The book or the movie

I think artists have to figure out for themselves what mediums work best for them, or whether to work in 2D or 3D, what surfaces to use, how to set up a studio, or when and how long to work, and so on. Education, life experiences, desire, and time are some of the things that influence these choices as well.

I really enjoy working at night when it's quiet and so I flip on the radio and let the world music programs on NPR take me away and into the painting zone. Memories of the day fade into silence and my inner voice returns as I go through the same ritual. I put on my apron, squeeze out the luxurious pigments, pick up my brush and begin to paint. It's hard to explain the satisfaction that comes during the time spent in my studio, but let's just say that it gives me a peace that may be similar to meditation.

Someone asked me the other day what I was working on now. I hesitated for a moment, then explained that I had discovered if I talked about a work in progress it takes all the energy and excitement away from the painting but I didn't know why. She hit the nail on the head when she said, " It must be like reading the book before you see the movie."

I won't break my silence now either..

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

Pastel Painters of Maine Show

I just received word that this painting, 'Midnight Auto' won the Jack Richeson award at this year's PPoM International Juried Show at the Chocolate Church in Bath, Maine. It also sold today..That's
all really good news..

Blueberries

There's nothing like the taste of a handful of freshly picked Maine blueberries! They grow wild everywhere around here and although they may be small, the flavor is more intense than any cultivated variety. It's much too early for the berries..the blossoms haven't opened yet but I imagine savoring them with my morning cereal in the middle of summer ...Oh.. and superb in a homemade cake recipe served with fresh whipped cream...yum..
I obtained permission to use the photo taken by famous photographer Saxon Holt, who's exquisite closeup of the little blue gems appears in, "The Garden Design Book", by Cheryl Merser.
Blueberries was a pivotal pastel painting because it was my first to be accepted into a national show... and I discovered how a toned background added depth and richness to my work. In this case the support is canvas board that I covered with orange acrylic paint. It was just the right color but very slippery, so I sprayed fixative between layers as the painting progressed. It took approximately two weeks to complete(my husband made me stop) and won the Merit Award in the Pastel Painters of Maine 3rd Annual National Show in Kennebunk six years ago. The size is 16 x20...Not bad for my first show!

Updates

We just finished redesigning my web site with a clean look and some new work added. A Scratchboard category has been added as well. It's a medium that is really interesting because of the wood block print effects that can be achieved and I plan to explore that in the future....maybe larger scale works with some abstract qualities. I'm excited about it..!
On the show front, "Midnight Auto" has been accepted into the Pastel Painters of Maine 9th International Juried Exhibition which will be held at the popular midcoast gallery, The Chocolate Church in Bath, Maine. I'm honored that my painting is one of 55 selected out of approximately 300 submitted by pastel artists from Maine and across the country.
I've also been invited to participate in Skyline Farm and Carriage Museum's 3rd Annual Exhibition called , "Fertile Ground". This show pulls together sculptors, photographers and painters living in Maine who are inspired by Maine's landscape and open lands. It should be a great show with broad appeal. Please check my Artist page for dates and times..There will be more info here about the shows as they draw near.
I also have paintings for sale at Olivia & Company, 4 School Street, in Freeport and my fine art note cards are also sold through Edgecomb Potters three galleries, on Rt 27 in Edgecomb, 8 School Street in Freeport, and Exchange Street in Portland's famous Old Port shopping district.
This is an oil study of a nearby field in Autumn. The textures of the dried grasses and the dark sky indicating a storm on the way really help to convey the season. I sold this study but will do a larger version.

The name hasn't been changed to protect the innocent

Cousin Harold

"Is this guy really your cousin?" I'm asked that all the time at shows and actually he's my husband's cousin. If the family ever took a vote on the Black Sheep of the family, Harold would get the nod...in a landslide.
If you didn't know him and accidentally bumped into him, you'd run...in the opposite direction... ..fast. Harold's appearance and unconventional life style were the topic of many lively family discussions. He had a pretty rough childhood and was the oldest of seven kids. Harold was always on his best behavior when he showed up in Maine for a visit and we enjoyed his wild stories..even though he cleaned them up for us.
This is pastel over watercolor on a very heavy cotton rag paper called Khadi that's handmade in India. Originally the background was blocked in with dark watercolor washes for trees and deep woods. It was too distracting so I scrubbed it out and changed it to the desolate landscape and troubling sky you see here. I wondered if the paper would hold out as I reworked the background and his eyes over and over again in pastel...it did.
This image has more red in it than the real painting...bad lighting.
As for Harold..He now sits in a Florida prison, maybe for the rest of his life. You know what they say, "The ones who are the hardest to love, are the ones who need it the most".
This painting won a Merit Award in the Pastel Painters of Maine International Show at the River Tree Center for the Arts, Kennebunk. Me., several years ago.