"Vineyard in Tuscany", 6x12, oil on cradled Ampersand panel, vineyard art, Tuscany, La Dolce Vita, Palette knife painting, impasto, Italian landscape

 "Vineyard in Tuscany", 6x12 x2, oil on cradled Ampersand panel.

This painting came together in my mind before it made it to the canvas. I decided I wanted soft, happy colors, and thick, thick paint. The result is an exuberantly colored vineyard set within dreamy mountains.

I applied much of the paint with a palette knife, creating, luscious impasto. This painting is on cradled board that is 2 inches in depth. It can be hung on the wall with or without a frame.

To purchase this painting, please visit my website here.

"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.

"Rainy Day Bouquet", 8x10, oil on panel, plein air, rainy day, all prima, paint from life, soft color, impasto

SOLD

"Rainy Day Bouquet", 8x10, oil on panel, plein air

We took a brief trip to Cashiers  North Carolina and although our Airbnb is lovely and has a view of Lake Glenville, the weather has been damp and rainy.

We had hoped to do some outdoor activities, but with the bad weather, I was happy to buy a bouquet at the farmer's market in town and paint the flowers out on the beautiful porch overlooking Lake Glenville.

So that is what I did.

This painting can be purchased through PayPal by using this link on my website. Thanks for visiting my blog and have a great day.
 

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.

"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!

"The Scent of Summer", 12x16, oil, flowers, pink, impasto, impressionism, palette knife, roses, Maryanne Jacobsen art

"The Scent of Summer", 12x16, oil

I had fun experimenting with this painting. I kept wiping out the work I had done when I wasn't happy with it and going over the top with something new. Wiping out was something I got used to hearing about at PACE15. In fact, instead of thinking of wiping out as being a result of making mistakes, it's often a technique that seasoned artists use to get some nice softening effects.

I forget what this is called. Though I know it has a name!

I also used a limited palette of two yellows, two reds and two blues. It does make for a nice harmonic sound, and I do see unity in the work above.

Anyhow, I enjoyed playing with this one and kept the impasto for the end- in the flowers, of course.

"Provencial Light", 30x24, oil on wrapped canvas, Provence, Lacoste, impasto, palette knife landscpaes, French landscapes, impressionism

SOLD

"Provencial Light", 30x24, oil on wrapped canvas

I had painted something similar to this in a smaller format some years back, and really enjoyed trying to capture that elusive Provencial light that makes artists gasp for joy when visiting Provence. So I determined to paint the scene again, this time in a much larger format than before.

I  must say that I thoroughly enjoyed painting this. It was painted with mostly a palette knife and has thick passages of paint throughout. I am going to hold onto this one for awhile.

"Petal Dance", 10x20, oil on wrapped canvas, impressionism, impasto, palette knife florals, sunflowers

SOLD

"Petal Dance", 10x20, oil on wrapped canvas


Lots of thick paint in this floral. Please email me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if you would like more information about this painting.

Please visit my website at Maryanne Jacobsen Fine Art to see more of my original oil paintings.

"Last of the Peonies", 8x8, oil on board, peonies, orange, pink blooms, impasto, palette knife floral

"Last of the Peonies", 8x8, oil on board

I set up a couple of vases of peonies outdoors last month, with the intention of painting them the next day. Well, the next day never happened because it rained continually for a week.

I did manage to take a photo of the arrangement before the rain completely destroyed al the blooms and I used that photo as a reference for this loose, almost abstract palette knife rendition of the bouquets.

Lots of thick paint in this one. Email me if interested in this painting at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"Under the Tuscan Sun", 12x24, oil on canvas, paintings of Italy, Tuscany, palette knife paintings, impasto, colorist art

"Under the Tuscan Sun", 12x24, oil on canvas

This painting is available through Galerie du Soleil in Naples, Florida.

Please call (239) 417-3450 for more information.

"Springtime in Umbria", 20x24, oil on wrapped canvas, Italian landscapes, Umbria, Tuscany, impasto, palette knife landscapes, colorist art, MAryanne Jacobsen art

"Springtime in Umbria", 20x24, oil on wrapped canvas

New painting in my Italian landscape series. This one has rich color and beautiful pieces of impasto throughout.

Available through Galerie du Soleil.

"Nature's Fading Glory", 12x12, oil

SOLD

"Nature's fading Glory", 12x12, oil

Back in the fall I painted at Winterthur for the Brandywine Valley Plein Air to benefit the Children's Beach House in Delaware. You can read my blog post about the event here

Last week, I decided to do a different version of the scene in a square format and the painting above was the result. I enjoyed painting the scene again, even though I was indoors and not privy, as I was the first time, to the glorious colors of nature all around me, and the bite of winter in the frosty air that morning.

Available through Gallery 444.

"Napa Morning", 9x12, impasto, palette knife, impressionism, Napa Valley vineyards, California art, wine country art, Sonoma, MAryanne JAcobsen art

SOLD

"Napa Morning", 9x12

I pulled out the photos from our trip to Napa last spring and decided on one of a vineyard. The challenge was to try to simplify the scene with all those posts going back in the distance.

The other challenge was the fact I had run out of white paint! Not fun if you are trying to finish a painting!

Not sure if I succeeded in capturing the scene or not, but I certainly enjoyed trying!

This painting was done with mostly a palette knife and has lots of juicy impasto in it.

Please contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if you have any interest in this painting.

"Green Mansions", 11x14, oil on board- palette knife, impressionism

SOLD

"Green Mansions", 11x14, oil on board

Painted with palette knife only. Thick, juicy impasto throughout!

Purchase info through Galerie Du Soleil.

"Walking to San Gimignano", 12x16, oil on board, Tuscany, paintings of San Gimignano, vineyards, Tuscan scenes, impasto

SOLD

"Walking to San Gimignano", 12x16, oil on board

I haven't done one of these palette knife, colorist paintings in a long while, and yesterday I just felt like letting the paint fly. It was fun to push the color in this Tuscan scene.

Note: You can click on the image to see the impasto better.

"Three's Company", 8x10, oil on wrapped Belgian linen-paintings of roses, oranges, pink roses, impressionist roses, impasto, MAryanne Jacobsen

"Three's Company", 8x10, oil on wrapped  Belgian linen

I haven't done a floral in a long while and was in the mood to do one, so today I bought some reduced roses at the market and set to work!

Here's my set-up:

I got a late start and the light was rather poor so I had to work fast. I enjoyed doing these as a change of pace. I think it's good to mix things up periodically so as to not get into a rut.

"Three's company" has thick paint throughout. If you wish to purchase this, please allow at least two weeks for the impasto to dry before I can ship it. Also available in a gold plein air frame for an additional $40.

"Walking to Canyon Road", 14x11, oil on linen, southwest art, Sant Fe, New Mexico Bed and breakfast, Inn on the Alameda, adobe architecture

SOLD

"Walking to Canyon Road", 14x11, oil on linen

Canyon Road in Santa Fe , New Mexico is the ultimate destination for artists and art collectors  around the country. If you want to stay close to Canyon Road, I highly recommend the Inn on the Alameda, a lovely B&B at the north end of Canyon Rd.

This is my second time painting this Inn so  I bet you can tell that I like it! This painting was painted primarily with a palette knife and has thick paint throughout.

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

"Summer in Zion", 8x10, oil on board by Maryanne Jacobsen, Zion National park oil painting, small painting of Zion, mountains, streams, rivers

SOLD

"Summer in Zion", 8x10, oil on board by Maryanne Jacobsen

During the recent plein air convention in Las Vegas, a theme that got a lot of attention was painting with a limited palette. For me, that's not easy because I just love color. I love looking at the fresh,  clean color when it comes out of the tube and I love seeing how it looks on the canvas.

Nonetheless, I took the limited palette challenge that's happening on Facebook and painted this with only 4 colors plus white. I used only white, Alizarin crimson, Cad yellow pale, ultramarine blue and windsor green.

While this experiment was challenging for me, I do like the color harmony it produced.

"Sleepyheads with fruit", 12x24, oil on hardwood by Maryanne Jacobsen

SOLD

"Sleepyheads with fruit", 12x24, oil on hardwood by Maryanne Jacobsen

Note: Please click on the photo for a better view of the brush strokes and impasto

Sometimes all it takes to awaken my creative juices is a bouquet of sunflowers in the supermarket. I lucked out today when I spied an unexpected display of fresh sunflowers in the local market, while shopping for lunch.

I took them home and decided that they would look perfect painted in a long format, which I just happened to luckily have on hand. I rummaged through the fridge, found some fresh fruit, and went to town.

When I took the flowers out of their wrapping and placed them in the vase, their little heads were drooping and they looked like they were nodding off. Hence the title!I do love sunflowers. They always make me feel happy, even when their heads are bowed.

SOLD through Gallerie Unique, Ft. Myers, Florida.

palette knife florals, Knife paintings, contemporary impressionism , paintings of sunflowers, paintings with vibrant color, colorist art,Main Line Philadelphia art, paintings of bougainvillea, impasto landscapes,wild art,Florida artists.

"Gail's Old Florida Garden", 12x16, oil on canvas, plein air, Florida gardens, banana trees, Old Florida, Azaleas, Florida foilage, palms

Sold
"Gail's Old Florida Garden", 12x16, oil on canvas, plein air, alla prima by Maryanne Jacobsen

Today I painted at a lovely private residence in Nokomis, Florida. It's not often you can find azaleas in this neck of the woods, but Gail's property has plenty of them, in every color and variety! The weather was beautiful and it was easy to paint for three hours in such a lovely setting.

I also finally got to meet Karen Hitt's studio assistant "Bonnie Blue", and a bonnie lass she certainly is!

Karen also introduced me to Wet-Case, and the Wet Canvas Carrying system and it definitely came in handy today with all the wet paint I was slinging around! Here is how beautifully neat and clean you can keep your car, even if you are an avid plein air painter that exudes paint the way most people exude air!

The thing that is really cool about the Wet Case carrying system is that it has two separate layers, so if you are painting all day, or at a paint-out, you have ample storage room for your wet canvases on the way home. The system comes with clamps that clamp right into the canvas, elevating it away from the sides of the box and keeping everything clean and neat! Here's Karen with her Wet-Case at her easel, as Bonnie Blue enjoys a pine cone snack.

To learn more about the Wet Case Carrying System, or to order your own online, here is the link: Wet Case Carrying System.

Karen caught this pic of me painting, and just in case you can't read the sign on the tree it says "Armadillo Crossing". Now wouldn't you just love to paint here?