Friday, December 25, 2009

Blueberry Field - Friendship in the Fall

In a previous blog I mentioned our trip up the coast. One of our destinations was through a small unspoiled fishing village called Friendship.
It sits at the end of a peninsula just east of Waldoboro. Friendship is very much a working community and the lobster boats were still moored just off the main dock in their well protected harbor. The lobster season was winding down, traps were being pulled and stacked and summer homes were closed up tight for the winter. Friendship bustles with activity in summer but you'd never know it now. Only the local people remain, holding down the fort during the cold long months of winter until the sun warms the earth and the fishing season begins again.
It's interesting to travel through these parts of Maine when the 'People from away" are gone. The true character of a region remains.
We spotted this blueberry field as we headed northeast out of the village. The stark colorless sky of that afternoon, rich brown tone values and textures of the leaves and ledges were hauntingly beautiful and reminded me so much of Andrew Wyeth's melancholy paintings.
It's hard to believe that this field will brim with sweet juicy blueberries next summer, but the plants are there, hunkered down for the winter, hibernating just like the locals until the frost leaves the ground and life bursts forth again.
This is acrylic on prepared wood panel, size is 11 x 24 and available for purchase.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Birdman Cloud


I'm feeliing guilty because there is a beautiful stockpile of pastels packed away in the studio and they haven't been used in quite awhile. Acrylics have captured my attention, at least for now. Maybe it's because of a too busy schedule and this medium provides instant gratification. This acrylic painting(11 x 14) called 'Evening Clouds', is from a photo I took late this summer. We had some dramatic skies this year due to a weird weather system and this was one of them.
I had to paint it because the darkest cloud formation looked so much like a birdman to me. Nature provides the most interesting images doesn't she? I'll leave the meaning of this shape in the clouds for you to interpret.
I loved the bright yellow white light around the head and wings...couldn't have framed it better myself.
Christmas is just around the corner so there may not be another post until after the holidays.
I wish you and your loved ones the best of everything at Christmas time and a very Happy New Year! Let's hope for peace and prosperity for everyone.