The Yellow Pail

This painting is painted totally plein-aire at Sugarbush Farm in Woodstock, Vermont. I was very taken with the pile of working tools in front of the shed - a traffic cone, bricks, a coil of rough wire, a shovel, a gas can - but more than that, I loved the light on the shed and raced to catch it before it disappeared. The walkway in front leads up to a barn and exercise area with two beautiful white working horses. People were going in front of me all morning as I painted to talk to the horses. This so such a wonderful farm, very real in both its history and also in how it is a functional workplace, which has such fabulous products - cheese and maple syrup, that people come endlessly by car and busload to visit the petting zoo, taste the products, buy gifts, walk around and experience the farm life. Sadly, the beautiful old barn next to it collapsed last year and is being replaced with a new one (its in another painting).