Banner, lights and serenity

Wow, lots to catch up on.  I've been visiting the pond pretty regularly and on Sunday Dec 9 there was a celebration of the Spy Pond Mural which contains the work of four high school students.  It's glorious and am posting a picture of the mural.

Cally and I walked with Adria and Bisbee one warm evening and the lights around the pond were beautiful.  Clearly I need to come over and paint early evening but meanwhile here's a lightened version of a pic of the lights that I thought looked pretty interesting.

The Far Shore

8x8 acrylic on canvas

This is a very serene scene looking out to the far shore from Linwood Circle in the late afternoon.  These moments can take my breath away!

Moon over Spy Pond

Early this morning I walked to Spy Pond to catch a photo of it with the moon over it and was successful!  It's clear, sunny and warm--unlike the cold dreary days last week.  I wimped out on posting last week so wanted to be sure to make it over today.  Here's a picture from this morning with a tiny moon in view.  My late husband was an amateur astronomer and I've spend many hours looking at the moon at all times of day and night, but my favorite view was on my way to work when I would see a full moon setting as I crested the hill.   I learned that the path by Route 2 is called the Weir Path, being between two bodies of water.  Little Pond is just the other side of Route 2 and some time I need to get to it.  A nice by-product of my spending time at the pond is developing a curiosity about it's surroundings.  The more I learn it seems the more there is!

The banner has been hung!

The top photo was taken this morning and is of the Boy's and Girl's Club with the new mural.  It's the work of four Arlington high school students and the project was created as part of the initiative to make art for the public in Arlington.  I'm honored to be a part of this committee and so proud of the artists and all who worked to make this happen.  I think it's a beautiful addition to the views of Spy Pond that I've been finding.  The other photo was taken from the other side of the bike path bridge which I assume used to be a train bridge--a "tunnel vision!"  

While on our walk we met a group of people fishing.  This is a very popular sport on Spy Pond and a fellow said that this group gathers annually to fish for carp.  A woman was standing by some fishing poles and I assume she was fishing.  I snapped her photo and painted in my studio, being too much of a wimp this morning to paint out.  Gotta get some warm gloves!  The painting will be added to this post when done.  

It was such a delight to be out in the warm sun on this mid-November Sunday morning and see all the folks looking at the mural and just enjoying the day.

Fishing at Spy Pond

8x8 oil on canvas

Around the pond

photo of granite slabs in Spy Pond near the shore

Today I decided to bike around Spy Pond.  It turned out not to be a very long ride but I took side trips down the streets off Pleasant St. to see how much of a view I could get.  Again a lovely warm day and there were lots of people about.  My biggest surprise was coming upon several upright granite slabs near the shore at the Pleasant St. end of the path parallel to Route 2.  I had read about an attempt to build a railroad bridge over the pond which was abandoned and have to do some research about these.  The other delight was great blue heron which I unfortunately surprised but watching him or her fly away was awesome.  Not sure yet what my art image will be but here's a pic of the granite.

meeting pond citizen mr. carp

Jerome and Mr. Carp

Well there's nothing like clear blue sky to cheer  me up and unhook me from the grips of a bad cold.  Cally called for a walk so we headed out to Spy Pond via Quebrada Bakery for a coffee.  It's breezy and cool but a glorious late fall, first day of Eastern Standard time,  so an hour earlier and showing a lovely low sun angle which is perfect for some pictures.  We mosied down Linwood Street and saw much typical Sunday morning people activity with bikes, strollers, family photos, but the highlight was spotting a fisherman in a red parka at the edge of the pond.  His name is Jerome and he kindly agreed to  me snapping some photos of him reel in hand.  As I was leaving he called me back as he had landed one!  Here's a pic of mr. carp-a relatively small specimen of 5-6 pounds.  Jerome explained that they can get at least twice as big.  He  put it down after removing the hook and we took pictures.  Then he gently carried it to the water and released it. I've now met my first citizen of the pond!

Leaves and Logs

8.5x11 acrylic monoprint

It's such a pleasure to explore a new area and meet new people.  I feel like a reporter and find myself coming out from behind the shy persona that I keep.  I think Adria was on to something when she suggested this project-it certainly throws me into the local life!

New find and views

Pond Reflections

6x8 oil on canvas

Path between Spy Pond and Route 2

photo

So last week was a beautiful week at Spy Pond.  The trees are in their fall glory and lots of folks were out enjoying the good weather.  I've been exploring public access to the pond and found the area near the Boys and Girls Club quite lovely. The above painting is from a photo of a view from the shore taken last week. There's some possibilities of views and small water access on the streets off Lake St.  There's also a wonderful paved path along the pond and Route 2 that Cally and I explored yesterday.  No painting outside as it's raining and I'm a wimp so I'm posting a photo of the path.  My neighbor Debbie, who's lived here all her life, told me that the 10 stairways made out of stone which lead from the path to the pond are used by folks who want to fish-both summer and winter. I wonder if they put up any ice houses.  She also encouraged me to explore the path along the shore away from the Boys and Girls club.
Today is very blustery and the rain is heavy right now, courtesy of hurricane Sandy.  My building shakes during a severe gust and I'm hoping this is the worst of it.  I should be able to paint out later in the week, and also will check out the local museum which I hear has quite a bit on the early history of Spy Pond during the Revolution!  Wow!  Kind of ironic that I should land here, given my ignorance of American history.  After all my family emigrated from Lithuania a mere 94 years ago!  Geras dienna!

water view

Rock, water and leaves

6x6 oil on canvas

So today I finished a painting of the water, rocks and trees at Spy Pond Park done from a photo taken on Monday.  It was a blustery, cloudy day when I had to wait until the sun peeked through to get a good picture.  My goal is to paint on site but I have to allow for days when I can't access the pond and will use photos.  The water was choppy with hardly any reflections and though warm, there weren't a lot of visitors except for ducks.  I started reading "More Spy Pond Stories," by Eva Balazs and now want to find a way to walk around the pond,  just like she did in the 1950's when she and her family moved to Arlington and rented near Spy Pond.  I also want to ice skate, kayak and swim here.  The kayak rental is over for the season but I might be able to get my mini-kayak out on the water to explore Elizabeth Island in the middle of the pond.  Some trees are turning red and orange but for the most part every thing's still green.  October's showy and busy but I look forward to seeing what November brings as the light changes and every thing's visible-a sense of peace to the air.

beginning a year...

"The Boys and Girls Club" at Spy Pond

                                                                    8x8 oil on canvas

I told Adria that I needed a place to love.  Somewhere I could be outdoorswhenever I wanted and be able to find beauty and solace in nature, and good stuff to paint.  I've lived here two years and am still searching for that beautiful, grounding, natural space I had in Maine before my husband died and I was invited to babysit my first grandchild in the Boston area.  So this has to be near the water, have plenty of trees and places to sit, be easily reached on foot or bike, and have people around parts of it-basically have all of what Maine has.  We drove to Spy Pond park where I had been many times with my dog, but somehow I looked at it again through Adria's eyes.  She pointed out a whole year's worth of possibilities so I got right on it and painted the Boys & Girls Club.  I was part of a group of artists who helped raise funds for a public mural to be placed on the side of this building.  However, part of me also loved the blue and red reflections in the water so it was a natural to be my first of a weekly painting session somewhere on the pond.  I'd like to think that I'll also write about the place, my reaction to it, some history, and even include fellow pond enthusiast's views.  It'll be a year of discovery about the pond and people in my town, and a chance to find my way to a new life in this place and time.  I'm excited to start and will begin by reading stories written 30 years ago by a woman who moved here and also started a new life.

I'm oh so thankful to Adria Arch-teacher and friend, my family and new friends and neighbors for being so supportive.