Sunday, April 28, 2019

Esopus Creek landmark:  Hurricane Irene destroyed this old Ulster and Delaware landmark, a railroad bridge where often Onteora high schoolers would jump from into the chilly waters below, every spring.  Plus many a wild rainbow trout were caught within its shadows by lucky Esopus Creek anglers.

Trestle, Esopus Creek (DtC):


Saturday, April 20, 2019

Trout Unlimited donations:  Below are two recent watercolor donations to the Ashokan-Pepacton Watershed Chapter of Trout Unlimited, and their 31st Annual Conservation Dinner in April 2019.

The first is of autumn on Chimney Hole, the mouth of New York City's Ashokan Reservoir and part of the Esopus Creek, where in 1923 T.E. Spencer of Shokan caught a 19 lb., 14 oz. brown that was the NYS record for many years.

Chimney Hole, Esopus Creek II (DtC)




For a fly fisher, there's no reel quite like a Hardy fly reel and no Catskill trout like a wild brook trout--- Salvelinus fontinalis.

Hardy and brook trout II (DtC)


  

Saturday, March 9, 2019


Blueberries and birch:  Whether it’s the Shawangunks, the Catskills, the end of an artist’s paintbrush, or one’s creative imagination, perhaps there’s nothing as compelling as an autumn wooded scene of blueberries and birch.

Blueberries and birch (sold):



Sunday, March 3, 2019


Mid-Hudson Valley – Catskill landmarks:  The Mid-Hudson Valley and Catskills are blessed with a rich history, and many noted landmarks.  Perhaps two such are logged below.

Within the fertile confines of New York’s Minnewaska State Park, some 2000+ feet above sea level on a Shawangunk Ridge, resides Gertrude’s Nose.  It’s picturesque and a hiking destination of many, seen from various trails and vistas.  The name dates back to 1682 and Gertrude Bruyn a Dutch settler.  It's a rugged, rocky terrain and till a prominent gratifying landscape these days.

Gertrude’s Nose:



Oliverea is a tiny mountain hamlet located within the Town of Shandaken, in Ulster County.  Native American names celebrate the elevated valley.  And, early American Catskill mountain men like James Dutcher made this landscape home.  These days it’s still a place of exquisite beauty and wild trout.

Oliverea (sold):



Thursday, February 14, 2019


Recent 2019 watercolors: Below are several recent watercolors of various landmarks, some noted and some not so much.

The Saugerties Lighthouse has been a Hudson River beacon since 1869.  It sits at the mouth of Esopus Creek with the Catskill Mountains at its back.  The Lighthouse can be found after a half-mile trek along a nature trail down to the Hudson and currently serves as a much desired Bed and Breakfast.

Saugerties Lighthouse:



Indian Grove Brook is a small tributary to the Passaic River, less than three miles in length and often only a few feet wide.  It flows through central New Jersey across private holdings and a portion of Jockey Hollow National Park plus the Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary.  Little wild rainbow trout make this tiny creek their watery home.  Below it is ablaze in autumn colors.

Indian Grove Brook:



Is there any landscape structure that catches one’s eye like an old barn set alone among nature?

Blue-gray barn:



And while speaking of nature, how about long winter shadows from a white birch tree stand?  The scene below is part of an almost daily neighborhood trek, when snow covers the landscape.

Winter birch (sold):



Lake Placid is perhaps best known for Winter Olympics and numerous year-round outdoor activities, plus the rugged terrain unsurpassed on the east coast.  Mirror Lake is at the hub of the Village of Lake Placid, and offers a panoramic view from Whiteface Veterans’ Memorial Highway that ascends New York’s fifth tallest peak at 4,867 feet in elevation.

Lake Placid:



Saturday, January 12, 2019


Ashokan winter:  While many a snowbird heads south for Catskill winter months, those left behind enjoy a season of chilly solace, crisp air, and extraordinary seasonal beauty.

Ashokan winter: