Golden Silence

Golden Silence     9" x 12"      Pastel        ©Sheila Ashley Liston
Available  $195

Doesn't everyone have a favorite marsh?

I've painted my favorite marsh here recently on one of our Ohio winter days. I fell in love with the  dried grasses left behind by the fall, hence the title, "Golden Silence". 

This is an easily accessible marsh in Peninsula, Ohio near the bend in the Cuyahoga River and the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath. Who can resist lunch at the nearby Winking Lizard Restaurant?

Here are progress photos of the steps that I took to painting this in pastel on UArt 500 sanded pastel paper. The sanded surfaced lends itself to painting the ragged weeds and grasses. 

Everett Road Covered Bridge

Everett Road Covered Bridge     4" x 6"       Pastel      ©Sheila Ashley Liston
Available  $65

It's not unusual to find artists set up along the roadside in Cuyahoga Valley National Park in northeastern Ohio.  We are fortunate in that it's about a 30 minute drive to this area for us. The Park has beautiful waterfalls, hiking & bike trails, marshes, rock quarries, rivers, and the Ohio & Erie Canal. There's certainly no shortage of subject matter begging to be painted in any season. 

This covered bridge is the only remaining covered bridge in Summit County. Everett Road bridge was originally built in the 1870s.  It has been repaired and rebuilt due to major damage more than once. In 1975 a heavy spring storm weakened its supporting structure, causing the bridge to fall into the creek bed below. Funds were raised by school children, local citizens, private organizations and government agencies in 1986 to build this historically accurate reconstruction by the National Park Service.

We enjoy day trips to this area and continue to learn more about the park with each visit.