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BRUSHES WITH NATURE

Two of my watercolors were accepted into the "Brushes with Nature" show and will be on display at the New England Watercolor Society Gallery in Plymouth, MA. The show will run from November 13th to January 6th, 2020.

These works were painted on my "Brushes With Nature" plein air invitational paint-out on the Artists Trail in Rangeley, Maine. Both of the paintings are small studies 9 1/2 x 12 3/4 inches and painted on Whatman vintage watercolor paper. The painting above shows the highest drop and the base of the famous Small Falls and the cascading pools of the rushing waters from Sandy River.

The painting above is a depiction of one of the pools above the 25-foot drop. The Falls are Just south of the town of Rangeley, at the Smalls Falls Rest Area. It offers a stunning colorful gorge as one of New England's finest rest area.

At the bottom of Small Falls you will find a 3-foot cascade falling into a 20-foot wide circular pool. The painting above shows a 14-foot fanning horsetail with a deep, oblong pool of emerald colored reflections. Further up the trail from where this painting was created, there is a 25-foot segmented waterfall that plunges to the left and a segmented horsetail on the right. At the very top waterfall is a 12-foot horsetail and slide. Finally the Small Falls near the bottom are small plunges and cascades of equally crystal clear water. 

I am amazed that all four sets of these falls are found within the most colorful gorges in the Rangeley region. The Naples Yellow, oranges, deep viridian greens, dark black accents, Venetian Browns, quinacrodone gold, and ivory make this a exciting subject to paint.

There are plenty of places to plein air to paint along these gorge walls and experience the beauty of this wide-open area. Still, other features that make this waterfall so popular are the pools that many choose to swim or to wade.

HOLIDAY SALE

I have included in the Holiday Sale three small watercolors, two of which are from Small Falls near Rangeley, Maine on the Artists Trail. This spectacular brook is located above the falls with wonderful pools that collect before dropping three to four times as a part of Small Falls. This boldly colored brook is the very start of the Falls that drops 54 feet consisting of a 12-foot side/horsetail, a 25- foot segmented waterfall, a 14-foot horsetail, and a 3 foot cascade, all separated by these strikingly beautiful pools. It is located in Township East, West Central Franklin, in Maine, and one of the designated sites of the famed, "Artists' Trail".

In this painted study, one of three I painted that day, The Sandy River begins it's descent as Small Falls. This is not only one of my favorite waterfalls to paint, but the color combinations are totally inspiring to a plein air watercolorist. This is a watercolor painted study made on location in my pure and bold style of transparent washes. I wet the back of the page before I begin to paint and use a descriptive stroke that describes lines of power, motion, and shape in describing the character of the powerful brook and beginning of the Small Falls Waterfall on August 10th. I painted this study during the paint-out I hosted for the New England Watercolor Society called, "Brushes With Nature" in the summer or 2020.

I captured this fresh plein air watercolor on August 14th, 2020 at Small Falls in Rangeley, Maine. Small Falls is located just 15- minutes from downtown Rangeley with the falls located at the rest area and trailhead off the south side of route 4. The trailhead starts with a bridge with spectacular views and it is where I painted this view. This organicly-rich colored 54 foot falls consists of a 12-foot side/horsetail, a 25- foot segmented waterfall, a 14-foot horsetail, and a 3 foot cascade, all separated by strikingly beautiful pools. It is located in Township E, West Central Franklin, Maine one of the designated site of the famed, "Artist Trail".  The cutting power of the Sandy River is evident in the gorge that roars and makes up Small Falls. This is one of my favorite waterfalls to paint. 

This is an watercolor painted study made on location in my pure and bold style of transparent washes. I use a descriptive stroke that describes lines of power, motion, and shape in describing the character of the powerful but colorful waterfall in August. I also painted this study during the workshop I taught in Rangeley in the week following the "Brushes With Nature" paint-out I hosted.

I captured this fresh plein air watercolor painted study in the summer at Washerwoman on Monhegan Island, Maine. Monhegan Island is located 10 miles off the coast of Port Clyde, Maine as one of Maine most beautiful out-to-sea islands. The Washerwoman is located on the southeastern shore of Monhegan and is known for its spectacular surf. A rock just off shore, the washerwoman is at its best when faced with a northeastern wind at high tide and just after a storm as with this painting. The waters between the washerwoman rock and the rock connected to the coast has strong currents entering from both sides, making it almost impossible to row out of even with a dory. The locals respect this rock as with many places along Mohegan's shore. With it's dark green granite silhouette it stands out as one of the most active surf that often reaches above the horizon line, making for an interesting break in the composition. 
 

I have painted the Washerwoman more than 25 times, and still I have only begun to see the truth of this amazing rock that stands alone against the rugged North Atlantic seas. This is a watercolor painted on location in My pure and bold style of transparent washes. I love to uses a descriptive stroke that describes lines of power, motion, and shape in describing the character of the Washerwoman in August, yet I try to paint with a subtlety that captures even the lightest veils of light. I painted this study on vintage Whatman watercolor paper and I has happy to achieve the textural grain that is most prized by painters who have ever painted on this rare paper.

Have a great week everyone, even more paintings to come,

Michael E. Vermette