New Hope - Bucks County 1935

Fern Coppedge painted "New Hope - Bucks County" using oil paints, a medium that has defined fine art traditions for centuries. With bold strokes and vivid colors, Coppedge captures the charm of the rural landscape. The impasto technique, where paint is thickly applied, gives the scene a tactile quality; you can almost feel the texture of the leaves and the rough bark of the trees. This wasn't just about depicting a scene, it was about building it up, layer by layer, transforming the smooth canvas into a textured landscape. Consider that during Coppedge's time, many artists were turning to industrial materials and mass production. Coppedge, however, embraced a slower, more deliberate process. Each brushstroke is a testament to her labor, a direct connection between the artist's hand and the final image. The painting becomes a celebration of individual skill. By focusing on materials and process, we see how Coppedge elevates the act of painting itself, blurring the lines between craft and fine art.