Updates from Terri on Her Art Journey
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Autumn in New England is stunningly beautiful. So, for my final week of my September challenge to paint the trees of Connecticut, I thought I’d share these paintings of the lake and forest on top of Burr Mountain in Torrington.
Taken from a photograph I took here LAST fall, they are painted in acrylics. Once again, I used the Moore Method of Painting. That is, I used only three flat brushes, three colors (ultramarine blue, alizarin crimson, and yellow ochre), and painted in just three steps (first I drew them, then I blocked in the values, and finally, I put in the details). This is the painting method I was certified to teach earlier this year. As an MCI (Moore Certified Instructor), I hope to teach beginners how to paint when I get back to Las Vegas in November. As much as I enjoy the colors of fall in Connecticut, I am eager to get back to my home and friends in Las Vegas. That’s where I’m happiest and most productive.
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President Biden has declared the COVID pandemic “over.” And so I let my guard down, and of course I caught the virus. After two years of social distancing and masking, I was relieved to be able to go back to a “normal” life. Two weeks ago, I took the train into the city—sans mask—and toured the Museum of Modern Art; somewhere along the line, I picked up the bug.
Fortunately, it was a pretty mild case, and this morning I tested negative. But in my COVID fever stupor last week, I saw the forest outside my bedroom window a little differently, and this is what I came up with. I used watercolors, crayons, ink and colors I never use, like purple, pink and orange. It’s pretty much garbage, but at least I didn’t give up on my challenge to spend the month of September painting the trees of Connecticut. These are just trees of a different color! And I learned that not even a fever will prevent me from painting. It’s just good medicine. For the second week of my September “Connecticut Trees” series, I painted three versions of my favorite spot on the lake on top of Burr Mountain in Torrington, CT. In the more than 20 years that I’ve had a place in the lovely community that adjoins this lake, this is where I’ve most enjoyed visiting.
These paintings do not do justice to this beautiful setting. Painted from slightly different perspectives, the first one I did in watercolor and the two others were painted with acrylics. I’m struggling mightily with painting trees, but I’ll keep studying and I’m not giving up yet. Unfortunately, I’ve had a bit of a setback. Yesterday I tested positive for COVID-19, which is why this blog post is a day late. (Btw, I HAVE been vaccinated and boosted twice. So, I’m hopeful that this will be a mild case and I’ll be back at the easel before the end of this week.) It’s Labor Day and I pray you’re able to kick back and enjoy the unofficial last day of summer.
When I got to Connecticut at the end of July, I’d planned to spend the month of August painting scenes of New England. My hope was to create a “Painting-A-Day” event where every day of the month I would post a freshly made painting. Alas, as they say, “life happens.” Distractions, disruptions, etc. etc., and a disappointing result (no daily paintings posted). But rather than despairing, I take comfort in Proverbs 13:12: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a TREE of life.” There’s that word again: TREE. God made trees for me to observe, admire and PAINT. At least, that’s what I believe. Trouble is: I can’t paint a tree to save my soul. However, my dream (longing) is to paint beautiful trees that will glorify God. They won’t be picture perfect and nowhere as beautiful as the real things, but my trees will be unique and have a beauty of their own . . . that’s my hope. And with God’s grace and the help of the Holy Spirit, I will eventually get there. So, I’m challenging myself (and you are my witness) to paint trees for the entire month of September, and I will post them here in my blog. The trees I’ll be depicting are from the woods, forests and lakes of Connecticut. My first installment is this series I did as part of an assignment for Louise Fletcher’s “Find Your Joy” course. It’s unusual for me because I used tools that I don’t ordinarily use (palette knife, ink) and painted with both watercolor and acrylics. They’re not great, but it’s a start. Perhaps by the end of the month I’ll be able to paint something that resembles a tree, or at least my vision of it! |
AuthorTerri Thompson is a journalist-turned-visual artist, who is on an "art journey" and exploring how to tell her stories through her watercolor and acrylic paintings and photographs. Categories |