Patricia Scarborough

A highway is a busy, well-traveled, familiar place. We understand what's happening on the highway. But when we go "Off the Highway" things are very different – not busy, not crowded, quiet, a little bit strange. We assume that we understand what's "Off the Highway," but… do we really? . . . Starting March 1,  Mavis Penney from Labrador, Canada, and I painted for 100 days in our quest for what's "Off the Highway." . . . .

By painting each day for 100 days I hope to learn about that which exists off the beaten path, to learn about seeing, to learn about myself. 

 Beautifully framed, available at the gallery listed for $175 each.

All images copyright 2009 Patricia Scarborough

 

Day 100 - Across the Pond 7 x 5 oil

Just north of Highway 275 in Holt County sits an old shack across a small pond. Considered by some to be an eyesore, I find it a lovely sight tucked into the shade of the trees that surround it.

The project is finished, a few days over the 100 day target, but it is completed.  A yelp of triumph and a dance across the room!

Available at Lux Center for the Arts in Lincoln, Ne. through December 24th, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 99 - Turkey Creek 5 x 7 oil

This is one of my favorite "hidden" places.  It's just off the bridge coming into town off Highway 81.  Actually, it's a backwater from the creek, full of algae and muck.  When the sun hits it though. the water sparkles and gleams as though it were a clear mountain stream.

Sold!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 98 - Shady Bend oil 5 x 7

  The sun is barely able to penetrate the thick foliage of the tree canopy that rises above this dusty dirt road.  It's so quiet and serene you'd never know you were just a mile or two away from Highway 41. 

 

Available at Lux Center for the Arts until December 24th

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 97 - Cedars 5 x 7 oil on board

Cedars are ubiquitous in this area.  Brought by settlers because they grow fast, they've become invasive, but still look beautiful against a late summer sky.

Available at Graham Gallery in Hastings through December.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 96 - August Cottonwoods 5 x 7 oil on board

The heat is finally getting to these aging cottonwoods just to the west of Highway 81.  Hopefully they'll respond to the cool-down that comes with an impending storm.

Won by Karine in my Great Big Birthday Giveaway!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 95 - Shady road 5 x 7 oil on board

Late in summer the cottonwoods arch over the country roads completely, creating a vertual tunnel of shade.  It's lovely and beautiful, and just off the highway.

Available at Graham Gallery  in Hastings, Ne. through Christmas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 94 - County Road 5 x 7 oil

 

Sold!

Available at Graham Gallery through Christmas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 91 - Lemon Sky with Cottonwoods 2009

5 x 7 oil on board

Available at Graham Gallery through December.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 90 - Sunday Morning 2009

 

7 x 5 oil on board

Sunday morning dawned bright and fresh.  Coffee on the front porch with several fat doves to keep me company. The storm blew south and east of us, fading in strength as the night cooled.

Available at Graham Gallery through December.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 89 - Saturday Night 2009

7 x 5 oil on board

 

I spent the weekend in the town I grew up in.  Saturday evening clouds piled up what seemed like miles into the sky.  My brother and I dashed outside with our cameras to record the event.  (Can anyone say "lightning rod?") Even the birds sensed trouble and began to seek shelter.

Sold!

 

 

 

 

 

Day 88 - Against the Sun 2009

5 x 7 oil on board

My garden again.  What more can be said?

Available at Graham Gallery through December

 

 

 

 

 

Day 87 - Black-eyed Susans and Butterfly 2009

5 x 7 oil on board

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 84 - Coreopsis and Coneflowers 2009

7 x 5 oil on board

Available at Graham Gallery through December

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sold!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 80 - Cottonwoods by the Pond   2009  Oil on board

The sun was very nearly to the horizon when I discovered this pond near Highways 81 and 6.  I'm quite taken with Cottonwood trees, and this proved the perfect setting for a painting.

No longer available

 

 

 

 

 

Day 79 - Resting Place oil on board

This old tractor rests out among the weeds off the Hwy 81 spur.  From the look of it, it hasn't moved in a couple of years at least.  Evidently the only person who thinks it's valuable is an artist looking for something interesting to paint.

 

Available at Graham Gallery through Christmas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 78 - Off the River 2009 oil on board

I like this so much I'll use it as an oil sketch for a larger painting.  Working daily has loosened something up in me.  I'm not so worried about exactness or real-ness.  There's an emotional well being tapped, and I think it's a good thing.

No longer available

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 77 - Evening Landscape 2009 oil on board

Day 76 - Cottonwood Glen 2009

Oil on board

The cottonwood is a favorite of mine.    Knowing the day will bring another heat wave makes this shady spot north of Hwy 74 even more inviting.

 

Recently purchased

I'm back at it after calling a time out to prepare for several exhibits that were opening up within weeks of each other.  It feels a bit odd to be painting again in such a small format after it had become almost second nature.  It appears my perspective has changed.

 

Day 75 - Garden in Flight 2009 oil on gessoed board

My garden is vibrating with butterflies, birds and blossoms changing by the minute. The only way to describe it is to move the paint around as if it were carried by a bee.

 

Day 74 - Coneflowers 2009 oil on gessoed board

It's entirely too hot to be standing out in the yard, but these coneflowers are gorgeous and I'm smitten with them.  It's worth the heat and flies to try to capture them in paint. 

Recently Purchased

 

Day 73 - Libby's Bouquet 2009 oil on gessoed board

These hydrangeas are from Brett and Libby's wedding last weekend.  There was a bouquet in a tin watering can on every table looking delightful and festive.

No longer available

 

Day 72 Goldenrod Morning   5 x 7 pastel on Canson Mi Tientes paper

A week or so ago the goldenrods blossomed.  They're rich with yellow flowers, and fill acres of land with sunshine.  This is my memory, or maybe what I would wish for if I could have my way.

Recently Purchased

Day 71 Heavy Weather 5 x 7 pastel on Canson Mi Tientes Paper

I'm painting from memory now.  The weather has been so heavy lately..  As we drive up Highway 81 the landscape feels the burden of all that moisture in the air.

 

Available beautifully framed at Graham Gallery through December.

 

 

Day 69 Ancient Maple 9 x 12 oil on gessoed board

I stood under this huge maple during a plein air event last weekend.  It's unusual for a maple tree to be this old and this massive, and I enjoyed it's shade on a hot day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 68 Verdant Tunnel 8 x 10 oil on gessoed board

This tunnel of foliage caught my eye at a recent plein air painting event.  I've never seen so many colors of green.  It was a bit dizzying trying to keep track of the breeze in the grass and the shadows and the branches.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 67 Ditch Daisies 5 x 7 oil on gessoed board

We call any odd variety of flower growing in the ditches and medians "ditch daisies".  These were particularly delightful, although I think their bright colors and raggedy edges got the best of me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 66 Drizzle 5 x 7 oil on gessoed board

A few dark evenings ago on our way down Interstate 80 it began to drizzle.  This is my memory of the trip;  blues, greys and greens in ghostly shapes fading in and out of the heavy skies.

 

Available beautifully framed at Graham Gallery through December.

 

 

 

My peonies blossomed during the night, a quiet explosion of delicately colored petals and fragrance.

Day 65 At Last

7 x 5 oil on gessoed board

 

Sold!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The peony buds are swelling.  It's a feeling of anticipation, wondering if I'll be there when the buds finally let loose of their petals.

Day 64 Three Sisters

7 x 5 oil on gessoed board

Recently Purchased

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I enjoy the look of peony buds almost as much as I enjoy the blossoms.  There's something about the emergence of pink from the tight green buds that suggests something wonderful about to happen.

Day 63 More Peonies

7 x 5 oil on gessoed board

 

Available at Lux Center for the Arts until December 24th, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It seems like it's not summer until the peonies bloom.  Looks like we've got a few more days to wait.

Day 62 Peonies

7 x 5 oil on gessoed board

No longer Available

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                               

 

 

Sometimes the sky demands to be painted.  Now it seems silly to try to show you in 35 square inches what I see when I look above the tree line.

Day 61 Clearing Sky 5 x 7 oil on gessoed board

 

Available beautifully framed at Graham Gallery through December.

 

Same weather disturbance, blown a few more miles east by brisk winds.  These showers clean the air and settle dirt that has been kicked up by high winds.

Day 60 More Spring Rain

7 x 5 pastel on archival sanded paper

 

Available beautifully matted with Day 59 at Graham Gallery through December.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A freshening breeze often conjures up a storm one can see coming for miles in the Great Plains.

Day 59 Spring Rain Coming

7 x 5 pastel on archival sanded paper

 

Available beautifully matted with Day 60 at Graham Gallery through December.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Young cottonwoods spring up  along fence rows and country roads. It takes a few years before they become arthritic looking, bent with wind and time.

 Day 58 Young Cottonwoods

5 x 7  oil on gessoed board

 

Recently Purchased

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the sun comes up it bathes everything in yellow  for just a moment and gives an ethereal light to all it washes over.

Day 57 First Light Heifer

5 x 7 oil on gessoed board

Recently Purchased

 

 

 

 

I found another lilac bush still in bloom.  The aroma of this variety is intoxicating.  Sadly, in a few days they'll be nothing more than a memory.  Perhaps that's what makes them so special.

Day 56 Lilacs on Yellow

7 x 5 oil on gessoed board

 

Available beautifully framed at Graham Gallery through December.

 

Don't tell this guy he's only 42" tall.  When I raised my camera, he posed for me as if he were a giant. 

Day 55 Stallion

5 x 7 oil on gessoed board

Available at Lux Center for the Arts until December 24th, 2009

 

 

 

 

Lilacs are almost done blooming, but their scent lingers on.  It's an aroma I'll miss when the thermostat rises and the sun fills the shadows.

Day 54 More Lilacs

7 x 5 oil on gessoed board

 

Recently Purchased

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many people find the idea of dandelions appalling.  I for one love the rich yellow mop-tops.  Not only can dandelions be found off the highway, they can be found nearly every place else as well.

Day 53 Dandelions

7 x  5 oil on gessoed board

Recently Purchased

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the winter, nothing gets me going like a cup of coffee.  In spring, a cup of lilacs does the same thing.

Day 52 Cup of Lilacs

5 x 7 oil on board

Donated to Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center Team for Relay for Life 2009 for auction fundraiser

 

 

 

 

 

Tender new leaves on young cottonwoods glow warmly in fresh spring air, marking property lines and ponds off Interstate 29.

Day 51 Fresh

5 x 7 oil on gessoed board

Currently available framed at the Burkholder Project, Lincoln, Ne.

 

 

Congratulations to Cory Scott,  winner of the Day 50 Drawing!

Day 50 Ponies in Light

These two looked majestic with the brilliant sunshine off their golden backs under brilliant blue skies. They're actually miniature horses, standing about 3 feet at the shoulder.  Regardless, they reign supreme over their sunlit meadow.

7 x 5 oil on gessoed board

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love this small bit of land.  It seems that no matter how dry the rest of south central Nebraska is,

there are always quiet areas where water can be found.

Day 49 Marsh

7 x 5 oil on gessoed board

Recently purchased

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite the softness of spring, last year's

stubble is dry and brittle.  A spark from a tractor or passing train can light a fire that grows with frightening speed.  Rain is forecast, and relief settles like rain.

Day 48 Fire

5 x 7 oil on gessoed board

This painting available framed at the Burkholder Project, Lincoln, Ne.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yellow tulips are the most beautiful, perfect flower in the world.  I was delighted to find one popping up out of the weeds off Highway 41.

Day 47 Yellow Tulip

7 x 5 oil on gessoed board

Currently available at Lux Center for the Arts until December 24th, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m not certain of the name of these tiny white flowers, I’ve always called them Handkerchief Lilies due

to their delicate, handkerchief-like petals.  They’re found in ditches around here, and look lovely in the discarded glass holder.

Day 46 Handkerchief Lilies

7 x 5 oil on gessoed board

Available beautifully framed at Graham Gallery through December.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I mentioned in Day 43’s post that this crack reminds me of a river.  Today’s piece takes that another step closer.  Same crack, play with the color and the brush strokes and brittle, ruined concrete becomes fluid movement. I’d have probably never painted this kind of image had we not dedicated ourselves to this project.

Day 45 Concrete River

5 x 7 oil on gessoed board

Available beautifully framed at Graham Gallery through December.

 

 

 

 

This is a companion to yesterday’s piece.  It belongs to the sidewalk square just to the south of Cracked Sidewalk #1.  The entire stretch of sidewalk appears to be fluid and graceful despite its brittle make-up. 

Day 44 Sidewalk Crack # 2

5 x 7 oil on gessoed board

Recently Purchased

 

 

 

This sidewalk has cracked in such a way that it reminds me of a river viewed from up above.  Can one have a favorite set of cracks?  This would be mine.  Working on this project with Mavis gives me a good reason to give you a sneek peek into what this artist finds interesting.. 

Day 43 Sidewalk Crack # 1

5 x 7 oil on gessoed board

Available beautifully framed at Lux Center for the Arts until December 24th.

 

 

 

 

Aging bales butt up against the property lines of many rural fields. 

Day 42 Hay Bales

5 x 7 oil on gessoed board

 

 

 

 

 

 

It seems that nearly every small town has a grain elevator.  As farmers prepare to plant new fields they still have grain from last year to sell. 

Day 41 Grain Dump

7 x 5 oil on gessoed board

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A child may have lost this cup playing with it outside, or perhaps it was simply dumped by the side of the road.  Either way,

 I find this discarded teacup charming, and will make good use of it holding screws or some other small tidbit.

Day 39 Discarded Teacup

7 x 5 oil on gessoed board

Available beautifully framed at Lux Center for the Arts until December 24th, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recently Purchased

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nebraska is known as the Beef State.  It's difficult not to see cattle off any highway in our part of the country.

Day 37 Cow

5 x 7 oil on gessoed board

Recently Purchased

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I studied these fields and trees, my

impression was of an abstract design.  I doubt the farmers feel the same way as they prepare for planting. 

Day 36 Fresh Fields

5 x 7 oil on gessoed board

No longer available

5 x 7 oil on gessoed board

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No longer available

 

 

 

This time of year in the central plains the weather changes in the blink of an eye.  This morning started out bright and sunny, and quickly changed as a low pressure system worked it's way across the state.

Day 31 Low Pressure

5 x 7 oil on gessoed board

 

Available framed at Graham Gallery through December.

 

As I crest a hill on Highway 81, I see the fields beginning to waken under longer days and warmer skies.  Clouds tear across the sky going nowhere in particular.

Day 30 Spring Sky

Oil on gessoed board

No longer available

 

 

 

Doves greet the promise of a gorgeous day from telephone wires as the sun rises.  In typical spring fashion, the days turns grey and wet, and the birds retreat to their nests for warmth.

Day 29 Morning Doves

5 x 7 oil on gessoed board

Recently Purchased

 

 

 

Winter is finally releasing her grip.  The landscape seems to be softening, and one can almost feel the grasses begin to wake up.  Most of the grain hauling is now done via trucks on the interstate. Soon the rails will be torn up and the field returned to it's uninterrupted expanse.

Day 28 Relinquished

7 x 5 oil on gessoed board

Available at Lux Center for the Arts until December 24th, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

After 3 days of 40 mph winds, we've found another nest that has been torn from it's branches.   From the looks of it, it's a 2008 model, and we hope no renters had claimed it yet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With early April shrouded in grey, I need some sunlight and color. Oddly, I find it in a clear glass insulator.  Sun from the window enters the glass and is bent into waves of rich color.  This is a Hemingray-54 found off Highway 6 at an old farmstead.

 

Day 26 Hemingray-54

7 x 5 oil on linen covered board

Recently Purchased

 

 

 

 

Day 25 End of the Road

Oil on gessoed board

Recently Purchased

 

 

 

 

This quiet creek is just off a major highway.  The pines muffle the sounds of traffic and it seems a world away from the high pitched drone of humanity.

Day 24 Little Carp Creek

5 x 7 oil on gessoed board

No longer available

 

 

Milkweed is vital to Monarch butterflies as they make their annual migration through Nebraska.  Sadly, much of it has been destroyed as a noxious weed, thereby putting Monarch numbers in great decline.  I found these skeletal remains in a field off Highway 74.

Day 23 Milkweed

5 x 7 oil on linen covered board

Recently Purchased

 

 

 

 

 

In this part of Nebraska, ancient cottonwoods line the roads and fields.  Their arthritic limbs intertwine above  property lines as if to declare ownership. 

 

Day 21 Nebraska Cottonwoods

5 x 7 oil on board

no longer available

 

 

Since the weather hasn't cooperated, I looked back in my stash of favorite photos for some sunshine and warm breezes.

Day 20 - Sunlit Trees

5 x 7 oil on board

Recently purchased

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since starting this project, I'm noticing small objects beside the road as we take our walks.  It's hard to keep looking to the horizon with a chilly stiff breeze in my face

Day 19 Pine Cone

5 x 7 oil on board

 

 

 

 

 

 

My first day of plein air painting this year.  The sky is grey and the wind has a chill, but the grass

holds the warmth that promises spring is coming.

Day 18  First Day Out

5 x 7 oil on board

Available at Graham Gallery through December.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes the wind holds what the earth gives away; pollen, grain dust, dirt.  All this stuff in the air turns the sky red. 

 

With spring coming on the sunsets warn of an impending storm.

Day 17 Heavy Red Sky

5 x 7 oil oil on board

Available at Lux Center for the Arts until December 24th, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

I actually just realized that this barn is east of Milligan on Highway 41, not 74.  I got lots of great

stories about this place recently.  The barn is beginning to crumble, and it's important to  many local folk that at least it's memory be preserved.

Day 16 Highway 74 Barn #2

5 x 7 oil on board

Available beautifully framed at Graham Gallery through December.

 

 

Found this nest in a ditch during a walk off Highway 41.  I worry about it's former occupant.

Day 15 Bird's Nest on Linen

5 x 7 oil

Recently Purchased

 

 

 

This weather is typical of Nebraska in the spring; forboding one moment, and softening the next.

Day 14 Sky to the West of Highway 81

5 x 7 oil

Recently Puchased

 

 

 

 

 

I admire this stump and it's desire to thrive despite the Roads Department's best efforts to keep it trimmed.

Day 13 Stump Off Road 1

7 x 5 oil

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This barn seems to fade into the trees that surround it.

Day 12 Barn on Highway 74 5 x 7 oil

Available beautifully framed at Graham Gallery through December.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

South central Nebraska is failry rural.  Sometimes the only break in the horizon is a silo.

Day 11  Double Silo  7 x 5 Oil

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This muddy road catches my attention whenever I drive west on Hwy. 41.

Day 10 Mud Road 5 x 7 oil

Recently Purchased

 

 

 

 

 

    

I found this pair of scissors in an alley just Off the Highway.

Day 9 Discarded Scissors  5 x 7 oil

Available at Lux Center for the Arts until December 24th, 2009

 

 

 

 

                 

 

My sis and I collect insulators. They're simple, yet very beautiful chunks of glass. 

Day 8 Am.Tel.&Tel.Co. Insulator #1  5 x 7 oil

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Same skull, different lighting and palette.  It's amazingly strong, yet very fragile. 

 There is so much to discover here.

Day 7 Raccoon Skull #2,  5 x 7 oil

Donated to Kids Tent, Cottonwood Festival, Brickyard Park in Hastings, Ne., June 19 - 21, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

Found this raccoon skull in the ditch off a dirt road that intersects Highway 41. I'm fascinated.

Day 6 Raccoon Skull #1, 5 x 7 oil

 

 

 

Day 1 of 100 days of paintings happens to fall on March 2nd,

and we're finally getting a warm breeze here in south central Nebraska.

5 x 7 oil

 

 

  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

 

After a few days of warm breezes the air is rich with the scent of the earth. 

Day 2  Early March   5 x 7 oil                                                                                        

Recently Purchased

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jane's Pond - Day 3 5 x 7 oil 

 No Longer Available

 

 

 

 

 

Nebraska skies rival the skies anywhere in the world. 

Day 4 Winter Sky 5 x 7 oil

Recently Purchased

 

 

 

  

 

Clouds blanket the sky and the earth hibernates. Spring is still a ways off.

Day 5 Into Evening 5 x 7 oil

Available at Lux Center for the Arts until December 24th, 2009