Study of shadows and light

"Autumn dusk: study of light and shadows" by Hilary J. England, oil on canvas, 8" x 11" 2017

It's been a while since I have been outdoors painting. I was clobbered by an MBA math course plus extra teaching gigs, and poof, just like that, 8 weeks evaporated from my life. Not cool. But, that's all over now, and time to throw myself back into my work more fully, even with approaching holidays and new year. No difference to me. Don't get me wrong, I am no grinch, but I need to do my work to feel happy, so that is my priority.

This little painting made me happy. The sinking light was wonderful and peaceful to behold. The cool shadows and the warmer, glowing light just set my soul at peace ❤️

~Enjoy!

End of Summer

"Mountain sunset" by Hilary J. England, oil on canvas, 8" x 11"

End of Summer, and it's going out with lots of heat!  I was working on this the other day, and even in the evening, the heat and gnats were enough to make me leave at the halfway point and go home.  When I got home, I decided not to abandon the painting, and paint it "par coeur" (from memory) so, it's half plein air, half par coeur.  It's a hybrid!

I'm looking forward to the change of seasons -- I always do.  This summer was both hectic and a little chaotic -- it slipped by quickly, and yet, I still feel that frustration of not getting all the things I wanted to, even though I was very busy.  I guess it's just the way it goes sometimes.  

I have a list of nearly 100 portraits to complete, and I'm chomping at the bit to get them done, but as I'm also simultaneously working on my Master's, the recent calculus/statistics course I'm embroiled in is taking a lot of time away from my other projects.  As frustrating as that is, I know I must first apply all of my energies into that course, because it's once and done.  Second week of November, things go back to routine for me, so it's not that far off, and my competitive nature will not allow me to have a bad grade in the course, haha.  It just won't.

So, with that, back to work, and I hope Autumn is beautiful for us all.

~Enjoy!

Poppies and wildflowers

"Poppies and wildflowers in the field" by Hilary J. England, 8" X 10" oil on canvas, 2016

It was a beautiful day for painting outdoors. No humidity, and a slight breeze. I attempted to video this session, but I need a bigger memory card. The memory ran out about halfway through 😖.

I have been so busy lately, and the time just seems to get away from me sometimes, but today, time seemed to stand still, and there was great calm and peace while I painted this. That was very refreshing and somewhat unexpected, since the day started a bit on the hectic side. No matter -- all that matters is what serenity was found while painting this beautiful little scene.

~Enjoy!

Swan on the lake at sunset

               "Swan on the pond at sunset" by Hilary J. England, oil on canvas, 8" X 10"

I was at the lake the other night, and it was so nearly sweltering.  The gnats were attacking me, I wrenched my neck and shoulder out carrying my gear, and I dropped (yet again -- this seems routine haha) my painting face down in the dirt.  That really enraged me this time, and I was about to hurl the painting into the lake, but I didn't want to get arrested for littering ;-), so I sat down and took some deep breaths, and just sat there for a long time.  

The sun started to set, at nearly 9 pm, as I working and cleaning and transforming the little painting (which is against my own rules, but rules are made to be broken).  The Canadian goose, which was in complete silhouette, I made into a a swan, because again, it's my world, and at that moment, I preferred a swan to go along with my Debussy's "Clair de lune".  So, in the end, hurt neck, gnat bites and all, and then the giant thunderstorm that chased me away -- it all was still amusing, and my own world triumphed because I was able to make an enchanted world from the beauty that really was there, however fleeting it was. Like life....just make the best of it 😊 !! 

Enjoy ❤️

Purple pansy by the tree

"Purple pansy by the tree" by Hilary J. England

Oil on canvas, 8" X 10", 2016

I've been working a lot lately, but I have been feeling a bit down.  I have had some personal situations that are very stressing, and that affects me deeply.  I have someone very close to me who is desperately ill, perhaps in the end stages of life, and it drains me inch by inch watching this process.  I want so much to help, and to make it stop, to make it better, make it go away, and I can't.  I want so much to protect them from this, to keep them with me, and I see the disconnect beginning...when they begin to ever so slightly disconnect from this earth, and you can feel it, in your soul.  It's a hard perception to explain, but to anyone who has ever been around a terminally ill person, someone they were very close to, and went through this process, you will understand what I am saying.  I don't know how many days or months we have, I just know the process has begun, and my heart quivers in my chest at the idea of what is to come.

Many days I feel like I'm in a holding pattern -- so grateful for the love we have now, but not knowing what's ahead.  It's the oddest feeling, like being in limbo, and you still must go about your life, but it's like sleepwalking...you go through the motions, but your mind is switched off.  It's always somewhere else, no matter how conscious or focused you are on the task at hand.

I have been looking for peaceful little scenes that speak to my heart, and yet, are still challenging to recreate.  I did this one in town, again, while I was out wandering around after hitting the gym.  I was hungry, so I sat down to eat my almonds, and I noticed these little flowers.  I went back to them later on in the day, and the light and shadow was more dramatic, and that made me happy to work there.

I feel more connected to the Old Masters when I work outside these days.  I think of their joy at the beauty they were able to view and capture, and also all the pain of life on this earth, and how they assimilated the good and the bad into their work, to make something beautiful from the ashes.  I admire that persistence in the face of adversity, and it gives me pause to think about my own work.  If the sadness was too large, would I stop working?  What then?  Where would it manifest itself?  I'd probably end up a drunk face down in the gutter.  No, this is the healthier way to move through these painful events.

Enjoy~

Flowers in shade

"Flowers in shade" by Hilary J. England

Oil on canvas, 8" x 10" 2016

It was a scorcher today.  I wasn't prepared for it, even being forewarned by the Weather Channel, but somehow, going from losing tomatoes last week due to frost -- to 95 degrees, just seemed ludicrous.  And it is!  So, I went lumbering and sweating around town, like a bulldog in the heat, until I came upon this scene.

I found a wonderful little spot of shade, and the diversity of flowers and greens, warm and cool, was very captivating to me.  I sat there drinking it in, thinking back to my childhood, and I could hear the laughter and wonder within, and still picture that when I left, the sprites would come out of hiding and be about their business again.  It was enchanting.  And I probably baked my brain earlier in the sun hahahahaha.

This painting took a little time, because I wanted to make sure the balance of cool and warm greens was not lost in the translation.  There was a quiet energy to this place, even though the breeze only stirred the new leaves here and there, I felt the vibrancy of it as I painted.  It was just a wonderful little scene to capture.

~Enjoy!

San Fran

As much as I wanted to dislike San Francisco, I must say, I really enjoyed it.  I thought it would be a Lefty paradise, but I was pleasantly surprised, both by the very beautiful area, and the laid back people.  The city itself is at a pleasant pace, and minus some aggressive homeless people, it really is a very enjoyable city.  

Dale and I crammed in as much joie de vivre as we could in our small amount of time here, and as much as I loved the cultural activities such as visits to the local gallery scene, taking in some of the historical sites, etc., the crowning part of this trip was to Muir Woods, right outside of Sausalito, over the Golden Gate.  The redwood forest was so breathtaking, it stirred my soul so deeply, I never wanted to leave there.  It was as if one of those great, old, noble trees, with the nooks and crags and corridors, all of their mystery and magnitude, had a little doorway you could duck into, and be in the realm of elves and fairies, or cross over to some world like Narnia.  It was sublime.

All said, San Francisco seems a breezy town, large enough to rival Manhattan Island in it's sprawl, but minus the frenzy that seems to accompany NYC.  The city has a somewhat empty feel to it, and there is also an decent amount of empty storefronts throughout, along with the large homeless population that is not restricted to the mission, which gives it a somewhat forlorn feeling at times, of a city on the precipice of death, rather than one that is growing.  This city, seems to us, just at face value, a city that is surviving on tourism.  No one we met was a native.

Looking at the stats here, it's no wonder.  The city dwellers, by and large, can't afford to live here, and that puts many businesses under, due to out of control rents, and wage workers that can't afford to live in the city, or even near it, to fill the lower paying jobs.  Socialist policies versus capitalist corruption, and a magic elixir of disaster.  Very sad.

So, I was happy to have visited this very lovely city, and enjoyed the best of what it has to offer, the beautiful views, the easy pace, the yummy restaurants, and then, leave.  That's the best of all worlds!

Stonehedge

"Bottles and plants, Stonehedge" oil on canvas board, 12" x 16", 2015

Yesterday's work at Stonehedge.  I found a quiet little nook with all these great houseplants growing, in different shades of purple, and it was just was I was looking for.  No landscapes yesterday, I just couldn't do the set up and hide under the umbrella.

I really enjoyed my time there, it was so nice and peaceful and serene.  

Enjoy~

Day 17

"Wash day" oil on canvas panel, 11" x 14  

Day 17--Musical Beds

Closer to home.  Just a few days to go, and I am looking forward to going home and seeing my family and just being home and comfortable.  This is the first time I really feel somewhat homesick on a travel abroad, so it is what it is...alot went on on this trip, so I guess that is normal.  It is still up in the air whether this trip will technically be a failure for me, and that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I was unable to get even half the work done that I had anticipated, due to various setbacks, plus, being in shared quarters, it's difficult, no matter which way you slice it.  I tried to improvise things a bit, but there is a delicate give and take that must be done for the comfort of others as well, so that I was not able to get the amount of work done I would have as if I was on my own, which I originally intended.  For the sake of the residency experience I had made a decision to not leave the compound earlier on, and the group of artists, even though the accommodations were growing inadequate (not due to size, just to maintenance), but now I may regret that decision.  If I had left earlier, I might have had a chance at getting more work done, but that opportunity is gone now too, so either way, even if the accomodations are improved, I will be so far behind there will be no catching up.  I just have to accept and deal with that fact, and work with what I've got when I return to the States, to develop my series.

And, what I have is only a handful of sketches and five paintings, which is pitiful.  Last night, our room reached nearly 100 degrees inside, no breeze, and the moisture in the room was so dense, our pillows were soggy and smelled moldy.  Our air conditioner has not worked in over a week in the heat and intense moisture, but that is due to a maintenance problem rather than electrical issues. We were told that four of the five shared bedrooms DID have running air conditioners, even on the generator, whereas we (my roomie and I) did not have air conditioning for days now, and were told by the men that staff the property that the issue would be resolved, and sadly, it never was.  

After the room reached that zenith of heat, no amount of sleeping in your underwear could make it livable, just left us open to mosquitoes and predators (the human kind) by forcing us to sleep with all windows and even the door open for a little cross draft, so we were forced to decamp in the middle of the night, and join a room of 3 (that was also over original capacity of 2) who were kind enough to invite us into their already crowded quarters.  Now, there were 5 of us in this room, like artist refugees, huddled around the air conditioner, sleeping with our mattresses on the floor, and even though the room is very large, it was still an awkward experience, and one I do not wish to continue with for the remainder of my stay, mostly because I know I will never get a decent night's sleep for any of these nights left, just because I am a fussy sleeper.  This means I will be looking to leave here if the air condtioning situation can't be rectified today.  It's just too many people in a room, although another room of gracious artists did say we could join them (3 in a room), I feel kind of bad about that too, like a gate crasher, as their room is very small, but we'll see how it goes today.

So, that's my situation for now.  I got about 2 hours of sleep last night, and am groggy and grouchy.  I don't see a very productive work day in this weary and disjointed state, but I'm hoping to (again) try to push through the discomfort and get this painting done (it might be the final one here, not sure yet), and if the conditions aren't improved, have to have my hosts arrange for me to stay at another homestay or resort until Monday, where I can have some air conditioner and be able to sleep without feeling like I'm stuck to flypaper.  Not an impossibility in India by the way, as I had it in Goa at that modest little holiday home called "Angels" that I stayed at privately prior to coming to Lilypad.  As I understand, if the air conditioners cannot be fixed for our room today, the owner/ residency hosts will extend us the gracious action of sending us to a hotel a kilometer or so down the road that has air conditioning so we can spend the night in comfort, and then transport us back to the compound for breakfast and working, etc.  That is sounding very good at this junction, and although I like my room and my roomie and I had/have a good system in here, she is opting for the comfort of air conditioning as well...

That's the long and short of it.  Our residency hosts have been trying hard to get everything resolved, and for that I feel sorry for them, as they are also dealing with the gripes and discomfort of a group of 10, all are frustrated in varying degrees, by various issues such as the wifi, etc. and so, hopefully, we can just get this situation fixed today and enjoy the last several days here we have left.....In the meantime, I will try to finish up my last painting, and maybe if I can get another done by Saturday, I will attempt it.  I'll have to see how it goes, depending on the weather, the workspace, etc.

New Painting--"Change of season on the tree farm"

Ok friends, here is my new painting--sorry I was so slow to post, but I have been really swamped lately, and it's been slow going for me with just about everything. My wedding is this weekend, and I'm still just getting a handle on everything that needs to be finished up...the devil is in the details!!

This is from our local tree farm, the view is uncompromised, and so peaceful. There was a bit of nostalgia involved for me, the scene looked somewhat melancholy, yet hopeful, with the dark and overcast sky against the tapestry of color on the hills, and the baby trees that would get more time to grow and mature, rather than get cut for the holiday rush. That made me cheerful to think that the holidays are approaching...the landscape seemed to reflect that, as if it were taking a deep breath before it stepped forward into the impending soft blankets of snow that will no doubt be here in a few weeks...

Fine Art Registry's Featured Artist of the Month

Hello all!! I have the distinct honor and pleasure of being Fine Art Registry's Artist of the Month--you can read the article they did about me and my work at:

www.fineartregistry.com


I'm very flattered that they chose me, and I look forward to producing more artwork for sale and for print release, for my collectors.

New Painting!

Here is my newest painting...the color in the photo is a little off, the sharpness also, and it had to be cropped along the edges due to some shadow, but, you get the idea!

I'm starting a series of limited edition giclee prints, and I will post more details as the proofs come in, and become ready for sale!

Fine Art America--check it out!

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Untitled

I've had a lingering sickness for the last two weeks...it's in my throat now, but I hope it's on it's way out...

I've also had a lingering sickness in my mind...I feel all out of sorts...anxious, a bit depressed, as if something is waiting to happen...I can't pinpoint it, and I hate being distressed over something vague.

I guess I'll just out to my studio and start another piece...It's cool and clammy out, and I kind of like that...matches my mood.

My Dad came for a visit yesterday with Dale and Tom in tow...it was good to see him out and about, be he looked old and frail, and I was afraid to hug him and get him sick all over again. We all had a nice chat...discussing art, Silver Screen Hollywood, of course, Clint and his movies, Gran Torino, we went on to discourse about Henry Miller, reading some passages from "Black Spring" and as usual the state of the economy and political turmoil...drank some herbal tea...which was good because my nerves were fried with an ocular migraine triggered by an overdose of Chambourcin the night before...I gotta cut out the BS...that shit is going to be the end of me if I don't watch it.

Well, another cup of coffee, and I should be ready to head outside...