Virginia

State #17. A pretty November day and a quick painting...husband napping in car. I am always amazed at the number of churches in the rural south...one around every corner...one at the top of every mountain...no abandoned ones, either. They are painted and mowed and obviously loved...yes, I think one can love a building. Church parking lots often make great places to pull the car off the road and set up the easel for a painting.

While I was painting this peaceful scene some pigs in a passing car threw a full bag of trash out on the road and it blew all over this lovely little neighborhood. Since we're talking religion... may they go straight to hell.

Lebanon Lutheran Church pastel 9 x 12

North Carolina

bottom photo by Michael Poster, song by Woody Guthrie

An interesting morning on the French Broad River in Western North Carolina the day after heavy rains gave me a winter picture full of grays & blues & mauves. I'm sure the water was cold. It was certainly rushing down out of the mountains at quite a clip.

The French Broad River got its name because the river flowed north toward French owned land and because the river is so broad (wide). It is popular with fishermen and rafters. It is one of only 2 rivers in the US that flow north. It has given it's slightly risqué name to many local enterprises...my personal favorite being The French Broad Chocolate Lounge in Asheville...ah the joys of travel to such exotic locations.... As I've said before, it's a tough job...but somebody has to do it.

An abundance of public land in the Appalachian Mountains adds to the appeal of the Asheville area for painters, too, as well as hikers, skiers, rock climbers. It is a welcoming feeling to know the land I want to set up my easel on belongs to me!

New Hampshire

This is an island near the New Hampshire border in the Connecticut River (with Vermont in the background). And another tiny floating grass island in the foreground which kept moving all around during my lovely afternoon painting on the river.

Maine

This is the same view I had each morning when I awoke in Tenants Harbor, ME. The soft deep thumping of the lobstermen's boat diesels would start my day, too. Each day the sky was completely different, but un-mistakenly Maine. This is small; 10x10, completed in a couple of gusty hours one afternoon.
Moral: she who hesitates misses the calm of the morning and has to spend some effort making sure her easel does not become airborne. I use a stone bag which I always carry with me (the stone I can usually find on location) and occasionally have to resort to bunji cords and shelter of a windbreak. Still sometimes a gust will determine where a stroke ends up.

Vermont

I love old buildings, especially ones with an industrial or agricultural past. To my eyes this little power plant is beautiful. New England values, maybe; work, strength, purpose, grace. I sure had fun painting this little 14 x 11 pastel on a perfect warm autumn afternoon near Medburyville, VT.

Massachusetts

A perfect fall day for spending time on Millers River in western Massachusetts. It doesn't get any better than this for a plein air painter, a few fly fishermen or my favorite photographer smoking a good cigar. We were the lucky ones! This 9 x 12 pastel painting was done using my well-used broken bit assortment of soft pastels on a medium gray Colourfix paper.

Texas

Palo Duro Canyon State Park, June 2, 2009. Texas Panhandle.
Not being terribly satisfied with the two vistas I'd painted of the canyon, I turned my attention to the wildflowers which had been drawing me since my arrival. They are everywhere; blanket flower, prickly pears, coreopsis, aster flowered daisies, horsemint and many, many others. The west Texas drought was relieved about a month ago and it rained all 3 days I was there, so I got to see fabulous lightning, thunderhead clouds and gushing "rivers". All this is making for fine wildflower displays. Aren't I lucky?