Dan’s North Fork Cover Artist Patricia Feiler Paints Paumanok Vineyards

This month’s issue of Dan’s Papers North Fork features cover art by Mattituck artist Patricia Feiler. Here, she discusses painting “Paumanok Promise” outside on location (en plein air), the meaning behind its title and the hidden joys of fall on the North Fork.

Patricia Feiler Paints Paumanok Vineyards

What inspired you to paint Paumanok Vineyards?

The inspiration for “Paumanok Promise” came as I was on an early morning drive along the North Fork’s Main Road. The Main Road route can change from ordinary to splendid in an instant. That morning, Paumanok Vineyards’ mist-covered vines were the stars of the show. I pulled over to have a better look, then turned the car around and headed back to my studio to gather my “traveling art studio.”

Later that day, as I was painting among the vines, vineyard owner Ursula Massoud gave me a friendly wave and words of encouragement. It was nearly two months later that I finished the piece, which now hangs in the Paumanok tasting room.

What did the creation process of “Paumanok Promise” entail, and how did you select its title upon completion?

I had painted Paumanok Vineyards several times before, but always on a small scale. This time, I chose a 24″ x 36″ canvas so I could tell this very big story properly. The painting started with a sienna-toned canvas and, after sketching the composition in burnt umber, I mixed several greens and blocked in the large shapes and shadows.

There is something compelling about the gentle slope of the hill along the farm road that can lead the viewer into the painting. The title “Paumanok Promise” represents the subtle changes in texture, color and atmosphere over days, weeks and months leading to the promise of a fruitful harvest.

How has living in Mattituck influenced you as an artist?

I have lived in Mattituck for more than half of my life and am still fascinated by the seasonal changes. There is a feeling of being connected to the land and the families, old and new, who we see in the fields, vineyards, farmstands and local businesses. The influence on my paintings is in the subjects I choose and how and where I paint them: outdoors in the farm fields, beaches and vineyards.

What are some words of inspiration that motivate you to paint?

Here are some words of inspiration for me from singer-songwriter Neil Young: “The painter stood before her work. She looked around everywhere. She saw the pictures and she painted them. She picked the colors from the air.” (Lyrics from the 2005 song “The Painter”)

What’s your favorite thing about spending the fall season on the North Fork?

One of my favorite things about the fall season on the North Fork is that as the foliage changes, the trees and underbrush become thinner, and you can suddenly notice things: a small shed or outbuilding flanked by a rusty tractor right next to a shiny new one. The story continues.

Where can your art be viewed now or in the coming weeks?

My work can be seen presently at the Borghese Vineyard Gallery (Cutchogue), the William Ris Gallery (Jamesport) and, beginning October 1, in the Mattituck-Laurel Library Art Gallery group show with talented fellow artists Lee Harned, Lisa Baglivi, Jeanne Fallot and William Behrle.

To see more of Patricia Feiler’s art, visit patriciafeiler.artspan.com.