Fresh Air

Fiddled with my Conomo Point painting again.

Liked greening up the water and bouncing some of that green into the clouds.

But, nope.

[not for sale]

So many elements not working. Colors. Darks and lights. The sailboats. Who knows what else.

Many times, a "nope" such as this has spawned internal clouds, a low pressure system of swirling disappointment and disheartenment.

This time, though, the paint on my canvas was no more and no less than paint on my canvas. I took note, left the canvas on my easel, went about my day.

A quick decisive storm passed through a half hour later when I had occasion to see afresh the artwork that had inspired my growing series of spacious-sky renderings to begin with. The air cleared.

The colors, the darks and lights, the sailboats?—all secondary. More importantly, I'd become tight and fussy when my intention and great desire had been to paint loosely.

I've reset my intention.

Stormy

Took a walk at Conomo Point under stormy skies a few days ago. Took note of the bright yellow sailboats moored at rest after morning sailing classes. Moments later took note of lightning and headed home.

Set out to capture those stormy skies and pops of sailboat color on canvas. Ran into stormy weather with my paintbrush.

Waiting for the clouds to pass before I proceed.

Conomo Cloud Cover
6x6", acrylic on canvas board
skyscape
2015
[not for sale]

Holy, Holy, Holy

Worked on canvas board today for the first time in ages. Felt good.

Cast my inner eye back to childhood summer vacations when my sisters and I attended Sunday school on the rocks at Old Kelsey Point in Connecticut. With our neatly braided hair, and wearing dresses, we sat on a wooden bench on a granite outcropping overlooking Long Island Sound for a weekly worship service in the great outdoors.

Early in the morning, our song shall rise to Thee.

Sunday School on the Rocks
6x6", acrylic on canvas board
skyscape
2015

Summer

These sky paintings are a gift to me.

I call up scenes and I paint from inner landscapes.

I am summer as I paint them. I am every summer of my life.

July Jewelry, Miles River Marsh
6x6", acrylic on gessobord
skyscape
2015

Lens Opened Wide

Stay loose.

Paint quickly.

Walk away.

Singing at Singing
6x6", acrylic on gessobord
skyscape
2015

Attention-Getting

A series of paintings in a frame shop snagged my attention the other day.

Totally loved 'em.  Loved their uncomplicated composition, loved their loose brushstrokes.

Knowing that those small spare canvases might appear to be something "anyone could paint" but were instead more likely the gift of a deft hand—the expression of an artist painting from feeling and a certain fearlessness—made them further compelling to me.

Sign me up! That's where I want to go, to that place of painting.

Back Roads Home from a Beach Picnic
6x6", acrylic on gesso board
skyscape
2015

Seasoned

Went back to that strawberry spinach salad.

Used my knife skills to dice in a new ingredient.

Added a little salt and pepper.

Let the flavors marry.

Ready to serve.

Bon appétit!

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Vinaigrette
6x6", acrylic on gessobord
abstract
2015

Celebrating

10 years!

Happy anniversary, M&M!

Shenandoah Valley Vows
5x7", acrylic on watercolor paper
2015
[not for sale]

In the Fullness of Summer

Painting bliss.

Had a weekday unexpectedly free from its usual workday constraints. Had an essence-of-summer morning at my disposal—free time! open windows! indoor and outdoor temperatures shaking hands!

So first thing after earlybird yoga class I lost myself to painting flow.

Those problems that shook themselves out of the trees the day before? Solved!

Brush strokes? I was one with the brush.

Interplay of impression and detail? Balanced.

I could feel the higher-than-a-house enormity of the trees, the fresh coolness of the shade, the life-giving hum of chlorophyll as it generated summer's greens.

In the Fullness of Summer
6x6", acrylic on gessobord
nature
2015

Puzzles

Painting is problem solving.

Captured some of the feelings that led me to paint a closely-knit sibling cluster of maple trees at the height of summer fullness.

But … several problems shook out of those trees that haven't resolved yet. Will take those puzzles into my dreams and see what I discover.

Winter? What Winter?
6x6", acrylic on gessobord
2015
[not for sale]

Now You See It

When I woke up, this painting didn't exist.

Now it does.

Grace.

Jones Creek
6x6", acrylic on gessobord
seascape
2015
sold

Makeover

Those sheds never saw it comin'!

Last night, I poked around on line looking at paintings of other artists. Noticed what resonated with my creative energy. Got myself a good night's sleep.

Then, woke to a crisp sunny summer day, threw the windows open wide, covered those sheds with gesso, and started fresh.

Used paint knives, a #4 bright, and a bunch of paint. Got a very graphic image in place. Let it dry.

Went back in. Snagged a few shadows from this glorious day, and laid them down on the marram grasses of North Rustico in Prince Edward Island.

Morning on the Marram
6x6", acrylic on gessobord
architecture
2015

All in a Day's Work

Raise your hand if you think this painting looks anything like what I intended.

Anyone?

Anyone?

The sheds are shaking their heads, too.

work in progress

match.com

Just because the colors of a painted bookmark and a book jacket make a great match, doesn't mean a book itself is matchless.  Or even literary.  At all.

Playing with Anne Shirley

Pulled out a photo of Prince Edward Island coastline from our June 2014 vacation. Played with editing tools until cropping, color, and blurred edges caught my interest.

Set an intention to be impressionistic.

Referred to my photo to sketch in the basic shapes and colors. Then let the emerging image point the way and evolve.

Don't know yet if my painting is finished.  Do know I've finished painting for today.

working title:  Playing with Anne Shirley
6x6", acrylic on gessobord
landscape
2015

What You Don't See

A year ago, couldn't have painted this vignette. Wouldn't have known how to pare back my walk on Singing Beach on Sunday to the essence of what touched me.

What you don't see in this study is what interests me now. No beachgoers, no beach houses, no beach balls, no beach coolers, no beach chairs, no beach towels, no beach games.

Sunscreen
6x6", acrylic on gessobord
seascape
2015

Press Play

No sooner had I paused Strawberry Spinach Salad than along came a blog post from Ann Hart Marquis: When I am stuck, instead of worrying that a wrong move might wreck the painting, I just try something.

Pressed play.

Tried something.

Delicious!

Pressed pause again.

Will sit with Salad until it lets me know if it's ready to serve or not.

working title: Strawberry Spinach Salad
6x6", acrylic on gessobord
2015
[not for sale]

The Thing about It

That was the thing about it. It was so unbelievably hard, and the learning curve was so steep that there was no way to do anything but figure out how to do it.

So says a character in a novel after the birth of her first baby.

So say I about painting!

Visited a Rockport Art Association exhibit recently. My eyes skipped over traditional landscapes, landing instead on abstract work. Really? My eyes?!

Returned home to paint from feeling, with no external reference in view.

So unbelievably hard for me, the learning curve so steep. No way to create from feeling but get in there and create from feeling.

Fiddled with paper and pastels first. Tapped into feeling. Sketched. Skidded from feeling to thinking. Stopped.

Got out my paints. Tapped into feeling. Pressed pause when head butted in.

Still in pause mode …

working title:  Strawberry Spinach Salad
6x6", acrylic on gessobord
2015
[not for sale]

Caught by Breezes

I am a kite this summer, lofted by painting, blowing every which way, giddy with possibilities, trying my hand at whatever catches my attention.

Caroline and Emmy bought a few $1 kites last week to share with friends, and Meg snapped a photo.

I grabbed some canvas, opted for a narrow portrait orientation, told myself no brush smaller than a bright #6, set an intention to juxtapose a preponderance of simple expressive strokes with the barest hints of specificity, and gave myself over to the breezes.

$1 Flight
4x7.5", acrylic on canvas
children
2015
[not for sale]

Tipping Point and Tipping Myself Over

Found myself magnetized by an abstract Don Gray painting recently and by his mention of that exact tipping point when paint ceases to be just paint.

Had to play.

Starting point: used palette knives to apply paint; focused on shapes.

Midpoint: picked up a large brush, and only a large brush, to muck about with the paint deposited by the palette knives.

Endpoint: how did I tip over into this new world! Love it!

Annisquam Evening
6x6", acrylic on gessobord
abstract
2015

Worked the Land Today

Worked the land today.

Got out under the limitless sky—air on my skin, mountains for company.

Baled me some hay, checked the fences, picked a few wildflowers for my sweetheart.

Started with nothin', ended wantin' for nothin'.

land

limitless sky, mountains for company

Don't Fence Me Out!
6x6", acrylic on gessobord
landscape
2015

Not for Naught

While in Virginia visiting Meg and family over Independence Day weekend, we set off towards a playground with the side agenda of my hoping to snag a few Shenandoah Valley scenes on my camera for later painting.  We misgauged our approaching-lunchtime blood sugar levels and the kids' tolerance for waiting in the car while I shot photos, and didn't plan at all for me to lose a favorite earring somewhere in the countryside.

However, the outing was not for naught.

Painting from one of those photos this week provided a powerful antidote to the homesickness I feel whenever we say goodbye to Meg, Michael, Caroline, and Emmy.  While I painted, I was with them again.

Another Way Home
6x6", acrylic on gessobord
landscape
2015
SOLD

Oh, What a Beautiful Morning!

While I painted,

I was the corn as high as an elephant's eye,

I was the overcast sky,

I was daybreak's rain drying on the road,

I was the curve in the road,

I was the road,

I was the cool shadows.

Jewelry Box
6x6", acrylic on gessobord
landscape
2015

Another Revolution Around the Sun

I appropriated David Shannon's illustration style a few days ago to say Happy birthday, Christine!

Happy Birthday, Christine!
4x6", acrylic on watercolor paper
2015
[not for sale]

Captcha

I'm either painting for real or painting in my mind. Day and night.

Headed to my studio on an essence-of-summer afternoon several days ago to capture on paper a few of the paintings in my mind to reduce the overload there.

No reduction—new painting ideas rushed in as fast as captured ideas left.

But, more bookmarks!

Paper Prayers #9, 10, 11
2x5.5", acrylic on watercolor paper
2015
[not for sale]

Paper Prayer #12
2x5.5", acrylic on watercolor paper
2015
[not for sale]

Flyover

Barefoot in my studio.

Early morning.

#6 Silver Bristlon bright.

Stubby brushstrokes.

A Google earth image.

Surprises.

Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
6x6", acrylic on gessobord
abstract
2015

Unthinking

Placed a pear under a light.

Found a painting of something else that used only two predominant colors.

Saw on my color wheel that they were two legs of a triad.

Chose two legs of a different triad.

Gave a passing thought to darks and lights.

Then set an intention to move from thinking to whatever part of me is enlivened by holding a brush loaded with paint.

And painted.

Off-Color Joke
6x6", acrylic on gessobord
still life
2015

Still Life

Went for a walk with Wendy last week and brought home a borrowed tin rooster to paint. Rooster wanted to go for a walk, too!

The challenge:  conveying the little joke of the tchotchke rooster's still nature set in live nature.

Fun!

Comin' Through the Rye
6x6", acrylic on gessobord
still life
2015

Not so Serious

Left the Jonesport barn behind to push my weight around with a day lily this week. Played with a different interpretation today.

No preliminary sketch. Large brush. Gel medium. Thicker paint. More by feel, less by reference. Not so serious.

Lily's Casual Friday
6x6", acrylic on gessobord
floral
2015

textural detail, Lily's Casual Friday

I See a Resemblance

Fraternal twins.

Born the same day.

Same mother.

Not identical.

Carpe Diem
6x6", acrylic on gessobord
floral
2015

Day Job
6x6", acrylic on gessobord
floral
SOLD

I Ask You

Intention:  Short blocky brushstrokes that would imitate torn scraps of paper; no smooth blending, no soft edges.

Question:  I ask you, is that what you see?

Exclamation:  Look at the sunshine dazzling my heart and home!

Day Job
6x6", acrylic on gessobord
floral
2015
SOLD