August 10, 2010

It's been quite a summer so far, hot and humid with very little rain. I spent sometime painting on Martha's Vineyard and also on Monhegan Island and Watch Hill RI.  It was really nice to spend some time around the ocean painting. Other than painting trips in New England I have stayed pretty close to home. We have added a few new gardens around the studio and I've enjoyed painting them as they develop.

We have a very short growing season here in New England, but that doesn't stop those who are so inclined to plant gardens. We are all anxious in the spring to get out and get things going, planting and starting seedlings. As the summer progresses we watch hopefully for our gardens to mature, the annuals gardens are their fullest just before the first frost, and the vegetable gardens seem to all mature at the same time in August. Living in the community we do it's not unusual for a friend or neighbor to come over with a bag of produce from their garden bounty. Some friends have extra cucumbers some zucchini (always zucchini) and tomatoes and peppers. This is a community that believes in sharing,and I was thinking it is the same with the art community. Artist are always willing to share their latest great find of some supply or painting spot or just a revelation that brought their work to a new level.

People ask me all the time for advise about their work, or what I think about a particular method of painting. All I can do is share what I have from my garden of experience. We all grow different things, paint different paintings and enjoy what we harvest. It's extra nice that we can share all that with the people around us.

I'm painting for my next show, which will be at the Monadnock Fine Art Gallery in September. The gallery is located in Keene New Hampshire and it will be nice to have such a short way to go to deliver paintings for the show.

More information will be on the exhibition page as the time gets closer.


May you find beauty in all that you see!

Regards,

John C