On Friday, June 5th, VNRC is hosting an opening reception for our newest exhibit, “Green Mountain Living in Pastel” from artist Marianne Nealy of Colchester. Marianne’s exhibit reflects on thirty years of living and growing with the medium, and she will join us to chat about the technique and inspiration behind her work with pastels.

Marianne started painting with pastels in 1995 while living in Addison County. She was inspired by the vibrant colors and textures of the lakes, farmlands, and distant mountain ranges dotting the landscape, and the medium of pastel seemed to be a perfect match to capture this natural beauty. Now in retirement, she is able to devote more time to this passion, learning more about the craft, materials and techniques and continuing to grow as an artist. As she writes:

“The pastel medium has allowed me to see my world in colors with more clarity and attention to detail than any passing interest.  Painting and living in my lovely home state and region has allowed me to have strong memories of places and time as well as to continue to be inspired daily by the natural beauty that surrounds us.”

“Green Mountain Living in Pastel” features a number of award-winning pieces, including “Shaking Off”, which earned top honors at the Vermont Pastel Society’s 2024 Members Exhibition, and “Winter Farm Road”, which took first prize at VPS’s 2024 Juried Show. The exhibit will be on display at VNRC through August 14th. More of Marianne’s work can be viewed at www.mariannenealy.com.

Doors will be open to the public between 4:00 and 7:30 pm. Light refreshments, including homemade baked goods, will be served while supplies last. Contact Alex Connizzo, Special Projects Coordinator, at (802)-223-2328 x126 or art@vnrc.org for more information, to inquire about sharing your work, or to schedule a visit. Open visiting hours for “Green Mountain Living in Pastel” will begin following the June Art Walk and are listed below:

Tuesday, June 9th – 8:00 to 10:00 am
Wednesday, June 10th – 4:00 to 6:00 pm
Wednesday, June 17th – 4:00 to 6:00 pm
Tuesday, June 23rd – 8:00 to 10:00 am
Wednesday, June 24th – 4:00 to 6:00 pm
Tuesday, June 30th – 8:00 to 10:00 am
Wednesday, July 1st – 4:00 to 6:00 pm
Tuesday, July 7th – 8:00 to 10:00 am
Wednesday, July 8th – 4:00 to 6:00 pm
Tuesday, July 14th – 8:00 to 10:00 am
Wednesday, July 15th – 4:00 to 6:00 pm
Tuesday, July 21st – 8:00 to 10:00 am
Wednesday, July 22nd – 4:00 to 6:00 pm
Tuesday, July 28th – 8:00 to 10:00 am
Tuesday, August 4th – 8:00 to 10:00 am
Tuesday, August 11th – 8:00 to 10:00 am
Wednesday, August 12th – 4:00 to 6:00 pm

“Green Mountain Living in Pastel” – Additional Information

Age and Beauty, Waltham, Vermont
The size of this grand old beauty on a hillside in Waltham, Vermont drew me to her for a portrait one summer day.  She is a presence for a family living nearby as well as for the many generations of creatures that lived in and amongst her branches in her lifetime.

Brewster River Bridge, Jeffersonville
The sun was shining after a long cloudy couple of weeks.  The snow was beginning to melt on somewhat warm February afternoon (temperature in the 30s) and the Brewster River bridge has a wonderful parking area nearby so that a painter can get a jump on painting en plein air and hop into the car for a warm up.

Calm at Peacham Pond, Vermont
The mood on Peacham Pond is calm and quiet on this day.  Sounds of nearby boaters and campers can be heard lightly drifting across the water.  The nearby mountain is reflected in the pond as well as the sky in an upside down composition.

Cherry Blossoms, Vermont
This cherry tree thrives on our property in Colchester.  Every year in the beginning of the warmer early spring days we watch these trees bud. After waiting and watching for about three weeks, we see the actual blossoms come and go within a week.  This painting is an eye level view through the branches with the cold ground below.  The tree is starting to bud in the cold rainy spring.

From Owl’s Head, near Groton, Vermont
A little snow remains and the spring buds are bursting on the trees in the valley.  I believe the water body to be Kettle Pond in the distance. The pinks and purples of early spring last only a brief time before the leaves and foliage become the full spectrum of greens.

Frozen Lake Champlain
Nordic skaters traverse a completely frozen Lake Champlain in late February.  Posted by Small Axe Farm in Ryegate, this Facebook video of  skaters gliding across the vast and reflective ice was much too poetic and lovely to pass up. Given permission to use these images I used them as my inspiration for this painting.  

Glen Ellis Falls, near Jackson, NH
At this point in the river, you can hear the roar of the water fall ahead.  The light shining on the rocks and pools of water attracted me to paint this summer scene with the close up greens in the mountains beyond the falls.

Golden Day, Indian Brook, Essex, Vermont
On a lovely fall day, the plein air painters spent the afternoon around the Indian Brook Reservoir painting.  The peak colors of these trees on this fall day were so bright and beautiful that I had to take photos and bring the images back for more work in my studio. The weather changed in the following days and the wind and rain dampened this view.

Golden Day, Indian Brook, Essex, Vermont
On a lovely fall day, the plein air painters spent the afternoon around the Indian Brook Reservoir painting.  The peak colors of these trees on this fall day were so bright and beautiful that I had to take photos and bring the images back for more work in my studio. The weather changed in the following days and the wind and rain dampened this view.

Jackson River, Jackson, New Hampshire
The Jackson River has beautiful gold, green, brown rock ledges and crevices with the water running through and around. The colors are different here than in many of Vermont’s slate toned rocks and boulders. The sounds of running water make plein air painting at the water’s edge a full sensory experience.  The lighting changes quickly on these wooded banks, casting shadows and beams of light.  Capturing the light and shadow is the painter’s challenge which shows that the water is moving.

Jeffersonville Woodland, near Jeffersonville, Vermont
The shaded woodland was amass in what might have been ramps or skunk cabbage growing through the matted brown leaves from the winter blanket.  This shady area in sharp contrast to the brilliant lights in the clearing beyond. On this spring day, everything was fresh and bursting with vibrant colors.

Long Island Shoreline, Maine
This was a late summer, early fall inspired painting.  The mist was revealing the distant shoreline and landscape on this Casco Bay Island in Maine.  The fading pinks, greens and golden ochre colors offer a different take on this misty seaside landscape.

Mom’s Bee Balm
The delicate structure of the petals and lavender pink color of this plant was my challenge. 

Mt. Mansfield with Foliage and Snow
A change in seasons is coming in this painting of the iconic Mt. Mansfield. Painted with a brilliant coating of snow while the trees down in the valley are still covered with the colors of autumn.   

Roots
This aged cedar tree, gnarled and alive, rests on the shores of Button Bay State Park near a walking trail.  Painted en plein air, I tried to capture the many twists and colors within these many roots.

Shaking Off
First Place Award, Vermont Pastel Society Juried Show (2024)
Sampson loved his life on the shore of Lake Champlain.  He was always ready to charge into the water for some stick that seemed to be floating within his view.  In “Shaking Off,” Sampson has just started the shake at his head and finished off with the tail.

Summer Farm Road, Shelburne Farms, Vermont
Painting en plein air, this summer farm road became the inspiration for several paintings completed in both summer and winter.  See Winter Farm Road, Shelburne Farms. Unlike much of the landscape at the Farms, this dirt road seems to be rarely used and somewhat overgrown.  The distant trees on the sunlit road bring you down the road.

The Slang, North Ferrisburg, Vermont
Third Place Award, Vermont Pastel Society Juried Show (2025)
A beautiful sunny summer day in Vermont is captured, en plein air at the intersection of Greenbush Road and Route 7 in North Ferrisburgh. The view to the southwest captures an idyllic farm road through several fields. One can imagine all types of wildlife roaming these fields throughout the seasons. The Slang, as it is known to locals is the distant creek bed, dry in summer and overflowing in the spring as it winds it’s way to Lake Champlain a few miles to the west.  

View from Mt. Philo, Charlotte, Vermont
Painted en plein air, the vast patchwork of the town below Mt. Philo looks like a quilt. The distant mountains and a view of the lake make this view iconic and very inspiring for a painter. While I have painted this view several times, the resulting paintings are never the same.  Each painting has it’s own mood and features. Here I have included in the composition, the chunky iron rail, meant to keep visitors from falling over the steep cliff.

Waltham Woods in Winter
Multiple tree lines, distance fields, all reflecting the winter lights at the end of the day.  The end of the day during the winter is often late afternoon. in Waltham Woods, the snow takes on all of the colors of the spectrum.

Waterbury Reservoir, Vermont
This inspiration for this painting was a family trip to the Waterbury Reservoir for a long weekend.  A photo was taken from the back of a small motor boat slowly moving along the shoreline. The colors of this summer day, reflected in the cool water and gentle waves made this a nice reminiscence of a lovely summer day in Vermont.

Winter Farm Road, Shelburne Farms, Vermont
First Place Award, Vermont Pastel Society Member Show (2024)
Painting en plein air from the backseat of my van, this farm road became the inspiration for several paintings completed in both winter and summer..  See Summer Farm Road, Shelburne Farms. Unlike much of the landscape at the Farms, this dirt road seems to be rarely used and somewhat overgrown.  The distant trees on the sunlit road are brilliant with surprising colors that lure you down the road.

Winter Barn
Long shadows from nearby trees emphasize the deep snow on this unplowed road to a house and barn.  This is a fun and nostalgic view of the deep winter snow that slows down life in Vermont.  A beautiful blue bird day in rural Vermont.

Wintery Path near Colchester
On a cold winter day, a late afternoon sunset colors this snowy path that is traversing a glade of small trees and undergrowth through a local trail.

Woodpecker in Snow
This small bird may not yet be as skilled or as big as his parents but he is fending for himself.  Trees and a winter dusting of snow make up his world.