Summer Mosaic 2017 Recap: Days 29-35

I’m writing this from beautiful Colorado!  I drove out this past week and have been enjoying some much needed time with friends and a change of scenery.  I stopped at some fun places along the way and have been trying to share some pictures here and there on my Facebook page and Instagram account.  I’m still continuing the recap of Summer Mosaic 2017 while I’m away, though!

Do you have any guesses what the theme will be this year?  I had a big reveal planned to share the theme, but technology just wouldn’t cooperate with me that day.  I’ll go ahead and let you know the theme here so I’m not keeping you in any more suspense…

Maybe you’ve noticed I’m a little obsessed with waterfalls recently.  I wonder how many visits to see them it will take for me to get tired of looking at them?  I guess we’ll find out if the number is under 50 soon!  Theme 2018 = Waterfalls of New York (working title).

Are you excited?

Let’s take a look at Days 29-35 of Summer Mosaic 2017 from this week’s recap.  If you’re just joining along now, welcome!  Last year was the first year of 171 Cedar Arts Center’s Summer Mosaic. The project was to create 50 pieces of artwork using 6″x6″ wooden panels in a 45 day time period.  The theme I picked was Around the Finger Lakes.  I used acrylic paint to transform each wood tile into different scenes from the local area.  (You can catch up with days 1-28 here.)

Apple orchards and trees are pretty common to find in New York.  It’s a lot of fun to go apple picking and get the dozens of varieties freshly off the tree.  I think my favorite is Burgundy apples.  I also like Jonagolds.  The smell of fresh apples in the fall is also amazing.

One thing I missed while I lived in Wyoming was the variety of different fresh apples in the fall.  It seemed that there were only about 4 or 5 different types available in Wyoming – red, yellow, green, and other red.

This particular group of apple trees has a more personal meaning for me.  These were apple trees that were in my neighbor’s backyard growing up.  I spent a lot of time playing underneath these trees and helping pick that apples in the fall.  A piece of wisdom that my neighbor imparted on me that I’ll share.

What is worse than finding a worm in your apple?
…Finding half a worm.

​Original painting available to purchase.

This place was somewhere that I found by accident.  I wanted to see the view from Hill Top Inn in Elmira, but I missed my turn and ended up further down in Breesport.  As I got ready to turn around I saw this field of wildflowers and a family of deer.  Naturally I stopped to take pictures.

Original painting available to purchase.

​This painting is based off of a visit to Cheri A Lindsey Park in Binghamton during Mural Fest a couple years ago.   The park was filled with artists painting murals on the different buildings of the park, music, and lots of collaborative art activities for all ages.

Before leaving, I took a couple of pictures along the Chenango River.  (I found out the other day it’s not the Susquehanna River and that it’s mislabeled on the painting!  That’s slightly embarrassing.  That makes it worth more money to a collector, right?)  The Double Tree by Hilton can be seen far in the distance beyond the train bridge near the Clinton Street Bridge.

One thing that I enjoy about this painting is the complementary colors of the painting – blues and orange-browns.  The colors are muted and give the feeling of the cloudy windy day.

Original painting available for purchase.

​This is one of my favorite paintings from the 2017 Mosaic project.  I’m so intrigued with this building and the different shapes and textures.  I think this may be the painting that took the longest to paint out of the whole series, just because of the level of detail in the building.

I have been unable to figure out what this building is used for or who owns it.  I think the mystery just adds to my fascination with it.  Do you know any more information on this building (it’s towards the corner of Fifth and Madison)?

Original painting available for purchase.

This was a view I found while driving on 17c from Waverly.  It’s the Chemung River where the river splits near Dunn Field in South Elmira.  In the distance you can see the Chemung Canal Trust Company again.

If you’re looking for a beautiful view of the river, including seeing where it splits, the Lackawanna Rail Trail goes right along the river.  You can also overlook the river from 17c but there aren’t really any safe places to pull off the road.

Original painting available for purchase.

Upstate New York can be so pretty driving along the countryside.  There are so many weathered old barns and abandoned old houses.  I always want to stop and take pictures of them all, but I imagine not all owners would appreciate me gawking at their property.  Also, I’m not sure that any cars around me or people riding with me would be impressed either.
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This is a painting of a barn that caught my eye while passing through the Ithaca area.  It’s on Route 13 around Newfield.  It’s kind of near the 1883 Barn – speaking of the 1883 Barn, I found some updated information about it the other day!  From the Newtown Historian via an Instagram connection: “The barn was built by William Osmun and was painted by Archie Nash when that 1883 date was put on it as it appears now. The barn was rebuilt and repainted by Vicky Romanoff and Connie Saltonstall in the mid 1970’s. There was a book written about this barn and its restoration by Richard Mellon in 1977.”

Original painting available for purchase.

​Continuing the journey into Newfield, this is the Newfield Covered Bridge.  This bridge was built in 1851 and is dedicated to Elijah Moore, the son of an early settler.  Did you know that it’s cheaper to replace the roof than to rebuild a new bridge every 20 years?  I guess that makes sense if you think about it.  No wonder the bridge was covered to protect it from the natural elements.

Lots of interesting information and historical pictures about the covered bridge on the Newfield Historical Society’s website.

Original painting available for purchase.

Do you have a favorite painting from this past week?  Paintings 36 through 42 will be coming up next week.

If you’d like to follow along in my journey and art adventures be sure to connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!  You can also sign up to receive updates and special goodies in your email box by clicking here!