Category Archives: Barry Van Dusen Residency

Finishing the Frog

Posted on September 1, 2016 by Barry V.

Bullfrog and Spatterdock - at 72 dpi, cropped

June 30, 2016

Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, Part 2

I end my day at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary back at the visitor center, where a big spreading mulberry tree, with lots of ripening fruit, is attracting a parade of birds. I meet Sandy Selesky, whose lovely photographs often grace the pages of BIRD OBSERVER magazine. We watch rose-breasted grosbeaks, cardinals, waxwings, red-bellied woodpeckers and robins gorging on the fruit.

Full Frontal Bluebird, watercolor on Winsor & Newton cold-press, 11″ x 9″

Nearby, a massive old white ash is attractive to birds that prefer an open perch. I get superb views of a wood pewee, than a handsome male bluebird. I start a drawing of the bluebird, and in the course of my work, notice a band on the bird’s right leg. The volunteers who monitor the nest boxes must know this bird well!

Remember the drawing of the Bullfrog and Spatterdock that I mentioned in my last post?

Bullfrog and Spatterdock - drawing at 72 dpi

Here’s the sequences of washes I used to finish the watercolor back in my studio:

Step 1…

Bullfrog and Spatterdock - STEP 1 - at 72 dpi

I often start a watercolor by mapping out the overall pattern of light and shade. Here, I used a neutral color mixed from ultramarine blue and vermilion. This mixture can be more bluish or more purplish by varying the proportion of the two pigments. By starting the picture this way, I’m encouraged to work all over the picture, rather than focusing on any one part. It also forces me to consider the composition, especially the overall pattern of light and dark. I allow this step to dry completely.

Step 2…

Bullfrog and Spatterdock - STEP 2 - at 72 dpi

Next, I start to establish the local colors of the various elements, painting these colors right over my tonal washes from step 1 (in the vocabulary of watercolor, this is known as glazing).

Finish…

Bullfrog and Spatterdock, watercolor on Arches hot-press, 8″ x 11.5″

The final phase of the painting adds the rest of the local colors, and makes minor adjustments of tone and color to bring all parts of the picture into balance.

Wet and Green

Posted on August 25, 2016 by Barry V.

June 30, 2016

Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, Topsfield, Part 1

View from Stone Bridge

According to my Mass Audubon Sanctuary Guide (2015 edition), Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary is the largest of the Mass Audubon properties, comprising 2,267 acres. One has to keep in mind, however, that wetland communities cover approximately 70% of the sanctuary, thus a huge portion of the property is underwater at any given time! The trails traverse a series of drumlins, eskers and other areas of higher ground left behind by the glaciers, and these are woven in and around the extensive wetlands. Boardwalks have been built to enhance access to some areas, but beaver activity causes water levels to fluctuate from year to year, and a few trails were impassable on the day I visited. It’s not an uncommon situation.

With twelve miles of trails and only one day to explore them all, I knew I’d need to plan carefully to maximize my time at the sanctuary. Luckily, I meet Scott Santino in the parking lot. Scott is the staff naturalist, and he generously goes over the trail map with me, pointing out areas of special interest, places where I might encounter various species, and warning me of flooded trails.

First, I head to Bunker Meadows – a huge buttonbush swamp adjacent to the Ipswich River and Canoe Launch Area.

Pond Lily, Ipswich River - at 72 dpi

The pond lilies here are a sight to behold – forming huge floating carpets of pink and white on any areas of open water.

Bullfrog and Spatterdock - drawing at 72 dpi

Bullfrog and Spatterdock, pencil on Arches hot-press paper, 9″ x 11.5″

A bullfrog near the canoe launch looks to be a good model, and reminds me that I have not yet painted a frog for this residency project. I start a drawing on hot-press paper, re-arranging the frog’s head, the lily pads and a spatterdock blossom to create a more interesting composition. Care must be taken to maintain SCALE when you move elements around like this!

Technical note: hot-press watercolor paper is a nicer surface for drawing and better for detail work than cold press or rough paper. With a cooperative subject and a good drawing surface, I spend more time on this drawing than I normally would for a watercolor, but the shapes and details of the frog’s head and the intricate structure of the spatterdock blossom call for careful observation and precise rendering. Having spent a good deal of time on the drawing, I put it away to finish the color in my studio. It’s nearly noon, and I still have most of the sanctuary to explore…

Scott had explained how changing water levels in recent years have led to many dead silver maples in the floodplain of the river, and these are making the area more attractive to certain birds, especially cavity nesters like tree swallows, bluebirds and great-crested flycatchers. Indeed great crested flycatchers are abundant along the Ipswich River Trail. Wood pewees, warbling vireos, gnatcatchers and kingbirds are also in evidence here – and in the surrounding marsh the clattering calls of marsh wrens come from all directions, though they offer me only brief glimpses among the cattails and buttonbush.

The Drumlin Trail passes through mature forest, where I hear a scarlet tanager, orioles and more flycatchers. Whenever I pause along the trail, I notice an interesting phenomenon: small birds (mostly titmice and chickadees) approach me closely, coming to within an arm’s length. Odd!

Beaver-flooded Trail

As I near the Stone Bridge Area, I encounter the Waterfowl Pond Trail, now flooded by beaver activity.

Garden Loosetrife

Evidence of the sanctuary’s early history as an arboretum can be found here. Growing along the trail are garden loosetrife (L. vulgaris) and smooth azalea (R. arborescens) – both in glorious bloom.

Smooth Azalea

The view from the handsome old Stone Bridge is restful and sublime, as are the views of Hassocky Meadow from the elevated North Esker Trail. Atop the esker, I set-up my kit to paint a landscape of this large cattail marsh, with Averill’s Island as a backdrop.

Set-up at Hassocky Meadow - at 72 dpi

As I’ve discussed previously in this blog, the greens of high summer in New England can pose a challenge for the landscape painter – how to add some variety and interest to all that unrelenting GREEN? Today, the clouds cast sweeping shadows across the scene, adding dark accents to the distant pines. Additionally, the shrubs in the marsh are a warmer yellow- green, supplying some variety and color contrast.

Hassocky Meadow 3, Ipswich River WS - at 72 dpi

Hassocky Meadow, watercolor on Arches cold-press, 10.25″ x 14.25″

I urge my workshop students to pay special attention to the temperature of the greens in their landscape painting – placing the cooler (bluish) greens in the distance and warmer (yellowish) greens in the foreground to create a feeling of space and depth. At Hassocky Meadow, I break this general rule. I paint the band of cattails in the near foreground a decidedly COOL green, and somehow it seems to work. “Rules” in art are never hard and fast!

As I’m painting, a white-breasted nuthatch approaches closely on a nearby tree trunk, inspecting me with a curious expression. This happens at least three times while I work on my landscape, and I’m beginning to fancy that through some mysterious telepathy, the birds recognize me as a kindred spirit! Much later, back in the parking lot, I relate these “close encounters” to a regular visitor, and she laughs, explaining that Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary is well known to locals as a place where the birds have become habituated to taking hand-outs of food from visitors! So much for my communion with the birds!

STAY TUNED for Ipswich River, part 2…

The Plovers of Little Beach

Posted on August 10, 2016 by Barry V.

May 29, 2016

Allens Pond, Dartmouth – Part 2: Field Station/ Little Beach

The next day, I return to Allens Pond, arriving at the Field Station entrance by 8:30 am. I’m first to pull into the parking area, but am soon joined by Jocelyn, the coastal waterbird monitor. Just the right person to ply with questions! She is very helpful, suggesting areas where I might concentrate my efforts. Jocelyn explains that six pairs of piping plovers have established territories along Little Beach, and that several are within easy walking distance. I’m told that further out on the east end of the beach, two large least tern colonies are also doing well.

Willet

As I’m setting out on the Beach Loop, several noisy willets put on a good show – perching up on fence posts and stonewalls. I pass an active osprey nest on a platform over the marsh, and pause to scope the common tern colony on Timmy’s Rock. In the dunes, beach plum is in full bloom.

Beach Plum

I cut over to the outer beach and soon notice the areas that Jocelyn has roped off for the plovers. I stay well back from the ropes and signs, but the first plover I encounter runs from the roped area and engages in a series of distraction displays.

I must be too close to a nest, so I back off and the bird soon settles down. But it never stays for long in any one spot and following its course over the sand with my scope is challenging. Only occasionally does it pause to preen or sit down briefly.

Bulkier than other plovers, piping plovers are rotund and rather “dumpy”. I enjoy working out their shapes in my sketchbook. The pale tones of the upperparts have a “bleached out” look that blends seamlessly into the sandy environment and the few dark accents on the forehead and chest can easily be mistaken for random bits of flotsam.

Piping Plover and Shore Flies - at 72 dpi

Piping Plover and Shore Flies, watercolor on Arches hot-press, 10.25″ x 13″

This bird appears to be feeding primarily on shore flies (family Ephydridae, genus Notiphila ?) which are abundant – crawling over the sand and beach vegetation.

Further along the beach, I’m scoping another plover territory when I locate an incubating bird. A few times it stands up, and I can see at least three speckled eggs under the bird. It’s an opportunity made for a bird artist, so I take out a sheet of watercolor paper and set to work…

Piping Plover on Nest, watercolor on Arches cold-press, 9″ x 12″

White-eyed Wonder

Posted on August 2, 2016 by Barry V.

May 28, 2016

Allens Pond, Dartmouth – Part 1: Stone Barn Farm and Reuben’s Point

Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary is a big, sprawling property with seven miles of trails and three separate entry points. Most visitors park at the Field Station entrance, with its proximity to Little Beach, and previous to my current residency project, this was the only section I had explored.

Desiring to see these other areas, I started my visit at Stone Barn Farm. The historic barn has been beautifully restored and renovated, and this will be the site of the future Mass Audubon Allens Pond Visitor Center. It’s a handsome structure, and the architects have been careful to retain the original lines and proportions.

A barn swallow pair has built a nest on a ledge over the big sliding door of the barn, and while I’m there the bird sits quietly – a good model for sketching!

Barn Swallow at Stone Barn Farm - at 72 dpi

Barn Swallow at Stone Barn Farm, watercolor on Arches cold-press, 8.5″ x 11.25″

The Quansett Trail leads through open fields, then coastal woods before intersecting with the Reuben’s Point Trail.

Closer to the Point, a simple boardwalk passes through a rich coastal wetland. I linger here to examine the interesting wildflowers and sedges.

One species of sedge is particularly striking, with flower clusters that look like medieval battlefield weapons! Joe Choiniere helps me to identify it as Bladder Sedge (Carex intumescens).

The trail rises onto a rocky outcrop as you near Reuben’s Point, affording a splendid view of the upper reaches of Allens Pond and Barney’s Joy. It’s a good place to set up for some landscape painting.

View from Reuben’s Point, watercolor on Lanaquarelle hot-press, 6.5″ x 10.5″

The pastel hues of Spring still predominate in the distant woods, and the marsh displays a rich mosaic of color.

I’m surrounded on three sides by coastal scrub: dense thickets of shrubs and low trees that are home to a variety of birds. Catbirds and yellow warblers are abundant, but an unfamiliar song captures my attention. It’s a loud, persistent song starting and ending with a sharp chip. I jot it down in my sketchbook thus: “chip-che-wheeyou-chip!” For forty-five minutes I stare intently into the thickets, trying to pinpoint just where that song is coming from. Persistence finally pays off when the bird moves to a higher perch in a small cherry tree, and I have a clear view of a white-eyed vireo. Only later do I read that these birds usually sing from a low, concealed perch!

White-eyed Vireo sketchbook page - at 72 dpi

White-eyed Vireo sketchbook page, pencil and watercolor, 9″ x 12″

I make careful notes on color and plumage and map out with my pencil the characteristic shapes and proportions of the bird. I have seen white-eyed vireos a few times before in Massachusetts, but never in a breeding situation.

My observations at Reuben’s Point fill in the gaps of my mental picture of this lovely vireo, and afford me a better understanding and appreciation of its life history and biology.

Songs from the Thicket

Posted on July 21, 2016 by Barry V.

May 20, 2016

Nahant Thicket Wildlife Sanctuary, Nahant

The sun is just rising out of the sea and lighting up the tops of Boston’s skyscrapers as I drive over the causeway to Nahant. It is 5 am.

Nahant Thicket is the smallest of the Mass Audubon sanctuaries at only 4 acres. A walk down the sanctuary trail is over before it begins, so I poke along slowly, looking and listening.

Wilson's Warbler sketchbook page dropout- at 72 dpi

Wilson’s warbler sketchbook page, pencil and watercolor, 9″ x 12″

A Wilson’s warbler sings from a willow. I recognize the song from that little trill at the end that drops in pitch. I haven’t sketched a Wilson’s in a long while, so I spend some quality time with the bird, following it as it moves from tree to tree. The little black cap on top of its head seems to puff up slightly (my wife thinks it looks like a yarmulke!)

Wilson’s Warbler, watercolor on Fluid 100 coldpress, 9″ x 12″

The thicket is bisected by a ditch or channel of fresh water, and I pause on the wooden bridge to watch a thrush bathing along the water’s edge.

A northern waterthrush sings nearby, and from deeper in the undergrowth a bird delivers bursts of a rapid staccato song. A year ago I heard that same song along the Waterthrush Trail at High Ledges Wildlife Sanctuary in Shelburne. It’s a Canada warbler, which fills another page in my sketchbook…

Canada Warbler sketches, pencil, 6″ x 11″

The same species of warblers that were abundant at Marblehead Neck yesterday are numerous again today at Nahant Thicket: redstarts, northern parulas, magnolias and black-and-whites. But I add some new species, too, including a yellow warbler and a black-throated blue.

Blk-Wht Warbler and Shelf Fungus - at 72 dpi

Sketchbook study, pencil, 8″ x 5″

Northern Parula in Oaks, watercolor on Winsor & Newton cold-press, 9″ x 10.5″

By 9:30 am the neighborhood is waking up and along with it come the myriad sounds of humanity: lawn mowers, a garbage truck making the rounds, leaf blowers, and the general banging and slamming that seems a constant daytime sound in any busy neighborhood. It’s time for me to migrate home…

Peak Migration

Posted on July 8, 2016 by Barry V.

May 19, 2016

Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, Marblehead

Magnolia Warbler, male, watercolor on Fluid 100 cold-press, 7″ x 10″

In New England, May is the busiest month for Spring songbird migration, and most birders agree that the 2^nd and 3^rd weeks of May are prime time. This is when the greatest numbers and variety of migrating passerines move through Massachusetts.

Two Mass Audubon properties are of particular note at this time of year. Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary and Nahant Thicket Wildlife Sanctuary are well known “migrant traps” – small plots of woodland on heavily developed peninsulas surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean.

As with most types of birding, hitting a place like this on just the right day is largely a matter of luck, but visiting during the prime weeks aforementioned gives one a pretty good chance of having a good day. The days I visited did not coincide with any spectacular “fall-outs”, but neither did they disappoint. I saw 16 species of warblers in the course of my two visits, plus a smattering of vireos, thrushes, tanagers, orioles and gnatcatchers.

Traveling to these heavily developed areas from other parts of the state, one must anticipate traffic – HEAVY traffic at certain times of the day. I realized I would need to: a.) start out pre-dawn and try to arrive at the destination before the morning traffic rush begins or b.) travel later in the morning when rush hour is tapering off. I chose the second option for Marblehead Neck, and the first for Nahant Thicket.

Arriving at the Marblehead Neck parking area at 10:15am, I claimed the last parking spot. It had been a busy morning, and some birders were just returning to their cars. They had the usual report, which was basically: “You should have been here yesterday.” However, I could hear a Blackpoll Warbler, a Magnolia Warbler and a Black-throated Green from the parking lot, so how bad could it be?

Wood Anemones

Wood Anemones are in full bloom along the Warbler Trail, and as I near the small pond at the end of the Vireo Loop, I hear the “burt-burt” calls of a Northern Rough-winged Swallow. A pair is using a snag above the pond – periodically perching and preening between bouts of aerial foraging. I seldom see Rough-wings perched, so take the time to make a quick sketch, noting that the wingtips are often held below the tail.

Rough-winged Swallow sketch - at 72 dpi

While a brilliant tanager, grosbeak or oriole can steal the show momentarily, it’s the wood warblers that are the star attraction here. On the way to Audubon Pond I begin to get a sense for which warbler species are most abundant today. Northern Parulas and Magnolia Warblers are everywhere, and Black-and-whites and Redstarts are nearly as common.

Redstart Studies, watercolor on Arches cold-press, 10″ x 13″

Sketchbook study, pencil, 5″ x 5″

At the pond, I spy a handsome male Bay-breasted Warbler foraging in a flowering oak, and a short time later spot the female. The pair keeps in close proximity to one another, and at one point I have both of them in my binocular field at once, perched only inches apart. I refine my sketches later to make careful studies of both the male and female.

Bay-breasted Warbler, female - at 72 dpi

Female Bay-breasted Warbler, watercolor in Stillman and Birn Delta sketchbook, 9″ x 12″

Male Bay-breasted Warbler, watercolor in Stillman and Birn Delta sketchbook, 9″ x 12″

With so many birds to sketch and all of them moving about, I content myself with pencil studies, observing with binoculars. It’s a challenging way to draw, and demands all the visual memory I can muster. With species I haven’t drawn recently, I have to re-learn the field marks – struggling to get all those stripes, spots and bars in just the right places.

Sketchbook study, 3.5″ x 5″

A female Blackburnian Warbler is a nice surprise on the Warbler Trail. No male “fire-throat” today, but the female’s throat has a lovely bright apricot color.

Soloman Seal at Marblehead Neck - at 72 dpi

Up ‘til now, the morning has been gray and overcast, but at 2 pm the sun breaks out and the day warms quickly. Birdsong tapers off and the action slows. On my way back to the parking area, I give my “warbler’s neck” a rest, and admire a patch of Solomon ’s Seal that forms an attractive pattern on the forest floor.

“Build It and They Will Come”

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Barry V.

May 4, 2016

North River Wildlife Sanctuary, Marshfield

Purple Martins and Gourds DETAIL - at 72 dpi, retouched

I spend the night at the South Shore home of Julianne and David Mehegan. Gracious and generous hosts – thank you both for opening your home to me!

Fortunately, the day starts out DRY, with a forecast promising no further rain until the afternoon. I say my good byes to David and Julianne and get an early start to North River Wildlife Sanctuary in Marshfield. This is a bustling sanctuary with a well-appointed visitor center. As I arrive, visitors are gathering for guided walks and the staff is preparing for the day ahead.

I meet David Ludlow, who is full of advice and helpful tips on birds, wildflowers and other current points of interest on the sanctuary. I want to see the North River first, so head out on the River Loop. A field sparrow sounds off in the brush of the upper meadow as I cross Summer Street, and a bluebird chortles from the woods.

A “colony” of purple martin gourds (actually plastic facsimiles that are easy to maintain) has been erected in the upper meadow, and I spot a dark bird perched on one of the supporting cables, but assume it’s probably a tree swallow. My binoculars tell otherwise – it’s a purple martin! I start to draw and within a half hour another martin arrives. They check out the gourds and sit on the cables, squabbling occasionally – these are two males.

Purple Martin pencil studies - at 72 dpi

Sketchbook Page, pencil, 9″ x 12″

I learn later from David that some of the North River martins had moved to a neighbor’s set-up, who even used sound recordings to attract them. But, more recently, I’ve had news that the martin colony at North River is doing well, with four or five pairs nesting in the gourds. I DO hope there are enough martins to go around!

Purple Martins and Gourds - at 72 dpi - retouched

Purple Martins and Gourds, watercolor on Arches cold-press, 10.25″ x 14.25″

This painting, which I produced later in the studio, plays on the stark contrast between the angular shapes of the birds and the regular, rounded shapes of the artificial gourds. Very dark birds with shiny, iridescent plumage can be challenging to paint. In an instant, any part of the bird might go from bright blue to jet black as the angle of light striking the plumage changes. The glossy plumage makes for lots of abrupt shifts in value as various parts of the bird catch the light. I may have gotten the blue highlights abit bright here, but I didn’t want to lose any more of the modeling of the bird’s forms by making the highlights darker.

In the lower end of the meadow, closer to the river, a big platform has been erected to attract nesting ospreys, and sure enough, a bird sits on the nest, likely incubating eggs.

Osprey Pencil Studies - North River - at 72 dpi

Sketchbook page, pencil, 9″ x 12″

The platform was erected in 2009, but this is the first year ospreys have used it to established a nest. Needless to say, David and the staff are excited! (Addendum: I spoke with sanctuary director Sue MacCallum on June 21, and learned that the parents are bringing some surprisingly large fish to at least one chick!)

With my scope, I have superb close-up views of the incubating bird, and get to work with my sketchbook, attempting to capture the angular shapes of the head and that intense, angry look on the bird’s face. I start another drawing on watercolor paper that I finish later in the studio…

Osprey on Nest, watercolor on Arches cold-press, 10.25″ x 14.25″

From the upper end of the meadow, I like the elevated view of the North River. I had left my watercolor easel in the car, but found that I could use my telescope as an easel by splaying the legs wide and propping my watercolor pad crosswise on the barrel of the scope. Necessity is the mother…

Scope Used as Easel - North River 2 - at 72 dpi

The cloudy day brings out the subtle spring colors on the distant hills. It’s currently high tide and the channels in the marsh make interesting patterns. Also appealing are the cedars on the upper marsh, which march across the scene in a series of dark accents.

North River, Marshfield, watercolor on Arches cold-press, 8″ x 13.25″

To finish the day, I explore the trails to the south of the visitor center. Ferns, still in the form of fiddleheads, are poking up everywhere along the Woodland Loop. A new trail on the Sanctuary leads to Hannah Eames Brook.

Hannah Eames Brook - at 72 dpi

It’s a delightful, clearwater stream that tumbles between moss-covered banks spangled with wildflowers. I pause to admire the delicate, lacy blossoms of dwarf ginseng.

Dwarf Ginseng

Raindrops Keep Fallin’

Posted on June 16, 2016 by Barry V.

North Hill Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, Duxbury on May 3, 2016

We’re in a protracted stretch of cool, rainy weather, but Spring only happens once a year, so seeing a possible break in the forecast, I head for the South Shore.

It’s still raining as I arrive at the parking area for North Hill Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, puzzled by the lack of Mass Audubon signs. I double check my directions and determine I’m in the right spot. North Hill Marsh is part of Duxbury’s “Eastern Greenbelt”, and the portion owned and managed by Mass Audubon is part of a larger reserve – most of it owned by the town of Duxbury. To access the sanctuary, I follow trails through Duxbury Town forest – thus the lack of Mass Audubon signage.

Osprey at North Hill Marsh - at 72 dpi

At the observation deck overlooking the marsh, I immediately hear the high-pitched chirps of an osprey, and locate three birds perched on dead trees along the eastern shore. One bird displays an odd posture with wings dropped, tail raised and spread. It looks like an attempt to dry the wings, or more likely to rinse them out in the light rain! The other birds also look abit unkempt and forlorn in the drizzle.

Osprey Pencil Studies - North Hill Marsh - at 72 dpi

Osprey Pencil Studies, sketchbook page, 9″ x 12″

The perimeter trail to the south is closed, so I hike up along the western shore. An open pine grove (just north of the observation deck) offers better views of the birds, but little protection from the rain. I try some sketching anyway – lowering my scope and leaning over my sketchbook to shield the paper with my body. Even then, I need to blot the page repeatedly with a paper towel to keep it dry enough to take the graphite. I get a page of sketches done this way, then head up the shore.

Lush patches of skunk cabbage brighten the forest floor, and tree swallows dip and dive over the marsh. They don’t seem bothered by the rain…

Skunk Cabbage

Two palm warblers visit me as I pause to have some lunch along the shore. I sit for some time, hoping the rain will let up. Gazing out over the marsh, I become mesmerized by the pattern of raindrops on the water…

Cranberry Bog at N Hill Marsh - at 72 dpi

Cranberry Bog at North Hill Marsh

I hike up to the dam on the north end of the marsh and explore the adjacent cranberry bog. I hear killdeer and a towhee, and back in the woods, a solitary vireo whistles its sweet slurred notes. The northern end of the Marsh (more like a pond up on this end), is deeper, with no standing timber in the water. It’s less “birdy” here than the southern end, so I start back down the shore. Finally the rain starts to let up, and by the time I’m back at the pine grove, it has stopped altogether. Yay! And the ospreys are still there, so I get busy again with my pencils…

Osprey in the Rain, watercolor on Winsor & Newton coldpress paper, 14″ x 10.25″

Later, in the studio, I paint “Osprey in the Rain”. I’m not sure how to convey the falling rain, so I experiment with some colored pencils on scrap paper. A combination of light gray and dark gray pencils seems to work best.

Technical note for Artists: a reader asked about the watercolor easel I was using in my last post (“Painting the Gutter”, Rutland Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, Petersham, April 27, 2016). It’s a “steel folding easel” made by Napoli, and widely available through mail-order art supply catalogs. It weighs 5 lbs and is easy to carry, set-up and break down. The water cup hanging off the front of the easel is my own jury-rigged addition. I cannot give this product my 100% endorsement, since the first one I bought broke down after a few years of use, but they are inexpensive enough that I decided to buy another one, which so far has given me no problems. Of course, this item is just one more thing to carry along with the rest of my field kit, so I take it along only when I’m sure I’ll be doing some landscape work…

Painting the Gutter

Posted on June 2, 2016 by Barry V.

April 27, 2016

Rutland Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, Petersham

Connor Pond - at 72 dpi

After a balmy March, April has been colder than normal, with many frosty nights and brisk mornings. Rutland Brook is the last of the Mass Audubon properties I’ll be visiting that is within easy driving distance of my home, and I’m quite familiar with the territory. I’ve done drawings and paintings here before. Here’s a drawing of Connor Pond made in August of 2008, while I was waiting for an artist friend to join me. It was early morning after a wet night, and patches of ground fog were lifting away from the hills as the weather cleared.

Connors Pond - at 72 dpi, grayscale

I hike up along the brook, through the beautiful hemlock forest, and find a spot where some big fallen trees have formed an interesting arrangement of diagonals over the brook. Old timers called places like these “hemlock gutters”, and it’s an apt name. Narrow, steep little valleys strewn with boulders and fallen timber, they are cool, shady spots at any time of year.

Rutland Brook - at 72 dpi

With an intimate scene like this, the difference between the view standing and the view sitting can be the difference between a GREAT composition and a mediocre one. I draw the scene first from a sitting position and establish the design. Then, I clamp my watercolor book onto my field easel and work from a standing position to do the actual painting. I prefer standing at an easel to paint landscapes. It frees up the arm for more gestural brushwork, and encourages a loose, open painting style.

Set-up at Rutland Brook - at 72 dpi

The sound of rushing water plays tricks with my ears as I paint. Several times I think I hear someone approaching up the trail, and once even calling my name – but when I look up from my work, I am alone. In fact, I meet no other person on the sanctuary today. I’m a solitary wanderer in the forest.

Rutland Brook, watercolor on Arches cold-press, 13.5″ x 10″

On my way back down along the brook, I pass areas where a worker has cleared fallen trees from the trail, lopping up the big boles with a chainsaw. I like the strong volumes of these logs and do a quick pencil study.

Trail Clearing at Rutland Brook - at 72 dpi

Sketchbook study, pencil, 9″ x 12″

Keeping the trails open in an old forest like this must be a never-ending chore, and I bet this is property manager Ron Wolanin’s handiwork.

Gone ta Camp

Posted on May 24, 2016 by Barry V.

This is from a series of posts by MABA resident artist Barry Van Dusen

Wildwood Camp, Rindge, NH on April 14, 2016

Palm Warbler sketchbook study, pencil and watercolor, 6″ x 9″

Wildwood is a quiet, peaceful place in April. The small, year-round staff is busy preparing for the arrival of campers in June, and things are looking ship-shape. The floating docks are installed on the waterfront and in the empty cabins, the floors are swept clean and sleeping pads are turned up against the walls. Almost 700 campers are already enrolled for the 2016 season – Wildwood will be a busy place this summer!

Hubbard Pond - at 72 dpi

The first thing I do is head for the waterfront and beach on Hubbard Pond. The Wildwood camp is the only development on the entire pond. Mass Audubon owns 159 acres and a good stretch of waterfront, but the remaining shores are all state owned parkland. Needless to say, the view from the beach is scenic and unspoiled!

I watch an osprey make lazy circles over the pond before visiting the Nature Center cabin behind the Dining Hall. Inside are intriguing objects like bird nests and mammal skulls!

Skulls, Wildwood - at 72 dpi

I make a drawing of an attractive little plant growing at the edge of the brook just east of the parking area. I’m puzzled by its identity, so once again enlist Joe Choiniere for help. He quickly identifies it as Golden Ragwort (Senecio aureus) and explains that some plants can be tricky to identify early in the year before they have put on their full growth. Later in the year, this plant may be up to 30” high with showy yellow flowers on tall stalks!

sketchbook study, pencil, 3″ x 5″

Along the main entrance road I spy a tiny speck of powder blue flitting along the gravel roadside. It’s a Spring Azure, my first of the season! Azures are tiny butterflies (each wing about ½”long), and to draw or paint such a tiny creature with “naked eye” is more than my aging eyes can manage. After chasing this azure up and down the roadside, it finally settles down and I approach cautiously on my knees, then my belly, to get some shots with my digital camera. Digital cameras are excellent magnifying tools, granting me the opportunity to study the intricate detail of this tiny butterfly.

Spring Azure, watercolor on Arches hot-press, 8″ x 11″

The Azure group of butterflies continues to puzzle taxonomists, and most agree that what we call Spring Azure is actually a complex of three or more species. The true “Spring Azure” that emerges in early spring has three distinct forms, and the one I’m watching is the palest and most lightly marked form “violacea”. Spring Azures have an endearing habit of rubbing their hind wings together, alternately up and down. In my painting, this action reveals just a glimpse of that azure blue upper surface of the wing, for which the species is named.

On the trail to First Point, I follow a palm warbler along the edge of the water. It flits just ahead of me all down the shore, then gives up the game and flies up to perch on a hemlock bough. I get my scope on it right away, and can’t believe my luck when it continues to sit quietly for almost ten minutes while I sketch and take pictures. It’s not often you get this much “scope time” on a wood warbler!

Palm Warbler in Hemlock, watercolor on Arches cold-press, 9″ x 12″

While eating lunch out on First Point, I gaze up at a big red spruce heavy with cones against a deep blue sky. Red Spruce is not a common tree in central and eastern Massachusetts, and this tree carries with it a strong flavor of the Northwoods. Picking out a section of boughs with my scope, I decide to do a quick and rather crude study that nonetheless captures the impression of the moment.

Spruce Branches and Cones, watercolor on Arches hot-press, 11″ x 9″