Fenced Sunflowers - pastel painting by Rodrica Tilley

This past Sunday morning I was visited by a group of young artists from Camp Susquehannock. They drew in charcoal and I worked at the bottom of the garden on this pastel painting. For those of you not living in white-tail deer country, we must fence the deer out of our gardens especially when we grow sunflowers - a gourmet item on the deer menu! This is a 16 x 20; rather large for me to complete in one sitting en plein air. I had to finish it up on Monday morning in the garden. The light was coming from the same direction, but it was much stronger on the second day. It is done on a Richeson Premium Pastel Surface Gator Foam - Sandstone using all brands of soft pastels.

http://www.rodricatilley.com/

August Evening by Rodrica Tilley

This is an 11 x 14 studio pastel painting depicting a typical summer evening scene near my home in Susquehanna County, PA. The dairy cows have just been released from the milking parlor and they are out to spend the summer night making more milk from healthy green grass. It is heart-breakingly pastoral. I can only hope we will continue to see this kind of beauty, peace and productivity on a daily basis here in the future. Neighborhoods change, but mine is undergoing a radical and brutal transformation. The best I can do is continue to record the beauty of this landscape as I have done for 35 years. Thanks for looking. Leave a comment.

http://www.rodricatilley.com/

Summerhouse-a pastel by Rodrica Tilley

I was asked to do a mini-workshop last Sunday afternoon at my favorite Montrose, PA restaurant, Summerhouse. The brunch people lingered to watch and I set up this still-life in a corner and blocked it in. I brought it back to the studio to finish and I think it a nice way to start spring; with a painting I like. I love the colors. I relied on a few eggs for spring symbolism - fertility. I used one of my own framed paintings for a background element that provided a bit of reflection and depth.

I am still working on this painting, but it won't change much. I see no big problems...some small areas may be improved a bit over the next week before it gets framed. 10 x 10 image size.

http://www.rodricatilley.com/

The View from My Studio by Rodrica Tilley

Returning from a month in sunny, but cold, northern New Mexico this sight was a bit of a shock. It turned out OK though (most of the shoveling and plowing was all ready done); just left me with some easel work to pull this together. It only takes fabulous lighting to warm up even the snow.

I got to see something unique, to me, in New Mexico...frozen fog in the desert! Yes, it was cold there too in February. Back in Northeastern PA I saw my first red-winged blackbird yesterday and a chipmunk today. There are three snowdrops peeking out from under a shrinking snow drift by my front walk...so here's hoping for spring, although it traditionally arrives late in this mountainous frozen corner of Pennsylvania.
East from My Studio 9 x 12.
rtilley@rodricatilley.com

Hawley Farm by Rodrica Tilley

Susquehanna County farm land is marginal, at best, and only the cleverest and hardest working farmers make their farms prosper in this northern, hilly section of our state. This traditional dairy farm has branched out into retail meats and uses natural and sustainable practices to raise animals & crops.

The picturesque quality to the agricultural lands here is top notch. On this partially overcast winter's day only one young cow (known as a heiffer, until it gives birth-freshens) was out grazing on a bit of exposed pasture.

See my website for lots of other northeast Pennsylvania barns, farms and fields. www.rodricatilley.com

Wild Secrets - Rodrica Tilley

This 24 x 18 pastel painting was made as a response to Alice Mischke's poem The Lake Has No Ears to Hear. It was shown at the Annual Collaborative Exhibit; WATER at The Butternut Gallery, Montrose, PA during October/November 2009 and sold at that time.

Lebanon Lutheran Church by Rodrica Tilley

From my ongoing series: Fifty State Plein Air Painting Project. state #17, A pretty November day in Wytheville, Virginia and a quick painting...husband napping in car. I am always amazed at the number of churches in the rural south...one around every corner...one at the top of every mountain...no abandoned ones, either. They are painted and mowed and obviously loved...yes, I think one can love a building. Church parking lots often make great places to pull the car off the road and set up the easel for a painting.

This 9 x 12 soft pastel on UArt board has grown on me. When I completed it, fingers freezing, I tossed it in the back of the car and announced to my husband, "That didn't work out!", proving once again, I am not always the best judge of my own work...especially during the process. Upon returning to my NE Pennsylvania studio I added a few finishing touches and now it is my favorite little painting. When I see it now, I think it has a real sense of piety and delicate strength. Who knew?

Hello from Susquehanna County...

... and thanks for inviting me to join other Pennsylvania painters in exhibiting here. I work primarily in soft pastel (occasionally watercolor). Over half my work is done out of doors. Snowy Woods is a studio painting (20 x 20in) and it was sold on Saturday, the day we got 2 inches of snow and it stuck. The world outside my studio is still white today, which makes for nice clean light inside. I am in the process of plein air painting in all fifty states.

www.rodricatilley.com
http://rodricatilley.blogspot.com/
http://fiftystatepleinairpaintingproject.blogspot.com/