August 28, 2010: Journey Back in Time

Last week my husband Paul and I visited lovely Central New York, where we grew up and started our family together. The weather is usually warm and sunny in late August, and we weren't disappointed this year. We drove around the beautiful hilly farmlands of Madison and Onondaga County, and visited a working hops farm. I was able to take some reference photos of several old hops buildings for a painting for an upcoming show of historic farms at The Gallery of CNY in late September.   We dined in the courtyard of iconic Lincklaen House (see my colored pencil drawing "Travelling Light") in the quaint lakeside village of Cazenovia, the home of The Gallery of CNY. The first course was warm popovers hot from the oven. The onion rings were golden brown and lightly crisped. And  of course Paul and I enjoyed our haddock sandwich and cole slaw, which is a Central New York tradition.   Distant sailboats danced on shimmering Cazenovia Lake as we headed back to Syracuse. See "Vantage Point", oil on canvas.

Old House by the Road: August 16, 2010

I recently finished this oil on canvas, "Summer House." As I painted the roof in broad swift strokes, applied thick pigment to the corners, and added some warm dabs of color to the windows, I remembered my love - even as a teen-aged artist - for the simple lines of these New England style farmhouses.   I found them everywhere along the rural roads of Central New York. One autumn weekend, when  I needed a subject to draw in my sketchbook for high school art class, my mother and I took an aimless Sunday drive along narrow roads lined with asters and goldenrod. "Stop here!" I yelled. My mother did as directed, but with a shrug and a look that said, "What do you see in that fallen down old house?" But for the next hour, she patiently read the paper while I sketched and wondered: who planted that rose bush, and why did the front door have no step?   On the way home, we cooled off with the car windows opened all the way. My mother suddenly said, "I always did like our old farmhouse better than the new ranchhouse..."