Local Artist Enjoys the Spring Weather, Warmer Temperatures Could Arrive By This Weekend

Story and Photos by Paula Antolini

Is Spring in the air?  Spring weather could arrive by this weekend with temperatures rising into the mid-50's.

Spring, or the "vernal equinox," officially arrived at 7:02 A.M. (EDT) on March 20, 2013, in the Northern Hemisphere.

According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, "The word equinox is derived from the Latin words meaning equal night. Days and nights are approximately equal everywhere and the Sun rises and sets due east and west. At the equinoxes, the tilt of Earth relative to the Sun is zero, which means that Earth’s axis neither points toward nor away from the Sun. (However, the tilt of Earth relative to its plane of orbit, called the ecliptic plane, is always about 23.5 degrees.)"

Temperatures have already warmed up a bit and as I drove past Ram Pasture (located at the intersection of Route 25 and Route 302/Sugar Street, Newtown, CT) this past Thursday, March 28, 2013, I spotted artist Jim Chillington enjoying the beautiful weather and working on drawing in preparation for a new painting of Ram Pasture.  Even with music blasting into the modern headphones he was wearing, he was the picture of a Norman Rockwell scene as he created his own masterpiece in the picturesque park.  

Chillington is a landscape and still-life painter whose paintings have been exhibited at venues throughout Connecticut. including The Virginia Barrett Gallery (Greenwich, CT), Silvermine Guild Arts Center (New Canaan, CT) and International Fiduciary, Inc. (Stamford, CT), and his work has been included in several public and private collections. Chillington has studied art at the University of Connecticut, Silvermine School of Art (New Canaan, CT) and the Carving Studio (West Rutland, VT). He currently lives and works in Newtown, CT.

Happy Spring!