Ballerina painting. 12x16

Chandra, 12 x16, oil on Raymar

I've been working on this for almost a week, and I decided to call it done tonight. I'm really happy with the way it came out, so I'll be saving this one for a show or gallery.

Fresh picked, 24x24

SOLD "Fresh Picked", 24x24 , oil on masonite

I was really happy with the way that this one came out. I'm getting more adept with a brush, which adds softness, while the palette knife still adds nice texture in spots.

If you would like to purchase this painting for $400, which includes free shipping within the US only, please use the Paypal button below.

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $400.00 with free shipping
Or, send me an email

a Painting a day, Daily painters, original art , affordable original art, home decor art, colorist art,contemporary impressionism, art blogs, abstract floral paintings,wild art,palette knife paintings, fauvist paintings.

Atlanta Botanical Gardens- The water lily pond

Atlanta Botanical Gardens- The Water Lily Pond, 16x20, oil on linen

Last summer my hubby and I were in Atlanta, and we paid a visit to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.
At the time, the Gardens were featuring a special Bug exhibit titled, "Big Bugs and Killer Plants by talented metal artist, David Roger. The bugs were indeed huge- I could already see photos of people-sized frogs and giant butterflies in the brochure that I'd cut from an Atlanta Guidebook.

The very first thing that I remember upon entering the welcoming pavillion was a kid about 4 screaming at the top of his lungs and beating his fists into his mother's chest as she tried to carry him into the exhibit area.

"I don't wanna see the bugs! Pleeeeeeze don't make me see the bugs! Take me home now! Waaaaaahhhhh!"

As the kid continued to pummel his headstrong mother (who headed into the garden area in spite of the fact that her kid was clawing, scratching and kicking her like a soccer ball as she tried to carry him forward), I was reminded of my own first born, who was afraid of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and ....bugs.

Last month I decided to create a slideshow for the same firstborn's wedding, and out came hundreds of treasured pictures from the family archives. I found a picture of Kenny's exhuberance after catching his first fish, and the picture reminded me of the little boy statue in the water lily pond at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. The little boy has his head tilted towards the sun, a fish in hand as he stands atop his own little lily pond world.

Over the weekend I pulled out the pictures that we had taken at the gardens last year and decided to paint the lily pond scene, with the little boy statue intended as the focal point. This is one of those paintings that I may change in a couple months, or then again I may just leave it alone. For now, I think I'll just call it done and enjoy the memories that that screaming kid and the little statue in the gardens evoked.

This painting would make a lovely wedding gift for anyone who is being married at The Atlanta Botanical Gardens. It is also a painting that anyone living in the Atlanta area's vibrant community can identify with. My favorite tourist destinations while visiting Atlanta were the Buckhead restaurants and the lovely art galleries in Marietta. I hope I can return there some day!

Please use the Paypal button below, If you would like to purchase this painting for $295.00, which includes free shipping.

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $295.00 with free shipping
Or, send me an email

a Painting a day, Daily painters, original art , affordable original art, Atlanta Botanical Gardens, colorist art,contemporary impressionism, botanical gardens in the South, Southern landscapes, paintings of water lily ponds, Atlanta Georgia art.

Happy Mother's Day! Contest winners announced!

SOLD

"Happy Sunflower 2", Oil on masonite

Happy Mother's Day to every mother, grandmother, stepmother, mother-in law and Spiritual mother out there!

Today I had to choose the winner of my "Tell me a Story about my Painting" contest, and believe me, it wasn't easy. (See painting below and contest rules here ).

I had so many fine choices that in the end I decided that I couldn't choose just one winner. I chose my two favorites below and congratulations to everyone who tried their hand at creative writing. I was very moved by many of the wonderful stories that you sent me and just wish I had a prize for everyone! Here are the results of the contest, and the winning entries!

1st prize: Lynn Biederstadt is the winner of the free sunflower painting above, which includes free shipping, of course. Her ability to summarize a dream state that perhaps we've all experienced at some point in our lives, with so few words and yet such insight and eloquence, blew me away frankly.

It's the dream we surrender reluctantly

as we wake;

the full, whole vision we never quite own in life.

The color is a dance in the perfect place

where human love and eternal nature meet,

rich and whole and, joyously, bigger

than we will ever be.

It is the breath we would breathe

if we could breathe flowers.

2nd Place: Nicole Dailey is my second place winner, though I must say that I think I liked both entries almost equally. Nicole's story was written beautifully, a summation of what we all know in our hearts is the panacea for everything that has ever hurt us- Love. Nicole has won a framed print of "Garden Tryst", since I know that she must have really liked the painting in order to be moved to write so passionately about it! Here is her story:

He came to me last night. As soon as he stepped from the cottage, my hand reached for him. Yearning. My fingers clasped tightly around his. I had so much to say, words of the children to share, reassurances I needed. Yet I remained silent, not wanting to mar this moment. He tucked my arm in his and our strides were even once more as we wandered through the garden. I was barefoot but no stones hurt my feet. The sun was radiant overhead but I need not shield my eyes. A soft wind rustled the folds of my dress leaving me cool and at ease. The anguish in my heart ceased. There was a peace I had not felt for the past five years.

He spoke and I listened. He spoke of noticing something new and beautiful each day in the garden. He spoke of the quiet and calm when the dew glittered in the fading moonlight. He spoke of the dahlias, each with its own vibrant hue. Each different from the other but together they swayed in a great sea of beauty. He then stopped along the path at a single rose. It was pale pink, in full bloom and surrounded by three rosebuds.

"Of all the flowers around us, this is my special one" he said. "See how it turns up to the light. Look how its petals shelter the tiny buds, protecting them as they prepare to blossom. The stem is strong; a storm may test it but will never splinter it. I water my rose. I nourish it. I speak to it every day and if it seems a bit sad, a little love is all she needs," he explained as he lightly traced his finger along the ruffle of a petal.

As I bent to inhale the rose's fragrance, he began to walk ahead of me. I stood and touch my cheek where I have so often felt the gentle kiss of a breeze. He turned and smiled. "Thank you," I whispered as I started to wake.

" Garden Tryst", 12 x16 , oil on canvas

Congratulations to all of the participants and Happy Mother's Day everyone! I think we'll do this again soon since I had so much fun reading your stories!

a Painting a day, Daily painters, original art , affordable original art, paintings after Monet, colorist art,contemporary impressionism, Monet's Garden at Argenteuil, creative writing contests,
Impressionist Garden scenes, free painting opportunity.

The Garden Diva

SOLD

"The Garden Diva", 8x10, oil on gallery wrapped canvas

Please inquire at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if you would be interested in a painting similar to this one.

a Painting a day, Daily painters, original art , affordable art, impressionist paintings,miniature floral paintings, paintings of roses Art,palette knife florals,colorist art

California Poppies

SOLD California Poppies, 10x14, oil on canvas



This palette knife painting was done with thick gobs of luscious, buttery paint and can be purchased for $145, which includes free shipping, by using the PayPal button below.

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $145.00 with free shipping
Or, send me an email

a Painting a day, Daily painters, original art , affordable art, impressionist paintings,abstract floral paintings, paintings of poppies Art,palette knife florals,colorist art

Free Painting!

A Sunny Disposition, approx. 6x8, oil on masonite

A while back I posted an entry to this blog about a free painting opportunity. I have been very amiss about creating the painting for the winner of the contest, but I finally got around to painting it today! Yay! It's a colorful palette knife- only sunflower, with lots of nice impasto and bright color.

I have received some really wonderful stories in response to my "tell me a story" and win a free painting offer, but there are still a few days left to win the painting above. Simply visit the blog entry
here, write a short, creative story about the painting that I did in that entry, and email it to me. That's all there is to it! If I like your story you will win the above painting, absolutely free, including free postage. The winner and winning story will be posted here on this blog on Mother's Day! Interested? Go here to check out the painting and then get creative!

a Painting a day, Daily painters, original art , affordable original art, paintings after Monet, colorist art,contemporary impressionism, Monet's Garden at Argenteuil, French landscapes,
Impressionist Garden scenes, free painting opportunity.

Chester Springs Scene

Miller Road Forsythia and Stream, 10x14, oil on canvas panel

I made a few small adjustments to this painting that I started last week, and I'm calling it done.

If you would like to purchase this painting for $300, please email me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

a Painting a day, Daily painters, original art , affordable original art, home decor art, colorist art,contemporary impressionism, historic Yellow Springs, Chester County landscapes,Pennsylvania landscapes,quaint places.

Real Jewels, abstract floral

"Real Jewels", 11x14 oil on linen (click on the picture to see more detail)



I went back to regular oils today because I decided that the water based oils are a little less vibrant. I decided that I'll just avoid the mediums and clean my brushes with vegetable oil. anthow, here's another of my very popular abstract florals, only I added a little fruit this time. It was pleased with how it came out, and it looks much better in person than the photo reveals. I titled it "Real Jewels" because of the jewel tones in the fruit and flowers. This was done with palette knife only.

a Painting a day, Daily painters, original art , affordable original art, home decor art, colorist art,contemporary impressionism, art blogs, abstract floral paintings,wild art,palette knife paintings, fauvist paintings.

First signs of spring in Chester Springs

Miller Road Forsythia and Stream, 10x14, oil on canvas panel

Well, I finished my first painting with Holbein Duo Oils, which are water-based oils that do not require clean-up with turps or the use of mediums. It was a little weird getting used to them, because they feel a little different in terms of overall thickness and consistency and the colors are a little different from what I have been painting with for 2 years now. But overall I really liked them! They have the same gooey, buttery texture of oils, but clean-up easily with water and soap like acrylics. And no fumes! Very cool!

I painted this scene from a photo that I took before moving to Florida. I always knew it was spring in my little town of Chester Springs, Pa. when the forsythia was a-bloom on Miller Road. (see photos below). I used to walk past this little scene everyday on my morning jog- (there's a little stone spring house to the left of the meandering spring which I'll attempt to paint very soon! It was a very idyllic and calming place to walk and jog.

I intend to work this a little more tomorrow, but it's 90% finished at this point.