More painting

"Stonhedge in late Summer" 12" x 16" oil on canvas by Hilary J. England

I have to say, I have been very very busy lately.  I have been planning for upcoming shows, and with school, running the B&B which has been booming, and working diligently on my paintings, I'm just a paintin' fool!!  I love the cooler weather (although we are technically still waiting on it), and I'm looking forward to Paris in November, and perhaps going on to Italy from there.

I'll leave you with this quick, impressionist study I did of a beautiful enclave in Stonehedge Gardens.  It was very shaded and cool and damp, and it just kind of struck my fancy.  It's titled "Stonehedge in late summer" and it is 12" x 16" oil on canvas.

Lots more to come!



"Summer picnic in Pennsylvania" by Hilary J England, 2011, 36" x 48" oil on canvas

Well, I finally finished this piece.  I hit the wall and forced myself through...I get bored easily, and like all people I have to force myself to finish what I start.  In the end, I'm happy with the painting, but this one was not any easy or pleasant one by a far cry.

First, the nature of it (so many people) took maximum effort.  Multiple figure groupings are a challenge from a design standpoint, but I was very happy with the design I finally ended with--it was just hte painting itself.  Through the end of the summer, it was a miserable experience, to be blunt.  But, I perservered through sweat, fly, gnats, sweltering heat, and general frustration, and I finished it.  That in itself is a victory.  Near the end, I was ready to just throw it aside...but I knew how much that would bother me.  I would not be able to move on until I gave it my very best once more, and in the end, I really think it came together wonderfully.

So, now I can breath a sigh of relief, sit back and really enjoy this painting, and move on to the other large scale paintings I'm looking to begin...Hooray!  Out with summer and in with the cool weather!