January 2015

This image has been with me since my trip to the Olson House in early September. The Olson House in Port Clyde, ME is where Andrew Wyeth painted his famous “Christina’s World” in addition to many of his other well-known works. The main point of my time in Port Clyde was to get in the field and do some painting, but the time I spent in the Olson House ended up being one of the highlights of the trip. As I walked through (taking many pictures), it became clear why this house was such an inspiration to Wyeth. There is a magical feel to the place - which was accentuated by the amazing afternoon light.

I always have a queue of images in my head that I want to paint, and this one has been at the front of the line. I used my pictures as a reference, but photos could not quite do this scene justice. My goal with the painting was to get the quiet and peaceful feel of being in the room, taking in the play of the beautiful afternoon light across a room that inspired one of the greatest painters.