"Boca Beauty", 12x16, oil, Boca Grande, Our LAdy of Mercy Catholic church, wedding gifts, art as gifts, Maryanne Jacobsen fine art, bougainvillea, queen palms, little white church, Old Florida

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"Boca Beauty", 12x16, oil

Over the weekend I took a ride to Gasparilla Island, a pretty little island in Southwest Florida and home to Boca Grande, an upscale community on the Gulf where life is fashionable and golf carts are the transportation of choice. It didn't take me long to settle on a place to paint.

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church is a favorite haunt of plein air painters there, mostly because of the six queen oaks and flagrantly beautiful bougainvillea that cascades along the wall in front of the church.

I had only been painting for about an hour and a half when a wedding party showed up at the church. Surprise surprise. Who wouldn't choose such a pretty little church for a wedding on a balmy Saturday?

My painting wasn't finished, but I knew it was pointless to try to continue with all the traffic.

 So yesterday I decided to paint the scene while it was fresh in my mind, using the plein air study for color and value references. Here's the 8x10 plein air study:

I actually liked the light better when I first started the painting, because it streamed sidewise across the front of the church and the front wall was in shadow. But I did not take a photo of that scene so I had to use the photo from when I stopped painting to guide me on the light and shadows. Oh well.

 From what I understand, this little white church and Boca Grande in general is a favorite wedding spot, and it's obvious why! A gorgeous island and a beautiful little white church. What's not to like?

If you have any interest in either the 8x10 inch study, or the 12x16 inch studio work, just send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com. It would certainly make a nice wedding gift, now wouldn't it?

"Princess Aurora", 12x16, oil, paintings of dancers, Sleeping Beauty Ballet, pink tutu, en pointe, dance art, ballerinas, Maryanne Jacobsen original art

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"Princess Aurora", 12x16, oil

Just finished this new commission and I am actually happy with it! "Actually", because I am usually pretty hard on myself. The painting portrays Princess Aurora, from "The Sleeping Beauty" ballet in attitude croise. This ballet, set to music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is an old Russian favorite, originally set to choreography by Petipa.

My own company, the West Chester Ballet Theatre, performed excerpts from it many years ago. The music is beautiful and the Garland Dance, danced by young girls with hoops festooned with garlands of flowers, was always my all-time favorite dance in the entire ballet.

This painting is sold, but I often do other paintings of dancer, so check back often.

"First Pointe Shoes", 9x11, impressionism, Maryanne Jacobsen art, ballet, young dancer, Vaganova method, Kirov ballet, Margarita De Saa, John White, Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet Society

"First Pointe Shoes", 9x11

As a former ballet instructor and director of Rock School West, it was very important to me to train my little students correctly. I chose to study with Margarita de Saa and John White at The Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet Society in Narberth, Pa. and to take their intensive Vaganova training course as well. The course followed the strict Vaganova syllabus used to train the young dancers in St. Petersburg , Russia who went on to dance with the Kirov Ballet and is a successful proving ground for dancers worldwide. The Vaganova method is a tried and true training method for ballet dancers and to this day it serves me well in Zumba class!! I am proud to say that one of my young dancers, Taylor Stanley, went on the become a principal with the New York City Ballet!

The little dancer in my painting was painted in the impressionistic style, but although her face is vague, I did want to show her Vaganova training in both her attire and her carriage. Dancers familiar with the pedagogue will recognize it.

Email me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if you are interested in this painting.