Beaver Pond - Crawford - in progress

 

Beaver Pond - Crawford

Charcoal - 18" x 24"

The above charcoal is part of my process in what will be one of my next paintings.  I stopped on my way home from a trip Down East at a little roadside rest area in Crawford.  The play of light through the thick trees and the reflections in the beaver pond on the far side of the brook running through the rest area.

There were so many potential subjects to paint.  In years past it would have been overwhelming. But I've learned to just take a deep breath and to simply soak in the sights, sounds, and smells.  I had the place all to myself for nearly twenty minutes.  I took a few photos for reference as well as I didn't really have the time to sketch as much as I would have liked.  For me, photo's have become a way to take notes at times when there is a fleeting effect in nature, or as in this case, an area that is not one I'm likely to get back to very often.

I suspect I'll never see this place looking the same way again.  The water was so low due to drought so what was normally out of sight in the middle of the river was front and center.  Judging by the river bank, I was standing high and dry in what was normally chest deep water.  

Below is a page from my sketchbook.  I made the two compositional sketches on the left with a few notes from my recollections.  I wanted to paint some compositional sketches but I simply didn't have the time to paint even small sketches.

The first few compositional sketches were closer to as the scene really was, but in order to capture the feelings I had while there, I needed to rearrange the elements and open up the composition as in the larger charcoal sketch.  I've grown to really enjoy working out compositional issues in these quick sketches.  It's almost like completing paintings except that it's much quicker and I haven't spent two hours painting something to then discover I've got to start over if I want the effect I was pursuing.

Am looking forward to launching into a large watercolor of this subject and smaller oil.  I am also thinking of painting this view as a fall and winter subject as well.

Currently on Display

Breaker - Cape Elizabeth

Oil on Canvas Board 12" x 16"

This painting is currently on display in the members show at River Arts Gallery in Damriscotta through August 15th.

Rocks and Wildflowers Round 2

Rocks and Wildflowers - 2nd Pass

Acrylic 12" x 16"

                                              Rocks and Wildflowers Two Lights

The picture above left was the first pass at the painting, the picture on the right is the finished painting.

In addition to adding the wildflowers, I also did a little color work in the rocks, and some slight compositional changes to the water , rocks, and shrubs which I think made the composition a bit more dramatic.

I may even scale this painting up to an 18" by 24" or a 24" x 36"  There are so many compositional possibilities let along different seasons.

I've included a link to the previous post which describes a bit more about the genesis of this particular painting below.

http://robertkahlerlandscapepaintings.blogspot.com/2020/07/rocks-and-wildflowers.html

Rocks and Wildflowers

Rocks and Wildflowers

Two lights 

Acrylic 12" x 16"

This is my latest Acrylic Painting of a composition that is a common sight in and around Two Lights.  I explained the process to this point in another post if you are interested in learning about methods for creating painting.  Below I've put the large charcoal drawing (12" x 18") side by side with the Acrylic

When I had reached a stopping point in the main painting, I decided to quickly sketch out some other ideas from my trip with leftover paint on 4" by 6" note cards.

Sketch " x 6"

I really enjoy these quick sketches.  I learn a lot from them with very little time invested.  For instance, in the painting above, the ocean seems to "run off" the picture to the left.  Through the placement of rocks or shrubs I will reverse that so that it leads the eye into the painting and not out of it.  It's a win win.  I don't waste paint and I get to explore ideas in a much looser manner.

Surf Sketch 4" x 6"

Scale of Sketches

Nana's House

I recently took a trip Down East with family.  This post was from more than a year ago.  A picture drawn from strong childhood memories.  I was watering plants in the backyard yesterday, including a cutting from the lilac tree in front of the house (to the right outside this picture)

I hope you enjoy the picture and poem.

Pembroke

A few half buried fieldstones are all that remain

The house is gone

The Barn and Shed…

Gone

Gone. Not forgotten

I see Nana’s house

In abandoned farmhouses 

In bowed barns

In my dreams

I remember walking up the dirt road from one adventure or another

Taking the short cut up the hill toward the house

Avoiding the old well (Not really – Sorry Mom)

The tall grass tickling my hands

was laced with animal trails

At the top of the hill

The horses were shuffling in their stalls

Anxious to get out

The shed

A large barn connecting the barn to the kitchen

A magical place to me

Could that have been Santa’s sled?

Why one barn was “the barn”

The other the “shed”

I don’t know – it just was

The geese tap at the low kitchen windows

Hoping for some of our breakfast

Grampie looks up from his coffee

Shaking his head “No” at the geese

Morning ritual complete

The geese move on

The memory remains

I wasn’t yet six and he was gone

I prefer this memory

To those from the nursing home

Back to Pembroke, Masonic Lane

Dining Room

Sloping floors

Great for marbles and Matchbox cars

Enough room for seven story baseball card forts

As much fun to take down as to build

From kitchen to bedroom

Stairs narrow and steep

There was always a chill in the air upstairs

The only source of heat radiated from downstairs (or so I was told)

I’ve never gotten dressed and undressed indoors as quickly

Before or since

It was so quiet

You could hear yourself think

No T.V.

No Streetlights

Few cars

Lots of cats and dogs

Bald Eagles nesting by the river

The wind rattled the windows

Full of imperfections

Creating unique views and

Moonshadows on the wall

The house spoke in soft whispers and groans

As I drifted off to sleep

When my brother speaks

to his girls (Geese) and his pugs

I sometimes hear Nana’s voice.

The lilac in her dooryard has spread

To each of our homes

So has her hardy laugh

And her fierce spirit

The house is gone

So much more remains