Sailing Away

Sailing Away

8x8 oil on canvas

Spy Pond Series #27

The Arlington Boys and Girls Club with the new banner

photo

Captain Cally, my faithful partner in this venture

photo

The whole scene--many of the wonderful activities that go on at Spy Pond Park

photo

A year at Spy Pond.  All those times of walking there, looking, painting, taking photos and just enjoying it.   When art making is involved with being at a place then one begins to see all of the shapes, colors, changes that might be missed while walking by and only taking a casual glance.  My goal in starting this series was to get to know a natural area that was new to me in a way that I'd be really looking at it in order to capture the experience in paintings, photos and writings in this blog.  I think its been a great success.  The pond and it's environment is now a friend.  It's fun to pass by an area I painted and both reminisce and see the changes that have taken place in a year.  The most dramatic was the placing of a banner on the side of the Boys and Girls Club--it was hung shortly after the first painting I did.

  

I've walked by the pond several times this week and still can't stop thinking of how a certain scene would look on canvas or paper.  I might add some more pieces and will share on Facebook as I've been doing.  I also am looking for the appropriate place to show the whole series.  It might be nice to put these pieces together in a small book which I'd sell at the show.  Any suggestions?  It should be somewhere in Arlington.  I'll share any news of this on Facebook and also post when work will be up for sale.

What's next?  Well Menotomy Rocks Park is a delightful place and as I walk Cally there a few times a week it could be perfect.  I keep trying out new ideas--monoprinting, working more abstractly, larger and will continue to post works on my regular blog:  karenwihbey.blogspot.com

Many thanks to friends and family for their encouragement and support.  (I'm not sure,  John, if I even came close to what HDT did at Walden but thanks).  Thank you to Cheri Walton, a fine artist and former teacher in Eastport, Maine who started a blog before I even heard of them, and maintains it to this day. Also thank you to my mentor and friend Adria Arch-www.adriaarch.com/ for suggesting this series and doing some hand holding through it.   She's a terrific artist and will be having a solo show at the Bromfield gallery in November.  Check it out:

www.bromfieldgallery.com/future-exhib.html‎

Thanks for viewing this blog and wish me luck!

Karen

Walking the path

Walking the path

8x8 oil on canvas

Spy Pond series #26

I've spent many, many days walking this path once, sometimes twice a day.  It's a great early morning spot to just saunter and meditate as Spy Pond is visible for maybe 15 minutes along the Minuteman Path in Arlington.  This gentleman just captured the spirit of the moment in the bright sun and I thought he'd make a great subject for this painting, one of the last of the series.  I started October 7, 2012 and it's been an amazing journey of exploring, enjoying and trying to capture some of what I discovered.  Some of my favorite spots are a little hidden, such as the steps leading from path along Route 2 down to the Pond, the view from the tunnel, the rocks on the shore near the baseball field where I could take Cally down to the water and, hidden from view, let her take a dip.  

quiet morning

Quiet Morning

8x8 oil on canvas

Spy Pond Series #25

I couldn't resist painting this serene view Saturday when I walked with Cally to check out the early morning Pond scene.  There were tons of runners and bikers but all seemed to be on a mission to get out and exercise and no one was sitting just looking out, unlike most mornings.  I had a good time with my oil paints, brush and palette knife and got a glossy surface on the water which can't be seen from this photo.  The day which started out overcast turned to bright sun by the time Town Day in Arlington started.  Thank goodness and it turned out to be a great day.

cycling past the pond

Cycling Past the Pond

8x8 oil on canvas

Spy Pond Series #24

I managed to catch a pic of a bicyclist out early in the morning.  The Minuteman Bike Path runs parallel to Spy Pond for a bit and makes for a nice view while riding.  I'll be adding more figurative art as I wrap up this year at Spy Pond!  

Tunnel view, morning view

Tunnel View

8x10 acrylic on canvas

Spy Pond Series #23

I took a picture of this scene last fall and had intended to paint it, but just got to it yesterday.  It's of a view of Spy Pond that comes up as a surprise if you head down Pond St.  The Minuteman bike path is above the tunnel.  It's such a sweet scene that I love to drive there if I'm on my way to the parking lot near the playground with my grandchildren.  Max shouts, "Tunnel, tunnel!" And we all repeat it and then he laughs.  Simple pleasures of a 2 year old, his sister and I.

Morning view

photograph

Yes there's lots of activity on the Pond in the morning.  I was out to capture a scene and couldn't resist this one of the ducks and deep green reflections.  It was hard to leave to go home--mild weather, a slight breeze. No one seemed in a hurry, even the folks on their bikes going to work.  

More cloud reflections

Clouds and Sky

8x8 oil on canvas

Spy Pond Series #22

So you can say I'm a little obsessed with painting cloud reflections!  My eye can't stay away from them when I'm at Spy Pond.  They're a captivating mix of beautiful reality and interesting distortions from the wave action.  Also they're upside-down from the way they are in the sky and appear to be their own entities.  Makes me wonder what makes these cumulous clouds appear gray on their underside. According to Darryn Schneider at http://optics.kulgun.net, "Clouds can also look dark or gray. This can be caused a number of different ways. But it is also due to perception by our eyes. A light gray cloud on a bright white background will look much darker than the same cloud on a dark or black background, in which case it might look white and bright. A cloud can look dark or gray because it is partially transparent and the blue sky behind it can be seen through the cloud. This will happen in light wispy clouds with little water content, and more often in ice crystal clouds. Ice crystal clouds can spread out more as the ice crystals last longer once they move out of saturated air (air with 100% relative humidity) due to it taking longer for ice crystals to sublimate (change directly from ice to water vapor), than water drops to evaporate."  And I thought it was a shadow!

Somehow we're intrigued by clouds and probably most of us have spent time cloud watching.  Their whiteness does appear to intensify the blue of the sky-a wonderful illusion as far as I'm concerned.  

Spy Pond is full of boaters at this time of year so I need to shift from sky to water.  After all, it's all about the Pond.

Cloud reflections

Cloud Reflections

triptych-acrylic on 3 8x8 canvases

The cloud reflections in the water at Spy Pond got to me.  They were so beautiful as they floated on the water and blended with the blue sky reflections that it took my breath away.   I had to try a simple version so here's a triptych that's maybe not quite finished and that I had a lot of fun with.  

Rocks and sky

Rocks and Sky

8x8 acrylic on canvas

Spy Pond series

Last week I spent a few hours at my new favorite spot at Spy Pond.  It's off the path which parallels Route 2 and I can't get enough of it!  Unlike the hot humid day we're having today,  it was perfect weather for hanging out on the steps leading down to the pond and painting.  I used watercolor for a sketch of this scene and then painted this picture at home.  There were several men fishing on other steps and one came down by my spot.  I'm sure that mid-day there aren't a lot of artists so he was quite surprised.  Having them there lent an air of serenity to the whole scene.  I wanted to take a picture but felt that I had invaded their space enough.  There are many sets of stairs leading from the path and half of them had people fishing quietly.  

It's been a little hard to make time for painting for this blog as I've been traveling and working on other projects, including painting chairs for the Chairful Where You Sit event coming up July 22 on the bike path off Lake St and on the green in Arlington Center.  It's the second year we're doing this and it's so much fun!  The chairs will be on display for a week and are available for a donation of $100 to Arlington Public Art.  Come on down and check it out!

The wet look

photo

It's so wet!  Yikes! and getting colder.  Everything's wonderfully green though and the path by Spy Pond is a delight to be on.  Many people are out and even the crew team was practicing yesterday.  I hope to have them as the subject of my next painting.  They are from the local high school and I think it's so great to be able to take part in this team effort while in high school. I think it has it all-mixing socializing, exercise, cooperation, learning a skill, etc.  I'm jealous as in my school only the boys played sports-the girls could be cheerleaders only.  Well it wouldn't have been my thing anyway, except if it was rowing!  I'm determined to get my small kayak on the water and paddle around and paint on Elizabeth island.  I think that would be a hoot.

Lilacs

Lilacs

10x8

acrylic on canvas

spy pond series #20

The lilacs have been incredible and I was pleasantly surprised to find these bushes close to the shore of Spy Pond on a particularly clear and windy day.  Heavenly fragrance...

What a lovely morning!

Morning Path

8x10

watercolor on paper

The spring yellow-green has taken over at Spy Pond courtesy of the willows.  Other trees are wisely waiting for the good solid warmth of May.  It seems like a cooler later spring this year but the past few days have been spectacularly clear.  My first medium for painting was watercolor and this scene begged for a light touch.  

Spring Green! Let's hope for peace on this day of destruction and loss.

Spring Green

8x8

oil on canvas

I started this post right after I had finished and photographed this painting.  The willows are just leafing out at Spy Pond and elsewhere and I was struck by their beautiful light green color in contrast to the dark brown bark of the tree which is nearly horizontal on the shore.  A few minutes after typing I heard about the explosions in Copley Square, Boston, the site of the Boston Marathon finish lane and had to put this aside while trying to get in touch with people I knew who lived and worked near there,  and friends and family who texted me with concern.  Luckily everyone I know is ok but we're all so saddened by the deaths and injuries and uneasy, worried about the potential for more bombs elsewhere which haven't been found.  Patriots's Day 2013.  Let's hope the injured heal and that families who lost loved ones can also heal.

Morning sunlight

Morning Sunlight

8x8

acrylic on canvas

We've had such beautiful weather the past few days.  The still-low angle of the sun in April allows for some lovely lighting and I hope I've captured that in this painting.  Spy Pond is a busy place these days with everyone out on the bike path, playground and water.  The rowing teams were out practicing-a beautiful sight,  especially backlit.  Also I'm noticing the blush of red in the maples as they begin to flower.  Magnolias are in bloom in Magnolia field and they're quite fragrant.  I'll have to check out the far side of the pond and see what's up.  The houses in the painting are on the shore opposite Linwood Circle.

Last of the snow?

Rocks and Snow

8x8

acrylic on canvas

Well it's windy, warm and rainy this afternoon.  This morning however, was lovely clear and blue and I  had a quick walk along the path by the pond. The sun was brilliant on the houses on the other side of the pond so I snapped a pic, hoping to capture this soon in a painting.  Meanwhile I was still looking at snowy pictures and was taken by this one of the shore rocks and snow on the water.  The rocks were glowing and the shadows were deep--my favorite scene.

Oh the sunsets!

Ice and Water

9x10.5

acrylic on board

I have't spent much time at the pond at sunset as my long walks with Cally typically were in the morning.  It's been a cold/snowy/rainy/dreary March for the most part and I've been in hibernation mode-hence no post for a few weeks.  Last week I managed to catch the sun just after it dipped below the horizon and silhouetted the far shore, taking my breath away.  There was still some ice and I think that enhanced the picture and I couldn't resist.  It was fun to work on a board using acrylics.  The surface is shiny now and I'm pleased with the results.  Usually I resist a sunset as nature does such a good job that paintings tend to look trite.  What do you think?

Bright lights

5x7 acrylic on paper with absorbent ground

Today the pond is gray, the sky is gray and the only bright spots are the joggers with their neon green jackets.  The water is open in parts and frozen in others, making skating only a dream.  We've had quite a bit of snow and cold weather but it's been mixed with thaws and rain.  Tonight it's supposed to both rain and snow-great :(   It's been a challenge to find a subject to paint lately so I'm posting one I did yesterday from a photo I took after sunset in the late fall.  It was fun to do a night scene from the fall and snap some color in on this dreary day.

blue snow

The incredibly blue sky
covers
sharp ice
under the soft snow with
blue sky shadows over
duck prints disturbing the even-ness
of snow with
reflections all over and

includes every color


Blue Snow
8x10
acrylic on panel

Roots

Roots

8x10

acrylic on canvas 

#12 art work of the Spy Pond series

I noticed this tree with it's enormous root system on the shore of Spy Pond when I was snapping some pics at Linwood Circle the other day and thought it might make an interesting painting.  It was fun to do though no pond view in it.

skating

First Skate

photo 

So exciting that I had to post this right off!  Of course I had just spent an hour walking Cally around Fresh Pond with temps in the teens and wind also so I'll just enjoy watching these folks.  And they're skating where I heard it was iffy, but all the pond looks frozen so I wish them well.  I may yet be tempted...maybe in the morning.  The weather's been so up and down that one needs to seize the opportunity or it'll be gone quick.  

Opposites

Winter Reflections

8x8 oil on canvas

Ice and Water

8x10 oil on canvas

Quite a day!  Inauguration of our 44th President and Martin Luther King Day and Volunteer Day.  I watched the whole inauguration event which included a tribute to Dr. King while my daughter and her husband planted bushes on conservation land in Santa Barbara. Good job!  Of course Arlington played a key roll in our history so I'm honored to live here near where it all began in Concord.

Here in Arlington it was cold, overcast and we're waiting for snow--or at least I am.  Spy Pond is open but Hill Pond is frozen.  The first painting is of a cove visible from the Route 2 path and the view was captivating.  The water was still and reflections were pure.  The second was a week before when the ice was just going out.  A couple of girls were exploring the rocks and I thought that the figure in red made a nice focus for this gray day.  The green lichen on the rocks came out too bright in the photo and I'll have to work on color correction or improving my photos.  

Ice in and ice out, snow down and snow gone, fog in

photo: snow, no ice

photo: ice, a little snow

photo: fog eating snow and ice

So this has been an interesting winter so far.  First the snow came and it was so beautiful.  Then the local ponds froze--also so beautiful.  Now I love both snow and ice and should really think about living in a locale that has both for at least 3 months a year.  However,  having family and friends all over New England, it's hard to leave.  So I did ski once around Thorndike Field near my house, and skated at Hill Pond in Menotomy Park a few miles from here.  Both were lovely, but I want more!  So like Ally McBeal,  I'll try Friday nights at the Frog Pond,  and look for snow north and west.  Here are a few photos of Spy Pond's ice in and out.  So with both gone,  I'm out walking the dog more and hiking around Menotomy with her and friend, and the fog has been serene.

winter's arrived!

Ice and Snow

8x10 acrylic on canvas

Reflections in the Ice

photo

Winter finally came with some snow on Christmas and then later in the week.  It's lovely and probably my favorite nature event.  Every thing's cleaned up and crisp, even the temps which dipped to 9 degrees last night.  The sunrise and sets are beautiful and the moon's low and large.  There's plenty of activity at the pond in terms of birds, commuters, families out for play and people like me out for a good picture.  The edges of the pond froze about a week ago and today it looked like ice covered most of it.  I was told that the area near the parks is deep and dangerous to skate on.  Boy I'd love to skate and even ski there! The banner on the Boy's and Girls club was nicely reflected in the ice this morning and I posted a picture.