Thursday, June 16, 2011

The Peninsula Series


















































































































































































Over the past year I have been fascinated with a singular part of the Severn River landscape. This peninsula juts out into the river like a crooked arm shielding and protecting what we called as kids the "lagoon"or Brewers Pond. I find it restful just looking at it. It is the last piece of land on the Severn without palatial houses and the last wild place. Some call it "the Green Cathedral" and parts of it are protected. I used to explore and go camping here as a boy and I always loved what the sun did to it at different times of the day , especially at dawn. When I was a teen and trying to be a painter I attempted to paint it and failed miserably because I had no idea how to do it. It was 40 years before I tried again.






































3 comments:

Katherine van Schoonhoven said...

I like the Peninsula Series of paintings -- they show the beauty of the eastern shore. More deciduous trees at the shoreline than the Pacific Northwest coast, where the evergreens crowd every available inch of soil.

The easel shot is my favorite. I can just imagine the tide coming in, or going out, as you're painting. Like a slow heartbeat or breath. How I love that stuff!

I hope that there's more to come with your series. I'll be checking in to see.

William Cook said...

Hey Mike--Looks like I missed a few posts--been way busy. These are really nice. I like the water in it's different times of day. That's something I've noticed on the water crabbing--the completely different look of the water over just a few hours. It's showing up well in your series. You're starting to sound like an old geezer with the forty years talk--one old geezer to the other.

Hey Kvan!

m.gaudreau said...

Yes, Bill. I do feel geezer-like.Approaching the big 6-0 I guess I am feeling nostalgic for the times when there was still some wild space here in MD. Part of what interests me about these paintings (besides light and shadow, of course) is that if I was to turn around and look behind me the entire landscape would be filled with houses. This little piece of land I have painted belongs to me- in my memory.
and Katherine , Thank you for your comments I have a pastel coming up that will , I think, complete the series that I want to keep very ,very loose. I feel I have more freedom with pastel as I am not struggling with mixing colors that I see but have the ability to pick up a colored stick that suprises me.