"Shrimper's Sunrise", 10x20, oil on linen, Shem's Creek, Palm Avenue Fine Art, Charleston, South Carolina, American Impressionist Society, shrimp boats, bleu boats, Maryanne Jacobsen fine art, sunrise

SOLD

"Shrimper's Sunrise", 10x20, oil on linen

This painting was done from a photo I took of the shrimp boats at Shem's Creek in the early hours of daybreak. I was fortunate to have had a painting juried into the prestigious American Inpressionist Society show at the M Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina, and I made the most of the opportunity by taking a workshop from fabulous Master Impressionist Kenn Backhaus. Kenn took us over to Shrimp Boat Lane at Shem's Creek on Mt. Pleasant Island where we painted all day and I fell in love with all the magical nautical scenes.

The plein air sketches I did that day have sold- which is a good indication that I loved the scenery!!!! This one was painted later, from a photo, and it sold recently through the fabulous Palm Avenue Fine Art Gallery in Sarasota, Florida.

I used a limited palette of Yellow ochre, Lemon Yellow, Napthol Red, Permanent Magenta, Ultramarine Blue and Viridian, plus white for this one.When I commit myself to a limited palette I'm always successful and need to do this more often!

"Verte et Rouge", 11x14, oil on panel, green, red, floral, esperanza rose, apples, still life, palette knife

"Verte et Rouge", 11x14, oil on panel

I loved the way these two compliments played against each other as I painted this. I opted for cooler reds throughout, which made the warmer greens pop.

I guess with Christmas right around the corner, I had red and green on my mind.

This painting is available for $850. If you have any interest in this painting, please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"Almost Winter, Montmartre", 16x20, oil on board, Paris street scenes, Place du Tetre, Sacre Couer, nocturne, moon, Artists Quarters

"Almost Winter, Montmartre", 16x20, oil on board, (Copyright, 2015)

This scene has been painted thousands of times by artists all over the world. It's easy to see why. This is the Artists' Quarter in Paris, though Montmartre is truly a village unto itself at the north end of Paris. You can see Sacre Coeur lit up in the background, and if you don't know your history, you may not know that many of the residents of Montmartre were not happy when it was built in the early 1900's. It's not hard to figure out why, of course. Down the street a few blocks is the Moulin Rouge, a dance caberet hall where the "notorious" Can-Can was born. (I personally love the Can-Can myself and have been known to perform it on street corners at inopportune times.) Certainly the devil was NOT in the details when the church's founders were drawing up the plans!

At any rate, the scene above is the famous Place du Tetre where numerous artists, writers and poets would come to paint and frequent the coffee houses. It's still a haunt for the bohemian crowd, though it's become a horrendous tourist trap as well. In this painting, I really wanted to try to picture Montmartre in a gentler time, before dozens of tourists crowded it's narrow streets year round.

I wanted it to be a contemporary painting, while still maintaining vestiges of the older days. I hope I was successful.

"Pea Green Boat",8x8, oil on panel, owls, barn owl, cat, kitten, tabby cat, the owl and the pussycat, small paintings, moon , love, childhood poems, framed paintings, holiday gift ideas, romance

"Pea Green Boat",8x8, oil on panel

 I love Thanksgiving because it gives me an opportunity to step back and reflect on my blessings. It's a time to be surrounded by family and friends and to share love and blessings with others less fortunate.

The poem of "The Owl and the Pussycat" has been a favorite of mine since I was a child because it's filled with light, love and happiness. It's whimsical and a little corny, but in the end, it's a love story about how two unlikely characters come together in love. They didn't allow fur and feathers to separate them. The Turkey who lives on the hill, officiates the ceremony and instead of dining on the turkey they chose to eat mince and quince, which they ate with a runcible spoon of course.

  

At the end of this feast they danced hand and hand by the edge of the sand by the light of a beautiful moon. How cool is that????????

 

It is sad that this year so many people are mired in fear and hatred over things that are sometimes difficult to understand. I think it takes a conscious choice to choose love and joy over hatred and fear. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  has said so well:

 

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: 
only light can do that. 
Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

May love and joy surround you this holiday season! Happy Thanksgiving!

Note: This painting would make a lovely gift for that special someone with a romantic heart. It can be purchased framed as shown below in a lovely Randy Higbee floater frame for the special holiday price of only $400 plus shipping and including the frame! Send me an email if interested at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"Morning Chill", 9x12, oil on linen, plein air , Coverdale Farm Preserve, Greenville, Delaware, Delaware Nature Society, Visual Art Center, Punta Gorda, Bill Farnsworth, red barns, autumn landscapes, harvest, award-winning art, MAryanne Jacobsen art

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"Morning Chill", 9x12, oil on linen, plein air (aka "October Morning")

This was painted on a frosty cold (29 degrees) morning at Coverdale Farms, near Wilmington , Delaware, during the Plein Air Brandywine Valley event last month. Coverdale Farms is a non-profit organization run by the Delaware Nature Society and it's a lovely place for artists to find inspiration. Red Barns, sheep, roosters, haybales- you name it. They were all there the morning I went there to paint, and the only dilemma was figuring out which scene to choose.

I finally chose to stand on the hill overlooking a red barn, spent cornfields and autumn-dipped trees, where a thermos of hot coffee kept my fingers from freezing while I painted.

Although I was seriously cold that morning, the funny thing about plein air painting is that you pretty much loose yourself in the moment and kind of forget your discomfort as you attempt to capture that all too fleeting light in the short span of maybe an hour or so.

 Recently I entered the painting into the "Harvest of Art" exhibit and fall festival at the Visual Art Center in Punta Gorda, Florida. There are many fun events that the art center is sponsoring in conjunction with the exhibit, so check out the info here if you enjoy Harvest celebrations in conjunction with beautiful art.

I was pleased to receive a merit award for this painting by juror, Bill Farnsworth, a very accomplished award-winning artist, who was this year's juror of awards. You can check out Bill's website here. The painting is available for purchase for $750. You can contact the art center directly to purchase or just send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"Autumn Day at Marsh Creek", 9x12, plein air, Marsh Creek State PArk, Chester County paintings, autumn landscapes, fall, trees, oak trees Pennsylvania landscapes

"Autumn Day at Marsh Creek", 9x12, plein air

Marsh Creek State Park was about a ten minute drive from where I used to live in Chester Springs, PA., before moving to Florida. Our family had many happy times at that park. We would walk the trails, fish, canoe and wind surf in the lake and swim in the community pool on hot summer days. It was a great place for picnics and watching sunsets.

During our recent trip up north, I decided to go paint there. The trees did not disappoint, and one in particular seemed to be screaming, "Paint me! Paint me!"

So I did.

Feel free to email me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if you are interested in this plein air sketch.

"Harry", 12x16, oil on board, paintings of dogs, hound dogs, palette knife paintings of dogs, dog portraits

"Harry", 12x16, oil on board

Harry, my son's dog, loves to bark. At squirrels, at people, at cats, at other dogs. Literally, Harry would stand at the window and howl all day if it were up to him . Which it isn't. The neighbors have already made that abundantly clear. At least made it clear to me through nasty notes in the mailbox. Not that that matters to Harry.

So Harry was officially uninvited to my house for the unforeseeable future. Not that Harry cares. You see, my son's neighbor has decided to have a hen and a rooster in his back yard so he can have fresh eggs each day. Which drives Harry nuts, since he can't have the eggs or the fowl. So now Harry howls at the fowl day and night and drives the rooster and hen, as well as my son and daughter-in-law bonkers. Which makes the cockatoo that lives on the other side of Harry very happy. And if you think Harry's howling, the rooster's crowing and the hen's clucking is bad, you should come around when the cockatoo joins in the choir.

So thankful I don't live anywhere near Harry and the boys.

"The Little Church in Chester Springs", 8x10, oil on panel, plein air, Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, fall foiliage, paintings of churches, St. Matthews Church of Christ, autumn landscapes, Maryanne JAcobsen art

"The Little Church in Chester Springs", 8x10, oil on panel, plein air

Last week the leaves in Pennsylvania were at their peak of glory. So it was with a happy heart that I went out each day and painted the beauty that was truly everywhere. When I lived in Chester Springs, I passed the little St. Matthews Church of Christ on the corner of 401 and St. Matthews Rd. almost everyday, but it wasn't until I left the area, became an artist, and then returned to the area, that I realized how much it needed to be painted!

It's an incredibly scenic little church, with a graveyard in the side lawn, and I knew I had to paint it while I was there.

Route 401 is a fairly busy country road, so I set up on the other side of the road, as far back from the highway as I could. The sun was on the left side of the building and so the light effect was really nice as it hit the tops of the trees.

Below, you can see how much the light had changed by the time I finished the painting...

When I got back home to Florida, I realized that I had forgotten the little red maple in the front yard, so I added it to the painting afterwards and tweaked some additional areas, but overall, it was done mostly on location.

I hope you like it! Send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if you have any interest in this painting!

"Along Flowing Springs Road",14x11, oil, plein air, paintings of country scenes, Chester Springs art, Pennsylvania art, Chester County art, MAryanne Jacobsen original paintings

"Along Flowing Springs Road",14x11, oil

I just returned from a painting trip to Pennsylvania where I had the opportunity to paint a plethora of lovely autumn landscapes. We stayed in a lovely cottage in the little town of Chester Springs, where I lived and raised my family before moving to Florida.

I did a lot of plein air painting while I was there, as the weather cooperated and the autumn scenery was magnificent.

One of the scenes I decided to paint was looking right up the road from our little cottage at a barn at the top of the winding road.

I thought  that standing in the driveway was a perfect vantage point to capture the nice curve of the road, while being sheltered from any possible country road traffic. Little did I realize that I was standing under a hickory tree that had weapons of its own to throw at this hapless plein air painter!

If you've never seen the nuts of a hickory tree, I can tell you that they are mammoth! Before even getting started on the painting, I took a tumble on the gravel as my foot turned over from one of these nuts that were the size of baseballs. Not to be deterred, I set up under the tree anyway. But that was not the end of the tree's revenge on me.  It kept spewing nuts on my head as I tried to paint the scene!

After a couple welts, I decided I was not going to be target practice for the tree anymore. So I gave up, packed up all my gear and headed back into the cottage.

Happily, I could still see the scene  from the kitchen window, and so I finished the painting indoors.

If anyone had told me that hickory trees could be a hazard to a plein air painter, I would have laughed!

Not any more. I do think plein air painting could be listed as one of the top ten  most hazardous activites that people can do!

Thanks for reading and please feel free to contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com of you would like purchase info on this painting.

"Autumn on Shrimp Boat Lane", 12x16, oil on masonite, Shem's Creek, Shrimp Boat Lane, Mt. Pleasant Island, boats, Charleston, marine art

"Autumn on Shrimp Boat Lane", 12x16, oil on masonite

This is a painting that I did a year or so ago and was never really happy with. So I took it out and worked on it a bit yesterday and corrected the errors.

It's always a relief to me to be able to take out a painting after a while and be able to figure out what went wrong the first time. It certainly helps me know that I am still progressing.  I lightened up some of the shadows, especially on the fish house and corrected the drawing in a few places. I also noted that the value of the floating dock was too dark so I lightened that as well.

This is a painting of Shrimp Boat Lane on Mt. Pleasant Island  near Charleston. Also known as Shem's Creek, it is a very colorful place with ample painting subjects for an artist!

If you are interested in this painting, please contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com

"Gala Apples and Summer Roses", 14x18, oil on linen, mixed roses, apples, still life, Maryanne Jacobsen art

"Gala Apples and Summer Roses", 14x18, oil on linen

I haven't posted in a while because I've been sick with a sinus infection. Thankfully it' over and I'm good as new.

I started this painting before I got sick and had to put it on hold while I recovered. Unfortunately, by the time I was able to start painting again, here is what the roses looked like;

 Ahhh, the joys and challenges of painting from life!

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

"Father Serra's Garden",11x14, oil on linen, Carmel Mission, Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, California missions, Father Serra cannonization, Pope Francis, gardens, statues, Maryanne Jacobsen art

SOLD

"Father Serra's Garden",11x14, oil on linen

Junípero Serra Ferrer, (November 24, 1713 – August 28, 1784) was a Spanish Franciscan friar who founded a mission in Baja California and the first nine of 21 Spanish missions in California from San Diego to San Francisco. He began in San Diego on July 16, 1769, and established his headquarters near the Presidio of Monterey, but soon moved a few miles south to establish Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo in today's Carmel, California.


The missions were primarily designed to bring the Catholic Christian faith to the native peoples. Other aims were to integrate the neophytes into Spanish society, and to train them to take over ownership and management of the land.

Serra was beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 25, 1988, and Pope Francis expects to canonize him in September 2015 during his first visit to the United States. Since this is timely, I thought it would be a good time to post the painting that I did of Father Serra's garden this past summer.

Whenever I visit California, it is almost a must for me to visit one or more of Father Serra's missions. They are all tranquil and lovely. My favorite of the missions is Mission Capistrano, which I've painted numerous times, but the Carmel Mission in Carmel, where Father Serra established his residence and is buried, is a close second.

The painting above is of Father Serra's Garden at the Carmel Mission, also known as Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo. It was close to closing time when I was there that day, and the long shadows added an air of mystery to the little garden alcove. Adding to the enchantment, the statue of Father Serra had the smallest slice of butterlike light cascading over his head and down his shoulder, an almost seeming continuation of the rapidly melting late afternoon sunshine that was snaking down the terra cotta roof, where it made a nose dive and finally came to rest over the figure of Father Serra.

I wish the fountain had been on, as the fountain itself was still bathed in that lovely light and a little running water would have added additional drama.

To inquire about this painting, send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"Summer Garden, Provincetown", 8x10, oil, Cape Cod, Provincetown, beautiful gardens, summer gardens, New England gardens

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"Summer Garden, Provincetown", 8x10, oil

Provincetown is always a fun place to visit and although the summer crowds make travel on Cape Cod somewhat challenging, seeing all the beautiful gardens in full bloom make it well worth the effort.

Took a bunch of pictures last summer when I was up there for the American Women Artists exhibit in Orleans and finally took them out today and chose one to paint.

Cape Cod was the very first place that my hubby and I chose as a vacation destination when we were first married 44 years ago. Things have changed a lot since then, but the Cape, and Provincetown in particular, will always hold a special place in my heart.

"Time to Go", 12x16, oil, great blue heron, paintings of large birds, cranes, Florida birds, Florida beaches, southwest florida oil paintings, palette knife painting

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"Time to Go", 12x16, oil

When I first moved to Florida 10 years ago, I was mezmerized by the birds. Huge creatures they were- great blue herons, egrets, sandhill cranes- many of them so tall that you felt  you could practically lean over and have a conversation with them when you met them on the street. And yes, you do meet them on the street . They hang out on cars, boats, street corners and walk through your gardens mid-morning and stop and look at you as if you are their best friends.

Which in fact we hope we are! The great blue herons are one of my favorite big birds and they are very dramatic when they are in flight. Their wing span is expansive and their flight is elegant. The sandhill cranes mate for life and have a habitat right in my neighborhood. We love watching them mate each spring and produce offspring. They walk around the neighborhood proudly- the whole family, usually two little ones and their parents. When the little pups grow big- usually in about 6 months- they fly off in search of mates and so the cycle begins anew.

The scene above was painted at Venice Beach. I added the great blue heron afterwards thanks to some photos I took with my camera.

I hope to paint more big birds in the future. It always fills my heart with joy to see them and it's one of the special perks of living in southwest Florida!

"Summer Vineyard", 12x16, plein air, North Carolina plein air, Morgan Ridge Vineyards, winery, vineyard painting, Gold Hill, NC

"Summer Vineyard", 12x16, oil, plein air

Had a great time last week painting with the North Carolina plein air painters during their NC Open Plein Air event in Salisbury. The weather was warm but perfectly bright and there were many great spots to choose from. I painted a historic farmhouse in the morning (more on that later) and ended up at Morgan Ridge Wineries for the afternoon session of painting.

The Morgan Ridge Vineyard is lovely, with beautiful gardens, flowers, goats and of course-wine!

The owner was sweet. She called her goats over by name and fed them so my husband could get a better photo of them. All in all it was a lovely day and it was great to get a little relief from the Florida heat.

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

"Summer Garden, Monhegan Island", 8x10, oil on panel, Monhegan Island, summer gardens, floral painting, Maryanne Jacobsen art, Maine, Carina, The Fish House

"Summer Garden, Monhegan Island", 8x10, oil on panel

Monhegan Island is a special little place about 12 miles off the Maine Coast. You can take the ferry from either Boothbay Harbor or Port Clyde. The homes all look fairly alike with lots of grey weathered clapboard that seems to match the soft bluish light that is such a delight to artists everywhere. The island is such eye candy to artists that Monhegan has been dubbed, "The Artists' Island". In the summer, the island comes alive with color as perennial gardens spring up in profusion with giant sunflowers, foxglove, snap dragons, lupine, island thistle and black-eyed susans in abundance.

Summers are warm and lively on the island and the lunch crowd keeps the Fish House on Fish Beach Road hopping throughout the season as you can see below.

 

This perky and effusive garden that I painted lies right on the main path leading up the hill at a place called "The Carina". The Carina is a very versatile establishment selling deli sandwiches, beer and wine, gourmet foods and even hardware!

I've done a lot of paintings of Monhegan Island . You can see some of my favorites here

and here.

Many people use golf carts to get around the island. If I ever go back, (and I hope I will), I may consider that option as lugging my paint gear around in the heat was no fun! (Yes, it gets hot, there, too!)

If you look closely at the above photo you can just make out the garden that I painted and the house behind it.

If you ever go to Maine, do not miss the opportunity to spend at least a day on Monhegan. It's truly a magical, unforgettable place!

This painting is available through Galerie du Soleil in Napels, Florida. Please contact them for purchase info at 239-417-3450.

"The Whaler's House", 11x14, After Hopper exhibit, Addison Art Gallery, Orleans, MA. Cape Cod, Edward Hopper, Edward Penniman House, MAryanne JAcobsen art

"The Whaler's House", 11x14

Tomorrow is the opening of the After Hopper show at the Addison Art Gallery in Orleans, Ma.

This show is an exciting collection of plein air work by a group of selected artists that reflect a connection to the work of Edward Hopper. Hopper often painted on the Cape and his work has been the inspiration of artists from coast to coast.

Hopper's handling of light on buildings was masterful. I chose to paint the Edward Penniman House because of the strong light and shadow patterns on the building and the distinctive architecture of the Whaling Captain's house, which was so reminiscent of many of the buildings that Hopper himself had painted in his day. See what I mean?

"Haskell's House" by Edward Hopper, watercolor


The Edward Penniman House is located on Fort Hill, not far from the Addison Gallery in Orleans.

Capturing The Penneman House on canvas was like stepping back into time, where I could almost hear the Whaler himself as he stepped out on the cupola of the roof of his mansion, his eyes darting to and fro across the horizon from his vantage point on Fort Hill. I could almost hear him clear his throat , followed by a sharp intake of breath as he spotted not one- but two whales  breeching in syncopation above the frothy waves not far from the Whaler’s House.

I elected to omit the whale bones and metal guard rail because I felt reasonably sure that they did not exist in Hopper's time and I wanted to try to stay true to the era.

There are many wonderful events on the Cape that will celebrate the "After Hopper" exhibit. Please check the website here for more details, and don't miss this wonderful celebration of an American icon, if you are vacationing on Cape Cod.

"It's the little things that count", 8x10, oil on linen panel, lemons still life, floral alla prima, painting from life, Maryanne Jacobsen art, blue vase

"It's the little things that count", 8x10, oil on linen panel

It's been raining here in Florida for what seems like an eternity. The summer's are always so hot and humid here but at least there is sunshine. Well, not this year! It's been the rainiest summer I can remember since moving here in 2004.

What does this have to do with the painting? Nothing much, other than the fact that I have come to realize that painting from life always produces results that are superior to painting from a photograph.

So I am basically using this time when I am shut indoors to practice some still life paintings. The small flowers were picked from the garden and the lemons came from the frig. I dug a pretty marble out of a silk flower vase and added it at the last minute.

How easy is that?

Email me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if you are interested in purchasing this small study.

"Antique Copper Cup with Meyer Lemons and Pink Roses", 11x14, pink roses, antique copper, meyer lemons, still life Maryanne Jacobsen art, impressionist art

SOLD

"Antique Copper Cup with Meyer Lemons and Pink Roses", 11x14

I found the coolest copper cup at an antique mall in Maine one day. In case you don't know, Maine has the very BEST antique malls and they are everywhere!

Anyway, I brought it out today and set up a still life in my studio. It was a drab rainy day and it's been that way all week!

Here's my set-up:

I kind of wish I had added some blue to the set-up, but oh well. The green and purple harmonize pretty well. 

Have a good weekend, folks! Email me if you are interested in this painting at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"Indian Summer", 6x6, oil on panel, paintings of covered bridges, red bridge farm, Elverson, Pennsylvania, Paintings of Chester County, Pennsylvania, small paintings, little gems, Maryanne Jacobsen art, original oil paintings

"Indian Summer", 6x6, oil on panel

I came upon this red covered bridge on my way to a plein air event in Pennsylvania. It was so unexpected that I screeched on my car  brakes and kept saying, "Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow!"

You see, now that I have lived in Florida for ten years, (no offense to Floridians intended),coming upon little unexpected gems like this is a totally delightful event and one in which I will never again take for granted! (Even though I lived in Chester County for most of my life!)

Chester County, Pennsylvania is noted for its many beautiful covered bridges. Many have been restored in their entirety, but some retain their original classic old charm.

Contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if you have any interest in this little vignette.

"Sunrise, Gully Point", 11x14, oil on linen, Rockport painting, Gully Cove, sunrise, Impressionist painting by award-winnig impressionist, MAryanne Jacobsen fine art, Cape Ann art, North Shore

"Sunrise, Gully Point", 11x14, oil on linen

One of my favorite moments in time is a sunrise in Rockport, Massachusettes. I don't normally get up at 5 in the morning to see the sunrise, but when I'm in Rockport I always do!

This was painted at or near Gully Point, off Marmion Way in Rockport. The sunrises there are usually dramaticly gorgeous throughout the summer months.

Send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if you are interested in this painting.

"Inspiration Point", 10x20, oil on linen, paintings of Yosemite, Inspiration Point, Maryanne Jacobsen art, palette knife

"Inspiration Point", 10x20, oil on linen

It was rather daunting to attempt to paint a place that has been imortalized by the likes of Albert Bierstadt, Ansel Adams and Thomas Hill, but after some coaxing from my husband, I decided to go ahead and give it an effort.

We visited Yosemite National Park back in April, and spent three lovely days there hiking and enjoying the beauty of this incredible place. Normally the road leading up to Glacier Point is closed in April because of snow, but there was very little snow in Yosemite this winter, so we were able to go all the way up and enjoy the splendor 7,000 feet up!

Inspiration Point is a popular spot to stop as you drive into the valley because from there you can see El Capitan, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls and other highlights of the park. I forced my husband, son and daughter-in-law to stop there each time we went through in order to capture the different light effects throughout the day.

This was a morning shot and although pretty, it was harder to see the falls. We did miss the wildflowers unfortunately, because the Meadows were still closed, but there's always next time!

The painting was painted with a palette knife and has nice impasto throughout. I hope you enjoy it and if you've never visited Yosemite, put it on your bucket list!

"Afternoon Serenity, China Cove", 12x12 ,oil on canvas, Maryanne JAcobsen fine art, California impressionism, China Cove, Point Lobos

"Afternoon Serenity, China Cove", 12x12 ,oil on canvas

I was very honored last week to have my painting of China Cove receive a first place ribbon at SRQ Plein Air Painters 1st Annual Off Season Juried Exhibition  hosted by the Rennaisance School of  Art in Sarasota.

The exhibit was judged by renowned watercolor artist Vladislav Yeliseyev as well as Christian Stakenborg of Stakenborg Fine Art Gallery. It also received the gallery award by Christian. 

It was an honor to receive this award among so many fine entries and a fun time was had by all!

"The Penniman House", 9x12, oil on linen, the Penniman House, whaling industry, Cape Cod, Eastham, Cape Cod National Seashore, American Women Artists, Addison Gallery, Maryanne Jacobsen art, French architecture

"The Penniman House", 9x12, oil on linen

Last summer I was in Orleans, Cape Cod, for the American Women Artists exhibit at The Addison Gallery. We had some free time and as luck would have it, we came upon the  Penniman House, perched on a hill off the main road in Eastham.

The Penniman House is a fine example of French second empire architecture. It was built on Cape Cod in 1868 by Captain Edward Penniman, who made his fortune through the Whaling Industry. He would travel across the world many times, hunting the massive "leviathans of the deep".

If you are in the Eastham/Orleans area this summer, stop by and see this once magnificent house. There are daily tours and nearby and up the hill is a lovely spit of land overlooking an inlet, where you can picnic, or paint! Read more about the home and the whaling industry here .

I will confess that this little painting almost drove me nuts. I don't often paint architecture, and the perspective involved in this one was rather daunting. I almost wiped this one down half a dozen times, but I kept at it and finally finished it.

This morning I was reading the bible and I opened up to Psalm 104. As I read it, I was enthralled by the beautiful descriptions of God's magnificence as demonstrated through the awesomeness of creation. I especially liked this verse: "There is the sea, vast and spacious,
    teeming with creatures beyond number—
    living things both large and small.
26 There the ships go to and fro,
    and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.

 I thought about that verse today as I considered the whaling Captain's house, and how the captain himself would smell the sea salt from the Atlantic Ocean and out of habit scan the white-capped horizon from the top of his hill in search of a whale's spout. 

I hope you enjoyed reading about the Penniman House. Thanks for checking in!  

"Hazy Beach Day", 6x6, oil on board, Maryanne Jacobsen, beach paintings, hazy day, little girls at the beach, red bucket, sand, waves, surf, impressionism

"Hazy Beach Day", 6x6, oil on board

I've been studying the paintings of the 19th century impressionists and the beautiful way in which they handled water and clouds. Water, like clouds, is something that is hard to paint from life, for the simple reason that both clouds and water are moving constantly.

The best we can do as artists is to try to paint the movement of water with some degree of passion and emotion, otherwise, the water has no movement and appears lifeless. The best we can do when painting clouds, is to try to portray their ethereal qualities with a light hand, as clouds have no borders. As Don Quixote said in Man of La Mancha, (though he wasn't speaking of clouds, but of the hem of Dulcinea's garment),  they are like gossamer, sheer, gauze-like, yet having substance that changes constantly through varying times of day and light temperatures.

In this painting, my goal was to create that warm hazy light that we sometimes get on summer days, when the sun is trying to break through, but isn't quite there yet.

I hope you enjoy this painting, because I enjoyed painting it!

"Window Sill Neighbors", 14x11, oil on canvas, left over paint, mud, impasto, palette knife floral, flowers, sunflowers, colorful florals, Maryanne Jacobsen art

 "Window Sill Neighbors", 14x11, oil on canvas

I didn't really have any intention on painting yesterday. Made a peach pie, did some other wifey-type things and then decided to clean out the refrigerator. Cleaning out the refrigerator/freezer forced me to address the paints that I store for weeks and often months in the freezer.

Paints being expensive, I am always reluctant to throw away what's leftover on the palette after a painting is completed. So I just keep scrape the palette and keep these piles of paint in two airtight containers in the freezer and take them out and use them as need arises.

Well, the paint clumps had become sticky, and the piles were getting really gross-looking. So on the spur of a moment I decided to do what I call a "left over" painting, meaning that I use all the left over paint and create a painting out of the piles.

I quickly foraged around the kitchen and then the garden and came up with this set-up:

I mentally edited out the toaster, blender and eyeglass case and painted quickly since it was getting dark and my eyes leave plenty to be desired in good light! Much of the paint was mud, which meant I could use some of the cleaner paint  to add color to the mud and still have some harmony.

I used a palette knife for the entire painting, as well as a canvas that was already sketched on. I love it when I don't waste anything! In this case the recycled paint was all used up, and I now have a freezer devoid of paints!

Here's a close-up of the impasto:

I do hope that  all that thick paint excites someone, because these window sill neighbors would love to find a new home!

"Peony Party", 10x20, oil on linen, paintings of peonies, Maryanne Jacobsen art, white peonies, pink peonies, summer flowers

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"Peony Party", 10x20, oil on linen

I always look forward to June when I know the peonies are blooming up north. That means that they'll soon be making their way to markets further south. It's a short season, so I have been on the lookout since May.

As soon as we came back from Boston, (where I saw dozens of peonies, by the way!) I found what I was looking for in a local supermarket.

So I've been painting peonies over the past few days. Here' my favorite of the three paintings that I did. I decided to call it "Peony party" because the brightly colored place-mats that I set them on gave the set-up a festive feel.

If you love peonies as much as I do, enjoy!

"Morning on Old Garden Path Road", 9x12, plein air, Rockport, Massachusetts, North Shore, Old Garden Path, Cape Ann, The Captain's House, Marmion Way, New England resorts

"Morning on Old Garden Path Road", 9x12, plein air

We just returned from a great trip to Massachusetts, where we attended our youngest son's graduation from the Harvard Kennedy School. Here I am demonstrating that I am one proud mama!

Although we were only there for a few short days, I couldn't travel to New England without my paints! The 5 days were filled with graduation dinners and various events, but I did find time one morning to venture out and put all my painting paraphernalia to use.

Whenever we travel to the Boston area, we stay at The Captain's House in Rockport, and this time was no exception. Our favorite B& B in the entire world, The Captain's House, (located on Marmion Way), has a backyard overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The sunsets and sunrises are equally marvelous, and although we were too busy to enjoy the sunrise this year, we did find time to take numerous walks along the Old Garden Path om between our travels back and forth to Cambridge.

The Old Garden Path is Rockport's answer to Newport Rhode Island's Ocean Drive. In truth , I much prefer the simplicity of design of the "cottages" along the Old Garden Path to the huge mansions along Ocean Drive in Newport. They all have beautifully tended gardens and many have a feeling of yesteryear, when life was simpler and preparing a fisherman or sea captain's catch for supper was the highest priority of the day.

I wove my way down to the very end of Old Garden Path Road, where the little path turns up over the rocks to the point called the Headlands, which provides a grand view of the lovely little town of Rockport and Bearskin Neck. If you look carefully, you can see Motif#1 in the distance.

So I set up my easel and painted this little quickie of the seaside house at the end of the path, flanked by the headlands on  one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other side. What a lovely place to spend a few morning hours!

The weather was perfect and as usual, I could only wish I had more time to enjoy this lovely little seaside town on the North Shore!

I've done many paintings of this lovely area; if you have any interest in my Cape Ann paintings, please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.