Mattawoman Paint Out: Getting There

Rain on the Severn, oils on canvas panel, 9" x 12"

The weekend started with Friday morning class at the shelter on Winchester Beach. It had been raining steadily through the night and was still drizzling when I left the house. About two inches of water had accumulated on the ground under the picnic shelter, so we students lined up along the one dry edge and painted the view to either side. Above is another painting of the red clay cliff, with the subdued colors of the rainy day, trying to improve upon my previous composition (see 5/24 posting).

After class I ate my sandwich while driving up to the Riverview Gallery in Havre de Grace, where I have artwork on consignment. I'd agreed to take some new paintings and bring back the unsold ones. It's a 130-mile round trip from my house and entails crossing the Harbor Tunnel in Baltimore, a notorious traffic bottleneck, so I try to do this no more than a few times a year.

The traffic on I-95 was awful on the other side of Baltimore--the perpetual roadwork always brings the 70-mile an hour flow to a screeching halt for that wonderful Beltway two-step of rolling for two car lengths and braking, to roll and brake again for what seems endless miles... then resume normal speed as suddenly as it began. It was the same on the way back but this time the back-up was south of the city.

A quick stop at home to pick up my weekend bag, muck about shoes, and contributory groceries, then drive down to Accokeek where I planned to spend the weekend with my artist friends Patrise and Linda. MAPAPA had organized a paint out at Mattawoman Creek the next morning, and I wanted to be there on time. Staying with my friends in southern Maryland made it much easier--I wouldn't have to get up at the crack of dawn to drive seventy miles or so from my house. I didn't arrive in Accokeek till a bit after seven in the evening, having logged 215 miles in one day.

Secret Garden Painting in the Rain

Centennial Park, oils on archival canvas board, 9" x 12," $100

What the well-equipped plein air painter wears

No sooner had I set up my gear in the charming garden of the William Coe House on Duke of Gloucester St. (a historic house dating from 1747, now the Georgian House B & B) than a peal of thunder announced the opening salvo of a series of summer showers. The skies opened up and it poured for the next couple of hours, forcing me and the two volunteer docents to take cover inside. The owners were entertaining a large wedding party from New Zealand at the B & B, so we had to wait it out on the back stairs entry on our feet.

Thankfully, the owners of the home had set up a big umbrella and my painting kit stayed under; since oils don't mix with water, my only concern was that the wooden palette might warp and not slide back in place, but it didn't.

Eventually the rain let up, and I went back out to try to get some painting done, but what with the interruptions, the dull light, puddles and the garden tour folks milling by, it was too distracting. Around five o'clock the sky cleared and the sun came out--I should have waited to start my painting then, the light was wonderful. But I was tired and my painting was too far along to change it, so I packed up and headed for home. I'll rework it later with the aid of my photos to see if anything can be salvaged. I hope to have better luck this afternoon painting at the Dorsey House.

In the meantime, above is the painting I did last weekend at Centennial Park. I like the fisherman--he was there for just about ten minutes, but I think I managed to capture his pose nicely. If you are interested in buying it, please contact me at elemaza@verizon.net. Shipping cost is additional and I accept PayPal.