Sheds

Sheds watercolor 12 x 12 In our neck of the woods, (used-to-be-rural-but-is-now-semi-rural) sheds are a commonality....everyone seems to have at least one. What's not to like about them? They exude charm without a drop of pretentiousness. They provide storage and ambience to country living on larger properties where they just seem to fit. I watched a few episodes of "Grand Designs" with Kevin McCloud, having been recommended by another artist. In one episode that takes place in Wales, I think, the builder has been inspired by the sheds that dotted his childhood landscapes. The sheds in my painting were viewed in October from hiking trail that abutted a private property. Autumn, of course, provides an automatic color palette when painting from life. Design was more of a concern as one of the sheds needed a dominance. Flow was also a deliberate consideration as I strove to keep a unified whole rather than two separate halves.

Golden...

Five O'Clock Shadow   watercolor   20 x 13

It really is a great time to paint landscapes...what, with all the color and all.  Our weekly painting assignment was to capture a beautiful autumn landscape with our cameras.  We would be painting from our photos, as working outdoors is impossible during class.  ( I do believe, however, that those who paint out of doors on a regular basis are more able to translate these photos in a realistic and natural way).  I don't much enjoy landscapes.  I prefer including houses or people or some element of humanity.  My husband does not understand it.  That being said, I was fretting about the weekly assignment myself.  Our niece's wedding reception was being held at Hale Farm and Village.  Accompanying us were my husband's parents who had made the trip up from North Carolina.  As there was a bit of a gap between the wedding and the reception, we sat on picnic tables in the crisp autumn air, waiting for the the caterers to complete the set-up.  Voila.  Before me the sun was magical in its goldenness.  The time: 5 pm.  The memory:  wonderful.  "Five O'Clock Shadow" was the result.  My assignment:  complete.

Whew.