Pemaquid in Red

I've done a second study of a summer home in the village of Pemaquid because the porch, window and barn shapes really intrigue me, especially in strong sunlight. The organic tree shapes help break up the geometric forms of the buildings that really are on this property. I think the cast shadow of the tree in front of the barn draws the eye behind the house creating more depth. This is a birch panel that started with a bright green under painting..it pokes through in parts of the lawn and in the trees behind the house. I'm not sure what I'm looking for, but it's interesting to experiment with unusual color combinations using everyday scenes like this. Maybe I'm addicted to color..?

Afterglow-Pemaquid

Not too long ago we drove to the coastal village of Pemaquid. We were struck by the dramatic skies as the sun started to go down in late afternoon. I was so intrigued by the shadows cast across the homes, and landscape that we stopped many times to take photos. Where would we be without our digital cameras to capture such fleeting moments!

Some may find these areas to be melancholy when everyone leaves for the winter but not us...it's even more beautiful here in the fall. The region is rich with oranges, reds and greens. Put those hues together with old New England homes clad in white or pale yellow and the colors just sing, especially against skies with shades of blue and gray.

Very often when I take a bunch of photos the paintings I make from them don't come right away. The images have to sink in and rattle around a little before I jump in, but I was so inspired by the scenery of this lovely day trip that this one couldn't wait.

Luckily I had a bunch of canvases ready to go with a toned underpainting of terra cotta. The sky here has more yellow in it than the actual painting...
This is 28 x 32 mixed media of acrylic and casein. The blues, oranges and greens in casein are very earthy and have more depth than acrylic and they mix together quite well.

Rise'n Swine

For the Skyline Museum Art Show and Sale this year I asked my carpenter son Eric to build another big bench similar to the one we made for the Maine Discovery Museum last year.
As usual he came through with a beauty made of solid wood. My husband Steve painted the body color corn flower blue then I painted a couple of images to finish it off. ..A true family effort this time. I want the benches to be something the owner will enjoy for a long time so I chose a theme that seemed timeless and slightly whimsical...pigs.
This bench is about 65" high and 32 inches wide. The seat is 23 inches from front to back with plenty of storage underneath for boots, scarves, mittens or other paraphernalia.
The opening reception was last night and judging by the large turnout(and the line of people knocking on the door before the opening time) it was a big success. The museum is open on saturdays from noon - 3 and open by appointment for anyone wanting a private look at other times.

Girls Girls Girls

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our next granddaughter and we're just as excited about this little one as we were the first. We had three robust boys in our family..... so girly stuff was not in the picture for quite some time.(I was out numbered on all fronts believe me) It was a huge relief to me when more women finally came onto the scene. First came the three daughters in law and then granddaughters. At last I could commiserate with family members who understood and appreciated the female perspective! The men and boys remain forever perplexed by us...and we them.

Here are two paintings of granddaughters Sydney and Madeline..Kelsey's painting is a work in progress and will be posted when complete. She is tall and lovely and looking forward to being the big sister. She'll be taking riding lessons this summer...horses, horses, horses..
Sydney, with golden hair flowing and wearing her favorite sunglasses looks like a glamour queen in this painting. She's a beauty and so sweet to her little brother.

Madeline seems pensive and thoughtful as a three year old in the graphite drawing..She's now 8 and skis like a champion.

The boys deserve attention so paintings of them are on the way. These aren't for sale...just wanted to show off the girls....

Heading Home-Pownal

I've passed this farm a million times since we moved to this area over 30 years ago. It's a local landmark known as the Knight Farm and is only a few miles from our house. Everday this property changes with the light and the seasons...stoic, vigilant, timeless..a welcoming facade that sits right next to the road as you come up over the hill then down to the center of town.

Sweeping meadows drop down behind it and the attached barn is still straight and impressive. Once a successful working farm the majority of the land was recently donated by the family to a Conservation Land Trust and is now preserved for the public to use for all kinds of recreation and also abuts a state park. The fields are cut and baled every year and small herds of deer often graze there at night. Late one rainy night a large buck ran out in front of my truck, then bounded across the road after just knicking my rear view mirror.

The setting sun hit the windows and car just right and luckily we had the camera with us..I had to paint it..the sky was a million colors..yellow, orange, all kinds of blue...with thin feathery clouds streaking across. A magical moment to me.

This is a study in casein...11 x 14 on prepared plywood.

Where There's Hope There's Art

The Union of Maine Visual Artists is Maine's largest single visual art organization in the state with over 350 members in three regional chapters. This year there's a big member show coming up at Freeport Square Gallery called, "Where There's Hope There's Art", which opens on May 19 and runs through Memorial Day weekend. So far there are 40 artists from all three chapters in the show.

As the show organizer I am very excited to bring you a few of the works that are in this tremendous exhibition. These talented artists prove beyond a doubt that the creative spirit is alive and well here in Maine. These artists have given permission to use their images for PR..so you get a sneak preview of coming attractions. The work you see here is by, Maria Castellano-Usery of Brunswick, Ken Sahr of Northeast Harbor, and Nicole Herz. There are photographers, sculptors and mixed media artists as well.

All art will be for sale and there's an artist reception(party ..and yes, you can come) on May 24 at the gallery between 4-6 p.m..

There will be another show update on this blog one more time before the show begins.

By the way...Board Members of this organization have spent the past several years producing seven documentaries called the Maine Masters Series which explore the lives and work of significant Maine artists such as Dahlov Ipcar(my favorite), Stephan Pace and Alan Magee to name a few. There are several more documentaries in production stages as well. The UMVA recently received a grant from the Maine Arts Commission to send DVDs of the documentaries to all 185 school systems in the state. The films have been shown nationwide on PBS too. To find out more about the UMVA go to

http://www.umvaonline.org/ and http://www.mainemasters.com/

April Bouquet

The weather and scenery haven't provided much in the way of inspiration lately. The landscape is gray and muddy, downright depressing if you ask me..so in lieu of that I decided to set up a colorful still life in my studio. A bouquet of yellow roses edged with red, together with pinkish purple chrysanthemums looked so lively and fresh..it was just the thing. The Chinese bowl lined with a lime green glaze adds an interesting jolt of color and the carved cat gives a little twist.

I prefer painting on hard panels as opposed to canvas and this is a 17 x 16 piece of prepared plywood. I covered it with Colourfix terra cotta primer too which adds so much depth and richness to the glazes. I'm still working with casein and acrylic..just love the earthy colors and wet, swishy medium..pastels will have to wait.

This isn't quite finished yet..but it's far enough along so that I can step back for a few days and get a fresh perspective on the final touches. I'll post this again when it's done.

Spring in Maine

It was blustery and cold today. I can still walk on top of the snow but see bare patches of ground popping through everywhere. On warm days our driveway is like a mud pit..sucks the boots right off your feet. This back and forth season is typical of spring in Maine. Someday soon it will be summer..the change is that quick.

Today is Gracie's last day with us. She goes home to her real family and Koda will be missing her for sure. We, on the other hand, will not miss having a dog, who feels like a 35lb sack of potatoes wedged between us, sleeping on our bed. I posted an ablum on Facebook of the two playing together..real buds.

My website has been updated with new work from the past few months as older work has been sold and gone to good homes. There is a new photo of me on the artist page. (No..it's not Martha Stewart)

I'm coordinating a member show for the Union of Maine Visual Artists in May. It's going to be a great exhibit..so many talented artists in this group. Information about the show will appear here as time draws closer.

In the mean time I'll be working on new paintings for the show and they'll be posted here as well.

The last blog didn't get sent out..don't know what happened there, but scroll down to read it if you have time.

This is a pastel painting called "Keep to the Right" and is a road not far from here. Right now the field is covered in snow, but soon..it will be just like this.

Silver Moon

I hesitated to put this image on my blog. An artist needs to show consistency in her work and this is very differnet from my ususal style. It's one of my first casein paintings and is a portrait of my Tennesse Walker mare Reggie. She often had a far away look in her eyes...who knows what she was thinking. I always wondered and hoped it wasn't a sadness or longing for something. Guess that's what I was trying express here.

Experimentation with materials, application methods and subject matter are integral to my creative process. The image is mysterious but simple and expressed what I saw in her. It sold quickly so it must have touched a chord with the buyer too.

Maybe there's a lesson in this...

By the way..the reception at the cabaret went very well. One of my favorite paintings sold. Peculiar feeling though..I'm at once thrilled that someone loves it enough to buy it..but tinged with melancholy that I won't see it again.....kind of like what's in this painting.

Afterthoughts

In a recent blog I mentioned that time away from a painting has a way of making one see things from a fresher stand point.
The door frame in the original painting was too bright and distracting ..I wanted it toned down to a warm gray so a mixture of cerulean blue, naples yellow and cadmium orange was scumbled across it. Titanium white was added to lighten it. .. more yellow or orange on areas of reflected light.
The original orange base proved to be helpful and peaks through the final layer. I didn't want a solid color..a broken surface keeps the eye moving.
The wall partition behind the plant needed adjustment on the end..that was cooled down too and helps to keep the focus where it should be ..on the main subject.
Some of the colors are slightly softer in reality..this photo was taken with a flash..
I just gessoed some hard panel boards in preparation for the next few paintings....There's something I always wanted try..

Just Thinkin'

I've been focused on Koda as my subject for the past several studies and small paintings. Some of those will be used for larger paintings but I've come to a point where some ruminating has to take place before those happen. This last(for now anyway), painting of Koda, was finished late last night. I was inspired by a Wyeth watercolor of his dog Nell called "The Kass'. Wyeth's painting is very simple but so poignant..Nell is lying on the floor in front of an imposing Pennsylvania Dutch armoire called a Kass that was given to Wyeth as a gift from a grateful client. Sunlight pours in bathing Nell and just hitting the elegant carved details of the cabinet. My house is less grand but this scene of our great room was just right.
This is 11 x 14 casein on Jack Richeson pastel board.

This Is Mine

I couldn't believe my luck when I saw the photo of Koda used for this painting. The picture was taken about a week ago. I clicked away on the digital as she raced around almost running me over with her beloved soccer ball. The ferocious look in her eyes, the weird angle of her tail, and the flying ears just cracked me up. I dare you to catch her when she has this ball! NO CAN DO!..The only way to get her is to wear her out..which wears me out!
This is 5 x7 casein on heavy card stock with terra cotta Colourfix primer as an undercoat..love the stuff..the dog too.

Break in the Storm-Van Buren

It's been a while since my last post..very busy times. With the election looming and a possible Christmas show on the horizon, of which I am the chairperson..time just flies.
This week is the opening of the annual Pastel Painters of Maine member juried show at River Tree Center for the Arts in Kennebunk. www.rivertreearts.org The opening reception is this Friday and I may actually be able to attend..! That would be nice..
PPoM is a large organization of over 160 members who are passionate about painting in pastels.
That's an impressive number considering that Maine is a small state and it's known as, "Wyeth Country", with water colors and tempera being the most popular paintings exhibited and sold.
For this show I chose a painting of a northern Maine community called Van Buren. It's a tiny rural town in Aroostook County that sits just this side of the Canadian border on the St. John River.
When we traveled through there a few years ago these funny little farm buildings hunkered into the ground caught my eye. Some of windows looked like eyes peering out towards the hill. Don't know what the buildings were originally used for..a dairy barn perhaps, but there were no cows in sight and the place was practically deserted. Farming has gone by the wayside and there are many places like this now...still the area is beautiful and very peaceful.
Check out the PPoM web site for other member works, events and workshops..We welcome members from all over! www.pastelpaintersofmaine.com

Fertile Ground Exhibit

This year's exhibit at Skyline Farm and Carriage Museum is called "Fertile Ground" and includes Maine artists whose work is inspired by farm life and the rural landscape. The opening reception was a tremendous success with many sales that night.
"Going green" is the new catch phrase and more people have become (re)introduced to buying locally grown foods and products so this show should be of great interest.
Sculptor Pat Plourde of New Gloucester uses found metal objects and incorporates them into his exquisitely crafted work of flora, fauna and furniture. Mary Cupp finds inspiration in the people who make a living selling at the farmer's markets that have cropped up all over the state. Ann Stein paints old New England homesteads with surprising energy and character..her bold work breathes with life. Neil Wyrick's surreal landscapes are infused with subtle shadows and delicate color that just catches the magical light of evening and sundown. There are many other talented artists in the show as well. Here's the link to Skyline's on line catalog. www.skylinefarm.org . Check out the silent auction pages of items donated by the show's exhibitors and others who are passionate about preserving the farm's open spaces for the public to enjoy. These wild areas will become more precious to all of us as the world gets smaller and smaller...
I have the privilege of being co-curator for this show with my very special friend and accomplished artist Kathi Peters. Kathi specializes in equine and animal paintings and is included in a new book by Vicky Moon called Equestrian Style. Vicki is famous for her books about the rich and famous and this beautiful publication features international architecture, fashion, and homes inspired by the horse. Click here to view Kathi's very unique take on the horse. I particularly like her Shades of Black series. www.kathipeters.com

Here is one of my very first pastel portraits... seems like a life time ago that this was done....This is Kathi's Tennessee Walker gelding Duster who is 22 years old this year...

CHOICES

Well now.... As I mentioned in a recent blog I was waiting to see which painting had been chosen for an upcoming show. This is the one Bruce Brown picked out of the three I submitted for the Freeport Creative Arts show now on exhibit. Mr. Brown is the former director for the Center for Maine Contemporary Art in Rockport, Maine and he graciously agreed to help us out with our first group exhibition. Many thanks to him. The show runs through July 27 at the Freeport Square Gallery and is quite impressive. There is a wide variety of painting styles and genre along with some very fine crafts, sculptures and photographs....46 pieces in all and everything is for sale.
Please stop by if you're in the area shopping and help support local artists. The gallery is just two blocks north of L.L. Bean on Main Street and is open 7 days a week.
This is pastel and titled "Evans Notch-Gilead"...wish I could've been a fly on the wall....