Thursday, December 16, 2010

"Mission Arch", Sale!- 9x12, oil on linen- Mission Capistrano

SOLD "Mission Arch" 9x12, oil on Raymar panel

This painting is a depiction of one of the old arches at Mission Capistrano in southern California, which I have visited numerous times, and never grow tired of!

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Thursday, December 09, 2010

Motherhood, 16x20, oil on linen, by Maryanne Jacobsen

SOLD"Motherhood", 16x20, oil on linen

I had painted this same scene about a year ago, in a much smaller format, (9x12) Without going into a lot of detail about the circumstances, the painting ended up looking very different from my original intentions, thanks to the fact that I doubted my own abilities. So for a long time I had wanted to do another one, this time in a larger format, but the weeks and months just passed me by.

Always daunted by the prospect of attempting figurative work, I procrastinated until yesterday. Ironically, I was right smack in the middle of checking the values of the grisaille when the phone rang. It was my sister , informing me that my mother is not expected to live more than a few more days. It was the memories of my sweet, lovely mother than kept me painting late last night, long after I knew it was time to stop.

I finished the painting today, knowing that time was not on my side in terms of continuing to paint wet into wet.

Perhaps I'll eventually go back and refine it further. I do see some things that I'd like to change. But overall, I know it is a good painting in spite of the haste I exerted in order to complete it. I used David Leffel's palette because I have come to realize that there are times to push color and there are times when you shouldn't push the color. And I just wanted this painting to be soft and peaceful. David Leffel's palette consists of colors that I rarely use, like burnt umber, terra rosa, raw umber and naples yellow. Until I become an expert at flesh tones, these earth tones make it easier for me to do a more natural portraiture than using pure color.

Motherhood is not for the feint of heart. As a child growing up in Philadelphia, I recall that there was never one day in my childhood that I did not come home from school to a clean house, a healthy supper and freshly washed and ironed clothes. I feel very sorry for the children of today, many of whom know neither what it's like to have a home-cooked meal or to have two parents. It is not the fault of the mothers that must go out to work. But, it is where we have come as a society, as a result of circumstances beyond our control , that has brought us to the state where children rarely have the same luxuries that I myself experienced and that is very sad.

A huge thank-you to Sara and Ashley and Ellie. Without all three of you this painting could not have come about. That being said, I am dedicating the painting to you, mom, because I could not have painted it without thinking good thoughts of you throughout. Thank-you, mother, du fond de mon coeur, for all that you did to make me the person that I am today.

I love you.







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Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Untitled- mother and child


I started this painting today, not realizing how significant it would become.

I had no idea I would get this far with it in one day, but that's what happens when you are preoccupied with other things.

It's not completely finished. I'll write more later.
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Sunday, December 05, 2010

"Moody Bayou", 12x16, by Maryanne Jacobsen, paintings of bayous, atmospheric paintings

SOLD"Moody Bayou", 12x16, oil on canvas

A bayou is a body of water typically found in flat, low-lying areas, and can refer either to an extremely slow-moving stream or river (often with a poorly defined shoreline), or to a marshy lake or wetland. Bayous are commonly found in the Gulf Coast region of the southern United States, particularly the Mississippi River region, with the state of Louisiana being famous for them. A bayou is frequently an anabranch or minor braid of a braided channel that is moving much more slowly than the mainstem, often becoming boggy and stagnant, though the vegetation varies by region. Many bayous are home to crawfish, certain species of shrimp, other shellfish, catfish, alligators, and a myriad other species.

The definition above was taken from Wikipedia.

I painted this painting a few months ago, at the height of the Deepwater Horizon Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. The catastrophe shook me to the core, and for many months I couldn't paint due to depression and headaches that seemed as if they would never stop.

I am not completely over the trauma of the disaster. Although my headaches have certainly abated, just a few weeks ago my husband and I spotted a large bird, probably a heron, on the beach in our little town, it's legs high and stiff in the air and its head buried irreconcilably in the sand- dead as the dead zone off the Louisiana coast. In my heart I knew what had caused its demise, but I didn't dare focus on it anymore. The future is about hope, and faith and endurance, and without these things it is hard to move forward when the going gets tough.

I have never had it tough. I have never had to go without anything. Sometimes that makes me feel incredibly guilty. The inequity in this world is shameful, and yet I hold to the promises of the Sermon on the Mount, where the meek will inherit the earth and the poor in spirit will inherit paradise, and where those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. Christianity is no longer popular on this planet. That is such a shame to me, because the world needs the teachings of Jesus Christ, the greatest philosopher who ever lived, more than ever before in the history of mankind.

I wish the followers of this blog, regardless of their spiritual proclivities, a very peaceful, joyous Christmas season, and I hope that humanity will someday be joined in total peace and love for each other and for the Creator of this great universe.

Thanks for listening.

If you are interested in this heartfelt painting, please contact Leah Sherman directly at Collector's Gallery and Framery at 941-488-3029.

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Friday, December 03, 2010

"Courtyard Hydrangeas", 9x12, oil on linen, paintings of hydrangeas, palette knife landscapes

SOLD
"Courtyard Hydrangeas", 9x12, oil on wrapped Masterpiece linen (Note: Click on the image for a better view of the texture.)

I am a huge fan of hydrangeas, but have not had much luck growing them here in a subtropical climate zone.

This painting sold last week to a repeat collector. I hope to do more paintings of blue flowers in the future, as blue is my favorite color:0)

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Thursday, December 02, 2010

"Serendipity", bold color, palette knife floral painting, 12x12, texture by MAryanne Jacobsen

SOLD

"Serendipity", 12x12, oil on wrapped canvas-Add a frame for only $25 and receive the painting ready to give as a gift for the holidays! (Note: Please click on the photo to see a close-up of the texture.)

I haven't done one of these gooey paintings in a while. I call them gooey paintings because there is so much paint on the canvas in the end that it literally seems as though I was icing a cake instead of painting a still life floral! These paintings almost always start out as an attempt to conserve paint. since paint is expensive and I am cheap. I try to save what is left over on my palette from the day's painting session, so I spread all the left over paint on the canvas like icing. This usually results in a thick coating of neutral- colored paint, better known as "mud" to artists like myself who save it. But then my efforts to conserve paint go right out the window, as I inevitably have to start all over again the next day with fresh paint in order to finish the painting!

Here is photo of the painting framed:



Anyhow, this painting was done with a palette knife only and was fun to do. It was serendipitous that I had a bunch of flowers, glass vases and an orange at my fingertips when I started the painting, and so I didn't have to think too much about the subject. If you like thick paint and an abstract approach to subject matter, then you'll probably like this.
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Wednesday, December 01, 2010

"Friendship Offering", 9x12, oil on gallery wrapped canvas, floral painting by Maryanne Jacobsen

SOLD
"Friendship Offering", 9x12, oil on gallery-wrapped canvas

After a busy couple of weeks, it was good to get back to painting today! It was wonderful spending time with loved ones and friends over the holidays, but it's always a bit of a relief to get back to normal , too.

This past week was a busy one, but one that will leave many cherished memories in my mind. Over the weekend we invited friends to the house for dinner and a special friend brought me some lovely autumn flowers. Today I decided that I could not let them go to waste, so I painted them, adding the tangelo and grapes, as you can see below:


This painting was done in earth colors, on gallery wrapped canvas.


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