Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Pipestem Utopia

I completed this little oil painting over the weekend.  It is from a photograph I took 2 years ago at Pipestem, West Virginia.  This building was part of an experiment - a planned community which didn't succeed...so, if you visit there, you will find several homes and out-buildings.  This abandoned community was once a dream of many people which didn't succeed...so sad.  I took several pictures that day, and plan to do more paintings of this now defunct community.
The painting is 7"x5" and is painted in oil.

4 comments:

Debbie Nolan said...

Dear Barb - what a lovely oil - I think I have visited that place years ago. Will have to check with hubby - they had a lot of old buildings and Applachian art if I remember correctly. Beautiful place in the mountains. Thanks for sharing.

Dee Doyle said...

Lovely, Barb,

Great values. It sort of looks as if you might have done it on a black canvas. Maybe not, but I sure like the effect of your strong values, particularly at the wondws.

Barb Sailor said...

Hi Debbie,
You may have been there because it was a functional little community at one time. It is located on a highway very near the Pipestem resort in southern West Virginia. The area is overflowing with painting options - a beautiful area of the country.

Barb Sailor said...

Thanks, Dee...no - it is not on a black canvas, although I do use them often. The dark details are applied over the under painting. I did a thumbnail to determine my value pattern and laid in the darks, medium values and light areas before I did any detailing.