Whoa! Something new in July 2016! Thanks to a residency at the Platte Clove cabin, provided by the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, I had a chance to explore a whole new landscape. Each of the selected artists had a residency alone at the cabin for one week.
The Catskills, in New York State, are dense and rugged. Dark, scary! Think Rip van Winkle. The high waterfalls and cliffs are awe inspiring, and the colors are very different from Acadia. There are no ocean colors, no gulls, no shimmering coastlines. The tree cover is thick. The rocks are dark colored and mostly sedimentary shale, often beautifully carved by water. Very different from the airy, light, warm granite coasts of Acadia. I had to adjust my palette, and look for different kinds of compositions.
It was a very dry summer, so the waterfalls were reduced to a trickle. I had a sunny week, excellent for hiking and exploring and painting on site.
2016 Platte Clove Artists.
The Red Cabin.
Cabin interior.
Cabin kitchen.
Platte Clove Falls.
Dark forest.
Falls just below the cabin.
Rocky stream.
Beautiful rocks and water.
At the top of Platte Clove Falls.
The Catskills – amazing vistas after dark hikes.
At the top of Kaaterskill Falls.
Kaaterskill Upper Falls. Yikes. See how small those people are?
Kaaterskill Lower and Upper Falls.
At the base of the trail.
A different drama and beauty.
I was so grateful for the chance to paint in a new place. Many many thanks to Katie and everyone at CCCD. I loved the rustic cabin, the closeness to nature, the break from television and internet. It was only a week, but it was a productive one. I’d love to do it again.
Admittedly, I was happy to come back to civilization, home, running water, bathroom… When Marta first saw the paintings, she thought they looked dark and muddy. Later, when she had seen my photos, she said the paintings were perfect.
Top of Bridal Veil Falls
More to come…
Jana Matusz on Site 