Sangria

 Another still life,  titled "Sangria", oil on canvas panel dated 1975. This may have been done from a photo, the wall was certainly invented. Our basement in 1975 was pretty together as was much of the house, there were no walls in disrepair. The basement at this time was host to revolving birthday parties, pool games and playing. Although I prefer the more vibrant "Wine Bottle and Grapes" from two years earlier it is interesting to compare the two to see how her ability painting perspective has improved and she is more sure of herself, especially evident in the depiction of the bottles in each painting.

Sangria, Oil 1975

comparison of earlier Wine Bottle and Grapes 1973 and Sangria 1975. 

Mom's technique and style has matured. It is looser and she has gotten more confident. 

detail of signature. 

Completely embracing her married name for now. 

Sangria detail ( back ) 

Nicely labeled ( thanks mom! ) I wonder if this was submitted to art shows and that is why it is well labeled.  

The Green Tree - circa 1973

Yet another little barn done in oil. This too seems older to me than the previous similar painting. Perhaps this is even 1972. It is defiantly in the era of the Covered Bridge. Unfortunately there was no date or signature on this one either. The Green Tree stands out and there is something oddly interesting about the painting's evenly balanced compositions. The dried corn or wheat on the right really destroy the sense of scale. That shape makes the tree and the house so much smaller then I believe mom intended it. 

The Green Tree

The Green Tree detail: Mom always seemed to have fun with these little flourishes and accents. 

The Green Tree detail :  odd little red barn

The Green Tree detail :  The Green Tree ( I titled it ) I really like this tree.  It is just so impressionistic and loose and well, green. 

The Covered Bridge - circa 1973

Mom loved her idealized New England settings. Barns, old 18th century houses, fishing boats and harbors and of course covered bridges. This early oil painting of a Covered Bridge was more then likely from a photograph. It was another painting that hung on the walls of our house. Making its way from the living room to the dining room to the back room. The painting,  unfortunately, is undated and not signed but it looks naive enough to be done during the same period of the New England Fishing Boat of the previous post. Perhaps it even predates The Boat and the posts prior. The perspective and the technique feel less sure then The Little Red Barn and even The Old Mill. 

The Covered Bridge 

The Covered Bridge detail: The painting seems kind of undone but obviously it wasn't since Mom hung it up in the house. I feel it has an Americana folksy quality to it.  

The Covered Bridge detail :  These trees leaves are the most interesting part of the painting. I feel like she loosened up here and had fun with the color. 

The Covered Bridge detail: Closer on the tree and this nice white accent. Again feels undone since she either forgot or never got to adding a reflection for the white dead tree.