"Mary's Garden", 12x12, oil, gardens, relaxation, women in hats, mothers day, sunflowers, table in the sun

 "Mary's Garden", 12x12, oil

I've painted this little scene a number of times. It was from a photo that my husband took of me reading a book in our back garden. 

In this one, I gave myself brown hair for a change, even though I'm a blonde. I loved the bright sunlight on the table and flowers, while I myself sat fairly sheltered under an old oak tree.

This could be any wife, mom or daughter on her day off-just enjoying the sunshine, a good book, and a glass of white wine!

Feel free to contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com, if you are interested in this work.

Thanks for visiting my blog!

"The Garden Gossips", 5x7, oil, paintings of flowers, daily painting, small affordable painting, little gems, purple flowers, gardens

 "The Garden Gossips", 5x7, oil

Song Song Blue

Everybody Knows one

Song song Blue

Every Garden Grows one

Ever study the flowers in a garden? Many of them have little faces, some have noses or beards, or lovely dancing skirts. Flowers add beauty to our lives and undoubtably there are some personalities in every garden, that stand around and chat about their neighbors.

This is a study of a couple little gossips currently  hanging out in my garden. They love to talk about the other flowers in the garden who are not quite as well dressed as they are. Like the little buttercups and daisies and wild sage.

Well shame on them! I love all my flowers, even them!

This painting is a little study that is available through my website for only $100, plus shipping. If you would like to purchase this painting, just use this link to purchase through PayPal directly through my website.

"Summer Reverie", 16x20, oil on panel, Maryanne Jacobsen art, original oil paintings, impressionism, plein air versus studio, gardens, flowers, romantic gardens

"Summer Reverie", 16x20, oil on panel

I did a plein air painting in my back garden a couple weeks ago and enjoyed it so much that I thought I'd try a larger version in my studio. The image above is the result.

It's a weird thing about plein air. You are working against the clock to capture all that you see in front of you, and as a result you don't have time to over-think things. So generally speaking, plein air work has a more spontaneous feel to it.

The benefits of working  in the studio, are that you can study what you did wrong in the plein air piece, and take your time thinking through how you could do it differently, in the hopes that you might improve upon what you did quickly outdoors.

Here are the two paintings side by side:

The funny thing is, I like the plein air painting better! Yes, I was able to soften edges in the larger one, and think more carefully about the background, but somehow, the transparency of the tablecloth, the texture in the flowers, the boldbess of the brushwork,  and the spontaneous way in which I threw in the leg and its shadow underneath the table, appeals to me more.

Anyhow, if you stop by this blog and have a read, please let me know what you think!

"The Scent of Romance", 12x16, oil on Ampersand panel, flowers, gardens, Maryanne Jacobsen art, romantic art, studies, plein air, table settings hydrangeas

"The Scent of Romance", 12x16, oil on Ampersand panel

This is a quick study that I did in my garden yesterday. It was cold by Florida standards, so I had to work quickly so I could go back inside!

I like the way it came out, so I have decided that I will do a bigger version of this one in the studio. If you would like to purchase this small study, just contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"Summer Read", 16x20, oil, figure in the landscape, paintings of young ladies, women in hats, books, summer, gardens, MAryanne JAcobsen art

"Summer Read", 16x20, oil on panel

Sometimes I will do a scene more than once if I enjoyed painting it, and also to see if I can improve upon what I did before.

I painted a smaller version of this over a year ago, called "A Summer's Day" :

There are things about the first version that I like better, like the folds in the girl's dress and the light on the chaise. But overall, I am relieved to also see improvements in the new version. It is so important for an artist to know she is improving, otherwise why bother to continue?

Parts of painting become drudgery after a time. Things like cleaning brushes, cleaning messy palettes, varnishing , framing and preparing canvases, not to mention shipping- are the things that make me weary. Many people have no idea how much work is involved in being a successful artist! And I didn't even touch on the marketing part which I am not very diligent about!

So it is always helpful to know that one is improving and that the work is well received by your audience.

I would love to hear from you regarding the newer version! Please drop a comment if you have the time!

"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 Days", 12x16, oil on linen, paintings of girls, dappled light, gardens, girls in hats, books, summer gardens

"Summer Days", 12x16, oil on linen

I have been working on this painting for almost two weeks now, off and on. I let it dry, look at it some more, see flaws and jump back into it. I actually almost thought it was done today until I got it up on the monitor and saw problems with the folds on her skirt.

Such is the world of an artist. We love our craft and sometimes we hate it. Most of the time we love it, though.

I think.

The thing that is very cool abut this painting is that I used a whole different palette in it and ended up liking it!!!!!! Colors I normally never have used or used only irregularly in the past. Earth tones.

I'm realizing the value of earth tones in mixing skin colors. So much easier! Yes!

So anyway, here's the colors I used on this one and when it is finally and truly finished I will post it again!- Indian yellow, cad yellow pale, yellow ochre, cad orange, Napthol red, (thank-you Lori Putnam!) terra rosa, alizarin crimson, Ultramarine blue and  transparent oxide red. And white. Of course.

"Summer Days" is available through Gallery 444.

"The Pergola at Chanticleer", 16x20, oil on canvas, pergolas, Chanticleer, Main Line Gardens, palette knife paintings, Philadelphia MAin Line, gardens

"The Pergola at Chanticleer", 16x20, oil on canvas

Chanticleer is a lovely estate with beautiful gardens that are open to the public. It is a place that is heaven to artists! I took advantage of my recent visit to Pennsylvania to take some photos at Chanticleer.

This painting is of the pergola, and was done with mostly a palette knife. Chanticleer is such a lovely place!

To learn more about Chanticleer, please go here.

"Feed the Birds", 11x14, oil on board

"Feed the Birds", 11x14, oil on board

This is a quick study that I did a while back of one of those old-fashioned birdfeeders that no one sells anymore. If I were a bird, I'd be rather finicky.

Nowadays, the best sellers look something like this:

What happens with the above, is that the birds are all competing with each other , as well as with the squirrels, for their food. If I were a bird, I'd be timid, since that's my human personality, and I'd hate to have to fight for my food.

So birdies, come to my little birdie home and I'll welcome you with lots of sunflower seeds!

"Mission Morning Glories", 16x20, oil on board, morning Glories, Mission Capistrano, gardens,

"Mission Morning Glories", 16x20, oil on board (note: Click on the image to see the detail better.)


Mission San Juan Capistrano is located in southern California in Orange County, about an hour north of San Diego and just south of Laguna Beach. I have visited it three or four times and never grow tired of that beautiful place. It is a national treasure and historic monument, and most people have heard the beautiful legend about the swallows that return there every year to nest. To read more about the mission and the swallows , please go here.

If you would like to see more of my Mission San Juan Capistrano paintings, just insert the word Capistrano into the search box located in the left hand sidebar.


This painting was done with a palette knife only. It has thick, juicy passages of paint throughout.

Thanks for following my blog. To see more of my paintings, please visit my website here.

"The Good Book", 12x16, oil on board, books, gardens, simple pleasures, ladies in hats, garden settings, Impressionist art

SOLD

"The Good Book", 12x16, oil on board
(Note: "The Good Book" received an honorable mention in the Venice Art Center's 2013 portrait and figurative exhibit.)

Thought I'd revisit this scene of a photo of myself taken a couple years back and try a larger version of it. I've painted it a couple times before in small formats, and I thought it might be fun to try it again. (Note: all of the smaller versions are sold, but you can check them out here, here and here.)

Many have forgotten the joy of a good book in these hectic modern times that we live in.Technology seems to be stealing those simple pleasures from us, as our lives become increasingly filled with the monotony of keeping up with voicemails, emails, Facebook and Twitter. My good friend Diana recently commented that his scene draws us into it, and also takes us back to the way things were. She went on to say that, "Its nice to see her without a cell phone, a kindle or an ipad on the table. "

I confess that I don't own any of those things. Oh, and I still collect beautiful bookmarks!

Thanks for looking and have a good weekend.

"The Good Book" is available through Gallery 444.

"Looking for White Rabbits", 9x12, color study, little girls, white dresses, gardens, roses

SOLD

"Looking for White Rabbits", 9x12

This was a study in trying consciously  to mute my colors, rather than over-saturating them.

I have heard a lot of people say that it is hard to learn a colorist technique after using earth colors and being a tonalist for many years. I can say that as someone who began as a colorist, it is just as hard to try to bring your palette closer to nature! I have been working on that for a while now, and the results have always been muddy colors. So I continue to struggle with a balance between being a colorist and still keeping my paintings representational. I really concentrated on keeping my greens and shadow colors muted in this study.

"Holiday Villa", 12x16, oil on board, south of france, French villas, paintings of Provence, gardens, French gardens, French holiday

SOLD

"Holiday Villa", 12x16, oil on board

I am reading a book called The Paris Wife, by Paula McLain, which chronicles the story of Hadley Richardson, the first wife of Ernest Hemingway. At one point in the book, Hadley makes the fateful decision to bring all of Ernest's work with her on a trip to Switzerland to see her husband. Waiting for a train, she takes a short walk around the platform, only to find out that the small valise containing all of Ernest's writings of the last four years has been stolen.

What ensues afterwards is a dry spell for Ernsest, in which he finds himself unable to write in the wake of finding out that his work is gone.

It happens to me more often than I like to admit, a dry spell when I can't paint- though I certainly can't blame a spouse who has lost or destroyed my paintings!

Today I took a devil-may -care attitude about beginning a painting, refusing to allow the inner voice inside my head to start telling me I couldn't do it.

It worked. The painting came out pretty quickly and effrotlessly, and I am hopeing that that is the end of my current dry spell for  awhile!

If you would like to take a holiday to the south of France, you may purchase this painting and visit this beautiful villa every day of the year. Now how's that for a nice offer?

Visit my website here to view more of my original oil paintings.

"The Constant Gardener", 6x6, oil on panel, Strawberry Bank Museum, people in costume, gardens, gardener, fountain

"The Constant Gardener", 6x6, oil on panel

We spied this little lady in the gardens at The Strawberry Banke Museum when we were there a few weeks ago. The light was dramatic and so I asked my hubby to grab a quick picture of the woman in costume:

I loved the dark fir trees that offered a backdrop to the woman. I tried to keep this as impressionistic as possible,so that the viewer could fill in the details and imagine the story for himself.

This painting can be purchased through Galerie du Soleil in Naples, Florida.