new england

P H D

Piled Higher and Deeper

I think paintings are either commissioned, or, they are bought on impulse.  “Oooo I like that, it would look nice in the dining room.”

I paint what I like. It is on impulse, a dream, or I have looked at that scene on my way home and now I want to paint it. I like to paint landscapes, seascapes, pet portraits, old buildings with charm and sometimes people. I like to paint vegetables and fruit and glassware and copper and fabrics draped over or around. So now I have paintings piled higher and deeper.  Apparently I am not painting what people are looking for. YOU know, if you are a trained singer or flautist you probably want to sing or play for someone, else, what’s the point?  Me too. I don’t paint in order to stack more under the couch or closet but that’s what it’s come to.

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Conkey’s Tavern Painting will be found in the Lost Towns Brew Pub in Gilbertville, MA, when it opens in September.

I just finished an oil painting of Conkey’s Tavern. in Pelham, Mass.  It is extinct having fallen to the ravages of time and The Quabbin Reservoir.  Some of it was preserved and is in the American Museum in Bath, England.  I painted it from a photo, of course, but I had to use artist license to make it look like it is was habitable.  Notice on the right side front where an addition was put on. I painted what I saw, the not so careful meshing of the clapboards. Actually the siding looks rough sawn.  I added a chimney which had fallen off and I painted the clouds looming in the distance foreboding  disaster. It was built in the 1750s by Conkey himself and was the meeting place of The Shay’s Rebellion group.  Did you know that after the men came home when the Revolutionary War was over, they found in many cases their fields fallow, overgrown with weeds and small trees. It took years to bring it back to where it could produce enough for them to sell and get some money coming in. All this while the government was taxing them. They couldn’t pay so they faced jail and get their property confiscated.   The government in their ever brilliant minds don’t think about how these men will get the money if they are cooped up. So what does Daniel Shay do? He  plots to rebel against the government. There is a shootout in New Braintree among other places.  Keep in mind these men have endured the hardships of battle, weather, lousy food to wrest our country from Uncle George III and to top it off , they are owed money from Uncle Sam.  I feel bitter just thinking about it.

So I am focusing on finding other farms in the Lost Towns area to bring back to life. You look at these old photos and see nice farms, fields all clear of trees and scruff that 3 or 4 generations labored to clear and till or graze their stock. The government says

“We need your farm to provide water for Boston” some hundred plus miles away. “So find yourself another place “(and start again).  The factory workers didn’t have that depressing problem. They got up and looked for another factory. I am not intending to slight the emotions of factory or office workers.

I’d love to hear your opinions on some or all of the thoughts in this blog.

The Opening of my show was a delightful event for me. I had put out a guest book and the comments ranged from ‘beautiful show’ to ‘impressive work’. I had 32 paintings including oil, watercolor and pastel. I didn’t have room to hang more so I will take down the ‘solds’ and replace them. One of the paintings that sold was one that I almost didn’t hang. This painting caused verbal admiration from some and was snapped up quickly which surprised me. It was the depth and intensity of the blue in the water and the sky they said and that I should do more seascapes. There were other favorable comments on water scenes so I think maybe I should focus more attention to them in the future. These comments were an unexpected plus side to having the show. I wasn’t too surprised to find that the scenes of Our American West didn’t evoke much interest here in New England. I had sold five in California and Texas. The exception to that is paintings of cowboys and horses would sell in the East.
It was a lot of work for a long time in the making but as in other arts unless you put yourself out there into the public area you won’t know how your performance is rated. The show will be up another three months and I hope to get more feedback.
Here’s the article in The Worcester Telegram & Gazette

The Opening of my show was a delightful event for me. I had put out a guest book and the comments ranged from ‘beautiful show’ to ‘impressive work’. I had 32 paintings including oil, watercolor and pastel. I didn’t have room to hang more so I will take down the ‘solds’ and replace them. One of the paintings that sold was one that I almost didn’t hang. This painting caused verbal admiration from some and was snapped up quickly which surprised me. It was the depth and intensity of the blue in the water and the sky they said and that I should do more seascapes. There were other favorable comments on water scenes so I think maybe I should focus more attention to them in the future. These comments were an unexpected plus side to having the show. I wasn’t too surprised to find that the scenes of Our American West didn’t evoke much interest here in New England. I had sold five in California and Texas. The exception to that is paintings of cowboys and horses would sell in the East.
It was a lot of work for a long time in the making but as in other arts unless you put yourself out there into the public area you won’t know how your performance is rated. The show will be up another three months and I hope to get more feedback.
Here’s the article in The Worcester Telegram & Gazette