On display from January 25 to April 28, 2017
Gallery Talk at 5:00 pm on
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Winter to Spring, bitter cold to mud…. Most people, especially in the Adirondacks, think of winter and spring as less than enjoyable seasons. They’re often cold, dreary, damp, and unpleasant – months to endure before summer returns. But I find them a wonderful time to be out painting, as long as it’s not too cold. The oil paints don’t freeze, and in fact seem to become creamier the colder it gets. It’s the fingers and toes that need winter sun on a calm day with temps in the 20s for plein air painting.
The many colors of snow are always intriguing, rarely just white. It can be purplish grey on an overcast day, golden just before sundown. Beech leaves in the sunlight bring wonderful color to the black and white winter forest. And the blue shadows on the snow are a wintry delight.
Spring is a treasure trove of color – the pinkish purple of new buds on tamaracks and maple trees, the openness and light in the forest before the leaves come out. The transitions in shapes and colors as the patches of snow recede and disappear. In some respects, summer is the least favorite time to paint because everything is green, green, and green – but it is warm and comfortable.
The paintings in this exhibit are mostly plein air paintings done outdoors on location, and the studio ones, while painted indoors, are done with skills learned from working and observing outdoors. I hope they bring to your attention the great beauty of these two seasons as well as why we treasure the many moods of the Adirondacks.