The Grand Tour

Welcome

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:41:00 +0000

My on-the-road studio

This blog is no longer active. But I encourage you to read the posts anyway. These posts trace the paintings I made during the time I toured as a singer-songwriter and the stories behind them. I bought my field kit in Holland during the fall of 1996 and used it for all of the paintings on this blog working out of the tiny knapsack pictured above.

These paintings cover some years of my European touring right through to my Walden Pond series in late 1999. You can see paintings from Germany, France, Italy, Monaco, Holland and Belgium as well as the ones I made in South Carolina and New England.

Just browse through the sidebar contents or start from the beginning of the blog and work your way forward.

All of the paintings are for sale and many are available as limited edition, signed prints on Arches watercolor paper.

You can listen to and learn more about my songs by visiting my main website.

To see my current paintings, visit Landscape into Art.

Thanks for visiting. Enjoy your browsing and, if you have any questions, feel free to get in touch.

from Original House Site, Walden Pond

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 06:15:00 +0000

from the Original House Site, Walden Pond
Concord, Massachusetts
3 October 1999

After walking around the Pond, I sat myself down in front of the site where Thoreau built his cabin and made this painting. A good way to complete the set. It was a great pleasure to make these paintings and I hope you've enjoyed them. Read Henry David Thoreau's writings when you have a chance. Walden is short and sweet. Visit the Pond if you're in the Boston area. It's well worth the trip and, if you're a swimmer and it's warm enough, it's one of the great swimming experiences.

This post brings my Grand Tour paintings to a close.

Come visit my current painting blog Landscape into Art to see what I'm making now.

from the Original House Site, Walden Pond
Concord, Massachusetts
Watercolor on hot press Lana paper
4 x 6", archival mat & backing to 8 x 10"
Originals sold as set of 5
US$ 1450 + USPS Priority Shipping

Special edition of 5 signed and numbered $39 giclée prints

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

Main Beach, Walden Pond

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 06:15:00 +0000

Main Beach, Walden Pond
Concord, Massachusetts
21 September 1999

A personal favorite, I clambered off the trail to make this painting. It was a perfect day and everyone at the Pond knew it. What fun to capture the beach goers in little blobs of color on this Tuesday afternoon in late September. I remember the patience I enlisted to work on this while anticipating making my way back to the other side of the beach where I would, finally, start my swim across.

Main Beach, Walden Pond
Concord, Massachusetts
Watercolor on hot press Lana paper
4 x 6", archival mat & backing to 8 x 10"
Originals sold as set of 5
US$ 1450 + USPS Priority Shipping

Special edition of 5 signed and numbered $39 giclée prints

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

Thoreau’s Cove, Walden Pond

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 06:15:00 +0000

Thoreau's Cove, Walden Pond
Concord, Massachusetts
19 September 1999

For this view of Thoreau's Cove, I worked my way a little further along the trail around the Pond and settled on a rock at Little Cove. You can see that spot on the Walden Pond Map and how it afforded me a nice view of Thoreau's Cove.

I think this must be called Thoreau's Cove because it is the spot on the Pond directly in front of Thoreau's original house site. I'll have to go re-read Walden, but I imagine that this is where he entered the Pond and probably the reason he selected the site to build his cabin.

Next week, I'll show you the view I painted from Thoreau's original cabin site.

Thoreau's Cove, Walden Pond
Concord, Massachusetts
Watercolor on hot press Lana paper
4 x 6", archival mat & backing to 8 x 10"
Originals sold as set of 5
US$ 1450 + USPS Priority Shipping

Special edition of 5 signed and numbered $39 giclée prints

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

Emerson’s Cliff, Walden Pond

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 06:15:00 +0000

Emerson's Cliff, Walden Pond
Concord, Massachusetts
5 September 1999

When I next returned with my paints to Walden Pond, I was suddenly struck with the idea of working my way around the pond, making paintings of particular sites. I studied the pond map and settled on the better marked points. I had to leave the trail now and then (a no-no) but figured it was for a good cause. Looking at the map again, I notice that I was actually in Lincoln, Massachusetts when I painted this — just over the Concord town line.

Here is a link to a photo of a view from Emerson's Cliff about 100 years ago. Now it is all closed in with trees — I wasn't able to see the pond at all.

Emerson's Cliff, Walden Pond
Concord, Massachusetts
Watercolor on hot press Lana paper
4 x 6", archival mat & backing to 8 x 10"
Originals sold as set of 5
US$ 1450 + USPS Priority Shipping

Special edition of 5 signed and numbered $39 giclée prints

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

Boat Launch, Walden Pond

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 06:15:00 +0000

Boat Launch, Walden Pond
Concord, Massachusetts
29 August 1999

In July of 1999, I moved back to Boston for a little over a year. There, I recorded my Christmas CD, Out Under the Sky and taught my Basic Drawing and Watercolor Workshop almost every weekend through October. As often as I could, I drove out to Walden Pond to swim. Primed from the intensive teaching schedule, I brought my watercolor field kit along and painted, too.

The spot from which I painted the Boat Launch at the Pond is where I would always park my towel and bag before setting out to swim across the Pond and back. It was the perfect place from which to start my watercolor series of Walden Pond.

Boat Launch, Walden Pond
Concord, Massachusetts
Watercolor on hot press Lana paper
4 x 6", archival mat & backing to 8 x 10"
Originals sold as set of 5
US$ 1450 + USPS Priority Shipping

Special edition of 5 signed and numbered $39 giclée prints

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

Tiverton Flowers

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 06:15:00 +0000

Wild Flowers
Tiverton, Rhode Island
17 July 1999

This painting was made the day after I taught a private workshop on a friend's property in Tiverton, Rhode Island. I had missed my friend's wedding and sending a proper gift. I was so delighted with the results of this painting that I gave it to her and her husband for my long overdue gift. It is one of my favorites.

Special edition of 5 signed and numbered $39 giclée prints

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

Folly Beach Sunset

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 06:15:00 +0000

Folly Beach Sunset
Charleston, South Carolina
June 99
Sold

The fifth, and final, installment of my Folly Beach series. Hope you enjoyed the views!

Special edition of 5 signed and numbered $39 giclée prints

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

Folly Beach Marsh

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 06:15:00 +0000

Folly Beach Marsh
Charleston, South Carolina
June 99
Sold

The fourth installment in my Folly Beach series.

Special edition of 5 signed and numbered $39 giclée prints

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

Folly Beach Inlet

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 06:15:00 +0000

Folly Beach Inlet
Charleston, South Carolina
June 1999
NFS

The third installment in my Folly Beach series.

Special edition of 5 signed and numbered $39 giclée prints

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

Folly Beach Wash

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 06:15:00 +0000

Folly Beach Wash
Charleston, South Carolina
June 99
Sold

The second installment of my Folly Beach series.

Special edition of 5 signed and numbered $39 giclée prints

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

Folly Beach Rocks

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 06:15:00 +0000

Folly Beach Rocks
Charleston, South Carolina
June 1999
Sold

Before I left Charleston, I made sure to put in some time with my paint kit at Folly Beach. Beginning today and for the following four Sundays, I'll post the sketches I made wandering down the south end of the beach and around to the inlet.

Special edition of 5 signed and numbered $39 giclée prints

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

Colonial Lake

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 06:15:00 +0000

Colonial Lake
Charleston, South Carolina
17 May 1999

If I had a nickel for every time I walked along Colonial Lake, I'd be rich! I've said it before, and I'm saying it again, one of the great pleasures of living in Charleston was being able to walk just about everywhere. On my way to and from the post office or almost anywhere in a certain direction I would make a complete round of the lake almost daily. The lake is hedged in by pink and white Oleander and often, someone would be fishing in the lake, though God knows for what. One time I saw a man reel in a giant eel. After asking him if he planned to eat it (no), I suggested that he might want to put the eel back in the water. I'll never forget the look in the eel's eyes as it was being yanked out of the lake.

One of my favorite stops between the lake and the post office on Broad Street at Savage was Burbage's Self-Serve Grocery where Mr. Robert Burbage was usually having a smoke at the register or making use of the broom. Because that man always had something really interesting (or funny) to say, I would often just go in to say hello and gab with him a while then buy one of his extremely rich broccoli cakes to eat for no good reason except to add a bunch of calories to my system.

I'm not sure if I burned enough calories walking around the lake to burn off my Burbage treat but I enjoyed the walk and made this painting as a memento for myself.

Colonial Lake
Charleston, South Carolina
Watercolor on hot press Lana paper
4 x 6", archival mat & backing to 8 x 10"
US$ 295 + USPS Priority Shipping

Special edition of 5 signed and numbered $39 giclée prints

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

St. Michael's Steeple

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 06:15:00 +0000

St. Michael’s Steeple
Charleston, South Carolina
6 May 99

This is the twin to the St. Phillip's Steeple in last week's post. I made several paintings of St. Michael's, another National Historic Landmark, while in Charleston. Most notably was the one for the cover of my Christmas CD Out Under the Sky. That album originated from my performances on King Street for the city during the Christmas season. So many people asked me for a Christmas album that I decided to make one. At the beginning of the project, I thought I'd name it Carols from (or for) the Holy City but the eventual title (from the folk song I Wonder as I Wander ) won out in the end. Anyway, by the time I made the album, I'd moved from the Holy City.

St. Michael’s Steeple
8" x 5"
Watercolor on Legion Aquarelle
Sold

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

St. Phillip's Steeple

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 06:15:00 +0000

St. Phillip’s Steeple
Charleston, South Carolina
1 May 99

Charleston, South Carolina is known as the Holy City because, if you look across the city skyline, you'll see an inordinate amount of steeples — all distinctive — sitting atop an abundance of churches. St. Phillip's Church is a national landmark and the oldest Anglican congregation south of Virginia.

St. Phillip’s Steeple
Watercolor on Legion Aquarelle
Sold

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

The Four Corners of Law

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 06:15:00 +0000

The Four Corners of Law
Charleston, South Carolina
23 April 99

For the life of me, I cannot remember where I sat when I painted this but I must have wrangled my way into someone's upstairs window though I seem to remember sitting outside. In any event, this painting depicts an unusual view of the Four Corners of Law (named by Robert Ripley as in, Believe it or Not!).

The Four Corners of Law describes the intersection of Broad and Meeting Streets where you can pick up your mail (at the Post Office), pay your taxes (at the County Courthouse), buy your marriage license (at City Hall) and get married (at St. Michael's). In this painting you can see the roofs of all but City Hall, which sits to the left of the picture plane.

Because I had a mail box at the Post Office, I walked to this corner almost every day — one of my daily delights of living in Charleston.

The Four Corners of Law
Charleston, South Carolina
Watercolor on hot press Lana paper
4 x 6", archival mat & backing to 8 x 10"
US$ 295 + USPS Priority Shipping

Special edition of 5 signed and numbered $39 giclée prints

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

James Island

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 06:15:00 +0000

James Island
South Carolina
21 November 98

As I had several good friends who lived on James Island and had to drive down the island to get to Folly Beach, I spent a lot of time there. It is, after all, part of Charleston proper anyway.

This painting is a glimpse of what I passed on a stretch of Folly Road on my way out to the beach. I must have pulled the car over one day around sunset when I had my field kit with me.

James Island, South Carolina
Watercolor on hot press Lana paper
4 x 6", archival mat & backing to 8 x 10"
US$ 295 + USPS Priority Shipping

Special edition of 5 signed and numbered $39 giclée prints

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

Sullivan's Island

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 06:15:00 +0000

Morning Storm near Fort Moultrie
Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina
16 July 98

During the summer of 1998, I volunteered to scout for Sea Turtle nests on Sullivan's Island. I think I spotted one or two new nests over that summer. Sullivan's Island, Isle of Palms, Folly Beach and Kiawah all have Sea Turtle protection programs. Click on the link to learn more about Sea Turtles and the protection programs.

I brought my field kit out with me one day and sat down near Fort Moultrie to paint this after my scout walk as a storm was coming or going.

Morning Storm Near Fort Moultrie
Sullivan's Island, South Carolina
Watercolor on cold press Lana paper
3 ½ x 4 1/2", archival mat & backing to 8 x 10"
US$ 250 + USPS Priority Shipping

Special edition of 5 signed and numbered $39 giclée prints

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

Kiawah Island Nature Center

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:50:00 +0000

Kiawah Nature Center
Kiawah Island, South Carolina
Summer 98

I made this painting after class one day in the heat of a summer afternoon. This shows the back entrance of the Heron Park Nature Center at Kiawah Island where I first taught my Basic Drawing and Watercolor classes.

Another painting with no pencil. During this time in Charleston, I was also teaching after school classes in architectural drawing, watercolor, and guitar at Ashley Hall where I eventually taught a sixth grade music class for one year. I did a couple of watercolors of the beautiful campus that the school purchased, alas, before scanners were readily at hand. But I will show below one more painting I made on Kiawah as a demo in class that demonstrated my release from pencil and signified a development in my ability.

Kiawah Island Beach
Charleston, South Carolina
Watercolor on cold press Lana paper
2 1/5 x 4 1/4", archival mat & backing to 8 x 10"
US$ 250 + USPS Priority Shipping

Special edition of 5 signed and numbered $39 giclée prints

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

Kiawah Island Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 08:15:00 +0000

Kiawah Island Beach
Kiawah Island, South Carolina
Summer 98

I can't remember exactly how it all came together, but I was hired to teach weekly drawing and watercolor classes to guests at the Kiawah Island Resort. I could not have asked for a better way to workshop a class. The guests ranged in age from 10 years to 80+ with as wide a variety of backgrounds. We had a wonderful variety of scenes to draw and paint including this scene looking south from the board walk.

I looked forward to the beautiful and serene drive each Wednesday, down to Kiawah Island from Charleston. My two hour drawing class began at 8 AM at picnic tables on a deck surrounded by Cabbage Palms. Often, an entirely new group would meet for watercolor class from 10:30 to 12:30. After four hours of teaching, I'd eat some lunch, make a little painting (if I had it in me) and then take a nice swim and walk north of the stretch of beach shown in this painting.

One very important thing about this painting is that I left the pencil out of the equation. This was a natural result of my teaching and doing demos in class. For the longest time, I'd felt as though I was leaning way too hard on draughtsmanship in my paintings. Finally, I'd learned to fly solo with watercolors.

Kiawah Island Beach
Charleston, South Carolina
Watercolor on cold press Lana paper
2 1/5 x 4", archival mat & backing to 8 x 10"
US$ 250 + USPS Priority Shipping

Special edition of 5 signed and numbered $39 giclée prints

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

Charles Towne Landing

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 25 May 2008 08:00:00 +0000

Charles Towne Landing
Charleston, South Carolina
18 January 98

During the time I lived in Charleston, my friend, Carol, was the educational director at Charles Towne Landing so I made more trips to this destination than I might otherwise have. On most of my visits I spent the majority of my time at the Animal Forest which is where I made this painting of a crippled Great Blue Heron. Like this heron, many of the birds in the forest were injured, rescued, rehabilitated and given this safe home where they live out their natural lives.

In the Animal Forest I witnessed one of the most magical things I've ever seen. As I was walking along a wooded path, I watched a group of Black Bears lumber up to the fence that separates their area from that of the Red Wolves. As I came to the fence line, I saw a group of red wolves walking up to the same spot on the other side of the fence line. I paused and watched as the leader of each group walked up to the fence and sat down, very calmly on their respective sides of the fence, facing each other. The rest of the bears sat behind their leader as the wolves sat behind theirs. Observing the scene, I sensed a tremendous emanation of intelligence and nobility. I don't know how the interaction of wolves and bears works in the wild but this scene was remarkable and one I will always remember.

I noticed that the red wolves are no longer listed in the Animal Forest at Charles Towne Landing. I also noticed that Sewee Center at the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge in nearby Awendaw is a refuge for the Red Wolf so maybe they were relocated there.

Charles Towne Landing
Charleston, South Carolina
Watercolor on cold press Lana paper
6 x 4", archival mat & backing to 8 x 10"
US$ 295 + USPS Priority Shipping

Special edition of 5 signed and numbered $39 giclée prints

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

City Hall

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 18 May 2008 17:56:00 +0000

City Hall
Charleston, South Carolina
4 January 1998

Living on the Charleston, South Carolina Peninsula was a very pleasant experience, especially because I love to walk and could get myself almost everywhere necessary on foot. Charleston City Hall is across from the downtown Post Office (another historic building) where I held a mail box so I looked at the pale pink marble edifice almost every day.

While I lived in Charleston, Carol Ezell-Gilson, a very dear friend and wonderful painter, managed the art gallery of historic paintings in the Council Chambers on the second floor of city hall so I often tromped up the exterior and interior flights of stairs to visit her. Just across the hall from the art gallery sat Mayor Riley in his office. Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. has now been the elected mayor of Charleston for 33 years. Really, that must be the record in the U.S., if not the world! If you click on the link via his name, you can see a photo of City Hall, the interior of the gallery my friend managed and a photo of Mayor Riley.

Another pleasant feature of life in the Charleston was the weather. I stood outside and painted this in early January with no uncomfortable memories whatsoever.

City Hall
Charleston, South Carolina
Watercolor on cold press Lana paper
4 x 6", archival mat & backing to 8 x 10"
US$ 295 + USPS Priority Shipping

Special edition of 5 signed and numbered $39 giclée prints

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

Folly Beach House

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 11 May 2008 08:15:00 +0000

Folly Beach House
South Carolina
23 December1997

It's been a long time since I was last in Charleston so I'm not sure if this house is still standing. When I lived there, this was one of the last beach front houses on Folly Beach remaining from the pre-Hurricane Hugo era. it seemed like a very comfy, old-timey place with the last stand of palmettos on the beach front. The house was my personal Folly Beach landmark because there was a small public parking lot along side it with a board walk leading to a good spot on the beach. Each time I pulled into the lot, I had a feeling of coming home. Part of that was arriving at the beach but part had to do with the feel of the house.

As you can see by the date, I painted this two days before Christmas. At some point in the painting, I dropped my tiny brush into the sand between the open steps leading down from the boardwalk and spent considerable time digging around for it. Found it, rinsed it off and got back to work.

I never saw anyone going in or out of the house and was never quite sure if it was used and, if so, how often. I am sure that in it's heyday, it housed some happy campers with sandy feet and salty hair. If I continue to muse on the place, I'll start longing for the beach...

Folly Beach House
Watercolor on cold press Lana paper
4 x 6", archival mat & backing to 8 x 10"
US$ 295 + USPS Priority Shipping

Special edition of 5 signed and numbered $39 giclée prints

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

Angel Oak

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 04 May 2008 08:15:00 +0000

Angel Oak
John’s Island, South Carolina
17 November 1997

Back to Charleston after the tour. I was finally able to get the keys to the apartment, paint the interior and, wonder of wonders, move in. Once settled, I started hustling work performing in restaurants and hotels and making short excursions to perform elsewhere. My idea was to try to work locally as much as possible. It had been clear for some time that touring was not good for my well-being.

In the meanwhile, I took Charleston to heart, examining every bit I could.

Early on, I visited Angel Oak Tree with paint kit in hand. A massive structure, I remember sitting back a bit, trying to take it all in. But no matter how many times I started the underlying drawing, I could only seem to capture a section of the tree so finally surrendered and painted just that, a section. After having looked at the painting over the years, I feel as though I must have been sitting just under the tree within its branches.

Touted as the oldest living thing east of the Mississippi, maybe the venerable magic of the tree naturally envelopes its visitors.

Be sure to visit The Tree if you're ever in the Charleston area. It's a one of a kind experience.

Angel Oak
John's Island, South Carolina
Watercolor on hot press Lana paper
4 x 6", archival mat & backing to 8 x 10"
US$ 295 + USPS Priority Shipping

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

Be sure to visit my other blogs where you can see my current paintings, sketches and posts on art and life.

My songs and CDs

Eindhoven Roses

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne McDermott) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 08:15:00 +0000

St. Rochusstraat 37
Eindhoven, Netherlands
2 October 1997

This was painted my second year staying at Ad and Ankie's apartment in Eindhoven where many, many fellow singer songwriters have been hosted and a number of beautiful albums have been recorded and produced.

The light is exceptional in this 3rd floor room and I'm afraid that I came nowhere near to capturing in this little painting the way the light played on the roses. Determined to paint something, I included in this little arrangement a small teddy bear given to me once by a club owner who insisted that the bear must go on tour with me. That very moment, I placed the bear in my guitar case where he lived throughout my touring years.

I think of this painting as the beginning of my working relationship with Ankie Keultjes who is largely responsible for my albums Ephemera and The Glory. She also beautifully produced and performed on The Watchman (Ad van Meur's) albums.

Most of old Eindhoven was destroyed during bombings in the 2nd World War so, though the city was established at least by the end of the 12th century, it has a very modern feel. There's an enclosed graveyard near St. Rochustraat with a large wall listing columns of names of people (some entire families) that were killed in a terrible Allied bombing. (See A Bridge Too Far for a good description of the ridiculousness of war and its tragic mishaps.)

Eindhoven also boasts the largest park of any city in The Netherlands. This park includes a theater, lake, organic farm, prehistoric village, stream, walking paths, gardens, aviary and more. Fortunately, Ad and Ankie live about two blocks from the park and I spent at lot of time walking there, often with Blaue the Border Collie (and a well-worn frisbee).

Eindhoven Roses
Watercolor on cold press Lana paper
4 x 6", archival mat & backing to 8 x 10"
US$ 295 + USPS Priority Shipping

Special edition of 5 signed and numbered $39 giclée prints

Every Sunday I post a new painting and story behind the watercolors I made while touring as a singer songwriter. Follow the stories behind the paintings of these serialized posts by working your way up from the bottom.

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