Pink Cyclamen

This painting was created mostly with a palette knife, and a few brush strokes. I really love the thick texture of paint I can build up with a palette knife, plus it forces me to be looser in my painting.
The snow was swirling on a bitterly cold winter day while I painted this in my friend's studio. Grocery store plants help me get through our long winters.
"Pink Cyclamen" will be available at the Spring Fever Handmade Market this Saturday from 10am - 4pm in the large greenhouse at Chamberlain Acres, 824 Broadway Elmira, New York. 
Little paintings like this go fast at this market, so if you're interested message me and I will hold it for you.

"Pink Cyclamen" 7x5 oil on canvas by Bridget Bossart van Otterloo

Below is a list of spring events. I hope to see you at one or more of them!
-Bridget

Watercolor Workshops in my Home Studio
Join me in my light filled home studio for a relaxing afternoon of painting! All supplies are included in the cost of the class, and no experience is necessary.

Sunday March 10, 1-5pm
Sunday April 7, 1-5pm
Sunday May 19, 1-5pm

More info on my website: www.bridgetbossartvanotterloo.com/workshops Follow this link to register: Register for Workshop

             
Spring Fever Handmade Market
Saturday March 2, 10 am – 4 pm
A unique shopping experience in the greenhouse
Chamberlian Acres
824 Broadway Elmira, New York 14904
chamberlainacres.com
Join the event: ElmiraHandmadeMarket

New Paintings in the Gallery Store
Memorial Art Gallery
500 University Ave., Rochester NY 14607
mag.rochester.edu

Made in NY 2019
Schweinfurth Art Center
March 22 - May 12, 2019
Reception Friday March 22, 5:00 - 8:00 pm
205 Genesee Street, Auburn, NY 13021
www.schweinfurthartcenter.org

Arts in Bloom
Steuben County Arts Trail
This will be our 7th year celebrating Artists in Steuben County!
My studio will be open to the public
Saturday April 27, 10am – 7pm
Sunday April 28, Noon – 5pm
artsinbloom.net/painters
Join the event: www.facebook.com/events


Metamorphosis
May 5 - June 16, 2019
Reception Saturday May 19, 5:30 - 8:00 pm
Oxford Gallery
267 Oxford Street, Rochester NY
www.oxfordgallery.com

Enough

"Tree Line Interrupted"

12x16 Watercolor

Price: $180 framed, email me to purchase at bbvanotterloo@gmail.com

enough
to sit here quietly

to feel
cool northeasterly breeze
warm sunshine on hands

to hear
crickets constantly chirp
clap of horse’s hooves on nearby road

to see
goldenrod sway in gentle wind
cooper’s hawk soar silently by

enough
to sit here quietly
breathe

Poem by Michael Czarnecki

"Memories"

16x12 Watercolor

SOLD!

"Road Home"

12x16 Watercolor

Price: $180 framed, email me to purchase at bbvanotterloo@gmail.com

Wheeler Hill was our last stop along this creative journey. I think the poem above is my favorite. It says it all.  
Tomorrow, Friday November 16, is the last day to see our exhibit at 171 Cedar Arts Center. I will be taking it down on Saturday. On Monday, November 19 I will hang a selection of paintings and poems from this exhibit at the Dormann Library in Bath, NY.  
Coming up, during Summer 2019, a selection of work from this project will be on exhibit at the Atrium Gallery, Corning Community College. Stay tuned for more details!

 

Click here to view the complete exhibit online: www.bridgetbossartvanotterloo.com
 

* All paintings are framed and available for sale. 

Please email me at bbvanotterloo@gmail.com to inquire about purchasing a painting. *

Paintings by Bridget Bossart van Otterloo and poetry by Michael Czarnecki, inspired by landscapes in Steuben County, New York.
Grateful acknowledgments and appreciation to The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes for assistance in making this project possible by awarding us an Individual Artists Grant for 2018.

Ghosts in the Golf Course, Pinnacle State Park, Addison NY

"Burning Sky"

6x9

Oil on canvas

Price: $225. framed

email me to purchase: bbvanotterloo@gmail.com

are there ghost golfers
still walking old fairways
still swinging irons and woods
still lining up putts on greens
how many lost golf balls
still lying in overgrown rough
how many lost golf balls
sunk in mud at bottom of ponds
how many lost golf balls
sliced out of play into thick woods
now, peaceful quietness reigns here
as golf course slowly evolves away


Poem by Michael Czarnecki

"October Sky"

12x16

Watercolor

Price: $180. framed

email me to purchase: bbvanotterloo@gmail.com

"Plein Air Painting and Poetry" on exhibit at 171 Cedar Arts Center

Houghton Gallery, 171 Cedar Street, Corning, NY

On view now through November 16, 2018

This is the last week to view the exhibit at 171 Cedar Arts Center. On Monday, November 19th I will hang a selection of paintings and poems from this exhibit at the Dormann Library in Bath, NY. 

Click here to see all plein air paintings and poetry in this series. 
 

* All paintings are framed and available for sale. 

Please email me at bbvanotterloo@gmail.com to inquire about purchasing a painting. *

Paintings by Bridget Bossart van Otterloo and poetry by Michael Czarnecki, inspired by landscapes in Steuben County, New York.
Grateful acknowledgments and appreciation to The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes for assistance in making this project possible by awarding us an Individual Artists Grant for 2018.

Spencer Crest Nature Center, Corning NY

"Memory of Light" 11x14 watercolor by Bridget Bossart van Otterloo

pond almost perfectly still
then
sudden breeze ripples surface
tree reflections
so clear a moment ago
now a blur, trees gone
stillness replaced with
wind-driven motion
a once placid scene
now agitated
where nothing is quite clear
moments later, breeze gone
tree reflections return
scene quite placid
once again

Poem by Michael Czarnecki

"October Path"

12x16

Watercolor

Price: $180 framed

email me to purchase: bbvanotterloo@gmail.com

"Plein Air Painting and Poetry" on exhibit at 171 Cedar Arts Center
Houghton Gallery, 171 Cedar Street, Corning, NY
On view now through November 16, 2018

 Click here to see all plein air paintings and poetry in this series. 
 

* All paintings are framed and available for sale. 

Please email me at bbvanotterloo@gmail.com to inquire about purchasing a painting. *

Paintings by Bridget Bossart van Otterloo and poetry by Michael Czarnecki, inspired by landscapes in Steuben County, New York.
Grateful acknowledgments and appreciation to The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes for assistance in making this project possible by awarding us an Individual Artists Grant for 2018.

Day After Labor Day on Keuka Lake

"Cumulus Clouds over Keuka Lake"

8"x10"

Oil on canvas

Price: $225. email me to purchase

left hanging in trees
yesterday’s birthday banners
now just memory
after Labor Day
though hot humid conditions
swimming beach empty
paddling slowly
two kayakers approach shore
ducks swim out of way
one could never tell
gazing at surface of lake
how deep underneath
from this vantage point
lakeside hills covered in trees
is this wine country
empty swimming dock
other than one lone black duck
occasional quack
yellow butterfly
lands, flies, lands, flies, lands, flies, lands
on dandelions

"Day After Labor Day, Keuaka Lake"

16"x20"

Watercolor on 300lb paper

Price: $300. email me to purchase

---

"Plein Air Painting and Poetry" on exhibit at 171 Cedar Arts Center
Houghton Gallery, 171 Cedar Street, Corning, NY
On view now through November 16, 2018

 Click here to see all plein air paintings and poetry in this series. 
 

* All paintings are framed and available for sale. 

Please email me at bbvanotterloo@gmail.com to inquire about purchasing a painting. *

Paintings by Bridget Bossart van Otterloo and poetry by Michael Czarnecki, inspired by landscapes in Steuben County, New York.
Grateful acknowledgments and appreciation to The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes for assistance in making this project possible by awarding us an Individual Artists Grant for 2018.

Mossy Bank Park, Bath NY

Destroying Angels, Mossy Bank Park

16"x20"

Watercolor on 300lb gallery wrapped paper

SOLD!

far below

Cohocton River
flows slowly by
cars, trucks
speed by on highway
four decades ago
I stood here
gazed at river
gazed at highway
time, too, flows by
speeds by


Poem by Michael Czarnecki

Mossy Bank Park in Bath, NY was the setting for session six on September 1. If haven't been there yet, you should go! They have great educational programs spring though fall. The park has lovely trails through shaded woods, and a great view out over the river valley.
This has been the year of rain, and there were plenty of mushrooms around - some edible, some deadly poisonous. Destroying Angels are deadly, don't eat them if you find them in the woods! They do have an other-worldly glow with their pure white translucent skin against the dark forest floor - good for painting, not for eating. Michael knows a lot about mushrooms, and even had a near death experience with them years ago. Ask him about it.

Follow this link to find out more about Mossy Bank Park: https://mossybankpark.com/

---

"Plein Air Painting and Poetry" on exhibit at 171 Cedar Arts Center
Houghton Gallery, 171 Cedar Street, Corning, NY
On view now through November 16, 2018

 Click here to see all plein air paintings and poetry in this series. 
 

* All paintings are framed and available for sale. 

Please email me at bbvanotterloo@gmail.com to inquire about purchasing a painting. *

Paintings by Bridget Bossart van Otterloo and poetry by Michael Czarnecki, inspired by landscapes in Steuben County, New York.
Grateful acknowledgments and appreciation to The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes for assistance in making this project possible by awarding us an Individual Artists Grant for 2018.

Finding our way

"Morning Fog, Evening Primrose"

16"x20"

Watercolor on 300lb gallery wrapped paper *

while brown Chemung flows by
Bridget’s colorful paint
flows on to canvas
__________________________________________

osprey flies by high over river
water brown from heavy rains
with such murkiness
can osprey see its way
to finding food for young

Poems by Michael Czarnecki

For session five we started out early near the river launch site on the Chemung River in Corning, NY. If you live in Corning, you're familiar with the fog that covers the river valley in the morning, usually lifting by late morning.
As I set up to paint the river, Michael pointed out the abundance of wildflowers growing on the unmowed sloop. I had to add these bright yellow Evening Primroses to my painting. I think they're a nice bright pop of color in an otherwise melancholy scene. Many of us here in the Southern Tier are hoping for brighter days soon. Don't forget to vote!

---

"Plein Air Painting and Poetry" on exhibit at 171 Cedar Arts Center
Houghton Gallery, 171 Cedar Street, Corning, NY
On view now through November 16, 2018
 

* All paintings are framed and available for sale. 

Please email me at bbvanotterloo@gmail.com to inquire about purchasing a painting. *

Click here to see all plein air paintings and poetry in this series.
Paintings by Bridget Bossart van Otterloo and poetry by Michael Czarnecki, inspired by landscapes in Steuben County, New York.
Grateful acknowledgments and appreciation to The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes for assistance in making this project possible by awarding us an Individual Artists Grant for 2018.

---

Back Alley Views

"Corning Alleyway, Market Street" 14x10 watercolor, SOLD!

back alley
back doors
of shops
of businesses
smokers’ alley
doors open
guys walk out
light up

***
small touch of New Orleans
hanging pots of flowers
other living greenery
enliven back alley
but only scattered places
not like French Quarter
plants, flowers festooning
residential, business buildings
on nearly every street
where’s street musicians
where’s riverside walkway
where’s horse drawn carriages
where’s urine smelling morning Bourbon Street
where’s homeless people sleeping on benches
only a small touch of New Orleans

Poems by Michael Czarnecki

Session Four took place on July 19, 2018. We met at the Farmer's Market and didn't have to walk far to find subjects to paint and write about.

---

"Plein Air Painting and Poetry" on exhibit at 171 Cedar Arts Center
Houghton Gallery, 171 Cedar Street, Corning, NY
On view now through November 16, 2018
 

* All paintings are framed and available for sale. 

Please email me at bbvanotterloo@gmail.com to inquire about purchasing a painting. *

Click here to see all plein air paintings and poetry in this series.
Paintings by Bridget Bossart van Otterloo and poetry by Michael Czarnecki, inspired by landscapes in Steuben County, New York.
Grateful acknowledgments and appreciation to The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes for assistance in making this project possible by awarding us an Individual Artists Grant for 2018.

Blackbird atop tombstone

"Hadley Graveyard" Canisteo River Valley *

6"x9" oil on canvas by Bridget Bossart van Otterloo

blackbird atop tombstone
perches a few minutes
then flies far away
tombstone still remains
___________________________________________
young artist stands under umbrella
dabs paint onto canvas
along side of road
scene she is painting:
old barn, dead standing tree
weathered tombstones
mid-summer, sun bright, air warm
winter, not all that far away
_________________________________________

old river flows through
narrow valley
lawn mower whirrs in distance
flies buzz around my head
a sudden breeze
sways branches of trees
occasional car speeds by
robin chirps, blue jay shrieks
soft gentle sounds, all
fitting this remote setting
suddenly, growing roar
like wind building in storm
but no, freight train rumbles by
after passing, loud whistle
as it approaches nearby crossing
this loud intrusion, no intrusion at all
fits perfectly in this bucolic setting
of narrow steep-hill-lined valley
___________________________________________ 
Poems by Michael Czarnecki


Session Three - the beautiful, remote Canisteo River Valley. First time there for me. Michael has forty-year-old memories of it, living above in the hills, 3 miles from the river.
Various scenes were possibilities for painting as we slowly drove along the River Road from Addison to Cameron. We had talked earlier on the ride about cemeteries. I've never been drawn to paint cemeteries, until that afternoon.


"Plein Air Painting and Poetry" on exhibit at 171 Cedar Arts Center
Houghton Gallery, 171 Cedar Street, Corning, NY
On view now through November 16, 2018
 

* All paintings are framed and available for sale. 

Please email me at bbvanotterloo@gmail.com to inquire about purchasing a painting. *

---

See all plein air paintings and poetry in this series on my website: www.bridgetbossartvanotterloo.com
Paintings by Bridget Bossart van Otterloo and poetry by Michael Czarnecki, inspired by landscapes in Steuben County, New York.
Grateful acknowledgments and appreciation to The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes for assistance in making this project possible by awarding us an Individual Artists Grant for 2018.

Houghton Land Preserve, a gift to our community.

"Trail Marker" 8x12 watercolor by Bridget Bossart van Otterloo*

"View from Here" 8x12 watercolor by Bridget Bossart van Otterloo*

what is it that draws us
to field, to forest
to other than human
as I sit on old log
slowly rotting back to earth
sudden brisk wind shakes tops of trees
at same time, tree shadows
dance on leaf-strewn woodland floor
all the while, wood thrush’s sweet song
floats through shaded forest air

Poem by Michael Czarnecki

Houghton Land Preserve, Finger Lakes Land Trust, Corning, NY
"Located just a stone’s throw from downtown Corning, the Houghton Land Preserve features mature hardwood forests, 2 miles of hiking trails, and scenic meadows with sweeping views of the surrounding hills.
The preserve is a gift from Jamie and Maisie Houghton, who gave their 194-acre property to the Finger Lakes Land Trust in 2016 to create a new nature preserve.  Jamie is the retired Chairman of the Board of Corning Incorporated, a company founded by his great-great grandfather in 1851.  By donating their family land to the Land Trust, the Houghtons are continuing their deep commitment to the Corning community."
Learn more at: www.fllt.org/preserves/houghton-land-preserve/

Reception with the Artist and Poet tonight! 5-8 pm

171 Cedar Arts Center
Houghton Gallery, 171 Cedar Street, Corning, NY
Please join us for a reception and Artist/Poet Talk, TONIGHT! Friday, October 26 5–8pm
Talk begins at 6pm, bring your questions!
This exhibit is will be on view through November 16, 2018
 

* All paintings are framed and available for sale. 

Please email me at bbvanotterloo@gmail.com to inquire about purchasing a painting. *

---

See all plein air paintings and poetry in this series on my website: www.bridgetbossartvanotterloo.com
Paintings by Bridget Bossart van Otterloo and poetry by Michael Czarnecki, inspired by landscapes in Steuben County, New York.
Grateful acknowledgments and appreciation to The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes for assistance in making this project possible by awarding us an Individual Artists Grant for 2018.