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Woodstock, NY: now

August 6th, 2009 No comments

IT is the 40th anniversary of “Woodstock.”

This painting is the Woodstock Green. The actual town of Woodstock, Ulster County, NY as it looks today. Woodstock has become iconic. Yet it is still a town in the Catskill Mountains, it is not in Bethel where the festival happened. Even though the actual festival didn’t happen IN Woodstock, it was the spirit of Woodstock that created the festival and made it the big event it was. And continues to be.

The Woodstock Nation still gathers in the town green in Woodstock. Kids and adults! There’s a sign on the dinner window “Hippies Welcome”. There are drum circles in the Village Green on holidays, music, events, lots of fun continues to happen in Woodstock! What makes Woodstock so special is its continued sense of COMMUNITY. And an underlying devotion to the arts. Woodstock was founded as an artist colony around 1902. It continues to be a destination for artists and tourists. For the locals, there are land grants where you can walk for miles. And they’re very friendly, even dog friendly, provided your dogs are friendly! Mine are socialized, living between NYC and Woodstock. Here’s the “Woodstock Town Green” on a hot summer morning. The big tree is gone, as are Jim Power’s sculptures in front of Pondicherry (update: he and his dog have been sleeping on the street on my block in NYC:-(, and the owner of Pondicherry was one of the judges who told me they don’t accept computer-generated work. Attempts to explain were considered “too intense”. Time moves on, meanwhile, here’s the Woodstock Green at 8am in July, 2008.

“Woodstock Town Green” c 2009 by Lauren Edmond

The Comeau

July 22nd, 2009 No comments

The Town of Woodstock is a very enlightened place for many reasons. And their town government reflects this in many ways. Mostly because the people are literally invested in keeping their community free of overdevelopment. So they learn about the issues and participate in the process of governing. The Woodstock Land Conservancy maintains easements that allow people access to the land, put there as a land trust. Keeping it that way takes vigilance.

Comeau is a land trust in Woodstock, NY. It’s about 78 acres. There are big fields for playing ball, and forested area with trails and a stream, and few more big fields. It’s dog friendly, and well-behaved dogs can roam off leash, except for the parking lot and soccer fields, which is in everyone’s best interest. We leash whenever it’s time to “hold hands”. Just reading the latest updates on the Comeau easement issue in Woodstock Times, i remembered my painting! Here’s the building where the government offices are located on the Comeau property, in the early spring of 2008. I finally “finished” it.
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Comeau in early spring, 2008 © 2009 by Lauren Edmond

Paintings of Woodstock and Saugerties NY 2009

July 7th, 2009 1 comment

This is a show of my recent paintings of Woodstock and Saugerties.

There are 6 paintings in this show.

First up. This is the Bridge Over Saugerties. Saugerties NY is a hidden treasure that I don’t really want to publicize, though Jimmy Fallon is a native, so he does it all the time, in his usual “pretend this is self-deprecating” style! Who ever heard of Saugerties?! The town is perched on the Hudson and there are magnificent views, including a lighthouse on the Hudson river, open to the public. Many people have lived here for generations. Yet, there are an increasing number people coming to Saugerties from all over the world. The town is just too beautiful to go unnoticed. Saugerties has several art groups, which I will hopefully be able to join for as long as I”m actively working in the area….

So here’s “Bridge Over Saugerties”, 2009. I’ve taken hundreds of photos of this bridge, in every weather condition and season. This painting is summertime, probably my favorite season to paint. Currently, the land in the foreground has been sold and will be turned into a hotel complex. Construction started over the last few weeks. I often do my laundry across the street and walk the dogs in the field and through the town. We all enjoy it ^^:-)

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Bridge over Saugerties © 2009 by Lauren Edmond
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“Village Apothecary View” © 2009 by Lauren Edmond

This the a crossroads in West Saugerties, NY. If you take a left, you go uphill to Plattekill. The road winds steeply up a deep gorge along the south side of the mountain and the view is extraordinary. Plattekill Road is narrow and kind of treacherous and is even closed from November to May. There’s a steep drop off on one side, and a sharp rise on the other. You are literally on the side of the mountain. It’s very dramatic. Or– you can make the right and you’re in West Saugerties, an old village in the valley, and on your way “into town”. Here’s the Crossroads at Plattekill, you decide which way to go– uphill or down!

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“Crossroads at Plattekill” © 2009 by Lauren Edmond

This piece is near and dear to me. It’s the view from my next door neighbor’s backyard. We’ve been renting a lil blue cottage (painting coming!) for the past 2 years and I get to spend time there and in NYC where I’ve had an apartment for going on 32 years. Wow. I can’t quite say time flew, but after 32 years and thousands of paintings, here’s “Shirley’s View”


“Shirley’s View” c 2009 by Lauren Edmond

Driving back and forth to Woodstock every day, this is one of the 2 scenes that continues to catch my eye. I just love how the mountains come up behind the house and the long driveway to the house and the mountains is like a journey in itself. This is “Devon’s Way”

“Devon’s Way” c 2009 by Lauren Edmond

And finally, the Woodstock Green. This is where hippies still gather. Kids and adults! There are drum circles on major holidays, music, events, lots of fun has happened here! What makes Woodstock so special is its continued sense of COMMUNITY. There are still land grants where you can walk for miles. And they’re dog friendly, provided your dogs are friendly! Mine are socialized, living in NYC and Woodstock. Here’s the “Woodstock Town Green”


“Woodstock Town Green” c 2009 by Lauren Edmond

Hope you enjoy the show! More to come…..!
Lauren