Sunday, December 13, 2015

New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont



One day the reflections of the birch trees on the pond called my name. I returned with my iPad for a quiet time of observation and reflection of my own.

So far, this long autumn has provided no snow to the woodlands. The various shades of brown are lovely: reddish, purple, green, and yellow.


My love of brick buildings continues. The handsome Rice Public Library in Kittery, Maine, dates from 1888. I drew it as accurately as my wobbly hand allows. The chimneys are really curved like that.


One of our favorite restaurants in Hanover, New Hampshire, is the Thai Orchid. The view from the second story window faces this red brick building, the town hall. I drew as much of the graceful old elm tree as could fit onto the page. The ivy is crawling around the side of the town hall to meet the elm branches. The leaves have fallen, but no snow yet. Cold enough for a puffy blue coat though.


After our lunch of Thai food, we headed south to White River Junction just over the state line into Vermont. I drew the side of this hotel with its out of date signs, lovingly preserved. 


A ninety degree turn to the left got me this brick corner façade. There was just time for a quick skyline and major highlights kind of drawing.


Last week, our local garden club members gathered to clip evergreen boughs into 6 inch lengths. On the other side of the room, unseen here, are the wreath makers who fasten the clippings onto circular wire forms. I liked how the group of workers formed a circle too.

The wreaths decorate doors around our little town. They look cheerful in the dark cold months and stay up until March.