My Oil Paintings of Winter in Deep River...and a bit more

Hi Everyone,


Well, if you are from Connecticut, you KNOW we are buried under TONS of snow.  But for those of you who are not--especially our snowbird friends--I thought you might like to see what you are missing.

This storm brought the total snowfall in the month of January to the highest that Connecticut has recorded since we started measuring snowfall 106 years ago.   Before the storm,  59” had already fallen, and this storm added more than twenty inches.  Snowbanks are so high that driving in Connecticut has become a challenge.   Folks shoveling the piles left at the ends of their driveways  are tossing snow  higher than their heads!  If you squint a bit, you can just barely see me at the end of our driveway--BEHIND the snowpile!

Winter Shadows by Joan Cole, oil on linen panel, 8 x 10"

These two oil paintings will be among the ones I will be showing at MAPLE & MAIN's  GALA WINTER OPENING next Friday evening, February 4th, from 5 to 8 pm.

Winter Snowfall by Joan Cole, oil on linen, 9 x 12"

I have created a video of the day for your bemusement.  Interspersed among my photos of our yard are these two plein air paintings as well as three more.  I wonder which will be your favorite?  I hope you enjoy the video.



"The Guardian" ...

... is one of the paintings that I have on display at Maple & Main Gallery of Fine Art in Chester. 

"The Guardian" is an original 16" x 20" oil painting.

          This is a plein air painting I began on a day in spring this past year.  That seems so long ago now, when the temperature here in Deep River is 18 degrees and ice is beginning to form on the lake.  All the wonderful greens that surrounded me then have been replaced by winter browns and greys. 

          I have worked on the painting randomly off and on since then.  Perhaps for some reason, I didn't want to let myself be done with "spring" and let it go.  No matter how long that tree has been there or how worn those rocks are that the brook flows over, "The Guardian" reminds me that the cycle of the seasons goes on whether I want it to or not.  However, just a glimpse of this view and I'm drawn back to that day when rain was in the air and life was beginning anew.   I look forward to the time when May apples--an indigenous wildflower--will again be in bloom, as they were then. 

          If you weren't able to make it to our opening party last Friday evening, I hope you'll stop in the gallery and enjoy all the beautiful work on display there.  If you do, when you see the original of this piece, remind yourself that we're one day closer to springtime!

     Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday 11 AM to 8 PM and Sundays from 11 to 5.

Messerschmidt's Pond III



Messerschmidt's Pond III, Plein air oil on stretched canvas, 10" x 20"

This lake near me is surrounded by Connecticut state land and has a small boat launching area.  Often when I drive past, I see folks fishing, kayaking, and/or canoeing here.  One of many peaceful spots in Connecticut where residents can enjoy the wonders of nature first hand, it's a favorite of locals. 

When I began this painting last Monday, the sky and trees and reflections at Messerschmidt's looked like this.  The next day, however, when I returned to this location, the reflections were considerable changed, since the sky was overcast.  Nevertheless, I stayed with what I remembered from the day before.  What with the rain and wind we've had on and off lately, the colors have changed considerably since I painted this.

Stony Pass

     "Stony Pass" is an original 11" x 14" oil painting I did for my friend Trudy. I'm so glad her photograph wasn't taken any closer to the edge of this precipice because I'm not fond of heights of this magnitude.   I imagine it's a view taken somewhere in the Rocky Mountains.  I'm so glad she is pleased with the result.

Lupine, Searsport, Maine

I've finished my 16" x 20" oil painting of lupine that I saw blooming en masse in Searsport, Maine, a couple years ago. These beautiful flowers seem to thrive on Maine's cold winters. I've tried planting the seeds in Connecticut, but they just don't do as well here. Be that as it may, today, we bought a frame for it, and tomorrow my very own personal framer (my husband, Roger) will put it together. I'm eager to have those beautiful blossoms hanging where we--or a collector--can enjoy them.

My Friend Jen!

Today, Jen & I have been trying out some new possiblities for my blog. I'm not sure this will be the final version, but we've had a fun afternoon looking at my options. What do you think?

Jen is my guide when it comes to technology. She's helping me put my portfolio together.

"The Dock in Winter" is one of the paintings that I will be including in it. A 9" x 12" oil, it shows what our dock looked like up until a couple weeks ago. Hooray! Spring is here and the ice is out!

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Our Birdbath in the Snow

Well, at long last, here is the finished painting I had previously mentioned working on. I enjoyed creating it. Right now, the birdbath is filled with rainwater, of which we have received an abundance lately. The lake has melted; all the snow is gone. Hooray! Happy spring, everyone!



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140 HOURS Haitian Relief Auction

WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP THE PEOPLE OF HAITI?

You can. Artists from all over the world are donating their art to an auction which will benefit Haitian Earthquake Relief efforts.

Here is the original painting I am donating. It is a 5" x 7" framed oil-on-linen air piece titled "Euonymous on Fire #2" which I painted en plein air at the end of my road last fall. The value of the painting is $300; the opening bid is $25. The 140 HOURS Haitian Relief Auction begins at 9 PM on Friday, January 29. I hope you will bid generously on this or other paintings in the auction because 100% of the money raised will go to Haiti. If you'd like to bid, please go to http://140hours.com/. You can also bid at www.twitter.com/140hours. ~Joan

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