A Feast for the Eyes in Collinsville
A gray, windy day on the Farmington River, and fall color everywhere I looked.
Connecticut in the fall offers an almost endless supply of places to paint. The challenge is rarely finding a beautiful spot. It’s deciding where to begin.
Collinsville is a perfect example. On an earlier visit, after paddleboarding on the Farmington River and lunch at the Crown & Hammer, we took a short walk along the Farmington Heritage Canal and found ourselves among the old red-brick buildings of the Collins Company axe factory. Reading the plaques, I pictured the generations of workers who once filled them, including the craftsmen who poured molten steel to forge axe heads. I couldn’t stop imagining how it would look framed by October foliage.
So when it came time to plan the Central Connecticut Plein Air Guild’s October paint-out, Collinsville came straight to mind. After a few date changes around the holiday weekend, we settled on a Saturday at what is often peak foliage.
Gray skies on the canal
We gathered along the canal near the old factory buildings, and the weather had other plans: a flat gray sky, chilly temperatures and blustery wind. As is so often the case with plein air, the challenges became part of the experience.
Collinsville packs a lot into a small area. Brick buildings, bridges, the river, winding paths, foliage and reflections all compete for your attention. It was a feast for the eyes, and settling on one subject was surprisingly hard. I spent nearly an hour wandering before a path brought me to the opposite side of the river, where I settled on a quieter scene: branches reaching into the water and the reflections of the trees around them.
I loved the stillness of the river there. A carpet of golden leaves covered the far embankment, and more leaves floated on the surface, extending the shoreline in a delicate, almost seamless way. It felt peaceful despite the wind.
My painting took on a different palette from much of the work that day. While others captured fiery oranges, reds and golds, my view held more greens and yellows. Fall color isn’t always one brilliant burst. Sometimes it’s in the quieter transitions between seasons.
Beauty on a gray day
I’ve come to believe some of the most interesting fall color appears on the steeliest gray days. Against a clear blue sky, autumn leaves are beautiful, but under an overcast sky they can feel even more luminous. Without strong sun and dramatic shadows doing the work, you start to notice the relationships between shapes, subtle shifts in color, reflections and the mood of a place.
Our group embraced it. Despite the cold, everyone found something worth exploring, and the paintings showed the variety of subjects and perspectives that make painting together so rewarding.
The community around the easel
I look forward to the people we meet just as much as the painting. Without fail, someone stops to ask, “Why are there so many painters out today? Is something going on?” Others just say how lovely it is to see artists painting outdoors.
These little conversations are why community outreach matters so much to CCPG. Plein air can look intimidating from the outside, but it’s a welcoming practice that asks us to slow down, observe and connect with the places around us. Every conversation is a chance to invite someone to see their surroundings a little differently, and Collinsville, with its artistic spirit and historic character, was a wonderful setting for it.
Make a day of it
Collinsville is easy to turn into a bigger adventure. Go antiquing, walk the Farmington Heritage Canal, or explore the bridges and historic buildings along the river. The Crown & Hammer is great for a sit-down meal, and LaSalle Market is a handy stop for a quick sandwich.
Plein air isn’t about waiting for perfect weather or the one perfect view. It’s about showing up and finding beauty in what’s in front of you, even when the sky is gray and the wind is blowing.
The finished painting, Reflections, is now in the gallery →
Thank you to everyone who came out, returning friends and first-timers alike. We worked a little harder against the elements, but we left with new paintings, new connections and a new appreciation for a corner of Connecticut that invites us to stop, look and create. In a season with almost too many beautiful places to choose from, that’s a wonderful problem to have.