| On an otherwise rather gritty street in Cumberland, MD, I found this beautiful oasis of roses and lush gardens abutting, actually overflowing, the brick sidewalk. A tiny and frail old woman came out on her porch once to water the hanging baskets, but didn't acknowledge me as I painted there, although I tried to tell her how beautiful her garden was. Although this looks like a sunny picture, the sun shone only briefly every so often, and I had to paint like mad every time it made an appearance to get in the dappled light on the sidewalk that had first attracted me. This was painted for the Mountain Maryland Plein Air painting competition, and we had so many overcast or rainy days that all the artists were anxious to paint SUN! |
