Freezing New England Temps doesn't Stop this Painter from Creating Balmy Local Summer Scene for Upcoming Show

Golden Radiance over Stony Creek Harbor Branford, CT ,
​ 36" x 48" acrylics on gallery wrapped canvas -

Ok, so it's January here in Connecticut, the temps are bouncing around the teens, the snow fall comes and goes... the trees are bare and if you take a quick scan of the surroundings, the color palette is veering toward the bland, the bleak and the muted. So I ask, what is this painter suppose to do when bright colors are truly her love language?

Well, I'll tell you.. first I close my eyes and begin scanning through the visual image bank in my mind. Recalling the warm weather scenes that stopped me in my tracks... you know the ones that  make your heart glow from the inside out. Tell me I'm not along on this one.?. you must have experienced this before? Whether it's a tropical shore, a mountain vista, a European village... or where ever, you're walking along, doing your thing and all of a sudden you lift your head (probably from looking at your phone... I'm so guilty of that one) and wham - it hits you - your breath is taken away! Even an audible gasp.... or just a WOW!  

I usually laugh at myself when this happens... because my knee-jerk reaction is ..... "I've GOT to PAINT THIS!" And here you have it... that's my introduction to "Golden Radiance over Stony Creek Harbor". My latest work.... that I'm so thrilled to share with you!

Golden Radiance over Stony Creek Harbor is truly how I see this quaint little seaside village along the Connecticut Shore. I have painted there many times for several years now. Especially during the summer  months. I think the rose quartz stones that are found along the harbor wall radiates and reflects the pink and gold tones which bath everything in this very hard to describe glow. Somewhere between a peach orange to a warm magenta I mix a few piles of each. Then on the other side of my palette are the blues -ultramarine, phthalo blue and cerulean blue. Before I can even lift the brush I can sense the colors vibrating in front of me. Not in a frenzy or distressful  way.... more like..  the ease of a rhythmic sway. You know like that soft rippling sound the water makes when lapping up against the side of a boat.  

This painting was so exhilarating to paint, yet posed several challenges. First of all where do you start? Harbor scenes with numbers boats, reflections, water, and architecture can seem... well a bit overwhelming to say the least. But I was up for the quest.

First starting with a small color study in oils, I really just wanted to play with the paints that morning and experiment with the reflections in the water.

​In my acrylics class this week I was teaching my students how to paint reflections in water so the lesson was fresh in my mind. Even though I enjoyed creating the color study, more pieces to this mystery needed to be discovered. This led me to printing out the image in black and white,  checking my values and onto a watercolor sketch in my sketchbook. 

Why so many steps? Well as I was telling one of my students Debbie in our Friday morning Acrylics class, each time I do these small studies I uncover a little bit more. I guess you could call it your practice swings before stepping up to the tee or dress rehearsal before the big day! There's so much to learn and discover each and every time you create... and that's why creating art is so exciting and rewarding.

This painting along with about 18 more of my pieces will be in an upcoming 2 person show in March. Last spring I entered 3 pieces for a "Call for Artists" for the 2017/2018 Exhibition Schedule at The Willoughby Wallace Memorial Library in  Stony Creek, CT. The jury committee chose my work and a fellow artist, Maura Galante's work to show together. 

Show Date: March 4-27, 2018 
Location: Willoughby Wallace Library, 146 Thimble Island Road, Branford, (Stony Creek) CT

Reception Date: Sunday March 11,  4-6pm -

I'll fill you in on more details in upcoming posts. If you're in the area I hope you can stop in to see the show.  It will definitely fill your heart and vision with lots of bright and bold color.

Like always, thank you for viewing my work -
Linda 
​