"Snowlight"

One thing I love about painting in my studio in the winter is the extra reflected light from the snow covering the ground outside. I call it "snowlight" and it means everyday, whether it's sunny or cloudy, is a bright day for painting.


"Spring Gems", 30" x 40", oil on linen, Lydia Johnston

I am working on lots of flower paintings now, waiting for spring. "Spring Gems" is a joyful piece with its bright colors. It has just been completed and can be seen hanging at the Lenox Gallery of Fine Art in Lenox, MA.

Exhibit Opens at the Bennington Center for the Arts

"Reflections", 30" x 40", oil on linen, Lydia Johnston

This past Wednesday, I helped to hang a large group art exhibit at the Bennington Center for the Arts. Three of my oil paintings are included in the exhibit, "Reflections", "Shelter", and "Hummingbird's Delight".


"Shelter", 36" x 48", oil on canvas, Lydia Johnston

The exhibit space is large, so well suited to my large paintings. The show will open on Friday February 1st, and run until the end of May. If you are in southern Vermont, be sure to stop in to see it.


"Hummingbird's Delight", 30" x 40", oil on canvas, Lydia Johnston

New Oil Paintings at Lenox Gallery

"Spring Sun", 36" x 48", oil on canvas

I have recently delivered to the Lenox Gallery of Fine Art the latest large oil painting in my receding ridgeline series. These large oil landscapes are so hard to capture in a small digital image, so it is always satisfying for me when they are hung in an art gallery where they can be seen in person.

Receding Ridge Lines

"Aglow", 12" x 16", oil on canvas, Lydia Johnston

Recently I've been exploring the theme of receding ridge lines and hills in my oil landscapes, such a familiar sight here in Southern Vermont and the Berkshires.

Every so often I will pull out a small canvas to paint, usually when I have mixed oil paints leftover, after completing a large painting. While I prefer painting large landscapes, 30" x 40" or 36" x 48", I find a freedom to explore with a little piece like this one, just 12" x 16". Here the entire canvas is covered so quickly. Standing in front of it to paint, I can take in the whole picture at once, easily deciding where to place my next stroke, without having to continually step back across my art studio to view the whole piece.