28 x 28 : at Harrison Gallery, Williamstown, MA
60 x 48 : oil on canvas : Left Bank Gallery
12 x 12 : oil on canvas : 2016 : at Woodstock Gallery, Woodstock, VT.
The great “old Route 10” in Vermont is a time-locked stretch of old farms, wide open fields and meadows, and one of the greatest roads to travel for inspiration for new work. The study above is of a barn tucked on a rise right off Route 10, and has been painted before, and will again, only larger.
An art teacher once advised me to “never paint a sunset.” He based his advice on his theory that some things in nature are so beautiful that no artist, in any medium, could improve upon the beauty of such a thing. I’ve considered that advice often, but am not sure I agree with it. Those words from the past are conjured up often, particularly in the Fall, when New England’s foliage is at peak, and the simplest drive down the road is a drive through blasts of color.
This photo (above) was taken yesterday on my way through Groton, MA, on the outskirts of the town center. Pulling over to snap this picture, that teacher’s words came to mind, almost convincing me to not pull over, as capturing some reference for a painting about something of such natural beauty would be a waste of time. But I took the picture anyway (choosing, again, to ignore his advice), and a painting will soon be underway.
The painting at top, “Sky Blue” was done over this past winter, based on a similar fall scene encountered on a similar drive, and though titled for the matching barn/sky color, is equally about the explosive fall colors of New England, and while it’s not a sunset, it is a subject worthy of attempting to capture in paint.
My site has been subject to repeated hacking attempts (and on several occasions, successful attempts), which has caused ongoing disruption of the site’s ability to be accessed.
I have rebuilt the site on a new hosting platform that prevents such attacks, and hope going forward no further disruptions will occur. If you have tried to access the site over the past few months, and have seen a warning from Google that the site was “blacklisted”…it was. But I have cleared my good name, and assured Google all is well. You should not see the message below ever again.
Pleased to have a great opening reception at Powers Gallery on Saturday night for the opening of “Dahmen and Batchelder” show that will be running through October. Great write-up in Boston Design’s online blog. Powers Gallery is in Acton, MA
42 x 30, available through Woodstock Gallery, Woodstock, VT
This small 12 x 12, along with another smaller piece, are headed to Hilton Head Island as part of a 6-piece grouping of smaller works going to auction with Red Piano Gallery (formerly Morris & Whiteside). The upcoming “Small Works” auction will be held July 18 in conjunction with the Sylvan Gallery in Charlston, SC.
To contact, email Renee O’Gara & Dave Gilly Gilstein charlestowngallery@cox.net
To view available work click link below:
New Hampshire’s White Pines elicit a “love’em or hate’em” response from those who live in this area. They are invasive, and have filled many farmer’s meadows, turning pastures to woods. Regardless how one feels about this tree, it is an icon of New Hampshire and northern New England. While I don’t like too many white pines on my property, I do like them, especially the shapes their branches and needles create at dusk. “Dusk Light” is of an old farm down the road, and as the sun sets, the cleared meadow beyond the stand of pines allows the setting sun to illuminate the remaining trees and create interesting silhouetted pattern from their branches.
