Molly and Her Hen

My daughter's friend Molly met us at the car one day with her chicken on her shoulder.  I'm a sucker for birds on shoulders.  If you scroll down you'll find another painting with this theme.  

This is one of a series of tiny portaits I'm working on.  The others can be seen on my portrait blog (there's a link to the right).  4x6" oil.   

Which Came First?

This is my second collage.  I started it when visiting friends in Sharon, CT a few weeks ago. We went to buy eggs at a local farm and I just loved the label on the carton, so I cut the labels off all their egg cartons, raided their fabric box, opened several cans of house paint, cut up their magazines, poured out their popcorn.... (Fortunately my friends are very gracious hosts!)  It wasn't until I took the collage home though that I realized I really needed to cut up one of my New Boston landscape paintings to make it work... oh, and borrow a small plastic animal from my daughter's farm set to glue in the upper right corner... (Mixed media on barn board, 12X19)

The Daniels Farm

 This is a classic old farm on Bunker Hill Road.  You have to get permission to climb up through one of the pastures to see it from this angle.  What a view!  (16X20, oil)

Back Road - Fall

For the last few weeks I've been doing interior wall finishes under the direction of designer Lisa Teague.  The client whose interior we're working on has 3 large collage paintings I've been admiring.  They inspired me to try to capture my feelings about a place instead of painting literally what I see.   This painting is about Cochran Hill Road, New Boston. 16X20 mixed media.  $350 

New Boston Central School is OUT!

Rainy weather for the last day of school and my daughter, 5th grade (officially 6th grade now), walked home with her friend, both crying.  Breaking into my rendition of Alice Cooper's School's Out for Summer was inappropriate yet again...  

Ms. Racey, we'll miss you!  

5X7, oil

Joe English and the Peach Trees

This is painting #27 in what I hope is a series of 100 paintings of New Boston.  This is Joe English Hill from South Hill Farm between storms.  It was really the sky around the outline of the hill that interested me, but the challenge was painting the foreground trees so they stood out from the green background. 

When  I went to download the painting on the blog, it turned out the storms had downed the server.  But all is fine this morning.  5X7, oil.

New Boston Cemetary

Rainy afternoon and I'm still thinking about my friend who died of a heart attack last weekend. Really felt like a day to paint in the cemetary.  I like this little family group of stones surrounded by a fence and I love this little white building with the one window that watches over everything.  5X7, oil.

River Rd. VI

Yesterday there was no post because I totally botched my canvas -- sometimes that happens when I try new techniques. So today I went out first thing and I think this one is a keeper. This is Jean Lowell's house again as one goes south on Rt. 13 (River Road). 5X7, oil.

Apple Barn ll

I'm trying a new technique with this and the previous painting. I'm pretty excited about it.
This is the view of the barn I see from my living room window. 5X7, oil.

Apple Barn l

This painting is dedicated to my  supportive husband -- a great dad and stepdad -- for Father's Day.     

The Apple Barn building was part of the Whipple estate, built in 1888 after the fire.  It's a prominent landmark of New Boston village. Though it was recently converted to a modern commercial space on the inside, it's every bit a fine old barn on the outside.   The building is available for lease or sale through Grubb and Ellis.  5X7, oil.

Jed's Barn, New Boston

This painting is a Father's Day commission for Jed from Holly and Julie.  Jed and I are a couple of steps apart on the family tree and I enjoyed the chance to make this painting for him.  I think the Obama sign totally makes it.  And the two cats were like whip cream and a cherry when they wandered through the scene...  Thanks for the work, girls.  Happy Father's Day, Jed!  5X7, oil.

Piscataquog River, Heron Take Off

This really happened!  The usual Friday painters were all on the Depot St. (Greg Pierce Memorial) Bridge painting the river.  The heron was standing on a rock, but he wasn't very central to my composition until he started to take off.   It was a lovely AHA moment.    

There are two herons frequenting this part of the river these days.    5X7, acrylic on canvas.  Sold

Barss Farm, New Day

The lucky folks who live at this lovely old farm on Joe English Rd. look at the view I painted yesterday.  5X7, acrylic on paper.

Joe English Hill

The storms last night brought in a new refreshing weather system and the clear air made the granite on Joe English Hill look particularly fine. 

This painting is dedicated to the Fish family who is leaving New Boston.  A super pleasant, community involved bunch, they'll be missed.  

Read the story of Joe English Hill by clicking the link.  It's a New Boston favorite.  5X7, oil.  Sold

Cement Barn ll

I love the broad walls of the cement barn which I make with yellow ochre, white, and a tiny bit of yellow.  This is a perfect subject for a drizzly day like today because I can park and paint from my car with the canvas propped on the steering wheel and the pallet on the passenger seat.  5X7, oil.

Cement Barn l

This is the cement barn, part of the Whipple Farm of yore.  RJ Whipple raised all the food for his three Boston hotels in New Boston (one was the Parker House, which still exists).  This was the dairy which had 80 fine cows and was fully automated -- very modern for the turn of the 19th century!  It's empty now and for rent.  Call Wayne Daniels if you're interested.  5X7, oil.

River Rd. V

Another view of River Rd. (Rt. 13) as you go from New Boston town center to Goffstown.  Notice there's a little Heidi Palmer Real Estate sign in front of the red house -- a duplex.  5X7, oil.

Fireman's Breakfast

New Boston's volunteer fire department puts on a great breakfast the first Sunday of every month (except July).  The breakfast is held in the fire station so the trucks are parked outside.  It was a beautiful day to stand on the town common and paint them -- plus I got to stop and have breakfast with my family half-way through. 5X7, oil.

The Graduate Checks Her Messages

Julie Katz graduated from Ursinus College.  HURRAY!!!!  Today we celebrate.  5X7 acrylic.

River Rd. lV, Jean's House

Today's painting is of Jean Lowell's house.  (I was particularly interested in capturing the lilacs.) Jean gets her hanging baskets out and window boxes dolled up ASAP in the spring.  Her place always looks tidy and pretty (and so does she).   5X7 oil.

Frances Smells the Lilacs

This is Frances.  Often lately she's been visiting the garden center next door with her dad.  Here they are stopping to smell my lilacs on their way to load up more fruit trees.  5X7, oil.

Rock in the River

Tried to get out to paint all day Tuesday, but it got so hot and muggy I flagged and finally painted this rock out in the river that I can see from my kitchen window.  It looked much cooler than I was.  But the river is low.   I wish it would rain! 

River Rd. lll, Mannas'

Painted this late in the afternoons on two days. The Mannas' house is the first one you pass on your way out of the village going toward Goffstown.  It backs up to the ballfield.   7X9, oil.

River Rd. ll

This is Carl Chancey's house.  Carl knows a ton about New Boston.  Those are two big old lilac bushes in front and one of the cars he's working on.    Thank you Ellen for having some purple paint for me to borrow!  5X7, oil.

River Road l

Painted this view from the Depot Street bridge this morning. River Road has a nice collection of houses all village scale.   5X7 Oil.