Overload

North-South Lake, the Catskills, 9X12, oil on canvasboard, by little ol' me.

I have been in many spectacular places around the world, but I never realized that one of them is practically in my backyard, and I’ve never seen it before. This is NYS Route 23A in Greene County.

This is most peculiar because I’ve been in Palenville (through which 23A passes) several times to hang with my buddy, painter Jamie Williams Grossman. I guess we just never turned right before.

North-South Lake, the Catskills, 9X12, oil on canvasboard, by little ol' me (and not quite finished).

Palenville was a center of the Hudson River school. Thomas Cole, Frederic Church, and other notable painters stayed and worked there. (Palenville is also the fictional home of Rip van Winkle, although it’s surprising that he could get any sleep, between the waterfalls, the Great Horned Owls, and the frogs and peepers who sing in the night.)

Rain was on the forecast, but it was a far nicer day than anyone anticipated.

Route 23A passes several of the Catskill High Peaks before dropping into the Hudson Valley via Kaaterskill Clove.  The section I drove today runs along Kaaterskill Creek in the general area made famous by the Hudson River painters. It’s no surprise that they loved it; it’s stupendous: the narrow rock walls vary between green, grey and red, and great boulders are washed in spray as the creek bounces its way down the steep gorge.  

Beavers hard at work everywhere.

We met—a group of sixteen New York Plein Air Painters—at North-South Lake. This was a favorite subject of the Hudson River school, particularly Thomas Cole. For a long time, the prestigious resort hotels in the area made it synonymous with the Catskills.

The park includes the site of the Catskill Mountain House, built in 1823. It was one of the premiere vacation spots of the 19^thcentury. Today, all that’s left is the view—miles and miles of the Hudson River at your feet—and the forest paths.

Never one to waste a canvas, Patricia McDermond painted over an unfinished nude, engendering all kinds of comments from bystanders.

Because I’ve never been to this park before, I had to spend some time poking around and looking at things before painting. It was a full day, ending much too soon, and I can’t wait to come back.

Tomorrow we will meet at the trailhead for Kaaterskill Falls, made famous by the Hudson River painters. At 260 feet, it’s impressive, even for someone raised in the shadow of Niagara Falls.

There are still a few openings in my 2014 workshop in Belfast, ME. Information is available here.

The scene of the crime

My errant palette knife has returned home, with a spiffy monogram.

After a beautiful drive across the state, I arrived at Palenville in mid-afternoon. Unpacked and rested, I wandered into Jamie Grossman’s kitchen, where she handed me the palette knife I’d dropped in her creek last summer. Not only did she return it to me, she returned it monogrammed.

A wee little sketch of rocks and a tree.

Patricia McDermond and I had 45 minutes to paint or draw before it was time to dress for dinner, so we wandered back to the creek with our watercolor sketch kits. I didn’t fall in this time, but I didn’t paint much that was brilliant, either. Three fast and weak watercolors in my notebook and I was done.

A wee little watercolor sketch of the same tree. One drawn and three watercolor sketches in less than an hour.

It usually takes me about three hours to do a 9X12 plein air painting. But that doesn’t include the driving time, the sketching time, or the falling-in-the-creek time.

Success is a glass of wine on your friend's deck in the woods.

There are still a few openings in my 2014 workshop in Belfast, ME. Information is available here.

Doublebooked!

I have two great shows opening next weekend. I hope you can make one or both of them.

Dead Wood, by Carol L. Douglas, 48X36, oil on canvas

God+Man: paintings by Carol L. Douglas

The relationship between God and Man as seen in the built environment.

Aviv Gallery, Bethel Community Church, 321 East Avenue, Rochester NY 14604

Opening June 6, 2014, 6-9 PM

Recurring Night-Deer, Something from a Night-Mare, by Sandy Quang, 18X24

Studio of Carol L Douglas student show

A baker’s dozen of students demonstrating a wide variety of styles and subjects.

The VB Brewery, , 6606 New York 96, Victor, NY 14564.

Opening June 8, 1-4 PM

And on that note, I'm heading downstate to spend the week with my Lower Hudson Valley Plein Air Painter friends! See you next weekend!

There are still a few openings in my 2014 workshop in Belfast, ME. Information is available here.