Painting from Photos and Memory

"The light of memory, or rather the light that memory lends to things, is the palest light of all. . . . I am not quite sure whether I am dreaming or remembering, whether I have lived my life or dreamed it.

 Eugène Ionesco 

 

CT River, Late Autumn

Still working on the river and coastline oils -- at this time of year I'm depending upon the many photos I've taken over the years along the Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine coastlines; also depending upon my memories of driving the CT River for over 15 years. 

However, the more I work on these coastline / river paintings, I seem to be concentrating on the skies and the breaking light rather than the actual waters. So much does depend upon the light, though. A ho-hum gray day can become quite dramatic when the cloud cover breaks and a shaft of sunlight splits the skies. 

Departing Clouds

Or perhaps it's a battalion of clouds scudding across the horizon after a storm, giving an ominous look to everything.

Well, we're not too far from Daylight Savings Time and Spring -- hooray!  After last week's blizzard, I have had enough of winter, although I admit that winter does afford one the time to work, paint, collage, quilt, knit inside.  Once spring arrives, the gardens will need tending, raking out, transplanting, etc.  And so the painting tends to take a back seat during those weeks.

But my plan is to get outside more and paint -- I re-joined the CT Plein Air Painters [I had let that lapse last year with the new job] and am hoping that will give me the incentive to get out there and paint from the real thing, not simply photos and memory.

Beach Cottages in Fog, the Cape

That's the plan -- but then the deck and the gardens tend to keep me close to home once the hard work has been done.  Ah, well --  I suppose I can always paint my garden!   Like Monet, I will sit amidst the roses and clematis with my battered straw sun hat and revel in the scents and colors of summer. 

Sounds like a plan to me . . . :-)