Battenkill River @ Center Falls, Greenwich, NY.

42 F  partly overcast.

Some times you just get lucky,  I wanted a water view, the A.M. was bright with clouds slowly encroaching, so I went back to the Center Falls area of the Battenkill.  There is a paper mill, and dam where I found a good spot before, but I wanted something to take advantage of the morning sun, (from the south east), I found 20' off Bypass Rd. an old foundation on the water in a perfect spot and just a few brambles!

The sky had  gotten pretty overcast by the time I took this pic., but wow what a spot!

The mid-morning sun was bright and the snow  reflected it, contrasting with the dark part of the  water, as the clouds came in I lost some of that contrast, but was far along enough to keep it in the painting.

I  don't really see my work until I take it home and look at it inside. I think comparing it to nature is just so brutal.

Hidden just a few feet off the road, yeah!

Wallace Rd. Cambridge, NY

40 F  Cloudy, no wind.  When I started there was only a small bright spot way in the distance, it moved forward very quickly, but I couldn't change the sky, the fields did start to pick up the brighter quality (though you can't tell in this photo)

This is the third time this fall/winter at this location, it's nice and quiet, dead end, dirt road, very close to my house. The colors haven't changed that much,  I think I got it close. 

I again forgot my camera, sorry these were taken from my phone, and are really bad!

I only had a little time so getting to work right off the truck is a great time saver. 

Cambridge Creek (out back)

 18 F  cold, cloudy and breezy. 

This is the Cambridge Creek that runs through our backyard.  I stayed here and painted this today because it's always less windy here and I started  late. The brambles are just a smooch of muddy color, but the creek is as lovely as any and I wasted no gas or time to get here!

Battenkill River @ Greenwich hydro plant, Eddy St.

39-34 F  Mostly cloudy 

I found this spot looking for a place to vantage the old RR. piers,  I drive by here all the time, and since its town property I figure it's fair game

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The color seems, at first glance to be dead, but there's really a lot of color, color that changes as the light changes, and of course it's very subtle.                                  

I love the ruins of this old RR crossing, not much left, but totally cool to see go through the river. Depicting  built elements can be tricky, they tend to look contrived easily, but I guess you can say that about trees too.  

 The dam provides white noise, to drown out the road.

 

A nice place to hang out for a few hours!

                                                                                                      

It was so nice I decided to bring the chair and have a seat,  I can usually spend more time sitting (and it makes it easier to keep my vantage point.)

The Pallet is ready to be retired, but I'm looking for  a new design as well, and I'm lazy!

Rouse Rd. Cambridge, NY.

 39 F  sunny  no wind.

A beautiful day, lighter clothing, high contrast.

I'm looking south east, the mid afternoon sun is giving me deep shadows over the hill, I  had to turn my panel to keep the sun from shining on it from the west. I love the back lit hill, but the glare off the snow can be blinding, seeing and mixing colors is a challenge.

 2 nd time in this location, (august '12) but looking  in different direction.  A true farm road, very little traffic, plenty of room, not a house in site.

 I used my cell phone to take these pics, had a rough time getting them from the phone to this page, right side up!

I never know what I'm going to bring back, the colors can be elusive.  I'll often take my eyes off the subject, to keep it real, and of course the camera phone is weird.

Web site: Matt Chinian Landscape Paintings

Please also see my new(and still unfinished) web site

Juniper Swamp Rd. Shushan, NY.

 20+F  Clear, bright sun, fresh snow.

The 3rd. or 4th painting at this spot, will put together in next post.

 A good spot to pull off the road

Home away from home.

Pallet getting cramped.

Waits Hill Rd. White Creek NY 2-6-13

Partly cloudy 28 F gusty winds.

. I always put the canvas directly next to the subject, so when I look at both they line up horizontally.  I was taught this method called "sight-size" in 1980, to  draw from plaster casts.

 This is one of my favorite roads in white creek, I've done a few paintings on it and when I saw how the barn was backlit on this cold clear day with the hill in the distance and a sliver of mountain beyond the road to the right of the barn, Yeah.

 The wind wanted to knock the easel over, so I utilized bungee cords and a bucket  to weigh down the equipment, I always bungee cord the canvas the the easel anyway.

 This time of year I try to find a place that's at least a bit protected from the wind, hill tops are always windy in the winter, so I try to stay in valleys.

Canalway @ Rt. 4 near Ft. Edward

 2013, 2 February, 20 F  Mostly cloudy with a slight breeze.

   I found this spot on my way to Glens Falls yesterday, there are tons of great places to paint along the Hudson and the canal, including bridges, locks, etc. Here at a Canalway park on rt. 4 there was a parking lot and easy access to the place I found to set up.

   The great thing about this time of the year is that there is nobody else around and with the foliage off the trees it's easier to get great views. It's also cold and the wind can be bracing.  I wear lots of layers: hat, hood snow boots, and insulated leather work gloves, so yeah, there's a bit of a challenge just to keep from freezing.

 The blue seemed to have a mind of it's own in this painting!  The dead-on straight line of the opposite bank of the canal drew me to this spot, but this too eluded me, and I lost the reflection of trees on the ice, but I was happy with the bridge, and that warm spot of sky behind it.

 A bad day painting is better than a good day of anything else.

Tabor Rd. Greenwich NY 2-1-13