Paint Dance

The Show-Off", alla prima, impressionist landscape

2012-01-23T14:25:00.000-08:00

"The Show-Off", 5x7 oil on board- $140

There's always one in every crowd! Purchase through Paypal for only $99.

Old World Charm, 8x10, oil, $300, paintings of France, Strasbourg, French Venice, Le Petite France, Petunias, canals, old cities

2012-01-23T04:59:00.000-08:00

Old World Charm, 8x10, oil, $300

In the series of paintings that I have done of Strasbourg, France, this is the only one that was done in a smaller format. It was done with impressionistic strokes, and has a blurred, dreamy quality to it, which I like. It is available framed in a gold plein air frame for an additional $25. Please contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com, if you wish to purchase the painting framed.

On a happy note, my larger painting of Strasbourg was just juried into the Women Painters of the Southest's juried show to be held in April at The Course Gallery in Jacksonville, Florida.

To purchase the smaller piece, just use the Paypal button below.

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"Summer Morning, Monhegan Island" 16x12, oil on canvas

2012-01-16T14:39:00.000-08:00

"Summer Morning, Monhegan Island" 16x12, oil on canvas

This is a quick study that I did today from a photo that we took this past summer while we were at Monhegan Island.

I hope that you enjoy it and thanks for visiting my blog! If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com. To see more of my work, please visit my website here.

"Almost Evening", 6x6, oil on ampersand gessoboard

2012-01-11T18:07:00.000-08:00

"Almost Evening", 6x6, oil on ampersand gessoboard-$200

It's a bit of a magical time of day- not quite daylight and not quite night time. Robert Louis Stevenson called it The Children's Hour.

This is an old city. It could be a city anywhere in the world- Paris, Charleston, Philadelphia or even the gaslight district of San Diego. Make it what you want it to be. And then let the magic begin....

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"Quiet Morning on Main Street", 20x16, oil on linen

2012-01-09T18:12:00.000-08:00

"Quiet Morning on Main Street", 20x16, oil on linen

The pretty building in this picture with the teal-colored awning is The Venice Wine Bar. And No! this is not a painting of Venice, Italy! Sorry. It is not even a painting of quirky Venice Beach California!

I live in a quiet little town in southwest Florida that some illustrious person decided to name after one of the greatest cities in the world.

Okay. I'm glad we're done with that explanation!

Today I went out to paint in downtown Venice with the Venice plein air group. I got there a little late, but I decided to set up right at the intersection of Venice and Nokomis Avenue where there's a lovely old building dressed in pink and lots of palms situated along the avenue.

The day was gorgeous, weather wise, and people were friendly and stopped to chat as I painted for about an hour and a half before calling it quits.

Painting plein air is valuable for many reasons, but I have yet to turn out a masterpiece painting with all the distractions that go along with painting out in the open. But I took my painting home and thought about the wonderful light, colors and perspective that the scene had afforded me. So I set to work on a studio piece and worked on it literally for the last ten hours. Although I was tired, I didn't want to stop painting while the colors and values and temperature were fresh in my head.

I hope that you enjoy this morning on the avenue in downtown Venice, Florida!

"The Pond at Horseshoe Farm"- 14x11 , oil on linen

2012-01-08T18:01:00.000-08:00

"The Pond at Horseshoe Farm"- 14x11 , oil on linen

This scene looks out over the pond and stables at the Strawbridge's Hetheridge Farm on St. Matthews Road in Chester Springs, Pa. It also happens to be the scene that I used to look at every day from my back yard when I lived in Horseshoe Farm in Chester Springs.

The painting was done from an old grainy photograph taken with one of the very first digital cameras that ever came out, so I had to rely heavily on memory as I painted.

In this painting, I decided to make the stables the focal point, even though it did not stand out in the photograph. The sun always came up over the pond in the morning, but I believe this photo was taken at the end of the day, when the sky in the background was receiving reflective light from the setting sun.

If you are interested in this painting, please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com

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"Country Cupboard", 12x16, oil on linen

2012-01-07T15:33:00.000-08:00

"Country Cupboard", 12x16, oil on linen

This is an older painting that I took out and re-worked a bit yesterday. I had trouble photographing it, and am starting to think I need a lesson in photography! Since I bought a new camera a few months ago, I have not had much success photographing my artwork. I am using a Nikon Coolpix 14.1 megapixels. Weirdly, my old Kodak with only 6 megapixels seemed to do a better job and have more range of color. This camera seems to have a mind of its own and takes pictures randomly, even when I am not pressing the button. The pictures never seem right to me and do not do the artwork justice. The area in the center is always clear and the perimeter is fuzzy. I could really use some help, I don't even understand the menu!

Any suggestions anyone?

If you are interested in purchasing "Country Cupboard, please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com. Whenever a painting has been re-worked, I am happy to give a discount, so please mention that in your email.

"Summer Reflections-Strasbourg", 16x20, oil on board

2012-01-05T16:16:00.000-08:00

"Summer Reflections-Strasbourg", 16x20, oil on board

New Strasbourg painting- I just never tire of this scene!

This painting has been juried into the Women Painters of the Southeast show at The Course Gallery in Jacksonville, Florida. Mark your calenders for a great show , coming in April!

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"The Dream House", 20x16, oil on linen

2012-01-02T19:37:00.001-08:00

"The Dream House", 20x16, oil on linen

Many people entertain hopes of someday living in their dreamhouse, but I suspect that few people actually get to live their dreams. I feel fortunate that I actually did buy my dream house, and got to live in it for 13 years!

I sold real estate on the Pennsylvania Main Line a while back. No matter how many huge, fancy and impressive homes I saw during that time, I never wanted any other house but my beautiful farmhouse on Houndstooth Lane in Chester Springs.

The house was fabulous. It was a reproduction of an old farmhouse with three fireplaces (one, a walk-in), stone and log facade, cedar roof and magnificent wood floors and old world mouldings throughout. The best part were the views from every window, which were absolutely breathtaking no matter what season. There was a huge pond and horse farm behind us, and I often went out on the balcony of our second floor bedroom and just gazed out over the rolling hills of Chester Springs for what sometimes turned into hours. Sometimes I went down to the pond and wrote poetry. Usually I just fed the fish in our koi pond and read a book or had a glass of wine. It was a great house, but Chester Springs was a gem as well. Here is an aerial view of the house:

Located in historic Chester County, Chester Springs is best noted for historic Yellow Springs, which was the village just down the road from my house. Wealthy Philadelphians would ride their horse and carriages to Yellow Springs in the summer in the late 1800's, to bathe in the rich mineral waters of the springs in the village. The area is rich in mineral waters, including many ponds as well as Pine and Pickering Creeks, which flow through Chester Springs. Washington's army was housed in a home in the village there that acted as a hospital during the Revolutionary War and is now a restaurant. (Or at least it was when I lived there!) There is also an art school there and the road is aptly named Art School Road!

The surrounding area was magnificent, with many old gentlemen's farms perched on dozens of glorious acres with flowing springs, golden ponds and rolling hills untouched by development. Here is a photo from Red Hamer's book, "The Four Seasons of Chester County". The photo depicts the estate known as Pine Creek Mills, which dates back to 1750 and includes many buildings and a grist mill. It was also once the home of noted illustrator for the Saturday Evening Post, Joseph M. Clement. Pine Creek Mills is right down the road from where I lived in Horseshoe Farm off of the historic Horseshoe Trail, and the scene below is just one of many inviting scenes that I would love to paint en plein air someday. I added the view of Pine Creek and the stone foot bridge to my dream house painting because it depicts the area so well!

Although I miss Houndstooth, I am still glad that we moved to Florida 7 years ago, because it finally gave me an opportunity to do something I had always wanted to do, which was to paint!

Hopefully if I go back, the house and neighborhood have not changed too much, and I am happy that I still have the memories of that lovely place, and was able to actually live in my dream house for many years!

"Into the Wind", 8x8, oil on board, by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-12-20T17:56:00.002-08:00

"Into the Wind", 8x8, oil on board, by Maryanne Jacobsen

I painted this little scene after returning home from a vacation in Maine, where I was inspired by all the diversity of boats. The painting was done with a limtied palette as described below. The painting is available through Lorica Artworks in Andover, Massachusetts. You can reach them at (978) 470-1829 .

Here is more about the painting and the palette:

This painting was very challenging (color-wise) for me. I'd noticed that I have been putting a predominance of warms in my paintings and am not having enough cools to balance them out. So I gave myself a challenge today. I limited my palette extremely!

Yes, I said extremely!

I had absolutely no oranges on my palette or yellows!

I used the coolest red imaginable (Magenta) as my warmest red, and added a cool red (violet) to balance it out. I added a cool blue (cobalt) and a warm blue (ultramarine), plus a cool green (viridian) and a warm green (cinnabar) and that was all I used! Does anyone have any idea how hard this was for me- a colorist?

That normally has a zillion colors on her palette?

At any rate, I like the fact that the painting looks uniform. That's what I was seeking when I started out. I know I could have really popped those sails with some yellow and oranges, but guess what? I used restraint!

The boat in the painting is some sort of tourist boat that goes out of Bar Harbor on a regular basis. It's really lovely with those maroon sales, and I was happy I was able to catch a photo of it while we were there to use as a reference for my painting!

I decide not to add the flags, because that begged color!

Please send me an email if you are interested in purchasing this painting.

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"Reverence", 24x18-by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-12-18T16:57:00.000-08:00

"Reverence", 24x18-$1250 by Maryanne Jacobsen
Note: click on the image to see the impasto better!

I have not done a Big Sur painting in a long time, so for the past couple days I worked on this one. Those ugly rocks in the foreground were kind of a drag but they were in my photo so I had to put them in. This is Big Sur in the afternoon, looking north towards the Bixby bridge which I indicated in the background.

I took the photo about 5 years ago during a trip up the coast. The painting was done with mostly a palette knife and some brushwork. If you would like to purchase this painting for $1250 plus shipping, just send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

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"Me and My Teddy Bear", 6x6, oil on museum-quality gessoboard, by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-12-12T09:43:00.000-08:00

SOLD
"Me and My Teddy Bear", 6x6, oil on museum-quality gessoboard, by Maryanne Jacobsen-$200

Back when I had my dance school, I often used the song "Me and my Teddy Bear" for my three and four year-olds in the end of year recital. The parents loved it, and so did the little girls, who got to hold their precious little bears in their arms as they danced.

How many little girls (and boys, too for that matter!) do you know who haven't loved a special bear and one time in their life?

If you would like to purchase this painting, please use the Paypal button below.

And if you are not familiar with the old tune, here are the lyrics:

Me and my teddy bear
Have no worries have no care
Me and my teddy bear
Just play and play all day.

I love my teddy bear
He has one eye and has no hair
I love my teddy bear
We play and play all day.

Every night he's with me
When I climb up the stairs
And by my bed he listens
Until I say my prayers.

Oh, me and my teddy bear
Have no worries have no care
Me and my teddy bear
We play and play
All day!

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"Amazing Grace-Eirinn Abu", 16x20, oil on linen, award-winning paintings, paintings of musicians,saxophone players

2011-12-10T17:55:00.000-08:00

"Amazing Grace-Eirinn Abu", 16x20, oil on linen

Note: This painting has won a second place award at The Venice Art Center's 2012 Portrait and Figurative exhibit!

Today I had every intention of doing something small, pretty and very impressionistic. But the painting of Eirinn Abu, which I did last week, kept nagging at me, since it was sitting right there accusing me of being nonchalant.

Nonchalant? Yes, I suppose sometimes I get nonchalant about paintings. I figure that if I am about 90% happy with a painting , then it can pass for done. In this case, I knew there were a couple things that needed attention, so in spite of my earlier desire to paint something simple, I spent another day on Eirinn.

I worked on his jeans and on the saxophone, which I had muddled through because I was tired. I added a glaze or two to the background and tried to bring the cross into more prominence without detracting from the musician.

Anyhow, I really am done this time! Below, is the painting that I completed last week. I think it's a bit better now, but I invite your comments.

"Amazing Grace-Eirinn Abu", 16x20, oil on linen

I've been working on this one for a few days and today I decided to call it done. Isn't it hard sometimes to know when to say "done!"????? On second glance there always seems to be something else to add subtract or change, and then one risks the freshness while trying to perfect the likeness.

I tried to keep this painterly and impressionistic, and didn't want to define the details too much, since the photo and distracting lighting left more questions than answers in my head. We all know better than to attempt a still life or portrait when there are lots of competing light sources. This was a good lesson for me, in trying to use the knowledge I have about light, and ignore the conflicts in the photo. I hope I was successful.

The sax player in the painting is Eirinn Abu, who is considered one of the finest instrumentalists in the world. Eirinn came to our church one day and played his sax, and he blessed every single person in the room with his beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace. One could feel the Holy Spirit's presence as he played and it was very moving.

Eirinn has a wonderful testimony. In spite of all of his success in Nashville while performing with greats like Dolly Parton, Eirinn confessed that he had felt empty inside. Eventually he gave up the fast lane and now he goes from church to church and function to function (he especially has a heart for breast cancer victims), to play hymns of grace and redemption on his brass horn.

Although I played a woodwind instrument (bassoon) in the high school orchestra, I have always loved the horns most of all, and often choreographed dances to Handel when I had my ballet company. Now, I paint to the magnificent strains of both Handel and Eirinn Abu!

Eirinn came back to our church this past weekend with his beautiful wife Brandy, and gave a wonderful Christmas concert, that incorporated many different types of music into one concert. It was a real blessing to all of us to hear Eirinn again, and I sat in the front row so I could try to see if I was on the right track with my painting! The lighting was totally different, but it did help the painting a bit to see him perform again and study his features.

Thanks so much to Pastor Joy for taking the reference photo and giving me permission to use it, and thanks especially to the Lord for enabling me to paint this! It wasn't easy!

This painting is not for sale at this time. If you would like to hear and watch Eirinn play the sax, you can click here for a Youtube video.

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"Remains of the Day", plein air, 20x16, oil on board

2011-12-09T14:28:00.000-08:00

"Remains of the Day", plein air 20x16, oil on board

I started this one out in the back of my house right around Thanksgiving week when the Cassia shrub was in full bloom. I went out around 4:15 and the light across the lawn was really lovely. However, within 45 minutes the shadows were gone and it was almost dark, so I had to come in.
I finally finished it yesterday.

You can see from the photo below how the gold of the cassia literally lit up the entire landscape so that was my focal point.

This painting is available for purchase. Just send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if you are interested in this painting of a Florida garden in the fall.

To read more about cassia trees, and order your own (they're really easy to grow), just go here.

"Ingrid's Pond", plein air, 14x11, oil on wrapped canvas

2011-12-08T14:13:00.000-08:00

"Ingrid's Pond", plein air, 14x11, oil on wrapped canvas

Today the Sun Coast plein air painters had the treat of painting at artist Ingrid Seal's beautiful property. Ingrid is a wonderful artist and beautiful person. She owns a Lippizan stallion, a pony, a wolf, and many other little critters. Her beautiful 8 acre property includes a pond, and most of the painters gravitated towards that.

I was able to finish most of it on site, but I put some fussy touches on it when I got home, losing some of the original masses. I would like to use this for a reference photo for a larger painting, because the scene was so pretty.

My Wild and Sexy Garden, 11x14, oil on museum wrapped canvas by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-12-06T15:48:00.000-08:00

My Wild and Sexy Garden, 11x14, oil on museum wrapped canvas-$450

Can a garden be sexy? Don't bother answering that question because I already know the answer!

Yes!

I happen to hate gardens that are overly manicured, which has gotten me into trouble more than once with both my husband and my groundskeeper. I don't like to cut things back too much. That has created problems each time I've decided to sell my current house, so now I try to stay on top of things. You just never know when it's time to move.

I actually almost killed my hubby when he chopped down my frangipani tree. He still hasn't heard the last of it. But that's another story.

Anyhow, this is not my garden. You don't want to see my garden! This one is a bit wild, but tended well. I have painted this scene before a long time ago when I first started painting and I had loved the way it came out, but I wanted to paint it again because I had so much fun the first time.

Musicians play the same song over and over again. Why shouldn't painters repeat the same scene if they like it enough?

Anyhow, if you want a wild and sexy garden all for your own, you can buy this painting and skip all the work. Just use the PayPal button below.

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"Come with Me to the Casbah", 10x8, oil on linen, butterflies, blue butterfly, bell flower

2011-12-01T16:07:00.000-08:00

"Come with Me to the Casbah", 10x8, oil on linen-$125

As a child I remember hearing the saying "Come with Me to the Casbah" quite a bit. It had something to do with a romantic overture and if I remember correctly coming with one to the casbah insured happiness eternal. I think I first heard the saying on "I love Lucy". I also remember the Niagara Falls syndrome from "I love Lucy. Slowly, I turn, step by step, inch by inch....

Niagara Falls was evidently a negative, while the casbah was a positive. Silly stuff and I have no idea why it's come back to me today.

I also have no idea what any of these sayings refer to, but the former seemed like a fitting saying for this short lived romance between the blue butterfly and bell flower!

Please use the Paypal button below, if you wish to purchase, "Come with Me to the Casbah".

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"Panda Magic", panda painting, panda eating bamboo

2011-11-30T18:16:00.000-08:00

SOLD
SOLD"Panda Magic", 8x10, oil on canvas

This painting is sold, but if you would like to commission a panda painting to give as a gift for Christmas to that panda lover in your life, just send me an email at maryanneJacobsen@aol.com.

A trip to San Diego would hardly be complete without a visit to the city's world class zoo. This zoo rivals any zoo I have ever visited, and although I hate to see animals in captivity, I was assured by friends that this zoo would make me feel better about that. In truth, I was very impressed with this zoo, as it has gone to great lengths to re-create the natural environment that the animals would normally live in. The animals are very well cared for, and when one considers that man is the greatest threat to some of the most endangered of the species found here, it makes sense to try to house them in a beautiful place where they can be nurtured and cared for.

The pandas are on loan from China, and are the most popular of the exhibits at the zoo.

After viewing the pandas munching peacefully on bamboo stalks, I realized why these animals are so beloved by humans.

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Self Portrait, Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-11-29T17:43:00.000-08:00

"Self Portrait at 50", 16x20, oil on linen

I started painting this a while back for a self-portrait competition. Eventually, I gave up on the competition and put the painting away. Today I took it out and worked on it for awhile, and I think it came out as a pretty good likeness in the end.

I was wearing way too much make-up for a 50 year old, but at least I was having a good hair day. Here's the reference photo that I used, which was shot in the porch of my home in Chester Springs back in 2002:

Boy, I wish I was still 112 pounds!

"Time to Go", 14x11, oil on canvas board-$700 by Maryanne Jacobsen, People's Choice Award winner

2011-11-28T10:59:00.000-08:00

SOLD
"Time to Go", 14x11, oil on canvas board-$700 (aka "Just Leaving")

This painting received the People's Choice Award last week at The Venice Art Center's annual Fall Member's exhibit. This is one of the art center's most popular exhibits each year, so I was very happy to learn that the people who attended the exhibit had liked it enough to vote for it. I did not attend the opening reception so I did not know I had received the award until today.

This painting was also one of two selected for The Best Of Worldwide Oil Artists, Volume 2.

Hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving!

"Twin Pines, Venice Beach", plein air, 12x16, oil on board

2011-11-14T16:48:00.000-08:00

"Twin Pines, Venice Beach", plein air, 12x16, oil on board

I decided to take advantage of the lovely weather and went out to the beach this afternoon to paint. The Venice plein air group was meeting at Casperson Beach to paint, but as I reached the turn on Harbor Drive that leads to Casperson, I spied the twins with their graceful long trunks extending high above the rest of the scrub pines. So I turned into that beach instead, which is just north of the fishing pier and painted the twin pines for about an hour and a half. The sun was just starting to turn everything that bewitching orangey color as I packed up my gear right before sunset. I missed a beautiful sunset painting, but still enjoyed the sky on the way home.

The eagles used to build their nests in these trees, but I haven't seen them in a few years. Please send me an email if you are interested in this painting. It's probably my last painting for a while, since the family is coming in next week for Thanksgiving!

Another first place ribbon!

2011-11-13T05:15:00.000-08:00

SOLD

I was very honored to receive a first place award last night for my painting of the Monterey "treasure" coast . The painting can be seen at the North Port Art Center's "Treasures" exhibit through December. I featured the leaning cypress trees and ice plants in the painting of Monterey's beautiful coastline and used a palette knife only. The painting has bold color and thick impasto.

To read more about the painting, please go here.

"Three Butterflies", each painting measures 5x7, oil on board

2011-11-07T13:05:00.000-08:00

SOLD
"Three butterflies", each are 5x7, oil on board (Note: You can click on the image to see the paintings in more detail.)

My daughter-in-law absolutely loves butterflies. She talks to them and doesn't seem to notice that they're bugs. A while back she asked me to paint her three different butterflies on small supports. I have been working on these and finally finished the last one today. I am going to frame them all in pretty gold plein air frames, and give them to her for her birthday next week.

Ssssshhhhh! Don't tell her!

It was the first time that I ever attempted to paint butterflies, and I found them rather intricate. The one in the middle is the first one that I did, and the one I am least happy with. I do think I improved as I went along, however.

I hope that she likes them!

"Tall Trees, Spanish Point plein air study" 12x16, oil on board by Maryanne Jacobsen, plein air, alla prima, Florida art, Tall trees, Florida arbor

2011-11-03T13:56:00.000-07:00

"Tall Trees, Spanish Point plein air study" 12x16, oil on board

I painted this morning with the Sun Coast plein air group again. It was a gorgeous day but the mosquitoes were very nasty. I think I have about 25 bites on me! I was not as pleased with this one as I was with last week's plein air attempt, but practice makes perfect and I am going to keep at it while the weather in Florida is beautiful and the temperature is bearable enough to paint outside.

This was the tree mass that I was painting:
I loved the contrast of light and shadow masses, but as the painting progressed, I'm afraid I lost some of the original intent. I may need to add something darker to my palette other than ultramarine blue and violet. It just doesn't seem to do the job on a painting with this much contrast. Would love to hear anyone else's suggestions on this one. I have indigo in my paint box, but I'm afraid to use it! So dark!

Historic Spanish Point is a very lovely place. It is a horticulturist's amd environmentalist's delight, and has a very long history. The grounds border Sarasota Bay, and include a sunken garden, a butterfly garden, old boats and a boat house, a few historic cottages, a shell museum, a chapel, and an Indian burial mound. I wanted to paint at the chapel, but the bugs were too nasty. Next time I'll bring Deet! I hope we get to paint there again soon! Thank-you Lord for such a lovely day!

This painting will be included in the upcoming show of the Venice Plein air painters in January.

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"Just Leaving", 48x60, oil on board by Maryanne Jacobsen, great blue heron, Florida beach paintings, large paintings, beach path, impasto, alla prima,

2011-10-30T16:45:00.000-07:00

"Just Leaving", 48x60, oil on board by Maryanne Jacobsen (Note: You can click on the image if you wish to see it better.)

This painting of a great blue heron on a Florida Beach was a recent commission that I rec'd from an agent, which had been requested by a large luxury hotel chain that I had worked with in the past. With a very short deadline requirement, I knew that I had to do something out of the ordinary in order to speed up the drying time of oil paint. So I decided to use Gamblin's Fast matte alkyd white and mix the white with all the other colors on my palette in order to get the painting to dry quickly. I don't really like the tacky consistency of the fast matte paint, but it does work really well for plein air paint-outs and if you are traveling and need the painting to dry quickly. So I decided it was the best route to take, as long as I remembered to mix all my colors with the whites! (Guess what, I didn't.)

Unfortunately, right after I rec'd a verbal approval from the company to proceed with the commission, I hurt my back pretty badly. In retrospect I think I should have realized that my back was more important than the commission, but being the conscientious individual that I am, I loaded up on Advil and tried to think positive thoughts as I climbed up and down on a footstool and tried to paint the top portion of the painting. Next I was afraid to adjust the easel when I needed to paint the lower part of the painting, since the board was quite heavy, so I sat on the footstool instead while I painted the lower third.

I must say that I have absolutely no idea how people sit while they paint! To me it is next to impossible. So with the restrictions that my back was imposing on me, and the bubble gum consistency of the fast matte paint to deal with, I was not a happy camper. In addition, I could not mix color the way that I normally do. Technically I knew that I need to keep my paint vibrant and pure in the foreground and then add white gradually, in order to make the landscape recede as I go into the background. But this rule could not apply now, since I needed to mix everything with white! It was a pure nightmare- painting this!

In the end, the painting came out just fine, but I'll never do a painting this large again. I am an alla prima artist, and there is simply no way to get a painting this size done in one session! Period. I struggled for the better part of a week which meant that the painting could not possibly dry in time for the required deadline! I learned a lot of valuable lessons from this experience, and I think that is a good thing. Here is the process that I used to complete the painting- the largest that i have ever done, by the way.

First I sketched out the composition and basic values on a sketch pad, making sure that I used the same ratio required in the finished painting- in this case 8 inches by 10 inches.

Then I primed the board, using three coats of gesso followed by a light sanding and then a coating of premium acrylic house paint on both sides of the board. The reason that I painted the back side of the board was because I knew a board this large would tend to warp if there was nothing to balance the weight on the front side. Although it will still warp, that can be controlled somewhat in the final framing. Next I applied a very thin glaze of Permanent rose and Indian yellow to the board, let it dry and then sketched out the design with a pastel pencil.

Knowing I needed to work from the back forward, I added the sky and the bird, working hard to keep the paint layer thin, but still vibrant. Using a thin glaze of ultramarine blue, I also added the shadow mass to the would-be foliage.

Next I added the water , which in this case happens to be the Gulf of Mexico. Since I was somewhat limited in terms of impasto, I had to be very careful in my creation of waves, which was pretty stifling to my palette knife style! I discovered a few days later that there were some areas of the water in which I had forgotten to add the fast matte white. Bummer. It wouldn't dry!

Then I worked on the foliage, which was very challenging with all the restrictions that I had.

I waited until the painting had been dry a few days and then I went back in and added the things that it needed- depth of color and some additional natural growth to the foliage.

In the end, I am glad I attempted this in spite of all the difficulties. We always learn from new experiences, and working this big, with a fast-drying white, really showed me that different sizes and different types of paint require different techniques that can be quite challenging!

"North Jetty Sea Grapes-plein air study", 14x11, oil on board, by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-10-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

"North Jetty Sea Grapes-plein air study", 14x11, oil on board

After almost two weeks of back pain, I woke up today feeling wonderful! Praise the Lord!

My fellowship group prayed for me last night and obviously the Lord heard my prayer because today I was out there painting with my friends from Florida's Sarasota County plein air group at Venice's North Jetty.

The light was awesome when I arrived around 8:45 but as soon as I set up my easel, and knocked out the bright light temperature in my first notes, the light disappeared and I was under a cloud for the next hour. So I stuck with what I had in my head and kept trying to remember the light. By 10:15 I was totally disgusted, when low and behold the sun made another appearance! Wow! Such drama!

The shadows were different but I kept at it for another 20 minutes. I shot a picture and went home and finished it up.

Nothing like painting plein air. The homeless kitties were meowing under the trees, the sunbathers were there in their various apparel and I even had a visit from a very nice Jehovah's Witness. I could hear the soft pounding of the waves of the Gulf against the shoreline just a dozen yards ahead. Here's a view of the seagrape trees that I painted today.

This painting is not for sale at this time.

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"Fish Beach Road-Monhegan Island", 20x16, award-winning paintings by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-10-22T15:02:00.000-07:00

"Fish Beach Road-Monhegan Island", 20x16, oil on board

It's been a bit of a difficult week, what with my back injury, stress from painting a large commission with a very short deadline, and the passing of two friends yesterday. So I was happy to hear the good news today that I had won a second place award for my painting of Monhegan Island's Fish Beach Road in The Englewood Art Center's "Memory Lane" Exhibit. The Englewood Art Center is a division of The Ringling College of Art and Design.

Thanks to juror Judy Malbuisson for her nice comments about the painting: "Wonderful use of glowing colors. Good perspective and brush technique." Judy is the Executive Director of the Arts and Humanities Council of Charlotte County.

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Blue Cap, 14x18, oil on canvas

2011-10-14T17:40:00.000-07:00

"Blue Cap", 14x18, oil on canvas

This was my first time back to the Venice Art Center's life study group since June. We paint from live models for 2 and a half hours on Fridays and I don't really know why I took the summer off, but I did. It was good to be back today, and the model is an artist himself. He sat for us and painted the entire time we painted him. How cool is that?

Crystal blue persuasian", 8x10, oil on linen, paintings of blue flowers, hydranges, crystal vase, wedding bouquets, blue, apple, red, white and blue

2011-10-12T19:11:00.000-07:00

SOLD
"Crystal Blue Persuasion", 8x10, oil on linen -$225 (Frame included if you purchase by noon on Saturday, 10/15.

I've noticed that nowadays when young ladies get married, they all seem to pick the latest trendy colors for their bridesmaid's gowns and their flowers. Sage and chocolate and black and ivory are all wonderful colors for weddings. But I guess I am an old-fashioned girl, because i must confess that I'll always love baby blue.

I watch "Dancing with the Stars" pretty regularly and last week I was taken with how lovely Nancy Grace looked in a baby blue gown, dancing a waltz to "Moon River". Now no matter what you think of Nancy ( I happen to admire her tremendously for stepping out of her comfort zone to do DWTS), you have got to admit that the look of that soft blue gown on her, softened her look tremendously.

So maybe young ladies don't want to look soft and feminine anymore. I just don't know. All I know as I still love old fashioned blue and English cottage gardens, and mounds of hydrangeas and crystal. What about you?

This painting is being offered for $225, and it would make a pretty wedding gift. If you purchase it by noon on Saturday, I'll include the old-fashioned antique frame free of charge and it will be ready to hang!

In the meantime, I am off to go listen to some oldies, which includes the 60's hit, Crystal Blue Persuasion, which inspired the title of the painting. The song is by Tommy James and the Shondells, and I found an interesting interview with James about the meaning of the song. The song has a light ethereal quality to it, and although many people thought it was about drugs, it is actually about James having become a Christian and an image he had of a crystal blue lake, which was straight of the Book of Revelations, Chapter 19. You can read the interview here, and listen to the track here.

If you would like to purchase this painting for $225, plus $10.00 shipping and handling, please use the PAyPal button below.

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"Just Pear-fect!" 5x7, oil on boardm paintings of fruit, pears, food, food art, Maryanne Jacobsen art

2011-10-11T17:31:00.000-07:00

"Just Pear-fect!" 5x7, oil on board

I love painting fruit. Fruit is colorful, interesting in terms of shape, and falls beautifully into the simplest compositions. It is almost restful to paint fruit and pears are especially fun because they vary enough in size and color to ensure that every pear that is painted will be different from those I've painted before!

This type of thinking may sound a little boring to non-painters, but to me at least, it's interesting.

I painted this yesterday in the hopes I could find time today to do another pear painting. Then I would have had a pair of pears. Sigh. How delightful would that have been? Well, the second pear just didn't happen and with other responsibilities looming including an important new commission I don't think it will happen.

So I hope you enjoy my little pear, and please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if you are interested in purchasing this little painting. To visit my official website and learn more about me and my art, please go here.

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"Thank Heaven for little Girls", 12x16, oil on linen by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-10-10T16:02:00.000-07:00

"Thank Heaven for Little Girls", 12x16, oil on linen by Maryanne Jacobsen

I went back to this today when I was feeling fresher and worked on some passages that I knew needed work. I could almost hear Maurice Chevalier singing in my ear as I signed this one, hence the new title.

I painted this on a sheet of linen that comes in a pad and I guess I should have stretched it first. I am hoping that when it is completely dry, I'll be able to stretch it without any problem. Since I've always used pre-stretched canvas or linen before, I'd appreciate any tips you all can give me!

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"Baby Ballerina", 12x16, oil on linen by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-10-07T16:01:00.000-07:00

"Baby Ballerina", 12x16, oil on linen by Maryanne Jacobsen

I've been working on this one all week, and although I feel that it needs a bit more development, I need to put it aside for now because of other responsibilities.

I was really excited about this painting earlier in the week, and I am feeling pretty good about the way that it is developing. Please let me know what you think as well! Hopefully, I'll get around to putting the finishing touches on it in the near future, but a new commission with a close deadline has my undivided attention for now.

"Happy Hollow Farm", 14x11 , oil on board

2011-10-04T21:03:00.000-07:00

"Happy Hollow Farm", 14x11, oil on board

This was a familiar scene in the neighborhood where I lived in Chester County, Pennsylvania before moving to Florida. It is an old stone gentleman's farm appropriately named "Happy Hollow Farm", and I can't believe that anyone living in that lovely place could be anything but happy.

I used to drive past it frequently when I had my dance school in West Chester. I always become nostalgic about Chester County at this time of year because it was so beautiful to live there, but most especially in the fall when the leaves began to turn. (Big sigh inserted here.)

Anyhow, I sure felt happy while I painted this scene!

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

In truth though, I may just hold on to this painting myself, just because it makes me feel happy, too!

"Evening Path through the Park", 8x10, oil on linen

2011-10-02T19:22:00.000-07:00

"Evening Path through the Park", 8x10, oil on linen-$150

I've been working on a new figurative painting and I'm very excited about it! In fact, I don't think I've been this excited about a painting since "Renaissance Child"! It's going to take a while but hopefully I'll have something to show for my efforts in a few days and I won't mess it up.

In the meantime, I did this quick study afterwards to help me unwind after all that concentration!

If you would like to purchase this painting for $150, plus $9.00 shipping and handling, please use the PAyPal button below.

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"The Old Springhouse", 16x12, oil on gessoboard, by Maryanne Jacobsen, palette knife landscape, Pennsylvania springhouse, old buildings, impressionism

2011-09-30T20:01:00.000-07:00

"The Old Springhouse", 16x12, oil on gessoboard by Maryanne JAcobsen

This is a painting of an old springhouse that was up the road from my last house in Chester Springs, Pa. The building may be old but it has a tremendous amount of character, and with the dappled light cascading over it, I knew immediately that I wanted to paint it.

In case you are not familiar with what a springhouse is, here's a definition from Wikipedia: A spring house, or springhouse, is a small building used for refrigeration once commonly found in rural areas before the advent of electric refrigeration. It is usually a one-room building constructed over the source of a spring. The water of the spring maintains a constant cool temperature inside the spring house throughout the year. In settings where no natural spring is available, another source of natural running water, such as a small creek or diverted portion of a larger creek, may be used. The main use of a spring house is for the long-term storage of food that would otherwise spoil, such as meat, fruit or dairy products.

This painting is now available for purchase . Please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if you are interested in this painting.

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"Rue de la Fontaine, Roussillon", 10x8, oil on linen

2011-09-29T21:10:00.000-07:00

"Rue de la Fontaine, Roussillon", 10x8, oil on linen

Roussillon, the ochre-colored village in southeastern Provence has dramatically different architecture than other villages in Provence since its buildings are derived from ochre colored rock rather than the limestone we are so used to seeing associated with Provence. Its history is fascinating as well, and you can read about it here if you are interested in the Moors, and Catalans and the Crown of Aragon, since it's after midnight and I am too tired to write about it myself!

If you are interested in this painting, please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"Ice Plant Season" 14x11, oil on linen board by Maryanne Jacobsen, California landscapes, ice plants, leaning cypress trees , Monterey

2011-09-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

SOLD
" Ice Plant Season" 14x11, oil on linen board-$750

We drove up the California coast a couple years ago all the way from Santa Monica north to San Francesco, and the beauty of the California coast was truly an amazing thing to behold. The ride was long but we broke it up by stopping at Cambria to visit with my husband's brother and his wife and we stayed at a beautiful Inn right on the Pacific ocean. Cambria was a small Western-style town with a couple art galleries on the main road and even some adorable Victorian buildings!

The next day we were back on the road and traveled the coastal highway all along Big Sur and the Santa Cruz mountain range where the scenery was beyond spectacular. Since I hate heights, I was a little freaked out by the highway, but I managed to catch some great views nonetheless. We had a late lunch in Fisherman's Village in Monterey right before we got to San Francesco. I think I caught this scene somewhere near Monterey or Santa Cruz, but we hit so many spots during that trip that it's kind of a blur.

The scene was clearly spectacular. There were these weird icy pink-purple flowers all over the place and the trees there were so wind-swept it was as though the winds had bent their frail backbones for centuries! I think these were cypress trees and I must confess that between these Cypress trees and the California eucalyptus trees, I could move to California just for the trees alone!

Since then I have returned to California quite a few times, and I have seen these ice plants all along the southern coast as well. The first time that I saw these ice plants I think that my mouth dropped open and I gasped out loud. They were grouped in mounds of gorgeous vivacious pink flowers and you can find them clustered together on hilltops and in valleys and wherever the eye can see. Sometimes you'll catch them mingled with the California blue lupine and that is truly a scene of paradise on earth!

In this painting, I decided to combine two treasures of the Monterey Coast- the ice plants cascading down the beach right along the leaning cypress grove. Such drama is second to none if you are painting landscapes!

I have been painting my favorite places on earth recently- from Maine to Provence to the coast of California. We are truly blessed to live in an age where trips to these wonderful places are just a fingertip away!

"Mission Capistrano Warmth", 14x11, oil on canvas panel

2011-09-26T15:49:00.000-07:00

SOLD
"Mission Capistrano Warmth", 14x11, oil on canvas panel

I often find myself envying the artists who live in southern California. Although I know envy is not a very pleasant trait to possess, I would move to California in a heartbeat if I were younger. It is one of the loveliest places on earth with its dramatic seacoast, beautiful mountain ranges and unusual trees and flora. It is no wonder the American impressionist movement took a firm hold there!

I've done quite a few paintings of Mission San Juan Capistrano. So although this one is sold, do put Mission Capistrano into the keyword search and see what else is available. There's a couple good ones left!

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"Provencal Skyline-Brantes", 5x7, oil on board by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-09-24T16:48:00.000-07:00

"Provencal Skyline-Brantes", 5x7, oil on board

I must confess that after working for two days on that lackluster painting of a dreary garden in Denmark, I needed a pick-me -upper. So I went back to the place where my heart has always been from a very young age- Provence.

I won't bore you with the details of why my heart is most likely as French as truffles, but in truth I suspect that it is, was and always will be.

I must also give credit to Deborah Lawrenson, British author extraordinaire and art collector for tugging my heartstrings with the recent reading of her book, "The Lantern". Her vibrant imagery of the Provencal landscape re-awakened my desire to paint more paintings of this incredibly medieval, mystical, captivating and majestic place.

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"Cottonwood Trail-Colorado", 9x12, oil on Raymar panel

2011-09-24T07:19:00.000-07:00

SOLD
"Cottonwood Trail-Colorado", 9x12, oil on Raymar panel

In contrast to yesterday's rather somber Scandinavian palette, this painting reflects my joy for all scenes autumnal. Maybe it's that I was born in October, or maybe it's because I adore color- whatever it is, I just love painting autumn landscapes because it allows me to really push the colors:0)

I painted this two years ago in October after returning from a trip out west after one of my paintings was juried into The American Impressionist Society's show at the Saks Gallery in Denver. We took some extra time on the trip to enjoy the beautiful Western scenery, and one of the high points of the trip was visiting Rio Grande country.

I have always been a little intimidated about painting mountains, because it's not scenery that I grew up with being from the east coast. So in this painting, i decided to just have fun pushing the colors and not worry too much about defining the mountains perfectly. I used some of what I learned from Edgar Payne's book on composition to play around with the scene to create a more pleasing composition, adding complimentary colors on the right and extending the trail to eliminate the boring empty road space in the lower right hand quadrant.

I wanted to push the warmness of the scene and I think the painting ended up having a happy feel to it, with warm lights and cool shadows.

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"Bregentved House and GArden-Denmark"-10x8, oil on linen

2011-09-22T19:40:00.000-07:00

"Bregentved House and GArden-Denmark"-10x8, oil on linen

It's been almost ten years since I visited Denmark, where we met my husband's relatives and had a really amazing vacation. We were given the grand tour of Jacobsen family sites and learned a lot of history about my husband's family while we were there. The site of this painting was somewhere around the grounds of the beautiful Begentved Manor, or Castle, as some call it. We were told that today the grounds house a mental institution, (see photo below) but I could not verify this via a google search. (I also don't speak Danish!)

Prior to the site becoming a mental institution, it was the horticultural paradise where my husband's great-grand-relatives developed the Moltke Pear for the Danish royal family. The house that I painted was actually one of the gardener's cottages in days gone by, so I may have actually painted the long ago home of one of my husband's relatives!

How cool is that?

At any rate, when I pulled out the old photos for our trip, I was challenged to try to paint the very cool light temperature in Denmark because it is so remarkably different from what I usually paint here in Florida. I must admit this was hard for me. (That's also why the painting is priced well below my normal rates per square inch!)

I was not a painter when we were in Denmark and I had to rely on poor photographs to remind me of that cool-gray light temperature and lack of contrast in the light, even though it was mid-Summer when we were there. Here is the photo that I took of the cottage:

To read more about the area and the Manor House, you can go here.

I am going to try to do more paintings of Danish landscapes in upcoming days. Hopefully, that will help me nail the light temperature! And if you are planning a trp to Denmark, I highly recommend this lovely bed and breakfast where we stayed. It is called the BEd and Breakfast Eskilstrup and I can tell you that the breakfasts were feasts fit for a king! Danish blue cheese, freshly baked and buttery Danish pastries, fresh fruits, granola and yogurt... I'd best not go on, as I have not eaten dinner yet!

This painting can be purchased for $100 by using the Paypal button. Thanks for visiting my blog.

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Autumn's First Blush, 7x5, oil on board-$150

2011-09-20T20:07:00.000-07:00

Autumn's First Blush, 7x5, oil on board-$150

Notes of raspberry, lime and orange infuse this small piece with light and color reminiscent of autumn's first blush. Painted with both brush and palette knife, this scene could be Tuscany, Provence, or virtually anywhere in the world where the kiss of early fall makes her first appearance.

If you would like to purchase this painting, please use the Paypal button below.

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"Misery Loves Company", 24x24, oil on board

2011-09-19T16:17:00.000-07:00

"Misery Loves Company", 24x24, oil on board

Last week after I finished the commissioned painting of the sunflowers, I had a lot of paint left over on my palette. Since these were colors I don't normally use, I wanted to get rid of them! I wondered what the painting would look like if I changed the petals, and made the flowers droop instead of standing upright. This was the result. They all look miserable, poor things! Save the little bud in the top left who still has her face to the sun. God bless her naivety, she has no clue that she's doomed!

So I got to thinking about flowers in general. They have feelings , too, I'll bet. One day they are blowing in the field with the wind at their back and the sun on their heads, and the next minute someone comes along, picks them, and that's the end of all that glorious freedom! Suddenly they find themsleves traumatized by being sliced from their mothering root system, and then they find themselves stuck together, probably with some fellow flowers whose company they don't even care for, and with nothing to look forward to but the slow and inevitable decline of their freshness and beauty.

But just like Elton John sang in The Lion King, I guess that is the circle of life, isn't it?

And now you know why you shouldn't paint when you're in a bad mood! My snarkiness last week is written all over this painting! That should also be a lesson to me why I should not paint when I get a migraine.

I'm still learning...

Circle of Life lyrics:

From the day we arrive on the planet
And blinking, step into the sun
There's more to see than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done
There's far too much to take in here
More to find than can ever be found
But the sun rolling high
Through the sapphire sky
Keeps great and small on the endless round

It's the Circle of Life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the Circle
The Circle of Life

"Blue Door-Provence", 5x7, oil on board-by Maryanne Jacobsen, paintings of Provence, blue doors

2011-09-17T19:26:00.000-07:00

SOLD

"Blue Door-Provence", 5x7, oil on board-$150

What's not to like about Provence?

Old medieval villages perched on mountainsides like teetering wedding cakes bask in the golden sunlight all year long- the limestone turning from orange to soft pink as the sun sinks lower into the horizon at sundown. Bright blue doors and shutters provide just the right impressionist vibration against that orange glow of the old walls, and the various mountain ranges (Alps, Vaucluse and Luberon) fade to soft purples and grayish blues as they recede into the distance of the backdrop.

I recently finished Deborah Lawrenson's beautiful book, "The Lantern", and I have wanted to do another painting of Provence while her vibrant imagery of the region is still fresh in my mind. The setting for this modern Gothic romantic novel is Provence, and I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves all things Provence! Please check out the book here, and take a moment to visit Deborah's lovely blog here.

I hope to do more paintings of Provence in the future, and Deborah was generous in sending me some photos of that glorious golden light falling into bewitching patterns across her lovely property in Provence. The scene above is typical of the little villages that can be found throughout Provence, each having their own distinct personalities. As an impressionist painter, I am very envious of that lovely soft, diffused light quality that pervades the Mediterranean region.

If you would like to purchase this painting, please use the Paypal button below.

"David's Sunflowers", 24x24, oil on board

2011-09-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

"David's Sunflowers", 24x24, oil on board

This was a commissioned piece and is not for sale. The person requested these "muted" colors and based upon my mood lately, I can appreciate the subtlety. I used a limited palette and omitted the warm reds and greens entirely. It's rather Van Gogh-esque, I suppose.

Please contact me if you would like to commission a painting. My email address is maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"Harvest Time", 12x16, oil on canvas panel by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-09-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

SOLD

"Harvest Time", 12x16, oil on canvas panel by Maryanne Jacobsen

"Lord, it is time.
The summer was very big.
Lay thy shadow on the sundials, and on the meadows let the winds go loose.
Command the last fruits that they shall be full; give them another two more southerly days,
press them on to fulfillment and drive the last sweetness into the heavenly wine."
- Rainer Maria Rilke

It is harvest time in many of the world's most productive vineyards. I used the reference photo below from a Tuscan vineyard to create my painting, which won an honorable merit award at an exhibit at The Venice Art Center :

From the photo, it appeared to be a "cool temperature" sort of day, overcast, with soft shadows , diffused light and lots of grays. In the underpainting, I used permanent rose for my lights and ultramarine blue for my shadows to keep the light temperature cool. The monitor cannot capture the subtle lavenders and violets sufficiently in this piece and I held on to it for a long time because I enjoyed it and did not want to sell it. I have finally decided to sell it, so if you are looking for a painting with lush impasto and shades of lavender and magenta, here it is!

Please contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if you are interested in purchasing this painting.

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"Morning Jaunt- Cabbage Key", 5x7, oil on board by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-09-11T17:33:00.000-07:00

"Morning Jaunt- Cabbage Key", 5x7, oil on board-$100-sale price!

Cabbage Key is a small island in southwest Florida, accessible only by boat. There's a marina there where one can see all types of boats, moored for fishing or hanging out for lunch at The Cabbage Key Inn, where one can put their dollar bill on the wall just to prove they were there. It's a noted fact that Ernest Hemingway hung out at the bar there, and also rumored that Jimmy Buffett wrote "Cheeseburger in Paradise" after visiting Cabbage Key.

The island is lovely in the autumn and winter months where one can hike the nature trails without humidity, or just relax , Old Florida style. If you're looking for fast boats and glitz, Cabbage Key is not for you. But if you want to drop off the grid for a day or two, take the trip. Be sure to visit pristine Cayo Costa while you're there. It's just an island away. You can have a picnic lunch on the beach with egrets and watch dolphins frolicking.

Yup, enjoy life in the slow lane, just like this old boat.

If you would like to purchase"Morning Jaunt- Cabbage Key", which was painted with a palette knife, just send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com and I'll send you an invoice via Paypal. To read more about Cabbage Key, you can go here.

"French Creek at Birchrunville, Pa", 16x12, oil on canvas- by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-09-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

"French Creek at Birchrunville, Pa", 16x12, oil on canvas-$750

This is a smaller version of a painting I did a few years ago which I titled "God's Palette". It depicts a tributary of the French Creek in Chester County, Pa. right off Hollow Rd. at the Sheeder Hall Bridge in Birchrunville. A favorite fishing and picnic spot of my husband and I in the days when we lived in Chester Springs, (see photo below) I invariably grow home sick for the place as Indian Summer sets in and the smells of fall beckon one to think of the fall colors of deciduous trees in all of their bewitchment. Birchrunville was an easy bike ride from my old home and is home to a fabulous post office/ gourmet restaurant, gorgeous gentlemen's farms, and of course the French Creek's babbling waters. It has an annual fourth of July parade that is second to none for its quaintness and quirkyness.

This painting just came out of a show and is now available for purchase.It can be purchased for $750 by using the PayPal button below.

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $750.00 plus free s/h

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"Summer Petunias, Strasbourg", 16x20

2011-09-07T15:16:00.000-07:00

SOLD
"Summer Petunias, Strasbourg", 16x20

This was my most recent painting of the canal scene in Le Petite France, which I've painted before. I did this one back in June right after I took a class in one and two point perspective. The class at Ringling was really helpful, in terms of creating a scene like this one. Perspective can be challenging and my goal in this painting was to concentrate on getting it right!

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"View of Ram Island Lighthouse from Ocean Point", 10x8, oil on linen by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-09-06T14:32:00.001-07:00

"Ram Island Lighthouse from Ocean Point", 10x8, oil on linen by Maryanne Jacobsen

A funny thing happened while I was in Maine. I met a fellow artist Roger Milinowski while visiting his gallery, Head of the Harbor, in Boothbay Harbor. We got to talking and he asked me where I was from. I told him I lived in southwest Florida and he said, "You know, I have a friend that I visit in Venice Florida and to be perfectly honest with you, I didn't see much to inspire me there."

I burst out laughing because Roger had no idea that I lived in Venice, Florida! I told him to tell that to my hubby , a non-artist, who doesn't quite get it when I complain that I don't have any inspiration here. At any rate, the reason that I have been painting New England scenes non-stop for the past month, is simply because Maine has a painting to be painted around every single corner!

Today I went back to my color studies and decided to do something that I knew would be easy- a triadic study using the three primaries. So I used a cool and warm blue ( cobalt and ultramarine) as well as a cool and warm red (Permanent rose and cadmium red) and a cool and warm yellow ( cad yellow medium and lemon yellow). Man was this one easy!

If you are a non painter reading this, let me explain.

There are three primaries- blue, yellow and red. From the three primaries you get all of the other colors on the color wheel. So thus I can mix a violet from blue and red, or a green from yellow and blue or an orange from red and yellow! Thus my choices of colors are unlimited when using the three primaries! Using 6 colors is even easier because I had a cool and warm of each, which when mixed together give you a pretty pure primary as well!

This was a huge difference from my struggles yesterday to paint with violet, viridian green and orange. You can make secondary colors from primaries, but you can't make primaries from secondaries. Hence all the grayish blues, reds and yellow in the last piece that I did.

Anyway, this painting is a view of the Ram Island Lighthouse from Ocean Point, which is just about a ten minute drive from Boothbay Harbor, Maine. You can see this lighthouse by boat if you are cruising to Monhegan Island and other islands in the area.

I hope that you have been enjoying all of my painting of Maine scenes. Please let me know if you are sick of them yet!

Please contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if you are interested in this painting.

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"Morning Tryst-Bar Harbor"-16x12 , oil on board by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-09-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

"Morning Tryst-Bar Harbor"-16x12 , oil on board by Maryanne Jacobsen

Today I decided to try a different approach to the schooner that I'd photographed in Bar Harbor Maine.

If you have been following this blog, you'll know that I've been working on limiting my palette to create a more cohesive painting.

The last time that I painted this scene, I used an analogous palette, meaning that I took colors that were adjacent to each other on the color wheel. In my last painting, I used reds, blues and greens to create an analogous color study, making the warmest color on my palette a very cool red (magenta).

Here's what it looked like:

In this new painting (above) I decided to go with a triadic color study, meaning that the colors are evenly spaced around the color wheel. I decided not to use primaries, and instead went with complimentaries, using orange, violet and viridian green, while completely omitting blues, yellows and reds from my palette.

I must confess that this was hard for me, just as the analogous study was!

I cheated a little bit and towards the end I added magenta, which is either a very warm violet or a very cool red, depending what you are thinking. I decided to put it in the purple family and thus make it legit for my study, and I must confess that the painting kind of needed that little pop of red!

I was pretty happy that I was able to get through this process.

The hardest thing for me, was to be without blue in a seascape. I had to keep adjusting the viridian and the violet in order to get my blues, and that was very challenging for me.

On the positive side, I was happy that the end result looked unified and yet still colorful!

Let me know what you think of my triadic color study.

"Blue Hydrangeas and grapes", 18x24, oil on canvas

2011-09-02T21:04:00.000-07:00

"Blue Hydrangeas and grapes", 18x24, oil on canvas

I decided to do another painting with cool colors and a limited palette. I figured that blue hydrangeas would make for a good subject and so I went to Whole Foods and found what I was looking for. I had a little pink and yellow-colored hydrangea in my garden, and decided to add that to the set-up, since the tea cup had pink in it. I'm happy with the way that the painting came out, and for the first time I woke up the next day and decided not change anything.

I am one of those people that has been known to futz with a painting too much, ultimately destroying any spontaneity it ever once knew. I am beginning to realize that when a painting turns out less than successful, it's better to put it away for awhile, rather than beating myself up over it. Then, often I'll take it out months later and realize exactly what I had done wrong. Which tells me that I've improved! I decided that if I try to fix every unsuccessful painting, how will I ever see my progress? (assuming that I'm actually able to fix it!)

I like my new philosophy. Artists tend to be too hard on themselves, and I am no exception. That's what makes us improve, however, the need to be better than what we were.

Here's the set-up that I used for the painting:

If you have any interest in purchasing this painting, please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com. Have a happy holiday!

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"Into the Wind", 8x8, oil on board, by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-09-01T19:04:00.000-07:00

"Into the Wind", 8x8, oil on board, by Maryanne Jacobsen

I actually never thought that I'd have fun painting boats.

Go figure.

But after seeing all the diversity of boats, (new and old, tourist and workhorse,) up in New England, I became intrigued with the idea of learning to paint boats well. Of, course , that will take some time. But in the meantime, I am practicing with all the photos that I have taken from my trip to Maine and Cape Ann.

This painting was very challenging for me. I'd noticed that I have been putting a predominance of warms in my paintings and am not having enough cools to balance them out. So I gave myself a challenge today. I limited my palette extremely!

Yes, I said extremely!

I had absolutely no oranges on my palette or yellows!

I used the coolest red imaginable (Magenta) as my warmest red, and added a cool red (violet) to balance it out. I added a cool blue (cobalt) and a warm blue (ultramarine), plus a cool green (viridian) and a warm green (cinnabar) and that was all I used! Does anyone have any idea how hard this was for me- a colorist?

That normally has a zillion colors on her palette?

At any rate, I like the fact that the painting looks uniform. That's what I was seeking when I started out. I know I could have really popped those sails with some yellow and oranges, but guess what? I used restraint!

The boat in the painting is some sort of tourist boat that goes out of Bar Harbor on a regular basis. It's really lovely with those maroon sales, and I was happy I was able to catch a photo of it while we were there to use as a reference for my painting!

I decide not to add the flags, because that begged color!

Please send me an email if you are interested in purchasing this painting.

"The Seaward Inn Garden", 14x11, oil on canvas, plein air

2011-08-31T18:06:00.000-07:00

"The Seaward Inn Garden", 14x11, oil on canvas, plein air

A vacation in New England would not be complete for us without a trip to Cape Ann. Once again we chose to stay at the lovely Seaward Inn in scenic Rockport. We had a beautiful large room on the second floor of the main house that looked directly out over the Atlantic and Gully Point. The room was called Lover's Cove and we decided to take a photo of the little room placard on the door.

We were there for two nights and enjoyed beautiful sunrises in the morning. I awoke at 5 each morning in order to catch the beauty of the light over the ocean and at the harbor at the break of day.

I've painted quite a few scenes of Rockport and especially Motif #1. But this was my first chance to paint en plein air and I wasn't going to waste it! So I brought my paints into the garden right after breakfast one morning while there were still shadows on the western sides of the homes sitting right at the edge of the water. My hubby walked around taking photos while I was painting, and I sure wish he had taken the view that I was looking at over the water, instead of the opposite direction so I'd have had a reference of the scene that I painted that day!

I managed to finish the painting in about two hours, but when I tried to get it home on the airplane, the impasto I had put on with my palette knife smeared the canvas inside the box that I was transporting it in. So I had to re-work it from memory a bit after I got home in order to fix the smears.

The Seaward Inn has hosted many famous guests throughout its history, including the actors and actresses who starred in "A Perfect Storm" which was filmed in nearby Gloucester. The Inn has a soothing old world charm throughout, and the location on Marmion Way is just gorgeous, and a short walk to the beautiful Old Garden Path along the sea wall.

Breakfasts at the Seaward Inn are a special treat, the view of the ocean is beautiful and the food is quite yummy, and included in the price of accommodations!

While we were there, we visited the Rockport Art Association, and I was fortunate to see an exhibit of the oil paintings of Boston School painter, Marguerite Pearson, who lived right on Marmion Way and has a fascinating history. Please pick up an August copy of American Art Review, if you wish to read about this brave woman who battled polio as a teen, but determined to paint plein air with the best of them! She allowed her father to carry her outdoors well into adulthood, in order to paint the beautiful scenes of Marmion Way and Rockport.

The Cameron Family has owned the Seaward Inn throughout its history, and Pearson has painted various portraits of Cameron family members, including a painting of Alison Cameron Callahan as a child. The painting titled "The School Girl" was one my favorites in the exhibit. There is also a lovely painting of a bride coming down the steps of the Inn on her wedding day, and it now graces the living room wall of the Inn.

If you cannot get an August copy of American Art Review, but wish to read more about Pearson and her perseverance and accomplishments in spite of her disability, I found a wonderful article here in the Gloucester Times. After finding out that she lived right across the way from where I was staying and painting, it is no wonder that I felt so inspired that day in the garden!

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"Old Workhorse-Thunder Bay", 7x5, oil on board-$200

2011-08-30T16:37:00.000-07:00

"Old Workhorse-Thunder Bay", 7x5, oil on board-$200

During our recent vacation in New England we went on a whale watch in Bar Harbor, Maine. The whale watch was awesome, even though I usually get sea-sick on boats! But thanks to two incredibly beautiful whales that kept surfacing at least a dozen times during the voyage, I'll always have incredible and unforgettable memories of Bar Harbor.

While we were on the catamaran, I met two new friends, Vicki and Samantha from Vermont. Vicki gets seasick just like me, so we became instead "misery buds". But by the end of the trip, we were both so excited by that pair of whales, that we forgot our tummy troubles!

I'll never forget how huge these creatures are, yet how graceful they are in the water. My eyes filled with tears each time they came up to the surface and then hardly made a sound or a ripple as they re-entered the ocean like a pair of 90 pound ballerinas!

While we were en route to see the whales, I snapped a bunch of photos of fishing boats. This one , in particular, caught my eye. It's called "Thunder Bay" and all I could think was that it's certainly a workhorse of the fishing industry in that area! If anyone know anything about this boat, please let me know. The island across the way is one of the many small islands in Frenchman's Bay.

I never thought I'd be doing "guy paintings" a year ago, but this area with all of its old workhorse boats and fish shack charm has caught at my heartstrings!

This one can be purchased for $200, which includes free shipping. Just use the Paypal button below.

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"Summer Garden-Kennebunkport", 10x8, oil on canvas

2011-08-29T16:50:00.000-07:00

"Summer Garden-Kennebunkport", 10x8, oil on canvas by Maryanne Jacobsen

This was a painting that I started while on vacation in Maine, but didn't have a chance to finish. I never enjoy working into dry paint and this time was no exception. I finally finished it yesterday, thankfully.

This garden was right on Ocean Drive on the grounds of the lovely St. Ann's Episcopal Church. The church is made of stone and overlooks the ocean. The gardens were quite lovely that day with the hydrangeas in full bloom.

The painting was done with a palette knife and has thick passages of paint.

Final! "Noonday sun, Fish Beach Road-Monhegan Island", 20x16, oil on canvas by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-08-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

"Noonday sun, Fish Beach Road-Monhegan Island", 20x16, oil on canvas by Maryanne Jacobsen

It's funny. Whenever I work hard on a painting, it gets more and more difficult as I get into the final stages. I think that is because I know when a painting is coming together in a positive direction, and there's always the fear that I'll screw it up in the end!

That's exactly what happened with the painting that I did of Fish Beach Road. The very last thing that I did was the building in the foreground on the right, and as soon as I looked at the finished painting, I knew that building was detracting from what would have otherwise been a very good painting.

Nonetheless, I was afraid to touch it. So I stewed on it for two days before I finally woke up this morning and decided I had to try to fix it. In this case, I was fortunate. I knew exactly what was wrong with the painting. Here's the painting before I corrected it:

I had worked pretty hard to stay true to the photograph, but I knew that the long vertical line created by the doorway in the foreground building was an eyesore. Your eye kept being drawn to it, yet it added nothing positive to the overall painting.

I also knew that the temperature of the building in the foreground needed to be warmer, in order to bring the building forward and create more illusion of depth. So I mixed up my batches of paint and experimented a bit with grays. I finally came up with what you see above. I think I probably could also have gone more into a brown direction, but in the end, I decided to stick with weathered blues in a warmer note than what I had had before.

I feel relieved. It sucks when you work long and hard on a painting and know you haven't done the best you can. Now, I feel that I have done the best I could do, and that's a good feeling.

"Noonday Sun, Fish Beach Road-Monhegan Island", 20x16, oil on canvas by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-08-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

"Noonday sun, Fish Beach Road-Monhegan Island", 20x16, oil on canvas by Maryanne Jacobsen

Last week I enjoyed painting the quick study that I did of Fish Beach on Monhegan Island. So I decided to do another one, bigger and a lot more refined than the last. This is the result. I must say that I struggled with this painting because there was just so much going on in the scene.

If you are unfamiliar with Monhegan Island, it's a dramatic little working island about 10 miles off the coast of Maine. Some of that wonderful lobster that we so enjoy eating all year long, may well have been an end result of the stalwart efforts of the lobsterman who live on Monhegan Island, who brave the coldest temps and elements imaginable in order to lower their nets into the ice, snow and otherwise frost-bitten waters of the northern Atlantic and bring to the surface those cold water lobstahs that we all so love to eat!

So I debated about just how much detail to put into this painting. In the end, I knew that I had to include the convoluted buoys, the haphazzard yarn, the weeds, the traps, the weather-smitten cedar shingles, and the view of tiny Manana just a stones throw away, in order to convey the character of the island. Here's the photo I took that I used for my reference:

I was fortunate to visit Monhegan in the heat of summer. I tried to portray just how hot it was on the August day that I snapped this photo. Monhegan is an island of drama- hills and vales and cliffs and fog. Some people visit there and hate it. Others get a taste of it and can't wait to return!

Even though I am a former dancer, in pretty good shape, I had trouble navigating the hills and dales on this hot summer day. I also had trouble trying to portray the character of this island in all its truth and simplicity.

I hope that you enjoy my efforts. I'll probably work on this a tiny bit more and take a picture of it in daylight so there's no glare. But for the most part it's done. It is available for purchase for $1400. Just send me an email at maryanne jacobsen@aol.com, if you are interested in purchasing this painting.

"Blowin' in the Wind", 14x30, oil on wrapped canvas by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-08-24T18:33:00.000-07:00

SOLD
"Blowin' in the Wind", 14x30, oil on wrapped canvas by Maryanne Jacobsen

This is one of the paintings that were commissioned for the Ritz Carlton in Naples, Florida. It will be hung in September. I can't wait to see them hung! The painting is of Siesta Key beach in southwest Florida, a gorgeous white sand beach rated the number# 1 beach this year in the entire country!

If you come to southwest Florida, I do hope you'll visit Siesta Key beach. The sand never gets hot beneath your feet. How lucky I am to live so close to such a great beach!

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"The Benefits of Recycling", 16x12, oil on board by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-08-23T08:52:00.000-07:00

SOLD
"The Benefits of Recycling", 16x12, oil on board by Maryanne Jacobsen

It took me four days to paint "The Summer Kitchen" painting that I posted yesterday. At the end of the painting session I had a lot of mud left over from the three different palettes that I had been working from. They had already been sent into the freezer for the past three nights and in truth I was tired of saving them . Besides, they were a pretty dismal heap at that point with the exception of a big hunk of clean permanent rose. With the cost of good oil paint so ridiculous anymore, it always seems a tremendous waste to me to throw any of it away. So even though it was late, I decided to do one of my "Left-over paint" paintings. If you are a regular visitor to this blog, you've seen them before. They are pretty spontaneous and are always a lot of fun for me to do. I just swirl the paint around until a picture starts to emerge. Since I had been painting flowers and citrus for the past couple days, I guess it's no surprise that this is what emerged.

This painting is available for purchase. Just send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

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"Summer Kitchen, evening", 12x16, oil on linen by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-08-20T18:13:00.000-07:00

"Summer Kitchen, evening", 12x16, oil on linen by Maryanne Jacobsen

Sometimes I force myself to do paintings like this one. I know I won't enjoy it , but it's like doing your homework or eating liver- you know it's good for you.

This was especially hard, because I had to paint sitting down. For me, painting sitting down is like dancing with one foot in a cast. It's restrictive, it's crippling, it's horrible.

However, because of the set-up that I composed, I had no choice. I used my antique cupboard as the basis for the set-up and because of limited space and lighting restrictions, I had to compose the set-up in a way that was feasible to paint. So I had to paint sitting down.

Here's the set-up:

I may work on this a bit more tomorrow. I don't know. I'm kind of sick of it because I've been working on it for a few days. At any rate, I learned a lot from doing this painting. I feel more at ease with folds in tablecloths, now. I decided not to put in all the florals in the cloth pattern , because I thought it would be too busy.

This is a northeastern kind of painting. It would have looked very nice in my Pennsylvania farmhouse in Chester Springs. It's not going to fit in with my Florida home. I had to give away all my milk jugs when I moved to Florida. What a pity. I picked this one up pretty cheap while I was in Maine. Lucky me.

So this painting will need to find another home where it will fit in nicely. Let me know what you think of it.

"My Favorite Things", 5x7, oil on board, by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-08-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

SOLD
"My Favorite Things", 5x7, oil on board

Julie Andrews once sang about her favorite things. Since my ability to sing is rather limited, I painted them instead! Sunflowers, warm sunshine, a good book, the feeling of grass between my toes- what more could I want?

This is the third painting that I did of myself in my back yard from photos that my hubby took of me one day when I wasn't looking:0) I hope that's not egotistical! I just wanted to get more hat lady practice in, since people seem to enjoy my ''hat lady" paintings.

This one can be purchased for $200, which includes free shipping. Just use the Paypal button below.

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"Rainy Day Florida Garden-plein air", 12x16, oil on masonite

2011-08-16T16:13:00.000-07:00

"Rainy Day Florida Garden-plein air", 12x16, oil on masonite

Since I came back from my New England vacation , I have been lamenting about how uncomfortable it is to paint outside here in Florida with all the excessive heat and humidity that one must deal with. I was finally regaining some confidence in my abilities to paint out in the open ( en plein air) while I was away on my trip. In fact, I managed to do 4 plein air paintings while I was away and it seemed almost effortless with the beautiful light and cooler conditions!

So when I got back here to the typical subtropical conditions, I found myself falling into a bit of a pity pot. It's been raining a whole lot here lately, but that's to be expected in a subtropical climate. Finally the other day, I just decided to drag all my stuff out onto a protected area of the lanai and made up my mind to paint the garden area around the pool. It was actually not that bad painting in the rainy weather, because there wasn't a whole lot of change in light in the two and a half hours that I was out there, which was nice.

The result was kind of soft and hazy, just like the day. I painted all but my signature outside! Hurray!

The rain was intermittent throughout the afternoon, but here's a good idea of what I was looking at while I painted:

I left out the pool fountain because I thought it was distracting.

Thanks for visiting my blog. You can see more of my paintings at my official website here.

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"Typical Morning Squawk Box", 14x11, oil on linen by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-08-11T19:25:00.000-07:00

"Typical Morning Squawk Box", 14x11, oil on linen

While we were in Rockport, Massachusetts, I found myself waking up at the crack of dawn, excited to get outside and see the light coming up over the ocean. We woke up between 4 and 5 each morning, drove to the Dunkin' Donuts in the heart of town, and then with our morning coffee in hand, we proceeded to take pictures of the beautiful sunrises and light coming up over the Atlantic in Cape Ann.

One morning we sat right at the old port at Bearskin Neck and watched the fish and lobsterman take crates of fish off their boats in the early morning hours when the light is most magical.

The seagulls were squawking up a storm-definitely ready for the action, as they waited for their chance to steal a bit of stray fish from the looty taken of the fishing boats.

I caught this picture of a gull after he'd stolen some fish. Man, he was fast! He grabbed that fish faster than my cats would grab a Florida lizard!

Anyway, here is a picture that I took of two gulls scooting down to hopefully grab some breakfast. I was unsure whether or not I should attempt to paint this scene, since it was so complicated. In the end, I went for it- just like the gull went for the fish scraps!

Here is another photo of a gull after my coffee. Oh please! Really? It's only coffee and flavored with vanilla, not lobster!

"Monhegan Morning", 14x11, oil on canvas, boats, fish, Monhegan island, Maine, lobster, art

2011-08-09T16:04:00.000-07:00

"Monhegan Morning", 14x11, oil on canvas

Monhegan Island was one of the highlights of my recent trip to Maine and Cape Ann. This was the sign that greeted us when we stepped off the boat onto the island:

It is pretty hard to describe Monhegan unless you've been there to see it for yourself. Think working island, fish, lobster, fish shacks, public plumbing very limited, gorgeous cliffs, ocean, sunsets, fog, lighthouse, mist, boats, and pastel-colored perennial gardens dotting the rolling hills. The island has been an artist's haven for many decades.

Are you beginning to get the picture?

I enjoyed painting this scene of a road leading down to fish beach (I think that's what it's called) on the day that we visited the island. The light is very, very blue there, so you have to look for the warms in the scenery. There are lobster traps, buoys and fish nets everywhere, so if you can't figure out what you're looking at in this painting, just use your imagination!

" A Peachful Day", 16x20, oil on linen

2011-08-08T16:17:00.000-07:00

" A Peachful Day", 16x20, oil on linen

I took a break from landscape painting to paint the Georgia peaches and peach-colored roses that I brought home from the market over the weekend. I was happy with the softness of the painting in spite of the contrast of compliments against each other.

Please email me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if you are interested in purchasing this painting.

"Foggy Afternoon, Somes Sound". 14x11, oil on canvas

2011-08-08T08:36:00.001-07:00

"Foggy Afternoon, Somes Sound". 14x11, oil on canvas

I wanted to work some more on the effects of fog/mist, so I used the photo below for my study.

I was pretty frustrated with the painting, as I could not really get the effect I was trying to achieve. Eventually it dawned on me that the painting needed warmth. It's funny, when I think of the "color" of fog, I tend to think gray. But gray can be warm or cool and I was thinking cool and putting too many blues into it. Then I began thinking about how fog and mist are created and I realized that it made complete sense to consider fog warm in temperature, since it results and much more particles in the atmosphere than on a clear day.

Typically, I know to warm up my sky as it gets closer to the horizon line, as that is where there are more particles in the atmosphere. Funny how you forget things. I actually did a couple fog paintings before, and pretty much achieved a successful rendition of the atmosphere, but I had to struggle with this one, before I figured out what was wrong with it. I know now that the next fog painting that I do I'll remember to use burnt sienna, or a cold red, for the overall light temperature, instead of blue!

The photo above was taken on the fishing pier of the Claremont Hotel in Southwest Harbor. The weather changes very quickly up there and the results make for some very dramatic effects in the sky and surrounding scenery. The second night of our visit, we had dinner in the hotel's lovely dining room, and as we ate, a sudden storm came through. It was over in all of five minutes, leaving a cloudy sky with the boats lit up from the setting sun. Here's the view that we had from our window:

A few minutes later a rainbow appeared, followed by another right next to it!

What more can one ask for from a dinner view?

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"Gray Day- Ocean Point", plein air, 14x11, oil on canvas by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-08-06T16:33:00.000-07:00

"Gray Day- Ocean Point", plein air, 14x11, oil on canvas by Maryanne Jacobsen

After our too short but wonderful stay in Southwest Harbor, we traveled west to Boothbay Harbor.

The last time I was in Boothbay Harbor there were very few people around as it was end of season. So we were a bit surprised to find it very crowded and all the decent B& B's in town without a vacancy. We finally landed a very over- priced accommodation at The Spruce Point Inn, and although there was a lovely water view from the porch, there was no air conditioning in our lodge and the heat and humidity was almost (but not quite) as bad as Florida's!

After watching a glorious sunset, we headed into town in the hopes of finding a few of the art galleries still open.

I had the good luck of walking into the Head of the Harbor Gallery where artists Roger Milinowski and Kathleen Billis were having a painting session in the gallery's upstairs loft. We chatted awhile and I was delighted to find the pair of them enormously friendly and quite willing to share their knowledge with me. Roger told me that there would be a plein air demonstration followed by a paint out the very next day at Ocean Point featuring the well known and incredibly talented plein air artist Don Demers performing the demo.

After getting directions to Ocean Point's "casino" , I went off to bed excited with the anticipation of meeting new artist friends and accruing more knowledge about the very difficult craft of plein air painting.

The next day the early morning sunshine promised wonderful opportunities for the paint-out, and as we drove to Ocean Point I realized that East Boothbay, much like Southwest Harbor, was a bit off the beaten track for tourists and therefore a much more serene place to stay (and paint!)

By the time I arrived, a group of about 15 artists had gathered at the "Casino", which isn't a casino at all, but rather a clubhouse of sorts for the residents of Ocean Point. Don Demers arrived soon after me and I immediately realized that it was serendipity that had provided me the chance of wandering into such a friendly group of avid plein air painters!

We drove a short distance to a home at the very end of the point, which had beautiful gardens and sea views all around. Susan, our hostess for the paint-out, explained that the home was named "Seven Lights" because one had the vantage point of seeing the light from seven different lighthouses at night from her garden by the sea.

Don turned out to be not only a phenomenal painter, but also an incredibly teacher. He punctuated the demo with memorable quotes, charm and a sense of humor. I enjoyed the demo immensely and marveled at the way he handled each and every brushstroke with the finesse of the master that he certainly is. Twisting, turning, pulling and caressing each and every brush stroke, he was able to pull out even the tiniest sprigs of branches of distant fir trees and make them look believable with just a suggestion here and there of paint notes.

The group kept mentioning the heat and how uncomfortable it had become, and all I could think of as I stood in that place, with ocean breezes caressing my senses and the smell of salt and the fragrance of flowers all around me was, "You should try painting in Florida if you think this is hot!"

I kept my mouth shut, however, unwilling to break the magic of the moment.

After painting about two hours under sunny skies, the demo ended and the group broke for lunch. As much as I wanted to participate in the paint-out after lunch, and receive some much-needed guidance from Don, I knew it would be better to try to find a room for the night so we wouldn't get stuck at the Spruce Point Inn again.

In the end, we had the good fortune of getting a room for two nights right there in Ocean Point at the Ocean Point Inn. Our room had a second floor balcony that looked out over the water and the rocky cove and as soon as we had checked in, I brought my paints out to the balcony and that special composition beckoned me immediately.

By now the clouds and haze had set in and the fog horn began a relentless wail for the remainder of the afternoon. As sunny as the morning had been for Don's demo, the afternoon was as gray as the June Gloom of southern California.

I am so accustomed to the harsh light and stark contrast of the Florida landscape, that I felt completely out of my element in this cool, softly grayish light temperature. But in the end, I decided to take advantage of the slowly changing light as I did my best to try to mimic the turning and twisting of the brush that I had watched Don use in his painting. Although I was not successful in mimicking his brushwork, I knew I had learned more in that couple hours, than I could ever have imagined.

There is one thing that stood out in my mind that Don said to us during the demo. He reminded us that he has been painting for about 40 years- since the time he was a child. He brought me back to a peaceful place on earth with that statement and away from all the negativity swirling through my mind about how amateurish my work looks compared to Don's.

He has 35 years on me, in terms of painting experience. I have to constantly remind myself that it takes many years to perfect one's craft. I am just a baby.

Now if only I had more time to watch, and learn, and mimic!

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"Burning Off-Somes Sound"-plein air, 9x12 by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-08-05T05:58:00.000-07:00

"Burning Off-Somes Sound"-plein air, 9x12 by Maryanne JAcobsen

We just returned from a ten day trip that took in the northeastern coast from Bar Harbor, Maine, back down to Cape Ann, Massachusetts. This stretch of seacoast is without a doubt, one of the most scenic in all of the east coast of the United States. For that reason, it has attracted artists for decades, including Edward Hopper, Andrew Wyeth and literally thousands of others. It was our second trip to this area, and though the summer views are quite different from the autumn vistas, they are just as spectacular!

One of the first stops on our trip was Southwest Harbor, located about a ten minute drive southwest of Bar Harbor, which is a veritable tourist trap, IMHO. We were very fortunate to find a room available at the beautiful old historic Claremont Inn, located right on the mouth of Somes Sound.

The Sound is considered the east coast's only fjord, and the huge body of water that is carved into the mountains there, was created during the last ice age.

When we arrived late in the afternoon of our first day, I ran down to the boat dock to take in a magnificent vista of fog, hanging like a shroud of gossamer over the water there. We never get fog here in Florida, and so the dreamy quality of the shoreline was breathtaking to me!

The Claremont sits well above the water line on a gently sloping hill. Looking up from my vantage point on the dock, the Inn rose majestically out of the mist, a sentinel seemingly guarding the secrets of a very gentler era in time.

My husband and I sat in front of the fire at the Boathouse Restaurant and marveled at the fact we were both wearing sweatshirts and shivering for the first time in many months!

The next morning I awoke at dawn and looking out the window I could see the promise of a gorgeous day! I grabbed my pochade box and ran down to the water's edge, as excited as a little kid with new crayons. I was very anxious to use the opportunity to paint en plein air for the first time in many months, since the heat and humidity in southwest Florida makes it impossible to do so right now.

Out of practice, at first I tried to paint into the rising sun, but when I found it blinding me, I wiped out the canvas and moved to the other side of the dock where the fog was just burning off its final remnants over Cadillac Mountain.

Satisfied with this vantage point, I made my very first attempt to paint mist over mountains, using the little boat with the red seat as a focal point, and allowing the dock and buoy to help support the simple composition and lead the viewer's eye through the painting.

I am not sure I was entirely successful in my first attempts to capture the essence of that lovely place, but for now at least, I have enough memories and photos to help me along in the weeks to come, as I attempt to paint more scenes from Acadia. And more fog and mist!

Stay tuned for more plein air paintings, as well as additional photos and descriptions of our trip to Maine and Cape Ann.

"September Sonata", 24x18, oil on linen by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-07-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

"September Sonata", 24x18, oil on linen by Maryanne Jacobsen

This is a smaller version of the scene at French Creek, Birchrunville that was the inspiration behind some of my best-loved paintings, including "God's Palette" and "Autumn's Last Hurrah". It is available for purchase through Gallerie Unique located in the beautiful Bell Tower Mall in Ft Myers, Florida. Please visit the gallery to see as well as many more beautiful pieces of original art, or contact Shelby Ward at (239) 332-2121 for purchase info.

To see more of my work, please visit my official website at Maryanne Jacobsen, Fine Art.

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"In the Secret Garden", 16x20, oil on linen

2011-07-21T11:39:00.001-07:00

SOLD

"In the Secret Garden", 16x20, oil on linen

This painting was a commissioned piece and is already sold. If you would like me to paint something special for you, please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

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"Backyard Bunny and Radishes", 12x16, oil on board, plein air, by Maryanne Jacobsen

2011-07-20T12:25:00.000-07:00

"Backyard Bunny and Radishes", 12x16, oil on board, plein air, by Maryanne Jacobsen

I started this painting a few days ago, but it was so hot and humid that I didn't last very long out in the heat. Even under the shade (where I was painting) it was at least a hundred degrees and the humidity was so bad that I was soaked with sweat after about an hour. Today was a smiddgen cooler than last week, meaning it was about 95 instead of a hundred, but I dragged everything back out onto my lanai and finished the painting. The radishes had completely wilted but that didn't much matter.

My husband put his two cents in when I thought that the painting was finished, telling me I needed to "pop" the red flowers next to the pool fountain. So pop them I did.

Here is the photo of my bunny set-up:

The hummingbird feeder added some really nice reflections, though I didn't include the reflection of ME painting the bunny!

The light in Florida is very harsh in the summer, with high contrast between light and shadow. I have not done many plein air paintings this year, because the weather has not been very cooperative.

If you are interested in this painting, feel free to send me an inquiry at maryannejacobsen@aol.com. To visit my official website and see more of my paintings, please go here.

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"Early Morning Solitude", 36x48, oil on board, paintings of sailboats, Florida sunrises, sunsets, impressionist art

2011-07-15T13:07:00.000-07:00

SOLD
"Early Morning Solitude", 36x48, oil on board

This is one of two commissioned paintings that I did recently for The Ritz Carlton Hotel in Naples Florida. I had to buy a new easel in order to accommodate such a large support , so I bought a St. Remy studio easel. You can read reviews about the easel here, if you are looking for a large easel that can accommodate very large supports. The down side to this easel is that the assembly instructions were very difficult to understand and it took my husband and I two days to put it together.

The painting was done with a palette knife and took a lot of paint! Then came the drying time and the problem of shipping! I'd love to hear how other artists ship large works as I found Fed Ex very difficult to deal with when I shipped this. They did not have a box large enough to fit the painting and insisted that it be crated. Am happy this is done and am looking forward to seeing it hung!

To see more of my original paintings, please visit my official website here.