Lupine Storm

9 x 12″
Oil on Linen
June, 2024

Blooming lupines remind me of the illusive passing of seasons. The cool violet flowers last only a few weeks. Hurry! Luxuriate in their presence before they melt to brown. Hunting the blooms each year reminds us, “Oh yeah, these beauts are biennials.” That field that flowed with color last year is taking a break — keep looking!

On June 12, 2024, I joined my favorite pied pipers of Plein air outside a private home in Cushing. The fields were chock-a-block full of blooming Lupines. While driving from my house on the Pemaquid Peninsula to the Friendship/Cushing Peninsula, I noticed the clouds were ominous. Somehow, the weather always changes as you drive down the peninsula. There is a barrier from the bad stuff as you descend to peace.

Mid-coast Maine is a visual feast. I do not have to travel far from my front door to be inspired by incredible beauty. This Plein air group meets on the Friendship/Cushing peninsula. I make the journey because I always find another WOW spot. However, I have learned to bring layers—warmth is elusive in Maine. 

I had just joined a group of Tonalist painters in Gloucester, Mass. We met at the East Point Yacht Club, where Edward Hopper painted his iconic East Point lighthouse. Dennis Sheehan, the most famous modern tonalist, led this workshop. 

Tonalists create emotional environments by reacting to feelings. The color is reduced to a few tones, which is quite stunning work. Even though I am not a Tonalist — I am always in awe of how light reacts with color —  I still had a slight Tonalist mindset hangover.

Today was the perfect Tonalist day. It was a bit cloudy, with a vengeance to the north. By the end of the painting session, the light had blossomed and reflected intense color. The clouds hung low when we started painting. I rarely sit to paint, but this day, I wanted to look through the lupines to the clouds. How wonderful to be nestled inside a field of blossoming violet flowers!

Lupine Storm is my impression of shifting clouds while sitting amidst these incredible violet explosions. The colors come screeching out when the sun starts shining. The cloudy, soft light made the field more subtle and delicate.