Wapack Trail, Barrett Mountain

Good hike Saturday on the Wapack Trail to Barrett Mountain. The Wapack Trail is very long running from Massachusetts (Watatic Mountain) through the Monadnock Region, over several small mountains and on to Greenfield.  We hiked about 4 hours total, that was enough for us.  This part of the trail was very overgrown, but there were good trail markers and we didn't get lost.  Due to the storms last winter, the trail head has been relocated and we didn't know that, but in getting a bit mixed up, we did get to see some wild turkeys in a pasture. Just the girls! Anyway, that was fun.

Barrett Mountain is about 1800 feet in elevation. There was no sign at the top so we weren't sure we were at the right place. We continued on and started going downhill after a while so we turned back. We met some other hikers who were doing a through hike to Watatic. They assured us we had gone over the top of Barrett. They also told us where to go to get some views. I didn't get a good photo of Mount Monadnock since it was very hazy, but the views were pretty anyway.

California Poppies

Watercolor, pen and ink on Waterford 200# cold press paper. I'm not sure if this is finished. This is just a clip. The painting is larger, but I was having fun with the dots and this section looks good with a mat around it. I may use it for a card or other background later on.

Sketches

I haven't had much time for art, but have done some sketching. The hands & feet are just pencil sketches in my sketch book (HB pencil). The self-portrait (a struggle in front of the mirror) was done with Chinese White Derwent pastel pencil on black paper. My son says it's out of proportion, face too long, but I like the distortion. Reminds me of other artists that distort deliberately because they feel like it, not because they are just learning.

Ravine Trail Haiku

Ravine Trail Haiku

wobbly bridge small stream

moss covered granite rock

tree root tripped me, ouch!

©2010 Linda H. Feinberg

More photos at:  Ravine Trail photos
(Pulpit Rock set)

Cactus studies/acrylic tube paints

This was my very first attempt with acrylics, using them transparently, mixed with water on cold press paper.  I was very unhappy with the result, but figured it was o.k. for my first attempt.  Yesterday, I decided to play with it some more and added  pen and ink. I am more comfortable drawing with pen than painting with a brush.  I think it looks more interesting now.  I decided to do the same thing with my second attempt (below). Now I'm not so unhappy with the new (for me) medium.

This second attempt was with acrylic paint mixed with white so it would be more opaque. It is on a primed canvas panel. Again, I didn't like the result, but played with my pen and now I'm satisfied with my little experiment. I hope to take a class in this medium in the fall so I will learn to paint.

These paintings were from a photo I took last month at Red Rock Canyon in Nevada.

Gardening

The garden is growing. We are starting to have snap peas.  The yellow flowers in the 2nd photo are on a cabbage plant.  I think I'm supposed to pull it out now, but not sure. The cabbage leaves were somewhat like bak choy and very delicious. There are a few left for the weekend.

A little research on the net showed me why our radishes did not bulb. It was too hot here! (Can you imagine that in NH?)

Acrylics

I have been experimenting with acrylic tube paints on all sorts of surfaces. I've tried watercolor paper, primed canvas, mat board, Yupo and a few others. Interesting, but I'm frustrated at this point and have not been able to make anything to show.  Three people who came into my office/studio liked the effects and the abstract look of one painting. That was nice, but not what I was attempting to do.  I'll keep playing with these for a while and take an actual class in the fall.  I think I need to just take one leaf, or one flower and attempt that instead of a landscape (I was working on a cactus with flowers), perhaps just one paddle of the cactus.  The Yupo paper (a synthetic paper) gave very interesting effects.

Meanwhile I'm thinking of setting up a query on Facebook or Linked In to try to get people's opinions on whether or not they would ever buy art (prints/cards) online, why etc.  My web site is attracting lookers, but no buyers. The cards and prints are very reasonably priced and I do well at craft shows. I was hoping to sell a few online, but this doesn't seem to be happening.  I'm thinking that my crafts are more of an impulse buy when you see them, rather than something that is searched for and bought online. Readers, any comments?

(I did put the query on Facebook today, but I'm not sure how their discussion boards work so I don't know if I did it right.)

Pomegranates in Basket

Another card design for Rosh Hashanah. The other one also uses the same words, both in Hebrew and English. See my website for picture of final design on previous picture.

This one is watercolor pencil (Derwent Inktense brand) on 140 lb cold press watercolor paper. I enjoyed working with these pencils and paper. Easier than the last design. Next, I'm thinking about cacti. I don't know how my mind goes from fruit to cacti, but I'm having fun with art.

Pomegranates

I am working on studies of pomegranates for Jewish New Year cards. Pomegrantes are symbols in both Jewish and Chinese art. This study was done with Chinese paints on double shuan paper. The background is a tea wash. The "chop" says "Linda". I ordered it several years ago from a Chinese shop in Los Angeles.  These can be ordered through the internet as well.

I will probably do two cards, both saying in Hebrew, L'Shanah Tova (For a good year) and in English "Best wishes for a sweet and fruitful new year". The second study I did was of the pomegranates in a basket, but I didn't like my composition and need to work on another one.  I may wind up doing this with watercolor or acrylics. The Chinese paper is very hard to work with.

See actual card on my website . It's under new products, also under holidays, inspirational.

Delphinium

Watercolor pencil study done at botanical illustration class, finished at home. Background done with tea wash at home and Chinese brush. I couldn't scan in the whole picture (too big) so the bottom of the stem is missing.