Azaleas, by Carrie Jacobson

Azaleas

By Carrie Jacobson

Oil on canvas, 16x20, $300

I painted this piece in the Kinney Azalea Gardens in Kingston, R.I., near the campus of the University of Rhode Island. This five-acre space is filled with azaleas, rhododendrons, pathways, beautiful stonework, lawns and benches and twisty handmade fences. It was started by Lorenzo Kinney in the 1920s. Kinney's father was the first professor of botany at URI.

Dr. Susan Gordon, who manages the garden and worked with Kinney for years until his death in 1994, told me that he opened the gardens to the public in 1956. He didn't really have a plan, she said. He just kept taking the next step.

The azaleas are a little early this year (because of all the rain last year, Gordon said, and because of the warm winter), but the rhododendrons are just coming out. If you live in New England, this is a marvelous day trip. It's a great place to paint, for sure, and is also just a cool place to visit. And you can buy azaleas and rhododendrons there, too.

To see more of my work, visit jacobson-arts.com, or my blog, The Accidental Artist. If you're in New England, come see me at Paradise City in Northampton, Mass., Memorial Day weekend. I'll be in Booth 318, in the Morgan Building, near the sculpture garden.

If you're an artist, consider joining us for Art on Groton Bank, a small, lovely, well-attended one-day outdoor show, July 17. The entry fee is $45, if you apply before June 17, and $50 afterwards. SeeArtOnGrotonBank.com for more information.