Into the Barn — Part 1

In answer to the question “Did I paint while I was in Maine?” I would have to respond that I did very little picture painting per se, despite the fact that I had carried a weighty selection of paints with me from Philly, plus there were numerous surfaces in the barn previously found and saved there on which I planned to paint. Instead the barn interior became my canvas; I used my organizational skills as brushes in opening up space and bringing in light through the use of mirrors. And I took a lot of pictures, almost 800 during the entire vacation, recording the various stages of change, both inside the barn, as well as the timeless seasonal transformation of fall that was occurring just outside. The single photo above was taken from the fields behind the barn, looking west. The grey house just to the right of the barn is not connected to the farm as it appears to be, but is actually on the other side of the road, on a hillock of land a few hundred feet away.

I also took numerous photos of the barn interior, five of which are featured in the photo strip at left. #1 shows the busy interior from the front of the barn looking toward the back wall, and its pair of windows. The light from them is enhanced by big mirrors on either side which reflect the light from the front’s open door, acting as secondary windows on either side of the actual ones. Photos 2, 3, 4 are all taken at the back of the barn looking toward the front. The large garage door is only open half way. The first three photos show the barn empty of all vehicles. However number 4 (looking from the back toward the front) and 5 (looking from the front of the barn toward the back windows with reflections of the photographer in the mirrors) include the 197? Dodge Swinger that was our dad’s which my brother Clark has gotten running again, and registered as Maine Antique Auto 57-381. Below, four more favorite photos looking west out the barn door.