Tent Living

My daughter and son-in-law are building a cute small house this summer in Central Vermont. This is where they live until the house is closed in. It is a pretty comfy abode actually. I'm visiting this day and was not too useful at the building site. So I did a watercolor sketch of the tent in the landscape.

Please look at Rodrica Tilley Gallery of available Paintings when you have time.
You can see the building project progress here

Bennington Museum

The promise of seeing some Alice Neel paintings got my husband and me to Bennington for the afternoon. We had never been to the Bennington Museum at 75 Main Street. There were wonderful surprises waiting for us.

 

Alice Neel/Erastus Salisbury Field:  Painting the People 
is a very special exhibit which you can see until November 2, 2014. I did not know how interesting the comparison of two American artists painting people 100 years apart would be. The similarities and differences in style - of brushwork, attitude and fashion - made for a fascinating exhibition. I think I'll go again...I do love Alice Neel paintings and there were some gems there. 

The other surprises? Many, many Grandma Moses canvasses; I find these charming, intriguing and quaint in small doses. And who doesn't like Bennington potters?

But I LOVE Rockwell Kent and there were three of them on display from their permanent collection. Unfortunately, his paintings, seem to suffer in photographs. The way to appreciate Kent's paintings seems to be in person. Luckily they keep turning up in my New England museum travels and are always a happy occasion.

And lastly, George Aiken Wildflower Trail...a work in progress...outside on the pine knoll on the museum grounds. This is exactly what we are trying to do on our own wooded acreage; remove invasives and restore native plants, adding some seating to appreciate the beauty.

Hope you get to go to the Bennington Museum this summer or fall. They make it easy...open daily.

The North Wing Opens

Adjoining space has been added to my studio - almost doubling the area! Now I can store my paintings and actually display some. This is very exciting news for me and I look forward to an Open Studio Event in the future...in the meantime you are cordially invited to visit.(by appointment 'cause I'm not here all the time..but close-by, usually) Loads of free parking ;-) and new paintings.

 














The front door of the (3 acres under roof) building at 22 Browne Court that houses my studio and many other diverse businesses. Oh, there's my assistant (husband) now, moving yet another painting.









Please look at Rodrica Tilley Gallery of available Paintings

A New Hampshire Barn...and...

One of the few plein air paintings I've done since my Mojave trip in the spring. One of my fellow life drawing classmates invited artists to his wonderful historic property; full of gardens, architecture and a view of Mt. Monadnock. Hope he asks us back again because all I got done was one corner of his barn...Ken's Barn 12 x 12 pastel...available for purchase.

Speaking of which...the other new thing is a blog of all my paintings for sale currently. Some have been in storage too long. Some have been greatly reduced. Some not much. This will change as new ones are posted.

So, besides, drive paintings here and there, weed the garden and buy more plants that's about my summer so far. There has been much contemplation in the garden, too. What about you?

"The feeling of being present is most alive in this painting.  I can feel the scene and almost smell it."

 One of the eloquent readers of this blog sent that comment to my email regarding this painting. Thank you, thank you. I love hearing from you all.
       

Three Lady Emma Hamilton Roses

An 8 x 10 inch painting of three of my roses...blooming now. This pastel painting and several others are taking a road trip down to Butternut Gallery in Montrose, PA. They are big, medium and small garden paintings...all reasonably priced. Hope you will stop in to see them during summer /fall. Call for hours: 570-278-4711.

I like roses with scent. Do you? Why bother with unscented ones? Yes, yes, they may stand up to the rain ...not turn all brown like some of my old-fashioned Albas. And, yes, they may bloom all summer. Who cares if they don't have a sweet perfume? Many of the best things in life are fleeting...home-made cupcakes, good-behaviour from dogs and heirloom roses.When the roses are taking a break and some of their foliage is shabby, look elsewhere (breaking waves, lilies, a good novel).

BTW, Lady Emma Hamilton is one of the hardier David Austin roses. It is not floppy, it re-blooms, it has dark foliage and few thorns and a color that belongs here in the Green Mtns. What's not to love?  I would describe the fragrance as "tea". David Austin says, "the flowers have a strong, delicious, fruity fragrance with hints of pear, grape and citrus fruits" . 

Always interested in your news.

You are probably wondering who was Lady Emma Hamilton.

For Pastels Only on Cape Cod...AWARDED!

Pastel Painters of Chicago Award:
Eastern Horizon, Rodrica Tilley

BARBARA COURTNEY JAENICKE  Juror of Selection and Judge of Awards wrote this about my painting;  "Even on the coldest of winter days, when the warm glow of evening light envelopes the cool hues of snow and is captured just right by the artist, you have a magical painting such as this one. The artist here pushed the extreme warm/cool contrast of this winter scene to create that magic-hour glow. The warm sliver of reflective water is just enough to draw the viewer into the painting without overpowering."

I am honored.


Eastern Horizon, my pastel painting of a sunrise from my dining room window, has been included in the Pastel Society of Cape Cod's annual national juried exhibition; For Pastels Only. You can see it and some other top notch work if you are lucky enough to be on Cape Cod between June 18 and July 13.
So, if you've had your fill of sand and sun step into the cool halls of the Cultural Center of Cape Cod, 307 Old Main Street, South Yarmouth, MA. The Opening Reception is Saturday June 21 beginning at 6pm.

And if you are anywhere near Brattleboro this summer, let me know. We can meet at my studio...exciting news there...more room! Huge (everything is relative) expansion coming. More on that soon.

Mojave Desert

Irrigated roses, Sunday morning, Under the Eaves Inn at Zion in Springdale, Utah

I've been painting from Death Valley to Zion NP and you can see the latest 3 states (numbers 45, 46 and 47) in the Fifty State Plein Air Painting Project. I was in time for spring...not a banner year for desert wildflowers due to lack of snow and rain, but there were still plenty of blooms in ditches and pockets all over the Mojave Desert. I saw wildlife; mule deer, black-tailed jackrabbit, western cottontail, roadrunner, kit fox, birds that I cannot identify, and a western coach whip snake, commonly called Red Racer....none of which are in the photos below...just their habitat.

Desert Springs Botanical Garden, Las Vegas, NV
IMHP, the best thing in Las Vegas...and the home of above mentioned forty inch long pretty snake.

Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge - alkali water, home of the amargosa pupfish, Nevada and a totally delightful surprise for me. Uniquely beautiful place.

My Death Valley set-up with partially completed painting

Self portrait in Golden Canyon, Death Valley NP, California

Kolob Canyon, Zion NP, Utah

The Mojave Desert is the smallest and driest North American Desert. Covering just 22,000 miles, it is located in California, Southwestern Utah, Southern Nevada and Western Arizona. Both Death Valley and Charleston Peak are located in the Mojave Desert, giving it a range in altitude from 282 feet below sea level to 11,918 feet above sea level.

Let me know what you are up to. I welcome questions and comments...this trip filled some of my life dreams; Death Valley, Zion and Cirque du Soleil!