Two Small Pastels (5x7")

Sunlit, pastel on Ampersand Pastelboard by Adriana Meiss

   For quite some time I have been thinking of painting the scene above. The arrival of spring finally pushed me to the task. This painting and the one below were intended for an upcoming guild show and sale at the end of the month, but I like them so much that I'm not sure I'm ready to frame them yet.

Golden Hour, pastel on Ampersand Pastelboard by Adriana Meiss

I often tell myself not to fall in love with my own paintings because the best ones are yet to come. Sometimes it's hard to live by your own maxims... What do you do with your best ones?

Yearning for Spring, 16x12

Yearning for Spring, pastel on board by Adriana Meiss

     Living in Central New York for so many years I have learned to expect long, cold winters. But in those rare occasions when we get mild winters, my mind rapidly forgets what's normal and starts yearning for the next season. I wasn't that aware of this yearning until I found this photo while cleaning my studio. The need to paint it right away took me by surprise, and it was finished in no time. It probably needs more work but the yearning for bright greens is so strong that it has blinded me.

    The scene is from our orchard, from a time when the Nanking Cherries did  not have much competition from the nearby apple trees. 

Art by the Lake -en plein air painting

Sheds, 12x9" pastel on Colourfix paper by Adriana Meiss

Yesterday was the Art by the Lake at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown. My friend Vicky and I participated as plein air painters. There were also fine art vendors under a huge tent and I was impressed by the quality of the work.  We had all day until 4:00pm to paint to our heart's content, but the heat and my heavy set up (why do I always carry more than I can handle?) were a factor in my not being able to produce more than two paintings.

Not being familiar with the area, it took me half an hour to find the best locations to paint. Also, because it was so hot, I wanted to paint under the shade of trees.  What to paint first? Here I had to estimate or foresee how the light/shadow patterns were going to change in the next two hours and decide whether I should wait till the afternoon when the light might be more interesting. At first sight, I was tempted to paint the lake but the water and the sky being of similar value meant problems so I decided instead on the sheds.

Path by the Lake, 9x12 pastel on Wallis paper by Adriana Meiss

At about 11:30 am I started my second one, Path by the Lake. At this time the shadow pattern changed considerably but only in the distant path so I was able to work without major problems.

After lunch I took a long break to see the American Impressionism exhibit and to talk with vendors and other plein air painters. Then at 3:00pm, the  lake looked just perfect for painting: deep blues an greens. Although the water wasn't smooth I swear I could see the pinks of the big clouds reflected on the water. I hurried across the expanse of lawn to get my gear but by the time I reach it any little energy I had in me had left me. It was time to call it the day.  The area is so beautiful that it's in my list of places to visit again and explore with more detail.