Images from Vermont

A few images from our recent trip to Vermont. The foliage was incredible. From the top: 1) more of the barns at Scott Farm in Putney; 2) the view from our condo at Killington; 3) my wife and mugging for the camera while riding the gondola to the top of Killington; 4) foliage along the ski lift at Pico.

Barn Cupola (Vermont)

After a rather long, month-and-a-half hiatus from the blog (and painting), here's the latest. 9"x12", watercolor, pen & ink, on Fabriano paper. (What a crappy scan!)

Amish Buggy

From our travels in Lancaster County, PA. I always feel sorry for the Amish residents because they have to put up with the armies of tourists who gawk. How many of those tourists understand the derivation of the term "Pennsylvania Dutch" and realize that it has nothing to do with Holland or the Dutch. But the identification, however incorrect, persists. I at least try to respect the Amish privacy and antipathy for having individual pictures taken by never photographing members of these communities. For me, the striking part of this image was the whip. 9" x 12", watercolor, drybrush, pen & ink, on Fabriano paper.

Amish Windmill

The most difficult part of this painting was the sky, which required at least 20 washes in four colors - plus several more clear washes - to get it "just right." And then my lousy scanner reduced it all to a shambles, erasing the subtleties of the color blends and the transition from blues to yellows. Oh well . . .

I spotted this windmill on an Amish farm in Lancaster County, PA. (When I see the word "windmill" I immediately think of the more elaborate European variety, like the beautiful windmills of Holland, used to pump water out of the Dutch lowlands.) Watercolor, drybrush, pen & ink, on Fabriano paper, 9" x 12".

Odds and Ends from Scott Farm

Just some final shots pulled from the 300 photos I took over three days in November . . .

Scott Farm in Color

Ok, despite all of the black & white/sepia-toned images from Vermont, I did manage to take some color photos because the color variations in the wood are just as strong as the pattern and contrast studies. These shots were all taken of the ca. 1864 main barn. The sheep live in the bottom level when not mowing the surrounding fields. Unfortunately, their guard llama, Mac, picked up some kind of parasite which produced encephalitis-like symptoms. By the time we arrived on the Friday after Thanksgiving, he had lost the use of his hind legs. He loved apples, so we gathered leftover apples from the orchard for his Friday afternoon dinner. On Saturday morning, the vet came - and the man to drive the backhoe - so Mac could be put down and buried. My wife, who has years of experience with horses and has been present at many such ordeals, joined our friend Margaret to offer support. The boys understood what was going to happen, but we didn't think they had to witness it, so I took them to downtown Brattleboro for a shopping expedition. Margaret is already checking leads on a new llama and will likely purchase one in the spring. A guard llama is necessary up there to protect the sheep from predators like wolves and coyotes. Enjoy the photos.

A Fleecy Weekend

After spending a lazy Thanksgiving day at home, we traveled to Vermont for the remainder of the holiday, visiting our friend Margaret at Scott Farm near Putney. Between the sheep and Kip, the border collie, it was a fleecy, hay-covered weekend. I still have the sound of the more-chatty-than-usual ewes in my head after three days of walking through barns and fields, camera in hand. By our departure on Sunday afternoon I had taken roughly 250 photos, so obviously this is just the tip of a much larger iceberg. As always, Vermont proved entrancing, a result primarily of the quiet and lack of suburban clutter. I'll post more in the coming days.

Vermont, Part V: Scott Farm Textures

Here are a few more sepia shots from Scott Farm in Putney. With weathered barns and rusting metal, the farm offers a great study in contrasts that regular color photos just don't capture.

Kip the Wonder Dog

This is our buddy, Kip, who herds the sheep on Scott Farm in Vermont. He has to be one of the sweetest dogs I've ever met, and like most border collies, super smart. Plus he follows directions better than my children. We usually call him Kip the Wonder Dog, but about a month ago he wandered off for about 24 hours. Now he's Kip the Wander Dog.

Vermont, Part IV: Sheep

While in Vermont we spent Friday afternoon, Saturday morning, and Monday afternoon on Scott Farm - picking apples, wandering between the barns, and watching the sheep. The boys always enjoy helping with the feeding and watering. But our favorite activity is playing with Kip, the border collie, as he moves the sheep between different fields. I love the perspective in the second photo. Kip has set himself directly in the path of these ewes, blocking their progress. As I've mentioned before, he's a sweetheart of a dog, but is happiest when he's running the sheep.

Vermont, Part III: Church of Our Savior

The beautiful little Episcopal church is just off Route 4, east of Killington. We had seen it from the main road for years, tucked behind the trees on the north side of a mountain stream. Although we had always pointed it out when passing, we never stopped. I decided to change that on Monday, detouring onto the gravel road for a closer look. What a reward! And it was open! Consecrated in 1895, the Church of Our Savior reminds me of stone village churches scattered throughout England. All it lacks is the clocks that usually adorns the English churches. The stained glass was simple, but beautiful, and the woodwork of the church's interior was stunning (especially the tongue-and-groove arched ceiling). It represented a sharp contrast to the white clapboard congregational churches that dot the New England landscape. In the end, my wife was sorry we hadn't stopped in for services on Sunday.

Vermont: Part II, Fall Colors

First of the fall colors, with a set of close-up images using the macro setting on my digital. Pretty good results in terms of sharpness. I'm curious to see how these images compare to those taken with 120-size film. At standard snapshot or 5x7" size, I doubt there's any discernible difference. However, I'm guessing that with successive enlargements, up to 11x17" for example, the film image would prove better, thanks to that big negative.

Vermont: Part I

I was in Vermont over the last four days, enjoying the scenery, hiking the mountains, eating lots of food that's yummy but far removed from my diet, and taking pictures - lots of pictures. With the digital camera alone I took over 300. I'm not sure how many I took with the four film cameras I toted from place to place. So consider this a random selection that forms the "tip of the iceberg." No, these sepia images from Scott Farm in Putney don't convey the variety of autumn colors that draw so many tourists to Vermont. Don't worry; the foliage pictures are coming. I'm still sifting through downloaded files.

As always, I'm torn in my feelings between Vermont and New York City. I love both and each place satisfies a different part of my personality. Although we talk about picking up and moving north, I doubt we could leave the city permanently. Moreover, I also doubt we could become full-time Vermonters, fighting against the lengthy winters. In the end, I suspect we'll have to reach a compromise . . . perhaps a vacation home in Vermont. For now, enjoy the pictures.