Thursday, June 27, 2019


June 27, 2019:  This small painting of Pilot Grove’s silos, barns and sheds shows the beautiful wooden architecture found throughout the farm.  The farm’s chickens kept me company while I painted this 6x6 inch oil.

Pilot Grove Farm 6x6 oil

Monday, June 24, 2019




Pilot Grove Farm was named by its founder Abijah Warren, in 1782.   After he acquired its land in Stow, Warren learned that ship pilots in Boston used the stand of pines on his hill as a landmark for navigation. Boston is over twenty miles away from the farm.
The Warren family has been operating it ever since.  Sheep, beef cattle, chickens, and hay are some of the things raised and grown there.  This view is southward from Crescent Street and it shows the barn overlooked by tall pine trees which may be in the location of the original "pilot grove." My painting is six by six inches, oil on stretched canvas.

Sources for this post include a Pilot Grove Farm talk by the owner (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZAVH-7dpXY); and an article about long lived Massachusetts farms at: http://freedomsway.org/100-years-and-still-going-strong/

Tuesday, June 4, 2019




Ferjulian’s Farm in Hudson is crisscrossed with lovely stone fences which wall in the dirt on the hillsides.  Last year I did a view of the farmhouse and barn from below:


Ferjulian's Farm, 8x10 oil on linen, from Chestnut St.


and this year I decided to do another version in spring.  As I finished a huge tractor pulled into view on the hillside. After it was parked and only partly visible I was able to sketch it.  


Ferjulian's Farm, 5x7 oil on linen, from Chestnut St.