Last Rose of Summer in Holland

Roses are still holding out here in The Netherlands. The Heart of the Hilltowns show has been dismantled and waiting for me to round up getting portraits to their owners. That will happen around Thanksgiving when I will be back in Cummington. Meanwhile I am painting portraits and flowers here and wishing you all well.

last few days

I know it is not straight. too lazy tonight. This will be the last post about "The Heart of the Hilltowns" exhibit at the Cummington Community House. open all the time! I am still very happy with this show.
I want to thank all the 49 participants again and I am looking forward to starting the next group around Thanksgiving in the Hilltowns.

Cummington Show

This portrait is very small, 6" X 6", oil on paper over carton mounted on a wooden block. It is not in "The Heart of the Hilltowns" show entering its last week at the Cummington Community House, Cummington, Ma. Neither is it a "conversation portrait". It is the only portrait I could download this evening.  So here it is. I made this series of "block images" in 2013.
None the less, I am asking those of you who have not been to please come and look at the 49 portraits I totally enjoyed making this past year in the Hilltowns of Massachusetts. Again I want to thank the participants. I will continue the series the last week of November.

back from America

One of the four panels which Herman made and hung for "The Heart of the Hilltowns" exhibit presently going on -until October 31- in the Cummington Community House, Cummington, Ma.
We are just back in the Netherlands after 16 wonderfully exceptional fall-color days with our kids. This show was a high point for me. along with seeing Cooper, of course.

cummington artist

I picked up this series of Hilltown portraits again. This time I have to work from a photo I took of this very engaging Hilltown aquarelist in her garden. Through a number of conversations I have had from her and a few lessons to boot, I hope I am able to get her youthful exuberance translated in oil paint strokes. Again, so much fun to paint these small vignettes, this time in Holland.
Herman and I are building up to coming to the Hilltowns and organizing, framing and hanging the exhibit for the grand opening, 9 October. Everyone is invited. 7 p.m., Cummington, Community House.

Life can be exciting. My life can be exciting. Technology makes it even more exciting.
In 1990 I made this portrait of an engaging 2 1/2 year old. The parents have it hanging in their bedroom.
This past summer in Cummington, Ma, I was emailed from the father of this charmer asking me if I could make a pastel of her now, 25 years later. She is 27 and our conversation gave me the needed inspiration. I am now working hard to give them a pendant.
This is satisfying work to be sure.

Back in the waterlilies.

Yes, I am back in Holland, sitting at the water's edge and already noodling at paintings  I thought were finished. Like this one, which has gotten greater depth. Sorry you can't see the last version because figuring out what to with a painting is easier than figuring out how to get the new version on this Blog!