Androscoggin, Ferry Road, Lisbon

Adroscoggin River Color Sketches

These two sketches are Acrylic on Paper.  Done from observation on location and the composition sketches below.  I tend to sort through my composition sketches and on location sketches for ideas for paintings - especially when I don't really have the time to paint.  In this case - I'd actually intended to work on a completely different subject - which I'd taken from small composition sketches like to these to a full sheet charcoal drawing.  But instead the image on the upper right caught my attention and I decided to skip a larger charcoal (for now) and go right into color sketches.

Androscoggin River Comp Sketches

My art critic - Echo accompanies me on my trips to my basement studio.  I paint standing up, and you can tell from the picture that it is probably a good thing that I do so as sitting isn't really an option.

Echo -Art Critic

 Once Echo sees me getting my palette ready, he settles in for a nap.

Ready To Paint

Androscoggin River 1

Acrylic on Paper

The lights and the darks were so impressive on this day creating rich color contrasts and striking shadows.  For this sketch I was also experimenting with different blues throughout the painting and intentionally leaving some of the white of the paper showing to add range to the color palette.  

The sketch below was completed quickly after the first, and was intentionally much more abstract than my normal painting.  This will be the subject of my next post.

Adroscoggin River 2

Acrylic on Paper

The Sluice - composition deconstructed

"The Sluice"

Paper Mill Trail

Watercolor on Paper

This painting is an example of how I've taken different elements from an area to create a composition that isn't exactly what exists in nature, but which still honors the landscape and captures the feeling of the landscape that does exist.  My interpretation of the landscape, so to speak.

The basis of this painting was captured with an on location watercolor sketch (which looks little like this final composition)..  The tree covered hill to the left, the "pond" the sluice (right mid-ground) and the rapids are as was.

The stones in the foreground, do exist but would actually be out of sight to the left and below the edge of the field, forming the wall of one of the canals and a foundation for part of the mill..

The background of the picture, is actually an expanded view from upriver.  The actual view from this spot, wouldn't allow the viewer to go back into the picture.

Hopefully, this scene will feel familiar to those who are familiar with this Mill Street view in Lisbon.  But furthermore, hopefully this scene will touch the memories of those who have grown up near old industrial sites being reclaimed by nature.  If I've really done my job well, this picture will also appeal to people on its merits as a painting.

Lisbon Mill Ruins - reconsidered

Mill Ruins - Lisbon Maine (The sluice)

Old Mills were so common while I was growing up in Westbrook, Maine.  Some have found new life and are being redeveloped and re-purposed.   The same thing is happening in nearby Lewiston.

Since moving to Lisbon Falls in 2003 - three mills in town have been demolished.  These ruins have further been demolished as part of an effort to rehabilitate the river.  I'd started to sketch another mill in nearby Sabattus - and a month later - that was gone too.

This large watercolor was started about a year ago and, as is often the case, was set aside while I worked on other projects.  I then darkened the sky with another rich wash of blue (see the picture on the left below) but that didn't really seem to balance the great deal of activity in the foreground of the painting.   I added some clouds as was (same picture) and lightened the sky.  Back to the revisit bin for a few more months until earlier this week.

I decided to be much more aggressive reworking the sky, to add more dynamic clouds/ patterns and I was happy with how this turned out.  Still a little more work to do, but almost there.

I'll explain the construction of this composition in another post.

Pemaquid in Progress

 

Composition Sketch in progress- Pemaquid 

This compositional sketch is the result of the roughs below and two on location watercolor studies.  It is intentionally not detailed.  I enjoy the design process.  I never used to take the time to experiment with different compositions - I just wanted to dive into painting (Truth be told, I still struggle with that).  But I consistently started running into composition issues which were so labor intensive to correct.  

In this case, I'll also re-position the boat further back and alter the angle of its profile so it leads back into the cemetery.  These are small rapidly executed studies, including the watercolor on index card below.   There will be much more foliage, as was in reality, in the final paintings.  Shadows in the foreground were also part of this composition.  I will also try a winter scene with shadows as an important part of the composition. 

 

Watercolor Study on Index Card 4" x 6"

One of the effects along the coast and tidal rivers that I find particularly interesting are the vignettes of color of the ocean between trees.  I'm also working to study more of the dramatic skies that we have here in Maine.  The skies effects are so fleeting - yet beautiful and dramatic.  I also enjoy working in Monochrome - to focus initially on value and composition without having to give a thought toward color is freeing.  Working on the different color variations is an entirely different - yet no less exciting process. 

Stay tuned.