I am not sure where the time goes, but it certainly has flown by! Here are a few of my latest pieces, six in all. Hope you enjoy them.
~Rita
Adirondack View, 8×10 oil pastel
Rolling Thunder, 8×10 oil pastel
Winter Stream, 8×10 oil pastel
January Snowfall, 8×10 oil pastel
Louden Road Pond, 8×10 oil pastel
Winter Field, 8×10 oil pastel
Well, here it is Thanksgiving weekend, and in a few weeks it will holiday time once again. I haven’t posted in a while, and realized it is because I have really been making an effort to spend as much time as I can soaking up my favorite season, Autumn. It has been a beautiful season this year, and as always, one that seems too short. Here are a few of the pieces I painted to remind me of the season I enjoy so much. ~Rita
November Song, 8×10 oil pastel
My Kitchen Window, 8×10 oil pastel
Autumn Falls, 8×10 oil pastel
As most of you know who follow this blog, I mostly paint landscapes, and have a particular love for this area and the Hudson River School Painters. But every once in a while, I really get an itch to do something different, and often it is a still life that seems to be calling to me. Yesterday was one of those days, and here is the result of that calling. ~Rita
Still Life with Jug, oil pastel
Winter Sun, 8×10 oil pastel
Yes, I know it is June, and I am not sure what is going on in your home, but this time of year typically starts the thermostat wars in my house. I am always way too hot, and my husband is always cold. The thermostat is constantly in flux, with each of us pretending to get up to do something and quickly bumping up or down the dial as nonchalantly as possible. I have a feeling this happens in more homes than I can imagine. In any case, although it is June, and my mind should be on the beautiful summer season, when I sat down to paint the other day, this is where my palette took me. And if you lived in my house, it would be no surprise why. ~Rita
Peters Kill Falls, 8×10 oil pastel
A few years ago my son bought me a book for Christmas called “The Artist as Native: Reinventing Regionalism”. The book is a collection of thoughts by various artists who celebrate the places they live and work. I guess it is universal that there are places that get into your soul, and become a part of you. My latest painting is of one of those places here in upstate New York. The terrain is filled with steep ledges that jut out over forests, and waterfalls that drop very dramatically. I didn’t get to spend a lot of time at this particular spot, but this view has been hijacking my thoughts since I got back. And when that happens, there is only one thing to do: Paint it. ~Rita,
Lavender Fields….. I don’t think there are any in this part of New York, but I wish there were, as I find that they are truly breathtaking. The inspiration for this painting came from a photograph by photographer/ blogger Kim at bigwhitehouseonthehill.wordpress.com. Thanks Kim, for letting me use your beautiful photo! ~Rita
Lavender Fields, 8×10 oil pastel
I have always been attracted to water. All forms of water: from nature’s ponds, oceans rivers and streams to rain on the sidewalk, and ice cubes in a glass. My latest two paintings are both of water in two very different forms. The first is of the ocean’s powerful waves. And the second is rainwater, shortly after a downpour on town roads, reflecting the colors of the city . Whether it is water in its most natural form, or the interplay of water manmade color and light, I believe water is truly one of those gifts that is a feast for the eyes and nourishes the soul. ~Rita
Crashing Waves, 11×14 oil pastel
Early Evening Rain, 8×10 oil pastel
It was one of those days today. I ran through my day doing a little of this and a little of that. All those things you really don’t want to do but has to be done…. worked on my taxes, stayed on hold with my insurance company forever, stayed in a line too long at the post office, went to the bank, got soaked in an unexpected downpour, etc., Now at midnight I am very tired, and thinking that I wanted to post the painting I finished yesterday. I find myself wondering about what I want to say about this particular painting. And as I was wondering, I passed by my studio, the painting still on the easel, and immediately knew what I wanted to say. Whether it is a landscape, a still life, or a dancer, these images I see and try to create in art bring me to a quiet reprieve from life. Watching these dancers, in their world of color and movement, concentrating on their practice quiets me. A quiet reprieve from the frenetic life we all experience at times. For tonight, it was just what I needed. ~Rita
Ballet Practice, 8×10 oil pastel
I have always been in intrigued by people who dedicate their life to one true passion. Those who for are willing to give up all else in their lives to do that one true thing. I am fortunate to live in an area that hosts the New York City Ballet for several weeks in the summer each year, and these young women who dance for us season after season are some of my favorite examples of this. I often think about their dedication… hours and hours of work day after day, week after week,…. being so singularly focused to perform these amazing productions. I often wonder about their lives…. who these ballerinas are behind the scenes, apart from what we see, and for these reasons, they are one of my favorite subjects to paint. ~Rita
Graceful Repose, oil pastel, 11×14
It seems as though everyone I talk to lately says that January seems to have flown by, and that they can’t believe it is February. It certainly seems that way for me. January was of those months where life just kind of got in the way, and I found I was frustrated that there was little time to paint. No real complaints here though, all I have to do is look around and see that these are small things in life. I am grateful for the time that I do have, and grateful that even when I am not painting, I can paint in my mind’s eye and compose works that will eventually get on canvas. This was one of those paintings…. one that I carried with me in my mind for the month of January, and finally had some time today to let it flow from my mind to my pastels to be painted. I guess there is some value in the wait, because when I finally got to paint it, there was much more of a clarity of direction, and appreciation in the process. Maybe that’s true of many things we have to wait for in life, part of the gift of the natural ebb and flow. ~Rita
Tidal Song, 8×10 oil pastel
New York North Fine Art 