The New England look of Fairfield Porter

There's something about spending the weekend in Connecticut that makes us think of Fairfield Porter. The obvious name associations aside, his palatte and subjects have an elegant, yankee charm that we see everyday in our journeys for antiques and historic homes. Here's a sampling of why we love both:

Fairfield Porter, Under the Elms, 1971/2

A lovely 19th century colonial in Riverton, Ct.

Granite in a stone wall

Fairfield Porter, Still life with Yellow Tablecloth, 1948

Enclosed porch, perfect for nesting

Porter's portait of Andy Warhol and Ted Carey

Farmington River

Moss on a damp tree by the river

Jimmy and Liz, 1963

A gorgeous 1822 colonial in Riverton, Ct.

A Day Indoors, 1963

From New York, New York to Riverton, Connecticut

Before we headed off to Connecticut this weekend to look at antique homes, we snapped a pretty summer sight in Manhattan--a perfectly matching vespa and brownstone in cinnamon and aqua. That seemed to set a theme for the day; greyed brights in unexpected places. Here's what we found:

Vespa and brownstone in the West Village on Sunday

Ready to hang...collection of clothespins on a Connecticut barn

The adorable back entrance to a Riverton, Ct. colonial

A nice collection of patinated sap buckets

Barns and sheds in Riverton...no two alike

Decorative Camouflage

A photo of Johannes VanDerBeek's "Hippie Ghost" in the Arts section of the NYT this Wednesday immediately made us of think of Liu Bolin's work at the Young Gallery. He is a Chinese artist interested in the human body and its place in social surroundings. In his series, "Camouflage," he explores how the human form can blend in any landscape. Similarly, Chinese-born artist Ah Xian creates busts from porcelain, lacquer and cloisonne decorated with traditional Chinese themes from nature.

Liu Bolin Camouflage series, 2009

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Ah Xian China China series 1997-1999

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Liu Bolin Camouflage series, 2009

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Ah Xian China China series 1997-1999

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Liu Bolin Camouflage series, 2009

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Ah Xian China China series 1997-1999

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Liu Bolin Camouflage series, 2009

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Ah Xian China China series 1997-1999

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The Fauna of New England

We usually avoid "cute," but this trip produced so much of it, that it was hard to resist! Here's a little sampling of what a zoo Memorial Day can be...

Gulls "roofing" on a church in Woolwich, Maine

A pretty summer renter...

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On the porch of Columbary House Antiques
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A fine, dappled mount at York Antiques Gallery

Stag on a french tile circa 1920's at York Antiques Gallery

Little lost lamb in Hampton, CT

Wooly pajamas...our wanderers flock

Local Colors

From Cornflower Blue, to Barn Red, to the velvety purple of local Irises, we experienced the most soothing feast of color in New England this weekend. Here's a taste of what we saw...

A conch colored colonial in Hampton, Connecticut

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We love the Indian shutters and valance against the worn, fleshy exterior

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The amazing Five Islands of Georgetown, Maine

Mustard colored spores on the granite of a 19th Century jail in Wiscasset, Maine

We haven't thrown in a buoy-covered shack yet...it's about time

A lovely still life at the Wiscasset Bay Gallery

The Irises were in full bloom

A blush of Dogwood

Gorgeous wool rug hangs behind a "sweethearts chair" at The Marston House

Original red paint on a 19th century exterior door

Barn Red through emerald shrubbery in Wiscasset

Front door of The Marston House

Outside York Antique Gallery in York, Maine

Eye of the Beholder

Neither one of us are doll connoisseurs, but this weekend we found a huge collection of vintage & antique dolls at a shop on Water Street in Wiscasset, Maine. The collection was beautiful, with early faces made of porcelain and bisque, to later faces (from the 30's and '40's) made of rubber and plastic. Curiously, all of them were painted with side-glancing looks. And while it was a little off-putting that none of them would look us straight in the eyes, we figured they were just being a little coy.