3 Phases of the painting "Native Son"

Here are three phases of an acrylic painting called, "Native Son", which was completed two years ago.
I couldn't get the photos set up correctly on this blog so the first phase is actually the one on the bottom . The canvas has been covered with a terra cotta underpainting which is just like the papers and panels used in my pastel paintings. The warm tone makes the cool color palette in my work sparkle. It's rare that I paint on a white or light toned background.
I paint with a big brush(house trim painting size)
and use all the tips and edges for blocking in and shapes right down to the smallest areas including the mooring line. The only time I use a small brush is for my signature. I found that this works for me because I have to move my whole arm to get what I want...there's more energy in the strokes. Yellow was added midway then white and green mixtures were scumbled over areas of the boat. I used a dry scumble of greens on the water for depth and reflections.
The scene is from memory. When I was a kid we lived near Casco Bay and these islands could be seen from the beach where I spent many summers. How fortunate I was....

The outboard motor was my favorite thing to paint..love the shape of it, especially the little prop in the sun.

The clouds came from a photo I took in the California desert around Palm Springs.

The skiff....well... she was on dry land in the middle of December...

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..?

Painting Maine

Blueberry fields are stunning in the fall when the leaves turn a brilliant crimson .The feeling I have for a scene like this is difficult to capture in a painting. Red and orange paints don't do it justice and my ability to execute it. This field is on a back road in Union, just inland from Camden and Rockland. We were there two years ago for a long weekend enjoying the countryside and celebrating my birthday.

We visited Savage Oakes Vineyard which isn't too far from this spot. Their grapes and blueberries grow side by side on a sweeping hillside way up behind the tasting house. We bought a bottle of their blueberry wine and saved it for the family's Thanksgiving dinner. It was so delicious..that bottle of wine defined this time and place as well as any painting.. This is 8 x 8 deep birch panel.

Painting a Day- Dusk in Bristol

I painted this small study of sundown on a winding road in Bristol. There are more great scenes from this area near Pemaquid to paint such as New Harbor, and Chamberlain to name a few. My husband's family once owned a small cottage in that area. It would've been nice to have it now...it was right on the water.

We have dinner guests this evening so I won't post another painting for two days.

As you can see painting telephone and cable lines isn't my forte.

Acrylic 5 x7.

Summer Place-Chamberlain

Yesterday it was 7 degrees below zero just after sunrise..today it's 34 degrees above and raining! Is it any wonder that people living in Maine experience, "Cabin Fever" and get a little squirrely during this transitional time of year? Perhaps I speak for myself and my husband only....

After a failed attempt at the easel earlier this week(a large landscape) I decided to join a Facebook art group that is challenging a painting a day. I thought this would be a good kick in the pants to get going again but I'm making it a little easier by doing small studies, around 5 x 7 size. I love these small pieces and sometimes a large painting will result from one. The subjects will vary (depending on my squirreliness!) so stay tuned.

The first one is a charming Maine cottage by the sea. We particularly liked this old place and the view was lovely at sundown ..the golden light just touched things here and there. We imagined it is filled will life and laughter during the summer months but the people from away were gone and the home closed for the long winter rest.

Beating Back Winter

Winter has closed in with a vengeance. The temps are bitter and the snow is getting deeper. We venture out for walks bundled up in our bulky and ridiculous insulated clothing with scarves wrapped around our faces to prevent frost bite. The arctic air stings our eyes making them water. Our dog Koda, whose coat is luxuriously thick, revels in the season. She frequently demonstrates the bracing Scandinavian way of celebrating winter by rubbing her body in an icy white bath. It's so cold that the snow squeaks under foot. During our walks Koda stops often to chew off ice balls that stick between the pads of her feet. As we pass our neighbors' homes their chimneys steadily puff up clouds of smoke from wood stoves and furnaces. Some days the clouds linger in the air but on windy days the fierce winds blow the exhaust away like smoke from a speeding freight train.
What is a painter to do when the scenery provided is mostly white with blue shadows?..or just shades of gray on overcast days? Some painters continue to work outside with kindred spirits who share the challenge of plien air painting in all conditions. It's not for me. I've paid my dues working outside in the four seasons during my earlier life..a comfortable studio is my reward.
The desk is cleaned off and there are prepared canvases and panels asking the question..what next?
I wonder too....

These photos were taken the day after our last big storm.

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.

Autumn Sun-Sebago Farm

The more I paint the more I realize how much my experiences and environment influence my work. This is the best way to describe the subjects that end up in my paintings.

While on a short day trip with my husband, who is a real estate broker and was headed to an appraisal, we passed this grand old farm in the town of Sebago.

It was a fine Autumn day and the brilliant overhead sun cast strong shadows everywhere.

The connected buildings are typical in Maine and were designed to make farm work easier during our long, cold winters. Farmers could move from living space to the barns to care for their stock without exposure to the harsh elements. I love the way the buildings hunker into the ground and settle as time passes.

The lack of detail caused by this kind of sunlight intrigued me so we stopped to take photos for future painting reference.

The maple tree had lost most of it's leaves but those remaining were so bright that they provided reflected light near the house. I find it sad to see beautiful farms like this one not working anymore but the ingenuity of it's design remains as a testiment to the people who lived and worked it years ago..

Acrylic and casein. 12 x 14