Last week I had the honor of being a Quarry Farm Fellow with Elmira College Center for Mark Twain Studies. Quarry Farm was the summer home of Mark Twain’s family. He spent over twenty summers here, writing many of his classics from his octagonal study on the hill overlooking the Chemung river valley. I could see why he and his family loved it here, the view and breeze from the valley is heavenly. Over my five-day stay at Quarry Farm I completed five paintings, one painting a day! I set for myself this goal at the beginning of the week, and was happy to achieve it. My work feels like play (most of the time) and the right environment can help me stay in that flow state needed to create work. Quarry Farm is an ideal place for inspired concentration. There is a peacefulness accompanied by bird song that made the perfect background for plein air painting.
What I enjoy about plein air painting is the time pressure and challenge of finishing a painting in about 4-5 hours. It forces me to loosen up, to not be too tight or get caught up in too many details. You have to stand back from your subject and think, what is most important here? What should I focus on, and what can be left out? Then you can only stand out on the lawn for so long with the flies sticking in your paint, and the spongy moth caterpillars parachuting down from the trees – you have to get right to the heart of the painting.
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| "Quarry Farm" 11x14 oil painting by Bridget Bossart van Otterloo |
There is a lot of history here at Quarry Farm, you can read more about it here: https://marktwainstudies.com/about/quarry-farm/, and take virtual tour of the historic home here: https://marktwainstudies.com/online-resources/quarry-farm-virtual-tour/
When I wasn't painting, I enjoyed exploring the historic house, checking out all the books in the library and study, and walking around the grounds.
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| Quarry Farm Parlor |
I spent most of my time out on the front porch painting and observing.
The light was best here for painting, and the view was always
inspiring.
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| View from the Quarry Farm Porch |
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| Painting "Housed on the Hill" |
"Housed on the Hill" 11x14 oil painting by Bridget Bossart van Otterloo
Spending the week out on the porch and in the historic house made me feel like I was stepping back in time. I could imagine all the time Mark Twain, his family, and friends spent here. Susan Crane really achieved her goal of making Quarry Farm a place people wanted to be, enjoying their own company, and the company of others.
"But we are housed here on top of the hill, now, where it is always cool, & still, & reposeful & bewitching." Samuel Clemens to William Dean Howells, 14 June, 1877, Elmira NY
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| Samuel Clemens |
Even on rainy days, the landscape was inspiring, and the porch was my shelter from the elements. I had to complete this painting, "Rainy Day View" in about two hours, as the rain and wind started coming in sideways on the porch. I really like the freshness and sense of atmosphere in this painting.
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| "Rainy Day View" 8x10 oil by Bridget Bossart van Otterloo |
Here is a view of the Chemung River Valley on a clear day. I'm sure one could see the river and valley below even more clearly back in Mark Twain's day.
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| "Chemung Valley View" 10x14 watercolor by Bridget Bossart van Otterloo |
The porch lattice work and circular windows silhouetted the gardens
surrounding the house perfectly. I tried to capture the feeling of the bright
light beyond the shelter of the porch here in this watercolor painting.
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| "Garden View" 10x14 watercolor by Bridget Bossart van Otterloo |
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| Quarry Farm Gardens |
Two paintings from my residency, "Quarry Farm" 11x14 oil, and "Rainy Day View" 8x10 oil, will be framed and join the Quarry Farm Collection.
Thank you Elmira College and Jospeh Lemak for this opportunity.
