Big Tree, oil, 21 x 28 inches

“I like the strong light of New England, the way this light burns into objects in the landscape and falls on different levels of the ground. I study the zenith light of a gray day; the light of sunshine; the cloud shadows on mountains.

I paint in subtle shades in order to highlight accents of brilliant color. By looking for the negative, I find the positive. I don’t hear the noise of a drum until I beat it.

While painting the seacoast, the landscape is constantly changing. It is a challenge to cope with the shifting tide and the weather — the reflection of the clouds and sun on the water. Nature moves all the time.

At the time of the full moon, I like to sketch outdoors. When I draw from my back porch, the glow of the moon simplifies everything in a spiritual way. The full moon on snow, the sun reflecting on water, and the change of seasons; each awakens me to the beauty of our physical surroundings. What I see in nature stimulates and inspires me to paint.”

                                                                                                                                  – Fred F. Scherer