Autumn in New Hampshire "Albany Covered Bridge" Original Painting

Albany Covered Bridge
8" x 8" Acrylic Painting
Commission

I now have prints, framed prints, canvas prints, and greeting cards available of this painting, on my website: Sandra Estes Fine Art .

This is the 4th of 5 commissions depicting New Hampshire.

The last 2 commissions are for specific places along the Kancamagus Highway, the covered bridge and the river along the Kanc. I did a bit of research and found that it is the Albany Covered Bridge that is just off the Kancamagus on Dugway Rd., and the Swift River that runs along the Kancamagus. I decided to take a field trip to the Kanc to get a better feel for the subjects and take my own reference photos.

These are my reference photos of the Albany Covered Bridge:





Unfortunately, I went in the late afternoon/early evening so there were long shadows. Another challenge was to change the season from summer to autumn.

The couple who commissioned the paintings are from New Hampshire, but now live happily down South and do not miss our long, cold New Hampshire winters. They have a fondness for white birch trees, which do not grow in the South. So, I used a bit of artistic license and changed the trees to the left of the bridge to birch trees.

New Hampshire's "Old Man Of The Mountain" Original Painting

"Old Man Of The Mountain"
Commission SOLD
8" x 8" Acrylic on canvas

"Secret Garden Papillon" Original ACEO Miniature Painting

2.5" x 3.5" ACEO Acrylic
"Secret Garden Papillon"
SOLD

Original Painting "Goldfinch In The Garden"

2.5" x 3.5" ACEO
Acrylic on matboard
A miniature painting of a bright yellow American Goldfinch perched on a branch in the garden.

"Storybook Garden Pig" Original Acrylic Painting

5"x7" acrylic on canvas
Prints available.

This painting reminds me of the illustrated storybooks of my childhood. A farmyard pig has found a cool shaded garden in front of a wooden fence. A chicken sitting atop the fence seems to be keeping a close eye on the pig.

"Rose Arbor Swing" Pastoral New Hampshire Countryside Original Painting

8"x8" Acrylic on canvas.
Commission. Original in private collection.
Prints available.

Yellow climbing roses covering an arbor swing in a pastoral, scenic New Hampshire setting, with mountains in the distance, birch trees, stone walls and flowers.

This is the 2nd of 5 commissioned paintings depicting New Hampshire. They requested that one painting have yellow roses. We discussed having the yellow roses climbing an arbor, so they sent a photo of their arbor swing. So now the challenge was painting the arbor swing with climbing yellow roses in a New Hampshire setting.


These are the reference photos I used. The 2nd photo is one I took while driving along a scenic road in the NH countryside.

"Lilacs By The Barn" Original Acrylic Painting

8"x8" Acrylic on canvas.
Commission. Original in private collection.
Prints available.

This painting is a typical New Hampshire scene in the spring. A sunlit path, through an old stone wall, leads you by a beautiful, Lilac bush in full bloom, and to an old weathered, cedar-shingled barn with a wooden door and granite slab steps. Wildflowers grace one side of the entrance and an old milk can adds to the welcoming.

This is the first of five commissioned paintings depicting New Hampshire scenes. I am very excited about this commission as it gives me the opportunity to paint something dear to my heart that I've always wanted to paint, but have not managed to get around to! :)

My Inspiration:
Lilacs are the New Hampshire State Flower, and were in full bloom a couple of weeks ago. It seems like every house has at least one lilac bush. There are Lilacs everywhere! While driving on a New Hampshire country road one morning, I spotted a barn similar to this with Lilacs nearby, which was my inspiration for this painting.

"Sailboats At Twilight" Original Pastel Painting

8" x 10"Original Pastel painting on pastel paper

In this calming pleasant water scene, three sailboats glide gracefully on the water. The reflections of the sunlit sails casts a warm yellow glow in the water as the sun is low in the sky. The scene is framed by overhanging branches, the warm path that leads to the shore edged in low growing bushes.

"Sunlit Pond" pastel painting water scene

As I continue to become familiar with my new pastels, I am enjoying the effects that I'm able to create with them. This began as a small "practice" sketch and became a miniature painting. I love the light from the sky, reflecting on the water. I've decided to try doing a larger version of this one.



Original Pastel Painting
2.5" x 3.5" ACEO

In this calm water scene, the light reflects on the water in this miniature pastel painting of a cool blue pond with a small tree island coming into the scene from either side of the painting. The trees are reflected in the water. In the foreground, the weight of the two rocks rising up through the water near the shore anchor the scene and give sense of stability and the feeling that this scene has been there for centuries.

"Sunlit Spring Meadow" Pastel painting

I was in the art store last week and spotted a small set of soft pastels. I decided to give pastels a try. Here's my first pastel painting.


5" x 7" Original pastel painting on pastel paper
A beautiful sunlit meadow with a small pond, young trees and flowering bushes, and purple mountains in the distance In the foreground, a partial stone wall with pink and white flowering azaleas under the shade of overhanging branches on the left and left top corner of the painting help to frame the meadow. Three Mourning Doves fly in from the right to enjoy the meadow.
I'd love your comments on this painting!
If you are interested in purchasing this painting, just email me. I will consider reasonable offers.

"Spring Moon Dragonfly" acrylic painting

Original painting 4" x 6" acrylic
A large dragonfly by a pond on a cool spring evening with a pale yellow moon reflecting on the water and pussy willows and grasses in the foreground.

"Misty Morning Dragonfly" acrylic painting

"Misty Morning Dragonfly"
4" x 6" acrylic painting on 140# watercolor paper.

This is my personal favorite my 3 recent dragonfly paintings. A large dragonfly with delicate gossamer wings against the background of a misty morning pond. The bright sun breaks through the mist and reflects on the water. A lovely bough of greenery with delicate white and purple flowers across the bottom and left side of the painting frames the subject. You can almost feel the coolness of the morning yet know the sun promises a warm day ahead.

This painting is available for sale.

"Summer Path Dragonfly" acrylic painting

"Summer Path Dragonfly"
4 x 6 acrylic on 140# watercolor paper.

This painting depicts a large delicate dragonfly against a glowing sun on warm summer day, with a sunlit path through lush greenery, and purple mountains in the background.

Sold to a collector in Chicago, Illinois USA.