Thoughts on a Painting

"Meadow and Old Wagon" is an original watercolor painting. Artist, Patricia Hopkins would like to share some thoughts and feelings that were a part of its creation.

My cousin and I were on our way to go kayaking in Essex, Massachusetts. We passed some property which had belonged to a close friend of hers. In its heyday the family enjoyed beautiful views from the main house. Beyond their pastures were marshes and ocean with distant views of Hog Island.  There were well-tended vegetable and flower gardens and a barn to house chicken, sheep, and horses. The wagon was a short distance from the barn.

The wagon was an enchanting sight, so we stopped and took some photographs. Apparently my cousin's friend used to put geraniums in the wagon in springtime, but now vines had taken over which added to its antiquity and charm. For me the scene evoked memories of bygone days.

The light played through the scene in an interesting way. In the foreground the grass and queen anne's lace  were dappled with sunlight coming through the trees' canopy overhead. Then the wagon sat peacefully in an open area of bright sunlight, and behind in the woods there were streams of light coming through to the woods' floor.

The queen anne's lace was not in the original scene but was added to make the meadow more aesthetically pleasing and to help draw the viewer's eye into the painting.  

A quick recap of my thoughts:
1. What an unusual and charming subject to paint.
2. The oldness of the wagon and the light in the scene were appealing.
3. A meadow must have Queen Anne's lace!

  

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