Ice Fishing, c.1950

Lyman Orton’s thoughts on this painting are a starting point for a good conversation:

I like to think that this could be people ice fishing on Lake Champlain. I like the greenish tint of the fishing shanties seen on a swirling snowy day. The shanties in the background are set apart, but in the foreground, they are closer together, curved around some holes in the ice where folks are outside fishing. I take that to mean they are sitting there and freezing.

Because of the composition, I immediately associate this scene with people gathered on a village green, such as the one in Weston where I grew up, that gets iced over until springtime. I keep this painting in my office and find myself studying it frequently. It is meaningful to me because it evokes a sense of community.