| Amherst Island |
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Paintings by Patty Porter, Yvonne Piburn, and Dora Flash
UPSTAIRS GALLERY
215 North Cayuga Street,
Ithaca, NY 14850
607-272-8614 --
theupstairsgallery@clarityconnect.net
February 26- March 22, 2008
In the summer of 1999, five artist friends traveled north from Ithaca, NY, for 7 hours to the Bruce Peninsula on Lake Huron for a week of painting. These friends formed a core group of painters who have since continued a painting pilgrimage every summer. We have never traveled more that 12 hours from our homes in Ithaca and have often found ourselves no more than 4 hours away.
There are various fluid criteria for our destination and lodging choices. Affordability, availability of healthy food, solitude, comfort, but not too much comfort, and interesting landscapes are among the most important. Exotic or picturesque destinations have never been a serious consideration; nor have designer locations like Provence or Tuscany.
For most of these not too distant destinations, it was the first visit to the location for most of our group. Therefore, the first item on our painting agenda was always a scavenger hunt for the best painting locations.
The hunt was made very easy this year because the island was just 3 miles wide and 12 miles long. It was also relatively flat and sparsely populated by humans but densely populated by cattle and sheep. The ferry to the island proved to be a most reliable service. We were delighted to find a general store and a tearoom, although their hours of operation were short and irregular.
My first impression of painting opportunities was disappointing. Nothing caught my eye demanding to be painted. But once I stopped fighting the obvious calm I was captivated. Amherst Island was like time traveling into the past. Most days we saw more people riding bicycles than riding in cars. The pace was slow and contagious. If I had seen my father's old 1953 Chevy on the road I would not have been surprised. By lunchtime on the first day of painting, locals were waving greetings to us.
I left Amherst Island on the ferry with a portfolio of wet sketches, not knowing what I would do next. As the weather got cooler and I began transforming my sketches into larger paintings in my studio I found myself being transported back to that more peaceful, slower paced life. To date I’ve created 9 paintings inspired by that tranquil location. As I’ve worked on each one I have gained a new appreciation for the opportunity to spend long periods of time contemplating natures beauty and to transform that beauty into paintings on canvas.
I hope that you, as viewers, can experience the tranquility of Amherst Island through my paintings.