A Nice Surprise

Lil and I went to Steep Rock last Saturday, expecting to pick our way through the remains of the road again. It has been in rough shape since the October flood. But, lo! The Road Fairy had been there and restored the tortured lane to stunning splendor. The surface is so solid and smooth that equestrians, runners and cyclists could overshoot the 10 mph speed limit without noticing. They could even hit 30....well, maybe not the runners. Still, ok for a dirt road.

The main road washed away during the 2011 spring thaw, when the Shepaug river flooded, to everyone's great dismay. The road got fixed and the gate opened for cars just in time for the Fourth of July, and the rest of the trails were fine. Cars could pass in the summer and early fall, but "Snoctober" brought crashing trees and more flooding.


The uprooted trees and broken branches made a gargantuan mess, which got cleaned up surprisingly fast, but the road had remained in a skeletal state all winter. Two major engineering projects in one year may have been a bit much.

Anyway, kudos to the land trust for its usual high standards of maintenance. They do a great job of keeping the preserve clean and safe, and the runners and riders who condition there really count on it.
And thanks to the Road Fairy! We'll spread the joy.

Lil and I will check out other trails and report back.

The River in Springtime, 14 x 18, Oil

A Steep Rock Encounter with Ann and Mark

Marty's Cafe in Washington, CT will host the newly named "Steep Rock, Etc." show from December 1 through 31, 2012. It's a great venue, convenient to all Steep Rock's holdings. The cafe is a cozy place to relax, with delicious food and coffee.
A portion of the show's proceeds will go to the land trust, specifically for trail maintenance.

A chance Steep Rock encounter with Ann Leary and her horse "Mark" re-kindled my interest in painting animals and figures, so there will be assorted subjects in my benefit show.

How did I meet Ann? Lil and I were walking near the river one bleak October day, when a jaunty gray horse came striding through the shadows, his head and mane periodically catching light. I made a mental note and mashed my camera's shutter button, to save the impression.

I like to have permission to use someone's image for a painting, and introduced myself to the rider--Ann-- for that purpose. We had a brief chat, and discovered a number of common interests. The painting says more about Mark than his owner, since the light was ghastly and I had to invent almost everything, but it was his expression that drew me in. A posed situation wouldn't have been the same.

A side benefit of this meeting was discovering "Hash Hags," the NPR show Ann co-hosts with Julie Klam and Laura Zigman. It goes great with my painting sessions.

Of course, the horse is now out of the barn, resulting in an equine series. Steep Rock lanscapes may hang with dogs and ponies in this show.

And Again

Life does happen, but my blog is back. Steep Rock needs funds more than ever as a result of the 2011 spring floods and "Snoctober."
I'm still painting images of that wonderful place, and other subjects to in an effort to help.

It's Alive!

After a long silence I'm fired up to blog about my new painting series, "Images of Steep Rock."

Technical aspects of painting have consumed my life for too long, throwing everything out of balance.

I am out of shape and our "new" dog needs more socialization so the best remedy is to take Lil (the dog) and a sketch pad, or Lil and a camera, or a backpack and paints to the Land Trust and walk.

Steep Rock is a part of the local consciousness here whether people are aware of it or not. The vision and generosity of its founder shape the character of a whole town...actually a region.

I will post photos of cool stuff at Steep Rock, oil color sketches and paintings in progress through the seasons. Feel free to offer opinions about which paintings to do in larger format. I plan to exhibit "Images of Steep Rock" in Washington, CT during late September and early October 2011 with a portion of sales proceeds to benefit the Steep Rock Assn.

The Stairwell Gallery Show

There was a great turnout for the reception at The Stairwell Gallery despite cold weather, and I enjoyed it even more since both of our daughters were there.

The town of Roxbury, CT bought May Morning, which will move to its new home in the Town Hall when the Stairwell show closes. Thank you Roxbury. I'm glad other people like that view of Toplands Farm as much as I do.

Stairwell Gallery Show

Happy Holidays to all. I got a bit busy for a while and didn't post photos, but finally have a few images from the upcoming Stairwell Gallery Show. I'll add more photos this week.

The opening reception will be at the Gunn Library in Washington, CT this Saturday. That's January 3, from 11:00 am. to 1:00 pm.

Solo Show at The Stairwell Gallery

I'm happy to announce a solo show at The Gunn Library Stairwell Gallery in Washington, CT from January 3 through February 14, 2009.
The opening reception will be Saturday January 3, from 11:00 to 1:00.
For hours and directions, please visit the library's web site.

The exhibit, titled "Home and Away" will depict a variety of subjects from New England, Arizona, Utah and California.

I'll post a slide show of sample images soon.

Mark Twain Library Show

Here are my entries for the Mark Twain Library Holiday Show. The opening reception is at 7 p.m. Friday, December 5. The show will run through Sunday, December 14.

The Library is on rte 53 in Redding, CT.

After Friends of Pam and David

Artists, there are roughly 20 paintings currently at Hartford Fine Art awaiting pick-up.
David Dunlop will be giving a gallery talk there on Saturday, Dec. 6, so you could pick up your work and attend the lecture. If you can't be there, maybe a friend would get it for you.

Hartford Fine Art has helped us tremendously with publicity and being a drop-off and pick-up point. We are very grateful for their support and want to be considerate, especially during this busy holiday time.

Please check the Contributing Artists List on this blog to look for missing names of donors who need to be included. We would like to thank them and post links to their web sites. We would also like to invite them to participate in future shows. Thanks.

Friends of Pam and David

Thank you to all the artists and collectors who made the Friends of Pam and David a great success. Your generosity and good wishes did a lot! The show raised approximately $4,000. We don't have a final accounting yet, but that was pretty amazing, especially on short notice.

There were over 120 works of art at the Vanilla Bean, after the early bird sale, where the walls normally display from 30 to 50 pieces. What a testament to how well-liked and respected Pam and David are. The sheer number of artists who cared enough to donate something moved them deeply. Pam and David were surprised to find that so many of us think about them, and will continue to keep them in our minds and prayers. In some ways, the moral support is more important than money.