"Persimmons and Winter Roses", 12x12 , oil on board, persimmons , white roses, roses, winter fruit, impressionist still life, MAryanne Jacobsen art

"Persimmons and Winter Roses", 12x12 , oil on board

Amid the Christmas chaos of shopping, baking, wrapping presents and preparing the house for holiday visitors, I managed to sneak in one more painting before the year ends!

This has been a wonderful year for me- art wise. I was juried into three prestigious national shows, took workshops with 2 amazing artists- Morgan Samuel Price and Kenn Backhaus, and was juried into two wonderful out-of state plein air events as well. In addition, I've sold numerous paintings throughout the year, many through my favorite gallery- Galerie du Soleil- a work of art unto itself!

Since I know I will not have time to visit this blog again before the New Year, I would just like to wish all of my collectors, past , present and even future a healthy, happy, prosperous and blessed new year!

Thank-you from the bottom of my heart for collecting my work and for letting me know time after time how much my  paintings have meant to you! I hope the new year brings the opportunity to expore new channels of creativity so that I can continue to bless and be blessed through the joy of painting!

Joyeaux Noel!

"The Three Amigos"- 12x12, oil, plus a recipe for Stuffed Peppers!, green peppers, yellow peppers, red peppers, paintings of food, vegetables, organic vegetables

"The Three Amigos"- 12x12, oil on wrapped canvas- (Note: the sides are painted to match the scene.)

This is an oldie but a goodie.Three old friends nestled together and enjoying each others company before they get sliced or diced!

I made a pot of my classic Stuff Pepper Stew last night and I guess that is what made me think of this painting, which was a done a few years back.


The recipe for the stew is very simple. Just take a dutch oven and add three cans of tomato soup. Then fill the pan to about half way up the pot with water. Next, take three peppers (I used green) and cut of the tops and remove the seeds and core from the inside. Then take a pound of lean ground beef and put it in a bowl .Add half a cup of brown rice and half a cup of water to the beef and salt and pepper to taste. Mix with your hands and then stuff the mixture into the peppers. Bring the soup and water to a boil and then immediately turn the heat down to simmer. Add the peppers and simmer for about 4 hours till the mixture is very thick. Serve with mashed potatoes and peas and you'll have a meal of old fashioned comfort food!

Oh, and if you are interested in purchasing The Three Amigos, just send me an email at maryannejacobsen @aol.com.

a Painting a day, Daily painters, original art , affordable art, impressionist still life paintings,paintings with vegetables,paintings of peppers,organic vegetables

"Grapes And Pears"- 5x7 oil on panel, grapes, pears, small still life, tasteful gifts, miniature paintings, holiday art, little gems, Maryanne Jacobsen

SOLD

"Grapes And Pears"- 5x7 oil on panel

This lovely little still life would make a special gift for someone who can appreciate the art of giving art!

Painted with a limited palette, the subtle tones mesh together beautifully to create a gift that will last a lifetime, and which can be displayed with ease in anything from a small office to a spacious country kitchen setting. The wide gold frame is available as well at extra cost.

Please contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com to purchase this lovely painting for someone special on your holiday gift list..

"Napa Morning", 9x12, impasto, palette knife, impressionism, Napa Valley vineyards, California art, wine country art, Sonoma, MAryanne JAcobsen art

SOLD

"Napa Morning", 9x12

I pulled out the photos from our trip to Napa last spring and decided on one of a vineyard. The challenge was to try to simplify the scene with all those posts going back in the distance.

The other challenge was the fact I had run out of white paint! Not fun if you are trying to finish a painting!

Not sure if I succeeded in capturing the scene or not, but I certainly enjoyed trying!

This painting was done with mostly a palette knife and has lots of juicy impasto in it.

Please contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if you have any interest in this painting.

"The Good Book", 12x16, oil on board, books, gardens, simple pleasures, ladies in hats, garden settings, Impressionist art

SOLD

"The Good Book", 12x16, oil on board
(Note: "The Good Book" received an honorable mention in the Venice Art Center's 2013 portrait and figurative exhibit.)

Thought I'd revisit this scene of a photo of myself taken a couple years back and try a larger version of it. I've painted it a couple times before in small formats, and I thought it might be fun to try it again. (Note: all of the smaller versions are sold, but you can check them out here, here and here.)

Many have forgotten the joy of a good book in these hectic modern times that we live in.Technology seems to be stealing those simple pleasures from us, as our lives become increasingly filled with the monotony of keeping up with voicemails, emails, Facebook and Twitter. My good friend Diana recently commented that his scene draws us into it, and also takes us back to the way things were. She went on to say that, "Its nice to see her without a cell phone, a kindle or an ipad on the table. "

I confess that I don't own any of those things. Oh, and I still collect beautiful bookmarks!

Thanks for looking and have a good weekend.

"The Good Book" is available through Gallery 444.

"Persimmons and Sunflowers", 22x28, tabby cats, persimmons, sunflowers, snow, cat in window, calico cat, MAryanne JAcobsen art

"Persimmons and Sunflowers", 22x28

I recently discovered persimmons at the supermarket. I bought them, because they looked so luscious. I read up on how to eat them and it turns out that you just eat them like tomatoes. However, they have to be very ripe or else they taste like rotten bananas or something like that.

Well mine were very ripe ad I ate three of them in a couple days. They taste like a cross between a mango and an apricot. They are as luscious as they look!

So I went out and bought some more, as well as a Thanksgiving bouquet which was on sale since Thanksgiving was over.

I decided to paint both the persimmons and the sunflowers and added a cat in the snowy window just because I miss seeing snow.

 If you have never tried a persimmon, they are a winter fruit, in season right now. Here's a good article on 5 ways to eat a persimmon.

Holiday Treasures! , small affordable art, original art, holiday gifts, holiday treasures, little gems

Holiday Gems! The four paintings above, can all be purchased individually. They were painted with the holidays in mind and would make lovely gifts for that special someone on your list. Each painting is beautifully framed in keeping with the paintings' characteristics and can be shipped to you in time for Christmas. Please see details below.

"Pigtails and Teddy Bears", 8x8, oil on panel framed in a wide gold frame.- $400

This painting would be an ideal gift from grandmom for that special little girl in your life. Imagine her waking up in her room each day and looking at the painting on her wall and being reminded of her beloved Gandmom! It is available through the Debra Huse "Holiday Treasures" Salon, which is being held at the Debra Huse Gallery on Balboa Island, California. Please see here for more info about the show, and if you cannot attend next week's reception, please call the gallery at 949-723-6171 to purchase online or follow this link: How to purchase online.

"Red House, Swim Beach", 6x6, framed-$300

The Red House on Monhegan Island is known by every resident or tourist that has ever visited Monhegan Island. It was immortalized first by the Wyeth family of artists and has undergone various changes in structure over the years since it was built. Nonetheless, its location on Swim Beach overlooking the tiny island of Manana will never change and it would make a lovely gift for anyone seeking to recall memories of vacations, honeymoons or moonlit jaunts by boat to Monhegan's incredibly beautiful and eclectic island landscape. This painting and two others have been selected to be in Randy Higbee's annual 6x6 inch squared show, held at Randy's Gallery in Costa Mesa , California. It is my understanding that this is THE art event of the season, so if you are in the area, please attend the opening reception next Saturday, December 7th.

If you are not in the area and would like to purchase this painting, please go here for an online PAypal link. It is my understanding that Randy is offering a 15% discount to other artists in the show, so if you have been wanting to collect one of my pieces of art, and like the one above, by all means call Randy's gallery at and take advantage of this special!

"Scaredy Cat", 6x6, oil on panel, framed- $300

What's not to like about a little kitten with a penchant for mischief and an adorable face? This little gem would make a lovely gift for that cat-lover in your life. It is also available through the Randy Higbee Gallery's annual show. If you cannot attend the show but wish to purchase online, just go here and hit the button and it will take you to the Paypal link.

 

"Rat Boat Reflections", 6x6, oil, framed- $300

Last but not least, who can resist a Rat Boat? This little old wooden dory makes its home on Cape Ann , in the Rockport Harbor, and a trip to Rockport would not be complete if I did not make sure that this little dory is still floating peacefully in the harbor, waiting patiently for its chance to fulfill its duties. A must-have for any old boat aficionado!

To purchase "Rat Boat Reflections", please follow this link to purchase via Paypal.

Thanks for visiting my blog and Happy Thanksgiving!

"Early Morning Light, Shem's Creek", 16x 20, oil on canvas, Charleston, fishing boats, shrimp boats, scenic places in Charleston area, Maryanne Jacobsen art

"Early Morning Light, Shem's Creek", 16x 20, oil on canvas
Note: you can click on the image to see the detail in the painting.

I finally got around to going through some of my reference photos from my trip to Charleston in October. Painting at Shem's Creek was the highlight of the sights we painted during my workshop with Kenn Backhaus that week, so I gravitated back to those photos.

The shrimp boats there were fabulous with their old green nets hanging in the sunshine, and the sun glistening off the sides of the boat in the early morning light. The two shrimp boats in this painting are the Captain BTS and the Sea Horse. Both boats are a beautiful cerulean blue so as Ina Garten would say, "What's not to like about that?"

"The Pond at Horseshoe Farm", 11x14, paintings of ponds, reflections, trees, farm, stables, horses, Chester County, Pennsylvania landscapes, MAryanne Jacobsen art

SOLD

"The Pond at Horseshoe Farm", 11x14

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 sun always came up over the pond in the morning,and the reflections of the pines on the far bank against the sky color reflecting into the pond was pretty amazing.

This painting was done a couple years ago, but I took it out yesterday and re-worked it slightly. I then posted a picture of the revised painting on Facebook and it sold right away.

I'm guessing that I'll miss looking at this painting, which has been hanging in my home for a while, just as I still miss looking out the back windows of my old home at the lovely pond at Horseshoe Farm.

"Red House, Swim Beach", 6x6 oil on linen- MOnhegan Island, Jaime Wyeth, red house, red famous houses on Monhegan

"Red House, Swim Beach", 6x6 oil on linen
Note: This painting won Second Place in the Fall Member's exhibit at the Venice Art Center!

A few summers ago we visited Monhegan  Island on a hot August day. I couldn't believe that Maine could be so hot, especially some thirty miles out to sea in the cold Atlantic! Well, it was way too hot for me to want to paint outdoors, so instead I dragged all my paint gear around the island shooting photos wherever I went.

The Red House looks out towards the loading dock on the island. It is well known for its distinctive color and over the years has gone through numerous renovations and additions.


From what I understand, the Red House was first immortalized in paint thanks to the Wyeth family, who used to escape the Pennsylvania Chadds Ford heat ('scuse me for laughing!) by going to Maine in the summertime.


Most recently, Jaime Wyeth, son of Andrew Wyeth, spends winter months on the island as well, immersing himself in his paintings. One of those paintings- his depiction of Monhegan's Red House, fetched a whopping $973, 000 at an auction back in 2006. You can see what his painting looks like below:

Since I recently painted on Jaime Wyeth's "Point Lookout Farm" for Plein Air Brandywine Valley, I thought it was kind of cool to realize that there are a couple common interwoven threads in this story.

First off, the very first piece of art that I collected after my marriage in 1971, was a lithograph of the "Hay Ledge" by Andrew Wyeth, Jaime's father. That was  a very special piece that my husband bought for me as a gift after an out of town business trip forced us to be separated for a while. Secondly, I lived in the Brandywine Valley area for most of my life and have collected Wyeth prints for the better part of my married life as well. So painting a scene immortalized by the son of one of my favorite artists, at Monhegan Island- a location that I happen to love,( even though I can't live there!), and having just recently having had the honor to paint at Jaime Wyeth's own residence off of Smiths Bridge Road, just made it all seem serendipitous that I should paint this scene again.

Here's my first painting of the Red House, and I hope you enjoyed learning more about the painting and thanks very much for visiting my blog!

"Pigtails and Teddy Bears", 8x8, oil on panel

"Pigtails and Teddy Bears", 8x8, oil on panel

 What's not to like about pigtails or teddy bears? I loved the light coming in from an unseen window, creating dappled light across the child's cheek and the bear's face. I used thick paint on the light passages and thinner paint on the shadow passages.

For more information, feel free to contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

Plein air versus studio! "Country Road, Take me Home", 9x12, oil on linen

"Country Road, Take me Home", 9x12, oil on linen

I decided to take my plein air painting of the "Cornfields at Granogue", and use that and my reference photo to conduct a little experiment.

Over the years, many collectors have fallen in love with my work, as a result of the colors and palette knife work that I used in my first  few years of painting. Over the past few years, however, I have moved more towards the representational, replacing many of my fauvist colors with colors that more accurately describe the subject at hand. I also began favoring more brushwork in my paintings, as I felt there were more ways to be descriptive with a brush, while the palette knife limits how you can render certain subjects, like clouds or cotton.

So today I decided to recreate the "Cornfields at Granogue", using a palette knife and the palette of colors that I used to use exclusively- which is after the Cape Cod School or Hensche method. This was my reference photo:

I think the thing that hampered this experiment of "which is better", is the fact that the first painting was exclusively plein air- it was finished on site and therefore had more immediacy and freshness to it than the studio as piece, as well as truer color.

On the other hand, I was able to be more thoughtful about the trees in the background in the studio piece and they are probably more accurate than the plein air painting for the simple reason that by the time I got to them that day the light had changed dramatically.

The cornstalks in the foreground were definitely in shadow when I began the painting that morning. Yet I was aware that I was starting to "Chase the light" by the end of the 2 hour session, adding more and more light to those foreground cornstalks and thus rendering the light direction confusing.

So overall, both methods of working have their pros and cons, with different results and I feel that this was a good experiment in thinking about things that will help me paint better in the future.

Would love to hear your comments on which of the two paintings you like better and why!

Thanks for visiting my blog.

"Cornfields at Granogue", 9x12, plein air, Brandywine Valley, DuPont estate, farms, cornfields, autumn landscapes

"Cornfields at Granogue", 9x12, plein air

This is another painting that was done during Plein Air Brandywine Valley. For me it was the best day of the event, as I simply loved the setting, and I think it was reflected in the way that the painting turned out-my best of the week.

Granogue is the country estate of Irenee Du Pont and the mansion sits high on a hill overlooking the beautiful Brandywine Valley.

Although Granogue remains a family residence, much of the land is preserved, in keeping with the DuPont tradition of conservationists.

It was a clear beautiful day, on the day we were allowed to paint there, and it was difficult choosing from farmland, old barns, cattle, ponds and the rolling hills that cascade down the valley toward the Brandywine River.

I chose to stand at the carriage house, where I had unmitigated views of the rolling cornfields ,and a farm and fall foliage in the distance.

I only wish I had the option to paint such beautiful scenery every day of the week!

This painting is available through Galerie Du Soleil.

"Bell Tower, Westtown School", 8x10, plein air, fall paintings, Westtown School, brick buildings bell tower, Chester County art

SOLD

"Bell Tower, Westtown School", 8x10, plein air

This was painted on the grounds of the Westtown School in Westtown, Pa., near West Chester during Plein Air Brandywine Valley.

Ironically, this was painted on the very same day that I nearly froze while painting the early morning moon over the meadow at Christ Church in Wilmington. In the afternoon, the temperatures rose quite a bit and there was glorious sunshine- so much so that I had to keep stripping off the layers of clothing I had on!

Westtown has a gorgeous campus and is very familiar to me, since my three sons all went to middle school there, and my eldest graduated high school as well. Westtown is based on Quaker traditions, and it provides a very fine, well-rounded education for children from Pre-K through high school. My son boarded for the last two years and overall it was a fine preparation for college. It was fun to return there and paint on the campus. The painting I did was of the wood working building next to the old smoke stack. I chose that building because I love the little bell tower atop the roof. The school also has a lake where many of my artist friends painted on the day of the paint-out. I wish I had had more than just one afternoon there. It was great to see all the old brick buildings again amidst the gorgeous Chester County foliage!

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

"Morning Moon over Christ Church Meadow", 9x12, oil on panel, moonscape, autumn foliage, red maple

SOLD

"Morning Moon over Christ Church Meadow", 9x12, oil on panel

When my eldest son was a little boy, I would always read "Goodnight Moon" to him every night. He loved the book and he would recite it with me, falling asleep peacefully at its conclusion. I think the happiness that that book brought to my little one, was with me the morning that I painted this scene in Wilmington, Delaware last week. It was truly bitter out- especially for this Florida resident who's blood has certainly thinned after 9 years of Florida living. I had forgotten how it felt to have one's toes and fingers go numb and then start burning in pain. Although I was wearing layers of clothing, the thinned-out blood and the Raynaud's disease that I've had since my early 20's did not diminish the joy I felt at capturing this morning moonscape!

The sun was very low in the sky and its rich warm glow illuminated the tops of the trees, displaying God's glory for all to behold! The richness of the red in the maple tree was truly spectacular, and I counted my blessings to be able to paint this beautiful scene, in spite of the bitterly cold temperatures!

Christ Church in Wilmington, is located in a serene and beautiful setting. There are fields and a labyrinth or meditation garden on the premises and the church is very lovely. I was delighted that it was chosen as one of the spots for the Plein Air Brandywine Valley artists to paint.

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

"Three Roses, a Lime and a Love Letter", 6x6 oil on panel, roses, lime, love letter, small paintings

"Three Roses, a Lime and a Love Letter", 6x6 oil on panel

Sometimes we just have to take the sweet with the sour and the thorns with the petals. It is a testament to the human spirit that we are able to weather the ups and downs of life, and even grow from negative experiences. This is called resilience.

According to Psychology Today, "Resilience is that ineffable quality that allows some people to be knocked down by life and come back stronger than ever. Rather than letting failure overcome them and drain their resolve, they find a way to rise from the ashes."

I suppose that these are some of the things that were on my mind when I created this little set-up and painted this little painting today.

"Autumn Fugue at Winterthur", 14x11, oil on board, plein air, fall foliage, autumn landscapes, Winterthur Museum, Brandywine Valley art

"Autumn Fugue at Winterthur", 14x11, oil on board, plein air

This was painted last week on a cold morning at the Winterthur Museum for the Plein Air Brandywine Valley Paint-Out. I was standing on a slope and my easel blew over a couple times until I finally moved it onto the tram path, which was level. This meant I had to move the easel every time a tram or bus went by, which was basically every 15 minutes. I was attracted to the little gazebo up on the hill as a focal point, as well as the strong contrast of light and shadow patterns. Over all, I was really happy with the way it came out, as the autumn foliage really inspired me to push the palette more than I have been doing recently. Here is what it looked like when It was hanging in the show:

  Unfortunately, whoever shipped it back to me from Wilmington, had no clue how to ship a wet painting. Since this was painted with a palette knife, the paint was extremely thick to begin with. Common sense should have told the person that nothing should come in contact with the paint, but maybe the person didn't realize that the painting could be ruined by contact with heavy paper. At any rate, the painting had been wrapped snugly in brown paper and there was paint all over the paper and the frame when I received it today. Throughout the painting the thick impasto was either smeared or gone!I was really upset because I had worked so hard on the painting at Winterthur. Yet it was truly my own fault, too, since I had not given better instructions on how to ship it back!

So I took it out of the frame, cleaned up the frame and set about to repair it. It does not have the same freshness of the original painting, but I am still happy that I was able to rescue it somewhat. If you are interested in purchasing the painting, just send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

The grounds of the Winterthur Museum are gorgeous all year long, and it was a treat to be allowed to paint on this beautiful property. Founded by Henry Francis du Pont, Winterthur (pronounced “winter-tour”) is the premier museum of American decorative arts, reflecting both early America and the du Pont family’s life here. Its 60-acre naturalistic garden is among the country’s best, and its research library serves scholars from around the world. Please check out their website and be sure to visit if you are ever int he Wilmington , Delaware area.

"Afternoon Marsh, Shem's Creek", plein air, 9x12, Mt. PLeasant, Charleston, boats, marshes, plein air, paint out, plein air, American Impressionist Society

SOLD

"Afternoon Marsh, Shem's Creek", plein air, 9x12

This is a painting that I did in about one hour at Shem's Creek, in Mt. Pleasant, just a short drive from Charleston , South Carolina. It was the last day and afternoon of a three day American Impressionist Society workshop with Master Impressionist Kenn Erroll Backhaus. I can attest to the fact that Kenn is one of the best teachers that I have ever taken a workshop from. He was religious about making sure that he came around to every single person who was painting, offering pointers, gentle criticisms and asking questions that the painter may have inadvertently forgotten to ask himself!

In this painting, Kenn pointed out to me that the reverse "C" curve was too carefully crafted, making it look artificial. He asked me if I had intended it that way, and I was honest. I told him I was really tired and hadn't thought it through that all that much. So after studying it for a few moments, I realized that he was right and quickly made a few corrections, in order to make a stronger composition.

I liked the color harmony in this little study. It is a testament to the fact that it is always a good thing  to keep scraping your paint and use whatever you have left on your palette to help objects recede and form your "polluted" colors.

I loved Kenn's workshop and everything about the experience in Charleston. If you have not yet seen the gorgeous exhibit of the American Impressionist Society online, please go here to see all of the paintings, including the big winners in the show.

If you would like to purchase this little plein air study, just send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"Red Door, Legare Street", 12x16, oil on board, Charleston, South Carolina scenes, architecture, homes, beautiful homes in Charleston, red door, dappled light

SOLD

"Red Door, Legare Street", 12x16, oil on board

While we were in Charleston for the AIS show, my hubby and I took a horse and buggy ride through the streets of Charleston. Charleston is a beautiful city ,and this was our second carriage ride through the historic  streets of Charleston. I remembered many of the same houses from a few years back, but one in particular caught my eye.

As a lover of color, I was smitten with this beautiful house at #10 Legare Street. Not only is the architecture gorgeous, but since it had a red door  I knew I would have to go back and take a photo of it, so I could paint it.

As luck would have it, there were beautiful dappled shadows across the building in the afternoon light and a little kitty was passing through as well!

We caught a quick photo, and that served as the reference for this painting. I decided to use Kenn Erroll Backhaus's palette for this painting, since I so loved his painting that was in the AIS show and the building was sort of reminiscent of that. Being a wishful thinker, I had hoped that somehow, if I used his palette, my painting would come out as lovely as his!

Okay, I have quite a way to go yet, but overall, I was not too displeased with the painting. One thing that stood in my mind as I painted the dappled shadows was something Kenn told us during the workshop. He said to be very careful that you show that you are depicting either a THING, or the EFFECT of light on the thing. Keeping this in mind, I tried to keep the shadows soft, to create an effect, rather than a thing.

Thanks Kenn!

Happily, I found out this week, that my painting, "Dancing Queens and a Pear" sold on the opening night of the show. What a wonderful event it was and I was so pleased to be part of it.

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

"Reflections of a Rat Boat", 6x6, oil on board, paintings of rat boats, dory, old boats, wooden boats, rockport, Massachusetts, Bearskin Neck, colorist art, impressionism

"Reflections of a Rat Boat", 6x6, oil on board

The first time that I saw this little dory up in Bearskin Neck, Rockport, I took a dozen pictures of it. The old worn wood, the humble planks, even the name, "Rat" made me love this little boat as though it was an old friend or familiar piece of clothing.

So to paint it again today, for the second time, was a pleasure and not a chore. I looked at the photo that I had taken a few years back and asked myself why I wanted to paint this humble little boat again. What was the purpose or statement in my painting going to be? The answer came quickly. It was the reflections, of course, that grounded the boat to its home- the Atlantic Ocean in Rockport Harbor!

Without the water reflections, the boat would just kind of float in the air, without substance or a sense of grounding or place in space.

This is one of the things that I learned from Kenn Erroll Backhaus's workshop last week. Decide on a purpose , or statement, before you start a painting. I had never thought much about a statement before. Oftentimes I would just paint a subject, rather than a statement. This concept of "finding a statement before you begin"  made a world of difference in my approach to this little painting.

Why is it called a "rat" boat? I have no idea but maybe it's obvious. The boat is.... well.... a bit ratty!

Here is my first painting of the little Rat Boat.


THis painting was juried into Randy Higbee's annual 6x6 inch square show in Costa Mesa, California.

"Morning View, looking west, Shem's Creek", 12x16, oil on board, Charleston, Shem's creek, shrimp boats, fish shacks, American Impressionist Society, Maryanne Jacobsen art

"Morning View, looking west, Shem's Creek", 12x16, oil on board

I just returned from a week in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina, where I attended a plein air workshop with Master Impressionist Kenn Erroll Backhaus, and attended the opening reception for the American Impressionist Society's 14th annual exhibit.

The workshop was filled with opportunities to paint many of Charleston's beautiful scenes, and Kenn was a thoughtful, helpful and considerate teacher. I'll be posting my plein air studies soon , along with more in depth info about the workshop.

The opening exhibit at the M Gallery was fabulous. I met many new friends and was awestruck by the beautiful art on the walls. Out of over 1300 entries, only 163 paintings were juried into the show, so I was honored to be included amongst the nation's top Impressionist painters for the second time in four years.

Here I am with my entry, "Dancing Queens and a Pear".

To see all of the paintings that were in the show, you can go here.

On Friday, many of the artists went to Shem's Creek to paint the scenic marshes and shrimp boats. I had already done two paintings there earlier in the week, so instead I elected to take photos at the docks in the early morning light. The painting above is of a fish shack that was bathed in that lovely warm buttery light that spills across the horizon about an hour after dawn. The blue "SeaHorse" shrimp boat was directly across the water and was also bathed in luscious light.

My painting of the Dancing Queens can be purchased through the M Gallery. You can follow the link above for more purchase info. If you would like to purchase "Early Morning Light, Shem's Creek", just send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com for purchase information.

"Venetian Light", 12x16, oil on masonite, Venice study, gondolier, Venice, Italy, canals

"Venetian Light", 12x16, oil on masonite

This was a quick study of a complex scene. I wanted to simplify the scene so that the light was the dominant centerpiece of the scene, rather than getting bogged down in a lot of details. I also experimented with  some earth colors like raw sienna and terra rosa, and found it advantageous to have earth colors on the palette when painting the ochres of Venice.Considering it only took a couple hours, I wasn't disappointed with it, since I accomplished what I had set out to do.

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

"Amalfi Coast Evening", 14x11, oil on linen, Amalfi, Ravello, Italian riviera, Italy, nocturnes

"Amalfi Coast Evening", 14x11, oil on linen

Tourists are walking home from a late afternoon or early evening of shopping for treasures.... The air is fragrant with jasmine and other seductive scents which waft through the air- purloined from shops laden with delicacies and exotica that tickle all the senses. And as the shop -weary travelers legs beg for mercy, the glittering lights of the merchants still beacon in the early evening light to seduce and betray the limbs and pocketbooks of the most vulnerable. To shop some more? Or call it a day in this gorgeous ancient town overlooking the Amalfi Coast and the Gulf of Salerno.

What would you do?

This painting was a challenge for me. I had never painted a nocturne (Night scene) before and  there are many considerations to think about which differ from painting a daytime scene. The normal rules tend to reverse- the shadows becomes warmer from the influences of electric lighting and the light temperature of the air becomes cooler in the absence of the sun.

The architecture of the ancient arch was especially challenging, and I'll probably go back into the painting and add some glazes when it is dry.

Overall, I was happy with this first nocturne and will probably attempt some more.

"Gate to Sunshine", 5x7, oil on board, flowers, garden, impressionism, gate, trellis

SOLD

"Gate to Sunshine", 5x7, oil on board

Sometimes, when all of the news that you hear is bad, you just need to settle down and find your own little portal to sunshine. So that's what I did when I painted this little garden scene today.

Purchase info through Galerie du Soleil.

"Green Mansions", 11x14, oil on board- palette knife, impressionism

SOLD

"Green Mansions", 11x14, oil on board

Painted with palette knife only. Thick, juicy impasto throughout!

Purchase info through Galerie Du Soleil.

"Happy Together", 25x35,oil on wrapped canvas, Maryanne Jacobsen art, still life, oranges, sunflowers, roses, pitcher, window seat

"Happy Together", 25x35,oil on wrapped canvas

I don't often paint larger works, unless it's a commission, mainly because it takes a lot of paint.

But after being in a rather apathetic spell all week, I decided that I needed something to focus on. This was the result.

I started gathering a bunch of stuff together and placing it on the counter in the kitchen. Painting large in the kitchen isn't really such a great idea. It certainly makes cooking a lot less appetizing, lol. Yet it affords me the best space and light, so that's where I often end up, when I am painting larger works.

Here's the arrangement I finally came up with after much trial and error:

The roses were on their last legs, so I had to pretty much fake 'em. The big dilemma was how to make a set up on a kitchen counter into an attractive painting. So I kept making it up as I went along.

The idea of a window looking out over a pretty countryside came together towards the very end. I had to construct the scenery out of imagination, and in the end, I was happy with the overall result.

I wouldn't advise this method, however. I almost wiped this out at least a dozen times.  Next time I paint a large piece, I think I'll try to have a better plan in place!

"Looking for White Rabbits", 9x12, color study, little girls, white dresses, gardens, roses

SOLD

"Looking for White Rabbits", 9x12

This was a study in trying consciously  to mute my colors, rather than over-saturating them.

I have heard a lot of people say that it is hard to learn a colorist technique after using earth colors and being a tonalist for many years. I can say that as someone who began as a colorist, it is just as hard to try to bring your palette closer to nature! I have been working on that for a while now, and the results have always been muddy colors. So I continue to struggle with a balance between being a colorist and still keeping my paintings representational. I really concentrated on keeping my greens and shadow colors muted in this study.

"On a Clear Day you can See Forever", 9x12, oil on panel, trees, water, tiger Lillies, Rockport Massachusetts, Cape Ann, Old Garden Path, Captain's House, MArmion Way, plein air

SOLD

"On a Clear Day you can see Forever", 9x12, plein air

The painting above was done during my recent trip to New England.

Once again we stayed at the lovely"Captain's House" on Marmion Way in Rockport, MAssachusetts and the sun came out to greet us after 5 days of dismal rainy weather in Maine. So I took the opportunity to go down to the Old Garden Path and find a spot to paint.

I had always admired the twisting trees that you see at the beginning of the path and so I didn't find a need to go much further down the path to create my painting.

Here's the scene that I decide to paint:

As you can see, there was a strong pattern of light and shadow, and the design, along with the lyrical trees, was what attracted me to the scene. I decided to omit the bench, because I didn't think it was necessary. A couple sailboats went by as I was painting, and so I decided to put one in, instead of the bench, for interest.

My hubby came by while I was painting, and took this photo of me as I painted:

If you ever visit Rockport on Cape Ann in Massachusetts, be sure to take the scenic walk along the ocean at the Old Garden Path. It begins on Marmion Way and winds past lovely ocean "cottages" to the headlands, where you can see the scenic village of Rockport and Motif#1 below.

If you are interested in "On a Clear Day", just send me an email at maryannejacobsen@com.