Blueberry barrens, Clary Hill

This is a companion-piece to the watercolor painting on this site.

I first got interested in Clary Hill because of Joseph Fiore’s fabulous painting from its summit, but it rapidly took on especial meaning of its own. I try to teach up there at least once a season, just to share it with future plein air painters.

It’s frequently breezy, always cooler than the lowlands, and there’s a 360° view, including glints of the ocean in the far distance. You’ll often find birders up there, but the blueberry barrens themselves, with their odd red color in the fall, are the real stars. One might see wild turkeys or coyotes, but I’m still waiting to find Robert McCloskey’s Little Bear.

It is a significantly-abstracted view, and would look great in a contemporary, open space.