In addition to taking on our house, which had water coming through the roof and decrepit heating, plumbing and electrical systems, we later decided to build a studio on the spot where another wonderful artist stayed and based his own plein air painting trips. John Willard Raught lived in our “cabin” on extended stays and painted and wrote about the power and beauty of our local environment. Unfortunately, by the time we adopted this place, the cabin was beyond fixing. So we built a new one, large enough for 2 artists this time, and did it in the style of what was here before. Thankfully, we were able to save and use the door from the original building.
We enter our studio through the same reclaimed door that Raught used to access the old cabin on our property where he stayed when he came to Moscow to paint the countryside and to write in the early 1900’s. He was a good
friend of Amos and Ethel Searles who built our house, and they proudly displayed five original paintings that were painted at the house and in the vicinity
.This beautiful impressionistic painting is our driveway and used to hang over the fireplace. Raught studied in France at the Academie Julian and painted in Pont Aven, but he chose to return and paint his own country and in his own way. He painted industrialists’ portraits to make a living, but he caught the stark power and beauty of the coal breakers. He had a strong affinity for on-location painting and a deep love for the natural environment. He wrote about history and the lessons we need to learn to restore and protect our forests, rivers and lakes. He came to Moscow to walk, to paint, to think and to write. And we feel his presence here with us still, calling us to do the same. The Everhart Museum in Scranton PA has a large collection of his work. http://everhartmuseum.org/
