"Early Morning View"- Valle Crucis B&B, plein air, 12x12, oil on board

"Early Morning View"- Valle Crucis B&B, plein air, 12x12, oil on board

There is a stunning view of the mountains from the porch of the Valle Crucis Bed and Breakfast in Valle Crucis, North Carolina.

On our trip back home from Pennsylvania we stopped there for the night and I knew I had to get up early and paint that scene before breakfast the next morning. It was a beautiful morning, not warm yet, but not cold enough for a jacket. There was a blanket of fog across the mountain ridge before I started the painting, but it dissipated quickly as I set up.

The Valle Crucis B&B is quite lovely and our "Mountain View" room was very comfortable. Our hostess Suzanne made a wonderful breakfast and the other guests were very congenial. Over all it was a wonderful stay and I recommend the Inn highly. Check it out if you are in the Boone area!

"An Invitation to Rest", 18x24 oil on board, Chanticleer, beautiful gardens, Wayne, Pa. blue adirondeck chairs

"An Invitation to Rest", 18x24 oil on board

Was very inspired by all the beautiful gardens at Chanticleer in Wayne , Pa. Be sure to visit if you are in the Main Line area. YOu won't be disappointed.

This painting can be purchased for $2000, plus shipping. Please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if interested.

"The Pergola at Chanticleer", 16x20, oil on canvas, pergolas, Chanticleer, Main Line Gardens, palette knife paintings, Philadelphia MAin Line, gardens

"The Pergola at Chanticleer", 16x20, oil on canvas

Chanticleer is a lovely estate with beautiful gardens that are open to the public. It is a place that is heaven to artists! I took advantage of my recent visit to Pennsylvania to take some photos at Chanticleer.

This painting is of the pergola, and was done with mostly a palette knife. Chanticleer is such a lovely place!

To learn more about Chanticleer, please go here.

"Aging Gracefully", 12x16, oil on panel, plein air, old houses, Yellow Springs village, plein air, red maple, paintings of old homes

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"Aging Gracefully", 12x16, oil on panel, plein air

I painted this lovely old home during my recent trip to Pennsylvania. This old home beckoned me with its creeping ivy and red maple in the front yard. The house is located in the tiny village of Yellow Springs, where we stayed.

I will probably paint this again in the studio, where I can concentrate on the finer points of the scene.

"Silent Forever", plein air, 8x10, oil on board, paintings of sculptures, heronsYellow Springs village, plein air

"Silent Forever", plein air, 8x10, oil on board

In Florida we have beautiful big birds- herons, cranes, ibises, egrets- the sky is the limit. I always take these beautiful birds for granted until I go north.

Recently, I took a trip to Pennsylvania to visit family and paint in the open air in the beautiful Chester County countryside.

We stayed in Chester Springs, where I know the terrain like the back of my hand.

IN the small village of Yellow Springs is a metal sculpture of a great blue heron. It is next to the historic Washington Building, which served as a hospital during the Revolutionary War for George Washington's groups.

So I set up there early one morning and painted the metal bird, glad that I would be soon returning to hot, sticky Florida, where the birds are real.

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

"Yellow Irises, plein air", 8x8, oil on board, Yellow Springs, PA., Yellow springs historic village, yellow, plein air, small studies, iris

"Yellow Irises, plein air", 8x8, oil on board

I enjoyed painting the irises at the Yellow Springs art studio earlier this month. I'm glad I did because a week of continuous rain last week, wiped them all out.

I always enjoy going back to the Chester Springs area to paint. I was not yet an artist when I lived there ten years ago, so it's a treat to return and paint the area, which is very beautiful.

The Yellow Springs village has a very colorful history. Some of the first American impressionists painted there at the turn of the century, over a hundred years ago. They would go to Paris and study with the French impressionists, then return to the Philadelphia area and study at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. It was there that they would form plein air groups that would travel the distance to the western suburbs and paint "en plein air" in the meadows and rolling hills of the Yellow Springs area.

I did this little study in the morning light as the sun hit the tops of the irises.

"Red Maple at Vixen Hill Farm", 9x12, oil on board, impressionism, red maple tree, colorist art, Pennsylvania art, Chester County art, Chester Springs

"Red Maple at Vixen Hill Farm", 9x12, oil on board

I have been loving the weather in Pennsylvania this week and using it as an opportunity to get back into painting outdoors, (en plein air).

Painting everyday on location gives an artist the opportunity to really hone their skill sets. The light changes constantly and one must be on their toes in order to turn out a decent plain air painting.

In this painting, I was attracted to the long dark shadows on the ground and the beautiful light on the red maple in the early morning hours.

I did a quick thumbnail sketch to zone in on the darks and lights in the scene, before attempting to transfer my concept to canvas. 

The lights atop the maple were a beautiful reddish orange color in the morning light and served as  the focal point for the composition. Here's the photo that I took before beginning the painting...

In the end, the only problem were the gnats that started attacking the painting as I finished it up after about an hour and a half. I plucked them out gingerly. Here's the finished painting:

I painted this one with a palette knife exclusively. I hope you enjoyed  seeing my concept from start to finish.

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