Painting wild places...

I like to think my paintings record the change in seasons, but it seems like I just got started painting spring and here it is May 16 and we've moved on to summer! I love the march of color up the slopes of the mountains. The birch and maple trees in the valleys get the pinkish red buds first, then that wave of color starts to ascend. The top painting on the left is a view of the High Peaks from the pull-off by the Harrietstown Cemetery, one of my favorite spots to paint. Well into May there will be snow on the summits of the highest peaks. Next is the pale green as the buds slowly open up to leaves, sometimes dusted with snow. But this year I went out to do some plein air painting a couple times and suddenly, the leaves have popped out. You could almost watch them open up and expand.

The second painting was done on Cinco de Mayo in Keene Valley. I swear, from the time I started painting to the time I quit, I could see a halo of pale green appear around the crown of the hardwood trees in the foreground. The palette of colors used in the painting includes pale purples and pinkish brown and light, light yellowish green.

Sure, the Adirondacks had over a week of warm sunny weather, followed by soft, light rain - perfect for nurturing new growth. So here are some of the paintings  I did get to do - from here on out they are probably going to be full blown summer paintings, green, green, green.

I shouldn't complain about this  week of warm weather and sun, but it has also brought out the black flies earlier than usual. Maybe they will leave earlier than normal - is that too much to ask?

I've done some hiking, checking on the trail where annually well over 1000 pink lady's slippers bloom (yes, they have sprouted), and got a few bites. But standing still, while working on a painting, is different. It's like I have a neon sign on my back that says "food". Worse than the bites is the fact that they will get stuck in the wet oil paint, both on the canvas and the globs of color on the palette. Note: a dry brush is good for lifting off a paint covered black fly, which then gets wiped off on a dry paper towel.  The truth is I can't bear to not spend time outdoors, so I will be out hiking and painting, nourishing the black flies while at the same time reducing their population. And I actually have a theory - they seem to not bother me as much, I don't react to their bites at all, so I think I've built up some immunity over the years. This is especially obvious when I'm out with people who are new to the area. The bugs somehow know it's going to be an opportunity for fresh blood!