News from Barbara Hageman's Easel: Spring in the Air

Paintings by Barbara Hageman
Garden Ready Oil 9" x 12" $345.00 Sold












[A correspondent in Brewster, our sister-town on Cape Cod, writes with news of how the effects of the severe weather over there will be having an effect on her work as a painter. And naturally there's also information here on how to acquire her paintings.

Barbara DuBois Hageman trained in classical painting and drawing techniques at the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, in Connecticut. In addition, she holds both Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees from the University of Connecticut.

Barbara's paintings include images of the beautiful landscapes of New England's shorelines, farmland, forests, and mountains. She particularly enjoys including people, particularly children, in her works.

In addition to her on-line website, her works can be found on Cape Cod at Birdsey-on-the-Cape, in Osterville, MA, at 12 Wianno Avenue. In Connecticut, you can find her full range of works at the Left Bank Gallery Essex, in Essex, CT at 10 Main Street.

Barbara’s work has also been exhibited at: The Cape Cod Museum of Art in Dennis, MA; The Creative Arts Center, Chatham, MA; The Lyme Art Association, Old Lyme,CT; The Lyme Academy College of Fine Art. You can comment about her current works at her online blog: http://barbsart.wordpress.com/

I've never been to Cape Cod, but Barbara's paintings are among the many images of the area which inspire me to go there one day.]

It might not yet be fully green where you are, but after a long winter of storms here on Cape Cod, it seems like Spring is getting a grip. The ground is workable and my cold crop vegetable seeds are now in the garden: broccoli, beets, mesclun lettuce, early onions, radishes and two types of peas. Early optimism makes me think there will be both great salad and subjects for still life paintings in the next month or two!

This winter, storms shifted some of Cape Cod's coastline. The vistas I painted last year now look quite different! Dunes were flattened. Some areas now have sheared-off cliffs where gentle sloping dunes used to allow access to the beach. In a few cases, a long walk over dunes to beach access is now a short walk to the water! Both bay and ocean encroached into some waterfront properties, making high tide much more interesting for some. Environmentally, some of the coastal inlets have been flushed thoroughly providing opportunities for more marine life. In other cases, new walkways need to be built, because beach access will be different.

Beyond The Dunes Oil on Panel 12" x 6" Sold
At Nauset Beach in Orleans, it can be a hike from the car over rolling dunes to the crashing surf beyond. This is one of the paths taken by the Cape Cod surfers who love the Atlantic rollers at Nauset and Coast Guard Beaches.

Here is one Nauset dune painting done last Spring. Next to it is the hotlink to my YouTube video which shows the difference as a result of the early 2010 storms. Click on the link to see the winter action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a86Jo0dVMg
Cape Cod Nauset Beach Winter Dune Shift

View of the beach plum bloom in May along Cape Cod Bay at dawn.
Oil on Canvas 16" x 20" $775.00 Available

Winter provided some other surprises too. On the Bay side of the Cape, one of my favorite spots is Crosby Landing. Last year, I painted this view of the walkway while the beach plums were in bloom in May. Then, during the summer, I created a little pochade of the same walkway. So seeing the winter view in my YouTube video is quite a contrast!

Study for Saturday By The Sea With The Kids Oil on Canvas 8" x 10"
$325.00 Available

Here's the YouTube video link showing you Crosby's wintery vista after a light snowfall.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eryFsZeiNM8
Crosby Landing, Brewster, Cape Cod, MA after a light snowfall.

Lined Up For Spring Oil on Panel 15" x 30" Sold
The hand-blown glass bud vases were commissioned by the artist specifically for this work.

BUT winter is now behind us, although as I write this, my view to the yard is filled with Spring snowflakes! I'm turning my sights to my trademark floral window views as the garden fills with flowers from the many bulbs I planted last Fall. Daffodils are starting, crocuses are blooming at full tilt, and pansies are ready for the picking. These views are always unique because blooms show up in the garden at slightly different times every year. Then, I find a new vase or two over the winter, so every work is becomes one-of-a-kind. In the past, I've done views like this one, and next week I'll do a variation - the frame is already set for it.

By the way, I'm finishing a 36"x48" cranberry bog painting and in the next newsletter, I'll show you the result, along with a video of the process I used to create it!

Meanwhile, Ted and I are prepping many painting panels for small and affordable works that will be available both on my website and at my galleries this summer: 4x6, 6x8, and 8x10, along with 9x12 will all be available.

Is it time to acquire another work for your collection? I received an email from one of my galleries yesterday saying a client who saw a painting last Spring thinks that she wants to acquire it for this coming Father's Day. So while you should keep watching my site for what's new, there are still several gems to be had thanks to the slow economy. Happily, sales are picking up and that is a good indicator that the economy may be doing the same.

Below are two works of Nauset Beach that are still available. Each is an 8"x10" pochade, and each was done en plein air. Both represent views that existed before the winter storms shortened the walk to the water line for the painting on the left, and deepened the dune descent by Liam's Clam shack for the painting on the right. These views are now very special memories!

Morning Commute Oil on Panel
8" x 10" $345.00 Available

Clam Roll and a Coke Oil on Panel 8" x 10" $345.00 Available

Of course, don't hesitate to let me know if you have something in mind that would be a commissioned work. Commissions are collaborative partnerships and I love them! They allow you and I to create a family heirloom that is yours and yours alone.

One last piece of good news for you: I'm now uploading some images from my private collection to FineArtAmerica, where you can choose an image to convert into a framed print, a canvas-wrapped giclee, or a framed giclee. You choose from a variety of frame and matting combinations that work for your home. You order directly from the site and the work comes directly to your doorstep. Please take a look:

Barbara's print reproduction options at Fine Art America http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/barbara-hageman.html

Barbara's website is at http://barbarahageman.com/
Barbara Hageman Fine Art 31 Omaha Road Brewster, MA 02631 USA

Text and images copyright 2009 by Barbara DuBois Hageman, all rights reserved.