MidAtlantic Plein Air Paintings
The MidAtlantic area and especially the State of Maryland has some of the most lovely landscapes to paint. There is even beauty in the barreness of late Fall and Winter. The problem is as people spread out and demand urban amenities which swallow up the rural landscape - finding places to paint that talk about the small towns, the farmlands and the sense of place are slowly disappearing to be replaced by shopping centers and housing tracts.
I am looking to document the changing landscape and areas that are being held in Trust for the next generation; so that they have spaces to enjoy nature in all her beauty.
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SunFlowers at Broom's Bloom
This old milk can serves as a vase for the oversized sunflowers. The field in the background is the soon to be blooming sunflowers. -
Bynum Run
When I first moved to Harford County I was mesmerized by the many streams that flow throughout the county to the Bay. Across the road from my home runs the Bynum. Since there was only one house on that side I was able to set up and paint the stream. Since then, houses have been built and it is now more difficult to find a place to set up to paint this stream. -
Lirodendron Garden Urns
One of my favorite places to paint is the Liriodendron. The Liriodendron was built in 1898 as the summer home of Dr. Howard A. Kelly, one of the four founding physicians of Johns Hopkins Hospital. A group of artists meet most Wednesdays and hold small critiques of our work and set up times to either paint at Liriodendron or another historic site. -
Native Museum at Lirodendron
This used to be the ice house for the Liriodendron. It is now a Native American artifact museum. -
Winter Urns Lirodendron
The back porch of the Liriodendron has a rail that has urns ensconced along the cement railing. During the summer the urns overflow with flowers and a covering of Wisteria provides shade. On a warm February with the cool light of Winter and the barreness of the woods I wanted to capture the beauty of a urns in Winter. -
Porch Urns - Lirodendron
Summer the urns overflow with flowers and the wisteria is in full bloom. The wisteria arch throws some of the urns into total shadow while others capture the light. The front urn and the last urn get the most light and are like bookends of a mysterious story. -
Ma & Pa trail
Just outside the town of Bel Air proper is the Ma and Pa trail. An old rail line from Baltimore to Bel Air used to run along where the trail is today. It was used by Dr. Kelly to go to Hopkins and back to his Summer home. Today it is used by people jogging, walking their dogs or just themselves walking. Walking along the trail has the feel of going back to a slower time. In the Summer the trees provide a cool respite from the Summer heat. I love the patterns the shadows create along the path and how the path flows gently around to cross over Heavenly Waters stream. -
Priestford Road Farm
Turn off left from Route 22 onto Priestford Road. You will not have to go far to find this farm. I loved how the silo cast a shadow on the barn's roof. How the trees surrounding the barn was both warm and cool, while the light was cool and the shadows on the barn were warm.
