"Humble Abode 2", 8x10, oil on linen, Florida Cracker House, Marjorie Kennan Rawlings, Cross Creek, The Yearling, Florida Art, original art, impasto, thick paint, MaryanneJacobsen art

 

"Humble Abode 2", 8x10, oil on linen

I was going through some photos today and came across a group of photos I had taken a few summers ago after a trip to "Cross Creek", the backwoods Florida home of author Marjorie Keenen Rawlings. Rawlings is most familiar to us through her beloved work  The Yearling, about a boy who adopts an orphaned fawn,. The book won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1939 and was later made into a movie, also known as The Yearling.

I discovered that few people know much about Rawlings, though many have read The Yearling in school.  So here is a little history about Rawlings from Wikipedia:

In 1928, with a small inheritance from her mother, the Rawlingses purchased a 72 acre (290,000 m²) orange grove near Hawthorne, Florida, in a hamlet named Cross Creek for its location between Orange Lake and Lochloosa Lake. She brought the place to international fame through her writing. She was fascinated with the remote wilderness and the lives of Cross Creek residents, her Cracker neighbors, and felt a profound and transforming connection to the region and the land.Wary at first, the local residents soon warmed to her and opened up their lives and experiences to her. Marjorie filled several notebooks with descriptions of the animals, plants, Southern dialect, and recipes and used these descriptions in her writings.

As one enters Cross Creek, the first thing that you see is a sign that says the following:

 In spite of the excessive heat, humidity, and lack of creature comforts, Rawlings embraced this wild harsh land that few today would want to call home.

The painting that I did above, was not of Rawlings home at Cross Creek, but of a replica of an old Cracker Shack that was on the property and served as a home to the hired help. The humbleness of the property is evident, but what is not evident is the sense of profound peace and stillness that emanated the grounds.

Save for the occasional crowing of a rooster, the place was wrapped in a blanket of quiet serenity. 

Above is a photo of the cracker shack , and which served as my reference.

I have enormous respect for the people who braved these harsh lands and forged their homesteads upon ground that  many today would consider uninhabitable!

I enjoyed doing this painting in my air-conditioned studio. It reminded me that I have much to be thankful for and also reminded me that I would have a hard time surviving on a remote homestead such as the one that Rawlings lived upon and called home! Yet overall, I could appreciate the sense of mystic loveliness that Rawlings described and which was etched on the sign above.

"Poolside Floral", 8x8, oil on panel, artist support pledge, plein air, poolside, Florida art, little gems, pink, sunflowers, affordable art

"Poolside Floral", 8x8, oil on panel- $100 including free shipping in the domestic US.

I painted this little floral on my Florida lanai, the other day. It was at least 95 degrees outdoors but happily, I was at least in a shaded area while I painted.

Here is the view of my set-up:

This painting is being offered at well below my normal pricing structure as part of the #artistsupportpledge. Many galleries across the country (including one of my own) have closed permanently due to the pandemic. The artist support pledge was devised by Matthew Burrows as a way for artists to continue to find revenues during these financially difficult times. The premise is to offer your work at two hundred dollars or less, and when you've reached $1000 in sales, you pledge to purchase the artwork of another artist for the same value.

So if you would like to purchase this little plein air jewel, just use this link to pay directly through my website.

Thanks for looking and if you would like to know more about the Artist Support Pledge, just read about it here. Have a great day.

"Towards the Pergola", plein air, 11x14, pink, bougainvillea, Florida gardens, Society fo the Four Arts, Palm Beach paintings, Lighthouse plein air competition, palm trees, formal gardens, Florida art

"Towards the Pergola", plein air, 11x14

This was painted during the Lighthouse Plein Air competition in Palm Beach , Florida at the Society of the Four Arts. The wind geared up while I was painting this and blew my plein air umbrella off three different times. After the third time I realized it was about to storm and I began to paint furiously. That's about when the downpour hit. No warning- just torrential rain. I grabbed the painting and ran for the tiny bit of shelter there was under a roof where people can sit and eat and relax after touring the gardens. In the split second that it took me to run and put the painting into shelter, I came back to find my easel had blown over and there was a mess everywhere.

Then the rain stopped just as suddenly as it started. Luckily I had a tarp and so the mess was minimal but it kind of ruined the fun I had been having painting this piece in the beautiful garden.

In the end , it came out alright, because I took a knife to it,and finished it off with the palette knife.

The joys of plein air painting are endless!

"Chilly in the Shade", 11x14, plein air, Bay Preserve, palm trees, Intracoastal waterway, Florida art

"Chilly in the Shade", 11x14, plein air

I haven't wirtten in my blog much lately, due to the busy Christmas season- spending time with love ones, shopping, eating too much, etc.

This painting was painted in early December, during a very chilly week by Southwest Florida standards.

It was painted at Bay Preserve during a workshop with the amazingly talented master impressionist, Lori Putnam. Lori's a hoot- she totally manages to balance the seriousness of painting with a sense of humor.

This was one of four paintings that I did during the workshop. It was done with a limited palette of Cad Yellow Pale, Cad Red Light, Permanent Rose and Ultramarine Blue. Lori uses Napthol red instead of the two reds I used, but for me, limiting myself to only 4 colors plus white was a stretch.

Here was my scene on that chilly morning:

I considered adding the artist, but thought better of it in light of the challenges I was having with the limited palette.

Thanks, Lori! It was an awesome workshop!

"Tuesday's at O'Leary's Tiki Bar", 12x16, oil, plein air, paintings of Florida, Tiki bar, O"Leary's Sarasota

SOLD

"Tuesday's at O'Leary's Tiki Bar", 12x16, oil on gessoboard, plein air
Note: This painting rec'd an honorable mention at the Venice Art Center's Spring Member's show.

I spent most of the afternoon at O'Leary's Tiki Bar and Grill in Sarasota. Now lest you get the wrong idea, I was painting, not drinking!

Twas another cold, windy day, which is why I tried to find the least windy spot on the bayfront to paint. Kids played ball in front of me, people came by and took pictures of me painting and one  inebriated fella tried to get a date with me.

When I got home I tried to pick some of the sand flies out of the paint, but after a while I gave up. I figured it's like having pepper with your salad- it adds a little flavor.

Here was the scene at O'leary's when I started:

 I wish that they had left the umbrella up as I liked it better that way, but it was undoubtedly too windy to allow it.

Please email me at maryannejacobsen@com, if you would like to purchase a piece of Leary's Tiki Bar, at Sarasota's Bayfront-complete with sandflies added at no extra charge.

Update:  "Tuesday's at O'Leary's Tiki Bar" received a merit award at The Venice Art Center's "Art of Everyday Living" exhibit. Reception Friday 5PM, April12th

Sold through Collector's Gallery in downtown Venice.

"A Reflective Moment", 8x8, oil on panel

"A Reflective Moment", 8x8, oil on panel

Worked on water reflections today using the technique of Morgan Samuel Price. She is an expert plein air painter, who has written two very informative books. I am taking a plein air workshop with her this week, and I confess that I am exhausted. We painted out in the wind and cold yesterday, and I came home and went to bed at 8:30. Today it was even colder so we had a chance to paint indoors, thankfully.

Although I have been enjoying these workshops I have taken in the past couple weeks, I'll never take them so close together again! Hope I can absorb everything I have learned in such a short period of time!

Please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com, if you would like to purchase this pretty little painting of the Myakka River in Southwest Florida.

"Another Beautiful Gulf Morning", 16x12, oil on linen, old boats, fisherman, Gulf of Mexico, Florida art, fishing boats, seascapes of Florida

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"Another Beautiful Gulf Morning", 16x12, oil on linen (Note: you can click on the photo for better detail viewing of the painting.)

I took the two plein air studies that I did over the last two weeks from my outings to the North Jetty, as well as a reference photo, and used them over the past few days to create this studio painting.

I added the figure of the boat's owner and stuck with a limited palette to keep the painting unified. I combined both brushes and palette knife to keep the painting interesting and lively.

This painting will be going into the Light Chaser's annual show at Art Center Sarasota next month, but if you have any interest in the plein air study, "Old Boat, New Day", that I painted last week,  just contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com for pricing. Below was the reference that helped me add the gentlemen in the boat:

"North Jetty Morning", plein air, 8x10 oil on board, plein air, Venice, Florida, impressionist art, beach, Southwest Florida art

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"North Jetty Morning", plein air study, 8x10 oil on board

I have not painted outdoors since late September, thanks to circumstances. This morning , however, I decided I was ready! Slathered with sunscreen and additionally armed with my new Tillie Hat, (skin cancer will change your painting habits!),  I decided to go out bright and early so I could get a quick painting in, before the Light Chasers had their first plein air demo by award-winning artist Hodges Soileau.

I snagged a great spot under some mangrove trees, so there was no chance of worrying about sun on my canvas. (Or on me!) There were many pelicans in the water early in the morning but I was painting very quickly and didn't manage to get any of the birds in my painting this time. However, I did manage to finish this in less than an hour!


Hodges demo was superb, as usual, and since I have taken quite a few of his workshops, I knew in advance that the artists unfamiliar with his teaching style were in for a treat! There were about 50 Light-Chasers that turned out for this awesome event!

How lucky are  the Light-Chasers (my plein air painting group) to have this beautiful setting, gorgeous weather, and amazing teachers to do demos for us under the mangrove trees!

After about two hours I went back to my spot to try to put finishing touches on my painting, but the light had changed radically and the rocks were covered with water. That's okay. I like the painting the way it is. It's alive. And my paintings have not been alive for a very long time.

Thank-you Lord for helping me get over my fear of painting outdoors!

And thanks to our fearless leader, Terry Mason, for all the selfless work she does to keep our Light Chasers outdoors and painting with the best!

"Marina View", plein air, 9x12, oil o canvas panel-Marina, harbor, St. Augustine, Camachee Marina, boats, plein air

"Marina View", plein  air, 9x12, oil o canvas panel

We had a short stay in St. Augustine this past weekend and stayed in a room that overlooked the Camachee Marina. We have stayed in many different places in St. Augustine before , but never before on Camachee Island, which is just a 5 minute drive from the historic area, and away from the traffic and crowds. Although Isaac spoiled much of Sunday and Monday for us, we did have a lovely day on Saturday. The Inn at Camachee Harbor where we stayed had a wonderful view of the marina and the sunset views over the harbor are quite lovely as well.

I started this painting on our balcony on Sunday morning and as you can see it was an absolutely perfect day.

 But although I intended to finish it today, the scene was quite different-gray, foggy and pretty dismal. Every time I tried to photograph the painting  the lens of my camera would fog up from the humidity and as fast as I wiped it, it would fog up again. I finished it anyway and might try to do a larger studio painting eventually.  I wanted to challenge myself with a complicated view and this certainly fit the bill what with all the boats and perspective involved.

To purchase this plein air painting, just send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

Painting Intuitively- "Lake Path", plein air, 9x12, right brain, alla prima

"Lake Path", 9x12, oil on canvas.

I have been reading the book, "Drawing from the Right Side of the Brain" and doing the exercises in the book so that I can better see "Like an artist".

I know all about the right brain/left brain phenomenon and indeed an art teacher did her doctorate paper on our family back in the 1980's, deeming  that myself, my husband and three sons are all extremely right brained.  It certainly explains why none of us can put a toy or appliance together by reading the directions!

Yesterday, after painting "A Familiar Path" I decided to go home and use that plein air painting as a study for a more 'accomplished' painting in my studio. I believed I could improve upon it tremendously, since after all, I wouldn't be chasing the light, swatting mosquitoes, sweating like a hog-wart in the 90 degree heat and humidity, and fending off the red ants in the grass at my feet.

So I went home with my painting and used the same identical palette of color, the same identical support of the same size, and then proceeded to work on it for three and a half hours.

Since it took me only an hour and 15 minutes to paint "A familiar Path", one would think that the new painting would be clearly superior, right?

Well, I'll let you decide:

The painting on the left was the one done outdoors in  about an hour and 15 minutes. The one on the right was done in over three hours, working from the photo I'd taken of the scene as well as my plein air reference painting. Here's the photo of the scene:

So what did I learn from this little experiment?

I think I realized that painting outdoors is much more intuitive than analytical and for the most part requires a deep connection to the right brain lobe. When painting en plein air in full sunshine one has no time to think in depth about color selections, mixing, values or brushwork, it all just becomes an intuitive exercise in laying down the collective knowledge that you have accumulated throughout your years of painting and drawing.

The studio piece for me, was much more of an analytical exercise. Back home, I had the luxury of time to think about values, color mixing, underpainting, temperature and even whether I should use a brush or palette knife on a certain passage.

Was the outcome  of the second painting much different from the first even in light of the fact I was not dogged by heat or bugs?

Well, I don't think so. My husband actually told me he liked the plein air painting better than the studio piece. He felt it more accurately depicted the scene which he knows well.

In addition, as I worked on the studio painting I could see subtle changes that I could not correct in spite of the advantage I had in the studio. For example, I knew I had nailed the color of the path when I was out there in the field, yet back in the studio I just could not quite get it right because it was no longer there in front of me for me to mimic.

I am enjoying the book "Drawing from the Right Side of the Brain" and it has given me some insight into the way I learn and some of the problems I have encountered in my 6 years of painting. Hopefully, by the time I have finished reading it and doing the exercises, I'll at least "see like an artist".

Thanks for reading!

"A Familiar Path", plein air, 9x12, oil

I have spent a lot of time this past week thinking about my life as it relates to art. What I have discovered helped me realize that taking time for introspection can be a good thing once in a while.

First off, I could not believe how many people went out of their way to contact me out of concern for my doldrums. Collectors, friends, family, fellow artists, and church members all took a piece of their own precious time to write to me  or call me and try to help me sort out my feelings. Many said prayers. I was totally overwhelmed by all the love and support!

I realized many things over the past week, not the least of which is the fact that most of the people I know , even casual acquaintances, are beautiful, caring and love-filled people brimming with gifts to overflowing and giving of themselves when others are in need, either mentally, physically or spiritually.

I also realized after a week without a paintbrush that I would miss art tremendously if I gave it up altogether!

Most imprtantly, I realized that God has given me a gift, and He expects me to USE that gift!

First off, let me just say that I don't consider myself gifted. One of the reasons that I felt I should stop painting is because I feel extremely mediocre as artists go. That being said, no matter what you think of yourself it is not a good thing to underestimate how your art affects others! I found that out this week, and some of the messages from collectors literally brought me to tears. What I think of my art is irrelevant. If my art blesses others, than I am blessed, and that's the main point that I have been missing.

We all have different gifts. Some people have the gift of giving, others, the gift of music, others the gift of conversation. Still others have the gift of perseverance, writing, prayer, comedy, joy, hospitality, cooking and the gifts go on and on and on!

We are all created as individuals and if that were not the case it would be a boring world indeed!

Today, I picked myself up, went out into the heat and humidity and painted right down the street from my house. I painted for an hour and a half and felt very happy afterwards that I had made the effort. I also resolved to not change one single thing about the painting I had done when I got it home, something I am apt to do after painting plein air.

I am taking my painting journey a step at a time, but for now it was definitely a good day.

Thank-you friends for lifting me up. I love you all, and especially Diana and Carol, who know me even better than I know me!

"Maitland Art Center", 16x12, oil on masonite by MAryanne Jacobsen

"Maitland Art Center", 16x12, oil on masonite

Well, after yesterday's rather disastrous Hensche study with my hubby, today he wanted to try the same painting again, only this time using brushes instead of a palette knife.

I am glad that I obliged him. He was very happy with how his painting came out! (It was actually quite good- very impressionistic, but he won't let me post it.) I was abundantly more pleased with my own painting as well. I like the softer look that I get with brushes, and I was more confident going into this painting, because I already knew what needed correcting value-wise after doing yesterday's painting.

In case you didn't read yesterday's post, my husband has taken an interest in art. He asked me to teach him the Hensche method of landscape painting and so I said that I would. Unfortunately, between the heat and the lovebugs here in Florida, neither one of us wanted to go outdoors to paint, so I pulled out an old photo that I took at the Maitland Art Center a few years ago.

I chose the scene above because I thought it would be easy to paint, but as it turned out, the low light contrast made it more difficult, IMHO. In addition, painting from a photograph is never ideal. The hubby gave up on the Hensche idea before he could get through the first notes, and because I had a ton of paint on my palette, I decided to finish my painting. Just scroll down the page or go here, to see the same scene painted with a palette knife.

The Maitland Art Center is located in Maitland Florida. It has many activities year round and is a very popular spot for weddings year round as a result of the lovely gardens. The architecture is very eclectic, with a strong Aztec/ Toltec emphasis as a result of the founder's travels and influences.

If you are interested in this piece, please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com, or visit my website at Maryanne Jacobsen Fine Art if you wish to see more of my original oil paintings.

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"Language Barrier", 14x18

SOLD
"Language Barrier", 14x18

I did this quick study last night as an experiment to see if I could paint people with a palette knife. I discovered that it was hard, but not impossible. The result is very impressionistic. I kind of like it so I'll probable do another one with even thicker paint. I've priced this very low, since it was an experimental piece and it only took me a short time to complete. So grab it if you like impressionist works that don't have a great deal of detail. (You can click on the image to see the detail a little better.)

I decided to name it "Language Barrier" because of a funny thing that happened yesterday.
I am looking after a friend's dog while they are away and yesterday when I went to their home, I let the dog out back into the fenced yard. The dog , whose name is "Sammy" could see his "friend" next door, a pit bull looking out from the sliding glass door of his home, probably wishing he could go out and play with Sammy. They started barking at each other , as is they were talking. Then a funny thing happened. I started hearing another loud strident voice coming from the pitbull's home. It sounded like a bratty little kid screaming his head off, but I know these people have no children. The racket got louder and louder and then the strange voice started whistling and heckling Sammy, who just kept barking back. I finally realized it was a cockatoo, a tropical bird which is known for its loud and rather harsh voice. I began thinking that it would be really cool if we could all talk to each other, animals and humans and birds communicating back and forth. Anyhow, that was the inspiration for this painting.

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Siesta Key- 18x20,by Maryanne Jacobsen

SOLD Siesta Key Morning, 16x20, oil on linen

The wedding was beautiful, though not without unexpected stresses that were out of the range of control, including the unexpected cancellation of my middle son's flight from San Diego to attend his brother's wedding. (Thanks American Airlines , you suck.)Read more about it here

We finally found a flight for David, (who was also in the wedding and playing the bride and groom's favorite song on his guitar as the bride came down the aisle), though I'll need to sell a heck of a lot of paintings in order to recoup the cost of that flight.

Tuesday finally found me ready to paint again, and after a couple very unsuccessful starts at still life paintings of calla lillies and orchids, I decided to go to a spot that I know very well, and paint to the tune of seagulls chatter, and gulf breezes through my dwindling hair.


I've painted many times on Siesta key, but rarely alone. This opportunity to enjoy the tranquility of nature after a month of business was a blessing from the creator. I realize that daily painting hones one's skills and after almost a month off, I felt the way I once used to feel after taking a month off from ballet classes and trying to get back into shape. It's not easy.



Here is the scene that I attempted to paint over the last 3 days. Thanks for looking.




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