Size: 22"x 30" (frame size 35" x 42")
Created on cold press, 22 x 30-inch 300lb. watercolor paper.

Sepia and burnt sienna ink wash by landscape artist Marcia Reed of Easthampton is part of a series of ink washes created by the artist in the summer of 2005.

Reed was inspired to create the series after attending a show of Old Masters at the Louvre in Paris. She combined the influences of the masters' work in sepia, sienna and walnut-tone ink washes with her own experiences in and around the Dijon countryside of France to create the work.

The piece depicts the local farm where Reed conducted a watercolor workshop. It is representative of the artist's style, which she describes as being unpredictable, inexact and undefined, and more about translating a scene to her own personal vision rather than rendering an exact copy.

Reed has an MFA from the University of Massachusetts. She teaches at The Williston Northampton School, Fine Arts Department, in Easthampton, Massachusetts and at the Maine College of Art in Portland, Maine. She is also the Curator and Director of Exhibitions at the Grubbs Gallery located on the campus of The Williston Northampton School.

Artist's Statement
In my earliest recollections I have always wanted to paint. I saw myself as a painter foremost to anything else. This sounds so cliché. I have read other artists statements and many say the same thing. As I reached a landmark birthday in 2005, I realized my aspirations are still the same as they were when I was young. My painting has lead me into many directions, and journeys, and it has enriched my life.

The challenge I find in my own landscape painting is learning to see and interpret my own feelings and profound appreciation for nature. I constantly struggle to transcend the material and go beyond the painted surface image.

It is important that my landscapes in oils and watercolors convey a sense of place. Nature is my influence but then it becomes something more. I don't want my work to capture the exactness of nature or my brush marks to be predictable. I have been told for years that I have an unnatural landscape palette. Color is important to me, but I also am intrigued by the absence of color as in my nocturnal moonscapes. I want to embrace a mood for the piece and challenge the viewer to look deeper. In the process of painting on location or in my studio I strive for the balance of when to intervene and when to leave well enough alone.

Gallery Representation
The Gallery at Four India Street, Nantucket, MA
Sheldon Fine Arts Gallery, Newport, RI
J. Whitney Gallery, Southington, CT
The Fore Street Gallery, Portland, ME
Gallery St. Thomas, St. Thomas, USVI
The Marketplace Gallery, St. John, USVI
The Color of Joy Gallery, St. Thomas, USVI
Elusie Fine Arts, Easthampton, MA
Railroad Street Gallery, Easthampton, MA