Andrea Doughtie, Rural Painter

Here’s another little painting on paper. I love the way cows punctuate a landscape.

‘Til the Cows Come Home oil on paper   7 x 9  $150 matted and framed under plexiglas

Weekend before last we were invited to an annual “Moonlight Snowshoe” party, along with everybody else in town. It’s always a question whether the weather will be clear enough and warm enough for moonlight and comfort. But first, before we got to the party we took a long drive up to Randolph, VT where I had a painting in a juried show that was opening that night. (The theme of the show was “White” and I entered the still life “Arcs and Angles.”) Anyway, we had had a lot of snow and as we were driving up to see the gallery we passed beautiful views of the moon and the fields below. I was particularly struck by one large long cloud that streaked up the sky and partially obscured the moon. In the next few days I did a painting of it from memory and was pleased with the result. I stuck in just the tiniest light from a house in the trees but it’s probably not visible in the photo. I love looking up at hills that look remote and dark, seeing a cozy beam peeking out.

By the time we got to the party we were too late to get out to snowshoe with everybody but since it was by then about 12 degrees and the moon was mostly hidden we didn’t feel too bad. (O.K., we were greatly relieved, actually.) But we did go sit by a big bonfire while our host shot off fireworks. It was a great party — wonderful food and terrific local fiddlers.

A Night for Snowshoes oil on masonite 12 x 30 $500 unframed

One of our neighbors is a dairy farmer–close enough that we can hear him calling his cows early in the morning.  He and his son manage the herd mostly by themselves and they work so  hard–milking twice a day, bringing in the cows, planting and haying in the summer as well as haying for other people.  The farm has  been in the family forever and this farmhouse was built by one of his ancestors.   Right now the painting is hanging in the bank at Coburn’s general store in So. Strafford.

Farmhouse     7 x 9   oil on paper    $150 matted and framed with plexiglas

This painting is loosely modeled on #4 in the previous “It Took Dominion” series so it’s mostly made up. I love plein air but painting out of my head is particularly satisfying–when it works.  Creating a landscape makes me feel a bit arrogant  but I guess that’s what one does even if it’s reporting something that’s actually there. Painting is always to some extent abstracting.

Dark Water oil on canvas board 18 x 24 $600 unframed