Weekend in Woodstock

Woodstock Morning, 2011, oil on linen, 8 x 8 inches

I was in Woodstock, NY, this past weekend with a group of friends. This is our second year doing a three to four day getaway trip to the country, something we call "Gamping". If you're wondering what that means, the word is a composite of two, which are gay & camping. Yes, gay boys enjoy the outdoors just like every one else, but we also like to travel in style and to have all the comforts of a five star hotel wherever we go. Last year was Rhinebeck, NY, the town where Chelsea Clinton was married, this year the city boys descended upon the land of hippies and rock & roll. The two paintings featured in this blog post were completed in one day, both of them showing the view of the back of the house we rented, from above and bellow.

Woodstock in the Afternoon, 2011, oil on linen, 10 x 8 inches

The first painting, Woodstock Morning, was a fun three hours of work. I enjoyed every minute of it, everything seemed to be working for me. The second painting was not so fun! I've always known that painting scenes with dense foliage can be difficult, reason why I stay away from them. On this particular afternoon though, I felt a bit daring and decided to place myself in an area full of trees and leaves, and there's was no way of making out what was near or far from me. Light was more difficult to handle as well, there were areas where the afternoon sun would hit some leaves and make them scream with color. The same sun would also wash out some colors and it all turned into a golden grey haze. Woodstock in the Afternoon is the result of that difficult area and time of day. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I see it as a learning experience.