Afternoon Light of Autumn by Roxanne Steed

8"x10" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel

Back to the same site at Harkness Park, where I painted "Butterfly Song" just a month ago back in August. Now the purple Joe-Pye weeds have almost gone by, they've turned a bit brownish purple. I chose to catch the view from a slightly different angle on this day - as I really liked the afternoon shadow shapes along the left side walls of the barns. Hurricane Irene really did some weird damage to the foliage on most of the trees. Many have browned out and are dropping leaves rather than turning color. Even the evergreens have browned out on the side facing south, where salt-spray comes off the ocean. I'm really curious as to whether we'll get much more color at all this fall here on the shoreline?!

Contact me here for more information about this painting!

Butterfly Song (Harkness Park) by Roxanne Steed

20"x20" oil on stretched canvas

"This was one of those perfect New England days in late summer where the spirit of autumn takes a first stealing flight, like a spy, through the ripening country-side, and, with feigned sympathy for those who droop with August heat, puts her cool cloak of bracing air about leaf and flower and human shoulders." ~Sarah Orne Jewett

This quote describes the weather today so well. It did feel like just a touch of fall was in the air. A bit scary/suspicious if you ask me, as I'm not ready at all for summer to end. It feels like it just got here! This scene is back at Harkness Park, the joe-pye weeds in this field are so pretty. Butterflies love it, and are flitting along the blossom tops.

This painting is available directly from the artist in my DailyPainter.com gallery store.

Yellow Barn, Griswold Point, Sunny Day in Old Lyme

8"x10" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival board

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."
- John Muir


This morning I headed out to Griswold Point, down in Old Lyme, to meet up with other CT Plein Air Painters. What a gorgeous September morning. I took a walk down to see the water, from time to time turning to see what was behind me. That's when I noticed the sunlight on this yellow barn! My intentions were to paint some of the shoreline this morning....but I know the thing that 'grabs me' quicker than anything is strong light contrasts! We're at the time of year when the tall grasses in the fields are getting those red-tinged tops- it makes for such interesting color variations across the surface!

I just got back in Sunday evening from a trip down to DC. Though I didn't take the oils with me this time. We went down on the train, so I wanted to pack light. But I did take a sketch book, and had time for a few museum trips!

I still have 2 more small oil paintings to share with you from my Chincoteague paint-out, and I've recently finished a commission to share with you! Thanks for following along, I'll be talking about all those later this week!

To purchase, please visit my DailyPainters Gallery-Store online!