Vermont Summer Fields and Mountains

Summer Fields and Mountains, near Ascutney, Vermont. Pastel on paper, 26" x 16", (c) 2011.  (click for larger view)

This morning I was photographing this large pastel prior to listing it for sale. That process really makes you look closely, especially since I was including some detail shots.

But what it really did was take back to Vermont itself. I felt myself standing on the rise looking down into this valley; I felt the slight breeze on my skin that was also moving the cumulus clouds along, saw the first touches of color in the red maples on the slopes, saw the ripples on the river, heard a hawk crying overhead. And then I felt myself standing over the work itself, a year or so ago, trying to play back the emotional content of those original impressions as I worked on the pastel, making decisions, trying to keep the handling loose because there of the motion and energy I felt in the landscape.

There are an infinite number of ways to go about it; this is just one choice. We think we "see" a scene, but in a quite different way from a photograph, a painting or a drawing ends up being just as much about us.

And it occured to me that time of year depicted is only a few weeks from now. I've noticed that the cycle of plants and flowering has been accelerated this year by as much as two weeks -- a somewhat troubling phenomenon. I wonder if the leaves will turn earlier too. Whatever happens, those summer days are precious, and while I'm very happy living in Montreal, it's nice to be transported back to Vermont for a little while. All the places I've lived or visited have their special qualities -- just like people!

Comments

[Hannah Stephenson]

Oh, wow! This is really beautiful, Beth.

It feels kind of Group of Seven-y, to me....

[Beth]

Thanks so much, Hannah! Those colors are very much what the Group of Seven was dealing with...I like their work a lot.

[Kat]

Oh, yes! The box elder across the road just had that first rogue branch go bright yellow - this morning I was thinking that you could feel the season starting to turn. The painting captures the feeling exactly. :)

[Beth]

Hi Kat! Well...there's the confirmation. I don't know if it's good news or bad news, but up here, too, I feel the balance has just tipped toward fall. What I noticed this week was how it's definitely getting dark earlier.

[marly youmans]

All your work is more dramatic, post-Iceland. Like that change!

[flask]

vermont is my home.

thank you for these beautiful views of it.

[Beth]

Actually, Marly, I think I did this one before Iceland...but that's the direction I wanted to go.

Flask, thank you for telling me. Vermont is a good home to have.

[christening gowns]

I visited various blogs except the audio quality for audio songs present at this web page is truly wonderful.

[Loretta]

This is stunning, Beth. I haven't been to Vermont in years and this brought it all back to me.

[marly youmans]

Well, then--where you wanted to go was an arrow pointing to Iceland! (Which reminds me of what I have not been reading... Shall try and catch up this week.)