Wednesday, August 04, 2010

"Window with an Water view", 14x11, oil on linen

SOLD


"Window with an Ocean View", 14x11, oil on linen

I decided to re-work this painting that I did last week, because my daughter-in-law told me that it could use a little more development. Since she is an artist herself, I took her advice and re-worked some of the passages.

It's funny , but I changed my studio to a room with north light a few months ago, and i think it's noticeable in my paintings that I have been struggling with the new light source. I have had a dreadful time adjusting to the cold northern light, and as a result I sometimes move back into the kitchen, where I used to paint and where the light is very warm. This painting was done in the north light room, and I think that's why I had trouble with it. I'm not sure that north light works for me, personally, though I know many artists swear by it. At any rate, I warmed up some passages, cleaned up some messy areas and added more paint to the flower arrangement and now it is definitely finished and re-named. Here are some of my thoughts about the last few months and how the Gulf disaster has affected my ability to be creative.

Over the past three months I have lost interest in painting. I have become a bit of an activist, in
trying to make the public more aware of how the oil disaster here in the Gulf has affected so many lives, especially of fisherman and their families, in a very horrendous way. I am very hopeful that the worst is behind us now and that the well will be sealed permanently soon.

So as my mind has returned to a tiny semblance of normalcy, I have tried to begin painting again. Although I have been painting infrequently these past months, it is not as though I have completely given up the love I have for painting beautiful things. Rather, let's just say that I have put my passion on a back burner in the hopes of doing something more productive for others during this difficult time.

This painting, too, is overall a success in my opinion- loose and generous with paint where it needs to be, and also restrained in areas where more modest color and brush strokes take a back seat to the lush floral bouquet in the foreground. It was tricky trying to do a painting like this, because the background needs to be painted first. The hard part is to keep the background from interfering with the focal point, while still incorporating its story into the overall theme. I hope that I was successful in that.

The background is a scene from a lovely little fishing town in Nova Scotia, called Peggy's Cove. I took some liberties with the setting and hope no one minds that I sat my window sill right smack in the middle of St. Margaret's Bay, overlooking a little fisherman's hut.

If you are interested in this painting, please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com, or call Leah Sherman directly at Collector's Gallery and Framery at 941-488-3029.



2 comments:

Mary said...

Your paintings are so rich in color and "joy". I understand what you're saying about having trouble painting. Sometimes when you're not feeling that joy (that you so beautifully use in your work)it can be hard to paint. I've been there many times over. This is lovely!

dining table said...

I am so fascinated in all your art works and I always wanted to buy at least one of your paintings. But I can have it because I don't have enough money for it. This painting is one of the greatest creations that you do.