Above photo credit: Jaylyn McFadden
My studio is the former taproom in an 1830s brick house in rural Vermont.
But my favorite studio is under the sky where I get started on most of my paintings. The French call this en plein air, meaning in the open air. My brother gave me an old easel and it accompanies me around the back roads and hillsides near my home. In 2022 I started painting from the bed of our old pickup truck (I saw the Irish artist Elizabeth Cope doing this on the pages of Faire magazine and had to try it). I spend the winter months finishing my summer paintings, and creating dreamscapes that are composites of the places I’ve been fortunate to go. I work in slow-dry acrylics by Golden Paints and use wide hardware store brushes and Rosemary artist brushes. Just love them!
From my journal
Yellow Blooms, Late February
Nine days after I brought forsythia branches indoors I found the first three flowers opening. By today—day eleven—the whole arrangement is showing off. Through the yellow tinged branches I can see a red cardinal flitting around in the falling snow....
Pears and Tulips. Snow Covered Branches.
Two nights ago R and I crawled into bed grumbling about snow and cold and wind. We've had our fair share of each lately. We love snow, usually. But winter was wearing us down. How funny, then, to wake up to winter paradise the next morning. It's like...
Forcing Forsythia, the Love of Orange
As I typed the words 'forcing forsythia' I heard them spoken in the voice of Sylvester, the cartoon cat who always chased Tweety Bird. These metal industrial stools cheered me when I came across them this morning via Nest Design Studio. I do love...
Follow Along
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I send emails when the stars align (every so often).
See Original Art Here
- Flower Festival Exhibit, Artistree Gallery, Pomfret, Vermont, through July 17
- Royalton Memorial Library, South Royalton, Vermont through mid August
- Bank Street Gallery, AVA, Lebanon (New Hampshire) ongoing
- First Branch Coffee (Vermont) ongoing
- In my home studio by appointment
Where I'm Teaching...
- Summer Workshops open for registration. More details here.
