"Distressed", 9x12, oil on Arches oil paper , on panel, paintings of girls, impressionism, children

 "Distressed", 9x12, oil on Arches oil paper , on panel

This is the first painting I have done in 5 months! At least I didn't forget how to paint! I had a bad vertebrae fracture back in October, that has prevented me from painting. This one wasn't easy. I still have tremendous back pain when I stand, so I had to sit-down every 10 minutes to rest.

At least I finally painted something. I like the softness of it. Maybe this will be a new style for me.

Thanks for checking out my blog. This little lady can be purchased through my website. If interested, here's the link.

"Ghost Trees, Pescadero Point", 9x12, oil on linen, Ghost tree, Cypress trees, Monterrey Peninsula, 17 mile drive, Carmel, Monterrey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, California art. Witch trees, Maryanne JAcobsen fineart

 "Ghost Trees, Pescadero Point", 9x12, oil on linen

The Ghost Tree and windblown cypresses make a definite statement along the beautiful 17 mile drive stretch of ocean highway on the Monterrey peninsula at Pescadero Point. The ghost tree stretches with its witchlike limbs into the sky directly behind a grove of twisted cypress trees. 

It's hard to stop there, but a little further along there is a small place to park and take pictures. The day we were there it was overcast without much contrast, but the scene was still impressive.

No wonder this area is a magical place for artists to paint!

Thanks for visiting my blog. I have many paintings of California on my website as well. 

"Poolside Arrangement", 9x12, oil on panel, oranges, red roses, fruit basket, poolside floral, garden party, little gems, small paintings for sale

 "Poolside Arrangement", 9x12, oil on panel

Years ago I painted a larger version of this scene for a gallery and it sold right away. I decided to do a smaller version of the same scene, because it is so very pretty! I set up the fruit basket and bouquet of roses on a table right next to our pool one day. I loved the contrast of vivid colors and the shadow design that the basket made in the sun. The painting began outdoors and I finished it inside because I wanted to preserve the shadow pattern.

This sweet little painting would make a lovely gift that brings sunshine into a home every day of the year!

It is being sold for $300.00 through my website. Click here to purchase.

"Alone with her Thoughts", 9x12, oil, paintings of thinkers, paintings of woman, small affordable paintings, little gems

 "Alone with her Thoughts", 9x12, oil

Sometimes just being alone can be a beautiful thing. Planning dinner, planning a trip, a vacation- whatever- our minds can take us to so many places. The important thing is to make sure that our thoughts are peaceful, kind and loving, as much as possible, because "As a Man thinketh, so Shall he be."

Then, we can be quite happy with our own thoughts!

What places does your mind take you to? This painting was done during a workshop with incredible artist Derek Penix. I still recall how much I enjoyed that workshop, back in February 2020, even though we were all on the brink of the terrible Covid pandemic.

Here's to happy thoughts today!

If you are interested in this painting, please use this link to purchase through my website.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Come back again soon.

"La Vie en Rose", 9x12, oil, French songs, straw hats, rose, life in pink, pretty women, women in hats, rose colored glasses, red lipstick, original art, impressionism

 "La Vie en Rose", 9x12, oil

The title of my painting, "La Vie en Rose," translates from the French to "Life in Pink" in English. It is a phrase often associated with a state of blissful happiness and seeing life through a rosy lens.

The girl in the painting personifies grace and femininity. Although she is not smiling, in her pensive state her demeanor exudes confidence, daring the viewer to read her thoughts; inviting the viewer into her world of romantic fantasy. Her straw hat is embellished with pink roses symbolizing beauty, growth, and a connection to nature. 

I painted this while listening to Pandora Internet radio's French Cafe station, blending my favorite music with the challenge of capturing beauty within a harmonious balance of nature and mystery.

I had a lot of fun painting this, probably because I love all things French, and even managed to enjoy a glass of wine while painting! I think the wine added a little "je ne said quoi!" Don't you?

If you enjoyed the painting and this post please feel free to comment below. The painting is available through my website. Follow this link for purchase information.

"First Pointe Shoes", 9x12, oil on panel, ballet art, little ballerina, first pointe shoes, young dancer, master class, Vaganova method, dance, ballet, on pointe, paintings of dancers

 "First Pointe Shoes", 9x12, oil on panel

To a budding young ballerina, nothing in the world is as important than her first pointe shoes! As the former director of a large ballet school and regional ballet company, parents would often anxiously ask me if their daughter was ready to go on pointe.

Obviously, this question will depend on many things. Here is a very good article that discusses this issue and although every child is different, your child's teacher is the best judge of when she will be ready.

I painted this to commemorate your little dancer's special day. It was painted in the impressionist style, and after the Vaganova training method that I used as a syllabus in my own school.

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please use this link.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Leave a comment if you enjoyed this post.

"Ghost Tree and Cypress", 9x12, oil on linen panel, Monterrey peninsula, Ghost tree, cypress trees, Carmel, California landscapes, California paintings, 17 mile highway

 "Ghost Tree and Cypress", 9x12, oil on linen panel

The Ghost Tree is an icon along the beautiful 17 mile drive stretch of ocean highway on the Monterrey peninsula. It stretches with its witchlike limbs into the sky directly behind a grove of twisted cypress trees. 

No wonder this area is a magical place for artists to paint!

This painting is available  for purchase through my website.

"The Ferryman", after Edouard Léon Cortès, 9x12 oil. paintings of French countryside, post-impressionism, Old Masters, pastoral scenes

 "The Ferryman", after Edouard Léon Cortès, 11x14

Edouard Léon Cortès was a French painter of French and Spanish ancestry. He is known as "Le Poète Parisien de la Peinture" or "the Parisian Poet of Painting" because of his diverse Paris cityscapes in a variety of weather and night settings.  (From Wikipedia)

I have always loved the artist's Parisian scenes. However, his pastoral scenes of the French countryside are also lovely. This one was a challenge , but I learned a great deal in the process about his color mixing. His paintings look so very vibrant , yet he mutes all of his mixtures down . Even the vibrant yellow has a little purple in it.

I was attracted to the light and shadow pattern in this work. Copying works by old masters, or in this case, a famous Post-impressionist, teaches us many things. I  will probably do more.

"Spring Thaw", 9x12, oil, winter, snow, snowfall, creek, flowing stream, winter landscape, snowscape

 "Spring Thaw", 9x12, oil

It's been a very long winter in many parts of the country and with three weeks left until Spring, it's time to start looking for those daffodils!

Winter is a time for reflection, and simple enjoyments, and so as spring slowly approaches us, my hope is to take time to savor some of those moments when winter is displayed in all its quiet stillness and beauty. 

I painted this with a quiet palette, using many grays and the coldest blue of all-Prussian blue. It's not a blue that I use often, but for winter scenes, it seems to feel appropriate.

This painting is available. Please contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com for more info.

"I see your True Colors", 9x12, oil, paintings of beautiful women. portraits, impressionism, MAryanne JAcobsen fine art

 

"I see your True Colors", 9x12, oil

Sometimes things are never as they seem on the outside. I have always been a curious person. I sit reading a book with my phone next to me, so I can look up any word I am not familiar with. I rarely find any, but when I am introduced to new words, I appreciate theft I have learned something new.

People are like that for me, too. I study people. I try to understand what is going on in the inside- their thoughts, feelings and fears. I have often wished for a kindred spirit that I could also share my inmost thoughts and fears with. To this day, I have never found that person. And it feels lonely.

As this painting developed, I was conscious of the fact that this young woman, who I was creating mainly from my own imagination, was hiding a great deal. There is a poetic quality to her. She is beautiful, sad and wistful at the same time. What is she thinking? I'll leave that to the viewer's imagination, but I have my own ideas.

Thanks for visiting my blog.

"They do not Sow or Reap", 9x12, oil on linen, paintings of birds, bluebird, red, bluejay, a painting a day, Small affordable paintings

"They do Not Sow or Reap", 12x9, oil on linen

The Bible tells us not to worry. Jesus explains this by using the example of birds. This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?

So in these tumultuous times we live in, I will try to choose joy over worry.

I painted this happy little bird yesterday, it he made me happy as I painted him. He is truly not worried about anything!

This happy little bird is available for only $100, with free shipping. Please use this link to my website, to purchase directly with PayPal. Thanks for visiting!

"Chanticleer's Garden, 9x12, Chanticleer garden, Wayne Pa. Saint David's, Philadelphia area gardens, beautiful gardens, rooster, paintings of gardens, Maryanne Jacobsen art, rose garden, Chanticleer

"Chanticleer's Garden, 9x12

This majestic rooster stands atop his pedestal, gazing fondly about his garden.

"Chanticleer" usually refers to roosters, but it was also the name of Adolf Rosengarten's beautiful estate on the Philadelphia Main Line. Today,  the Chanticleer estate is now a pleasure garden open all year to the public in the Wayne/ St. David's area of the Main Line. According to the website, "Mr. Rosengarten's humor is evident in naming his home after the estate "Chanticlere" in Thackeray's 1855 novel The Newcomes. The fictional Chanticlere was "mortgaged up to the very castle windows" but "still the show of the county." Playing on the word, which is synonymous with "rooster," the Rosengartens used rooster motifs throughout the estate."

I love visiting Chanticleer whenever I am in the area, and it is especially beautiful in the spring. Here is another painting that I did of the estate a while back:

"Red Maple at Chanticleer", 16x20- SOLD

If you are in the Wayne/St. David's area, be sure to visit the gardens. Private and group tours of the Rosengarten's former home are also available. Visit their website here for additional information.

"Keyhole Rock, Laguna Beach", 9x12, paintings of California, Keyhole Rock, Laguna Beach, small paintings, Pacific Ocean,

"Keyhole Rock, Laguna Beach", 9x12

This little study of Keyhole Rock at Laguna Beach was painted during a mentoring workshop with Master artist Kenn Backhaus. I highly recommend Kenn as he is a fabulous teacher!

"Day Lily Cottage", 9x12, oil on panel, carriage house, Pennsylvania landscapes, Amish country, Day Lillies, summer, impressionism, Maryanne Jacobsen Fine Art

"Day Lily Cottage", 9x12, oil on panel

I painted this scene recently while visiting Pennsylvania's Amish country. The carriage house sat back from the road and was surrounded by an abundance of day lillies.  A day lily is so named because the flower that opens in the morning only lasts one day! This would be sad if the lillies were not so prolific!

Anyhow, here is my plein air sketch of the scene:

I used water-soluble oils when I was traveling last week, but decided to re-paint the scene using traditional oils. The water-soluble oils are great for traveling, but I'll never give up my traditional oils.

A Walk in Central Park, 9x12, oil on panel, palette knife paintings, Central Park, impasto, Maryanne Jacobsen art, sale, small studies

"A Walk in Central Park", 9x12, oil on panel

Spring is here and in spite of a dreadful winter, the trees will soon be filled with blossoms in Central Park, and couples will best rolling arm in arm.

I haven't painted with a palette knife in a long while, but yesterday I was in the mood, so I revisited a scene I had painted years ago.

It was fun.

This was a quick study, and I am offering it today for only $99, with free shipping. Just click the "Buy Now" button at this link.

"Morning at the Celery Fields", 9x12, plein air, Audubon Society, Sarasota Florida, Celery Fields, plein air paintings, Strada easel, Maryanne Jacobsen art

"Morning at the Celery Fields", 9x12, plein air

This was painted on location at the Audubon Society of Sarasota's beautiful gardens adjacent to the Celery Fields. The Celery Fields are a natural bird habitat and popular walking spot for Sarasota natives.

It was a bright clear morning when I painted there with the SRQ plein air painters.

It was also the morning that I broke in my new Strada easel.

If you ever visit Sarasota, be sure to take a walk up the hill at the Celery Fields, where you can get an almost aerial view of the wetlands below. If you're lucky, you may see some Roseate Spoonbills!

If you are interest in purchasing this plein air painting, please email me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com for info.

"Coffee Break", 9x12, oil on Canson oil paper, coffee break, Beautiful women, women in hats,, portrait study, all prima

"Coffee Break", 9x12, oil on Canson oil paper

Had fun with this one. May try her in a larger format.

"Lovers in the Rose Garden", 9x12, plein air oil study, The Ringling, Museums in Sarasota, John and Mabel Ringling, Mabel's Rose Garden, plein air, wedding venues in Florida, statues, small paintings, Maryanne Jacobsen art, romance, mystery

"Lovers in the Rose Garden", 9x12, plein air oil study

I always love painting at The Ringling, but this week was a bit of an exception. The wind from Hurricane Nate, far away, yet still in the Gulf, was  a force to be reckoned with as I attempted to paint this courting couple in Mabel's Rose Garden. Named for Mabel Ringling, the rose garden is filled with statues of lovers, beautiful roses, and a small pavilion, with a backdrop of ancient canyon trees to add mystery to the charm.

It was that mystery that I wanted to capture in this little study, pitting the dark banyan forrest against the sun-lit statue of the lovers.

The wind whipped everything about. My trash basket flew away dozens of times, and at one point my hat blew off and flew right into the wet painting. Not to be deterred, I held tight to my easel and did the best I could in the two hour time frame I had given myself.

The Ringling, formerly known as the The Ringling Museum, is a real treasure in Sarasota, Fl. Seated right on Sarasota Bay, Ca' D' Zan, the mansion of John and Mabel Ringling, is a jewel to behold. There are museums to wander and manicured grounds to explore, but choosing a cool day is preferable since it gets very warm throughout the year.

The temp was about 91 when I painted this, but the wind took away some of my discomfort.  As I painted, I wondered who the couple were, how the young man had lost his hand and if the fair damsel holding the basket truly cared for him.

It's all a mystery!

This little plein air study is available for purchase. Just contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com, for more information.

"Empty Chairs and Empty Tables", 9x12, oil, paintings of interiors, candlelight, Buckley's Tavern, Maryanne Jacobsen art, Bombay cat, Les Miserables, loneliness , isolation, grief, black cats

"Empty Chairs and Empty Tables, 9x12, oil on linen

A few years ago I had a lovely birthday dinner at Buckley's Tavern, in Centerville Delaware. I was up north for the annual Brandywine Plein Air festival, which always happens to fall on my birthday week.

By the time our meal had ended, it was late and the guests were pretty much all leaving for the night. I loved the warm firelight  that exuded warmth and old world charm into the formal dining room, so I snapped a couple of photographs for future artistic reference.

Last week I was feeling rather morose- our lovely  Bombay rescue kitty Sebastian was diagnosed with liver and kidney disease and the prognosis was bleak. I found myself crying inconsolably and feeling isolated  and alone with my sadness since my husband is unable to ever feel quite as deeply as I do. It's not his fault. I am an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person), and thus everything I feel is magnified tremendously compared to the emotions of a non-HSP. So my husband has never been able to identify with the sometimes unbearable levels of sensitivity that I feel in almost all situations.

It's tough being an HSP, but as the years have gone by I have managed to understand myself better and know that I am this way along with many many other sensitive individuals who are overcome by feelings that affect most people to a much lesser extent.

Anyhow, I decided to translate my feelings to paint and added the lonely figure in the back of the restaurant to the painting. Maybe I was trying to transfer my feelings of sadness and loneliness to the canvas in order to alleviate my own pain. I don't know. As I painted I played the soundtrack from Les Miserables, since the sad song, "Empty Chairs and Empty Tables", seemed to fit the theme.

I'll be returning to the Brandywine valley again this October and will probably celebrate another birthday dinner at Buckley's. I hope by then that these feelings will have subsided as a result of knowing that Sebastian is either well again, or that he is in a much better place- a place where spirits can soar free of the burdens of these earthly bodies of ours.

I hope this post is not depressing. I don't want it to be. I celebrate the wonderful life that we have given Sebastian and the joy that he has given us, and I know that as in all sad times- it too will pass.

"La Jolla Wildflowers", 9x12, La Jolla California, yellow wildflowers, nasturtiums, plein air study, Maryanne Jacobsen Fine Art, impressionism, seascapes, Pacific coast, southern California art

"La Jolla Wildflowers", 9x12

Back in April I spent a couple days in La Jolla, California, one of the prettiest places in the whole country! All the rain that California experienced in January and February paid off , because the wildflowers were blooming everywhere! On the hillsides and the highways and byways of southern California, nasturtiums and purple statice were blooming everywhere in a riot of complimentary colors! Although the San Diego area is always lovely, I had never seen the area so verdant before.

So I took the opportunity to go to La Jolla cove and paint one morning. There was a slight breeze and the temperatures were perfect for painting.

The next week proved to be the beginning of a challenging couple months for me, of which I am still recovering. But I am happy that I had the chance to fit in a fun painting before the  problems started.

The additional good news is that this painting recently won a ribbon at the Venice Art Center's summer exhibit. Special thanks to juror Katie Dobson Cundiff.

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

Please check out my new website at Maryanne Jacobsen Fine Art