Blog

It seems a bit like an oxymoron this year to write about painting outside in April while asserting 'the season is warming up'!  The hard winter we have all faced slowly recedes.  At home  snow piles from March have disappeared, garlic is sticking its green shoots up in the garden, and early flowers are in bloom.  Preparing to paint is not as onerous as it was in January and February.  Although the wind is still cold, the number of layers of fleece, hats, gloves, and sox which are required to be comfortable outside has diminished greatly.  I even find myself thinking about painting in the summer in one layer of clothes!.  This past week several painters took advantage of two good weather days, going first to Acadia Park to paint the view from the far end of Sand Beach towards the Beehive, and later in the week taking an early boat to Swans Island to explore the island and paint the beautiful colors in Toothache Cove.  At both places I was taken by the changing colors of early spring. 

 At Toothache Cove before the tide went out we were greeted by emerald-green colors in the shallow waters.  Capturing the color and the feel of being there was an exercise in observation and memory.  We painted for about 3 hours while the tide receded, the light changed from sunny to cloudy, and the near shore rocks and sea weed took on constantly changing shapes.  I was reminded of  how hard painting in a changing environment can be and at the same time, how rich the experience is.  Nothing beats being present in the vibrant colors of the land and water.

Painting Beehive Mountain at Acadia was a different experience.  I have climbed the Beehive many times, have carefully picked my way down the trail on the steep side, and have loved the view, the sun, and the warmth of the experience.  When I go to Sand Beech I always make my way to the far end to enjoy the wetlands which lie at its foot and pull the eye back towards the mountain.  Until Tuesday I had not painted this mountain.  At this time of year, the land feels honest.  Winter has gone but very little new growth has started.  Land holds its own form.  Conifers punctuate the landscape with their dark greens, and a wonderful array of grays and browns dominate.  Intense blue from the sky makes the water shine.  I felt all this on Tuesday as I painted.  Our beautiful Acadia Park is waking up to Spring... Others were there to enjoy the day.  Fellow painters Michael Vermette, Greg Cyr and Arra Vanier painted in the same vicinity while a parade of families with young children, single people, and couples came out to enjoy the day.  Clearly a feeling of joy and thankfulness pervaded among those who played at the park on Tuesday.

On April Fools day, in celebration of  new eyes, I went with friends to paint at Abol Bridge on the Golden Road outside Baxter State Park.  I call this Newsletter "Painting with Fresh Eyes" because that is what it felt like.  A week ago Tuesday a cataract in my left eye was removed and a new lens implanted.  People who had experienced cataract surgery told me it was wonderful.  They were correct!  Colors exploded into my vision.  As we drove north to the Park puddles of snow melt on the Golden Road shimmered,  reflecting the deep blue and purple sky.   I didn't know how beautiful plain old puddles could be.  The snow and late winter vegetation along the road added its own cloak of color: red, purple, glowing yellow, deep brown celebrating the day, while stately, snow-covered Katahdin... well  she was just amazing standing against the sky!

Words of John Burroughs' from 1886 came to mind. In 1983 I  created a piece of calligraphy with the words.  They got stuck in my mind then and like to pop back out each year when the time is right.  April 1st was the day.  The words guided my quest for a painting composition:


We stopped at the campground near Abol Bridge where Abol Stream flows into the Penobscot.  Snow there is clearly beginning to melt, very slowly.  Walking was challenging... one step on top of the snow and the next knee-deep in it.  Fortunately some areas were packed by previous travelers.  I chose to stop and paint at the confluence of Abol Stream and the Penobscot River.  Truly it felt like winter was coming down past me all day.  With jacket shed, hat discarded, and boots too hot, I felt glimmers of summer.  Color had her day in the roots of the birch clump and the flowing water which I painted, oh, yes, and snow still covered most of the landscape.


Today I am so very thankful for the eye doctor who exchanged my old grey lens for a clear one, for friends who nudge each other to paint and grow as artists, and for the opportunity to celebrate the wonderful environment in which we live.

I am pleased to let you know that two of my paintings were juried into different shows in Maine last week.  If you are in Waterville during the month of April, stop in at the Maine Juried Art Show at the Waterville Library.  My painting, Tucked In, is there as well as paintings from a large number of talented artists from throughout Maine.  Additionally,  the University of Maine Art Department has a juried show of student work at the Lord Hall Gallery on campus.  A mixed media painting which I completed in the fall, Intrusion, is included.  I was pleased to have my work included among the very creative expressions of fellow artists in the show.  Stop in to see what others are doing.