"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

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"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.

"Misty Morning, Southwest Harbor", plein air, Claremont Hotel, croquet, Southwest Harbor Maine,

"Misty Morning, Southwest Harbor", 9x12, oil on board,  plein air oil sketch

Last week after the Castine Plein Air Festival, my husband and I decided to spend a few days at Southwest Harbor, Maine. Southwest Harbor is a sleepy but lovely little area about 15 minutes south of Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. We stayed once again at the lovely olf Claremont Hotel, a grand old hotel that helped put Bar Harbor and Maine on the map as a vacation destination in the late 1800's. The hotel is beautifully situated at the mouth of Somes Sound, the east coast's only fjord.

The hotel looks over the Sound to Mt. Desert Island and it is truly a magical expereince to watch the mist lift from the sound and the land mass appear in the early morning hours.

The week we were there was the week of the annual croquet tournament, and the croquet players were practicing with amazing concentration the morning that I set up to paint on the porch. You can see some of them in my photos below:

The painting came together pretty quickly once there was enough light on the porch for me to see what I was painting!

There are beautiful hanging pots of begonias all over the porch and I would highly recommend this lovely traditional old dame of a hotel over any of the Bed and Breakfasts in Bar Harbor. A full breakfast is included and there is even a gent on the premises who will give you some croquet tips!
 Here is a photo of the back of the Claremont on a misty afternoon. I was standing at the boat house when I took the photo, and you can have lunch or drinks there in front of a roaring fire.

For more info about The Claremont, you can just follow the link. To see another painting of the Claremont croquet lawn that I did  a while back, please go here. And if you are interested in purchasing this plein air oil sketch, just send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"A Taste of Alsace", 40 x30 oil on canvas, Strasbourg, France, Little Paris, paintings of Strasbourg

SOLD

"A Taste of Alsace", 40 x30 oil on canvas

This painting was a commission based upon a smaller painting of the same scene that I did. The client saw the smaller piece in a gallery and commissioned the larger version through the gallery. I'll confess that I've been working on this painting for the past three months!

The reference photo for the painting was a photo that I took during a trip to Strasbourg , France in 2001:

I decided to give the entire scene a rosy glow and so I themed my palette around permanent rose. I do hope the client is happy with it and I am relieved that it is finished!

"View from the Pentagoet Inn", 9x12, oil on panel, Castine plein air festival, Pentagoet Inn, Castine, Maine, scenic towns in Maine

SOLD

"View from the Pentagoet Inn", 9x12, oil on panel
(Note: Unfortunately, I do not have a better photo of this painting as it sold before I could take a decent photo)

Just got back from the Castine Plein Air festival, held in Castine, Maine last weekend. It was Castine's first plein air festival and I must say it was one of the best Paint-outs that I've ever attended. The chairpersons, Dan Graziano and Don Tenney, did a fanstastic job in making sure that everything ran smoothly- not an easy task for a one day plein air event!

I arrived a day early in the hopes that I could scout the town for a couple good painting sites. Unfortunately, the rain was torrential the entire day spoiling my plans. The sun finally broke through in the early evening and many artists could be seen walking around the streets of this immensely scenic little town to get a lay of the land and find their favorite spots.

Morning came and the sky still looked a little questionable from my view of Main Street at the Pentagoet Inn where I was staying.

After going to the Village Green and getting my panels stamped, the sun began to break through at last! But I decided to play it safe and paint under the awning just in case there was another downpour! By noon I had finished my painting and the sun was shining brightly!

After lunch I decided to make my way down to Dennet's Wharf for an afternoon painting. I'll post that one tomorrow as well as some photos of Castine's scenic harbor.

The evening art reception and sale was a beautiful event and there must have been at least 500 hundred people who turned out to view the art, meet the artists and purchase paintings!
A resident of Castine bought my painting and I had the opportunity to chat with her and learn a little more about Castine.  Here is my painting at the event with its red dot:

 The event was held at the Maine Maritime Academy and it was a beautiful site for an art event, featuring a wrap around deck that overlooked the beautiful hills and waters of Castine.

I also enjoyed spending time with my friend and fellow artist, Jane Sither and her family, who also traveled from Florida for the Paint-Out.

Overall, it was a wonderful event and I was very happy that I was invited to participate!

Two national shows and three roses!- American Impressionist Society, American Women Artists, Castine Plein air, Maryanne jacobsen art, roses, vase

SOLD

 "Pas de Trois", 8x8, oil on board

You know you haven't blogged in  awhile, when some of your readers send you emails asking if you are well!

I apologize for not blogging over these past weeks, but I had good reasons! I'm just getting over an illness that had me under the weather for a few weeks. In spite of not feeling well, I decided to go to the Castine Plein Air event anyway, and I'm glad that I did. I'll be blogging about that later on, but for now I just wanted to say that I'm back and thanks to my readers for their concerns!

I also received really wonderful news this week that I have been juried into the 16th annual American Women Artist's exhibit to be held in November at The Hanna Gallery in Fredericksburg , Texas. Of over 600 entries, only 60 were selected for the exhibit, and I was delighted and honored to have "Pas de Trois" included in this group of  beautiful paintings!

My little vase that I purchased in a health food store has certainly served me well, as I also used it for the painting, "Dancing Queens and a Pear", which was juried into the prestigious American Impressionist Society's 14th annual juried show in Charleston this October.Wow! Two national shows in one month! I am soooo happy and thankful for the blessing!

 Here's a photo of the set-up that  I used for my painting: As you can see, I stuck the vase unceremoniously between the blender and the toaster, and painted it right in my kitchen!

The next day, I carried the roses and vase into the bathroom, added a pear and couple glass bottles and painted "Dancing Queens and a Pear" in the somewhat confining quarters of the bathroom. Well, whatever works and for me the combination of north light from the window and warm overhead light above the mirror, made for an  interesting lighting effect.

I think it is going to be a busy and exciting fall season for this happy artist! Thanks for reading!