Portfolio of Works

A Journey of Place

Discovering Vermont Through the Paintings of Andrew Orr

While doing some autumnal leaf peeping with a friend a few years ago, an idea kept coming to mind: Is it possible to create and share a long-term, self-directed project with the objective of conveying, through my paintings, a “sense” of Vermont? Among many logistical questions and the sheer breadth of the project, the continual question would be: What is Vermont, to me, as the artist?

We see postcards with perfectly structured examples of the brightest of red maple trees in autumn, cows grazing peacefully with mountain backdrops and of course, the iconic Vermont covered bridge.  Certainly these are elements to this magnificent state, but they are only a part of the story.  

An Artistic Ethos

To shape this project, I decided to organize the journey through overarching themes from which specific places and subjects would emerge. Still, the central question remained: How do I convey what Vermont is to me—a home, a feeling, and the place that deeply informs my work? How do I incorporate this ethos into my paintings? There is certainly a personal journey in the desire to find the answer to these questions.  The baseline for these works lies in the more quiet, reverential aspects of the Vermont landscape: the tucked-away places, the hidden areas, and the scenes that might not be postcard-perfect, but are perfect in their place and in the poetry of the natural world.  

My paintings are less about the bravura of the brushstroke and more about the miracle of light catching a turned leaf or reflecting off water. They are an invitation to slow down, find a place of quiet stillness, and discover something new with each passing glance. Through these subjects, I strive to offer a meaningful connection between the natural world, my own interpretations, and the viewer’s personal memories and emotions. For me, this journey of place includes meeting others on a shared path of discovery.