LARAINE ARMENTI

Student of Painting

Project Review

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Painting in school quickly developed too many areas of interest: oil landscapes, figure drawing, homework, and the bamboo pen & sumi ink drawing series. I realized drawing is pushing out painting time in the first three weeks. These are all good projects but the MFA degree I am pursuing is in painting, not drawing. Adjustments must be made. The oil landscapes are from my studio window. … [Read more...]

Sojourn

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On my return trip from Vermont in August, I took the route from Bennington through New York. It is less traveled than Route 7 and therefore a nicer drive. In a small town in western Mass, I noticed a weathered old woman sitting in front of an antiques store. Her shop contained a crowded collection of objects in several dingy rooms which she complemented with a robust set of political views sharply … [Read more...]

Comm Ave

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The last two weeks felt like a roller coaster's slow steady climb to the top of the first lift hill. Then the front car crested the first peak and it was look out below, full of shrieks, hollers and incredulous smiles: id, parking pass, bank loan, orientation, materials, moving out, moving in, classes, assignments, receptions, meeting colleagues and instructors. Commuting for a couple hours each … [Read more...]

Yellow Cloth, no. 2

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I was surprised to find this on the studio easel when I came back from Bennington, as if painted by someone else. The graphic use of color -- bread as an icon -- the scale, design and arrangement of forms in a studio piece seem distant from the atmosphere of outdoor painting. I see color in a new way. A saturated blue patch of sky framed by dark emerald pines appears vivid purple. This painting … [Read more...]

ANE / Benn — Conclusion

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I was happy with the long sought efficiency of my painting field equipment. The Soltek easel proved to be extremely versatile. It was able to hold two stretched linens at once, providing stability to both while simultaneously painting across them for the diptych shown above. A helpful musician from the "Chamber Music Conference & Composer's Forum of the East", the group that is on campus with … [Read more...]

ANE / Benn — Final Week

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Wednesday brought a day-long rash of phone calls so I didn't start to paint until 4 pm. I was glad to complete the red roof shed in a few hours before the day ended. The painting of the observatory was done the next morning. Throughout my time at Bennington College, I noticed how valuable it was to return to the same spots for the fifth year in a row. Even though I'm working on my own in an … [Read more...]

ANE / Benn — Aerial Perspective

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On Tuesday morning it was too hot to stand in the sun but extremely comfortable in a naturally cool spot between two small groves in the south field. While I painted, appearances were made by a marmot, deer, rabbit, squirrel, flock of bluebirds, and harrier chased by a crow. A low flying helicopter made repeated noisy sweeps across the area, possibly taking off from the airport five miles to the … [Read more...]