so dry with little snow during the winter.  Today was a bit of a lost day, puttering around in the studio.  Difficult to focus on anything in particular, so I decided to scan a few works that had dried and sort through the image files on my computer -- there are so many I forgot what I had!

Even with my new job, I still travel along the CT River to and from work, only in a northern direction now.  This small (8" x 10") oil is of a stretch along the river near where I live --

 Winter Reflections, the CT River
oil on canvas; 8"x10"

This was painted over another work that I just wasn't happy with and yet loved the surface that the paints had created; I was also able to pick up some of the colors from the painting underneath and make them work with the new painting.


 Estuary Light
oil on canvas; 8x10

Another area of Connecticut I love is along the shoreline between Madison and Old Saybrook.  A few summers ago I drove along the backroads and in the area between Clinton and Westbrook stopped and took some shots of the wide, flat estuaries that lead into the Sound.  The light was incredible, reminding me of Cape Cod!  Working from the photo, I painted this, again over an old work that did not please. Perhaps these are my Earth Day paintings -- using repurposing and recycling old canvases! 

As I reorganized those image files, I came upon this one, a small water media painting, again purely imagined, letting the paints and the paper do whatever.  When stuck, I love to do this -- slop watercolor and gouache around the paper with huge brushes just to see what evolves . . . 

 First Snow
watermedia, 6"x10"

. . . distant hills with a first light blanket of snow, dense woods and fields below -- reminiscent of another area of New England that I return to again and again -- the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts, particularly around the Williamstown area.
 

In nature, light creates the color. 
In the picture, color creates the light. 
Hans Hofmann 

4 comments:

LE CHEMIN DES GRANDS JARDINS said...

L'eau sublime la lumière, comme tu le fais de ces paysages.

Roger

Kelly M. said...

Thank you, Roger!

Anonymous said...

Hi Kelly
Have enjoyed this evening wandering through your blogs and inspirational writings. I have been away from art for some time and am yearning to get creative again. I understand how difficult it must be to get time for painting with all the other things that make demands, but you seem to be successful. I must try harder!

Kelly M. said...

Hi, Carolann! So good to hear from you! Yes, I know the feeling -- it seems that life is just getting away from me right now, so the creative side has been a bit squashed into a corner, poor thing. I hope you get back into the swing soon -- we'll check in with each other to see how we are faring, shall we? Good Luck!