Lexington Steeple - oil painting
Lexington, Massachusetts
©2006 by aisling d'art
click play to hear me
talk about this painting
Do artists stop being artists when they are at art shows? Not me. I can't seem to shift into the "saleman" mode to sell my work, even when that's the obvious point of the outdoor art show.
Instead, I sit and paint. After all, I'm an artist.
So--at this outdoor art show near Lexington green in 1995--since I was alternately talking, selling art, and painting this, I'm not sure whether to call it an oil sketch or an actual landscape painting. It's a little of both.
The show was at a Colonial-era tavern used when they re-enact the battles of Lexington and Concord (Massachusetts) every April. The lawns were green and lush, the sky was a perfect blue, and the buildings were crisp and white. It was a picture-postcard day.
During this show, when I won the blue ribbon for my Portsmouth garden painting, I sat (as always) and painted. I really can't just sit and stare at the people who are staring back at me and my paintings. I always feel awkward and as if I ought to be doing something... so I do! I set up my easel and paint, and if all that I accomplish is a quick sketch, at least the day has been worthwhile for me.
This church steeple is directly north of Buckman Tavern, and on this particular summer day, I was dazzled by the contrast and harmony of the rich blue sky, lush green leaves, and the brilliant white of the steeple.
This painting--which is really just a large oil sketch--took me most of the day to rough in. It captures the "old yankee" atmosphere of the Lexington Green when I look at it. This painting hangs near my front door, where the sketch reminds me of the beauty of New England, and it has a lovely sense of permanence to it.
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