"Windy Day at Winterthur", 16x16, oil on wrapped canvas, plein air, special sale, Winterthur Museum, gazebo, autumn, colorist art, impressionism, Du Post family

 "Windy Day at Winterthur", 16x16, oil on wrapped canvas

This painting was painted on location on a very windy autumn day in Wilmington, Delaware, at the beautiful Winterthur Museum, former home of the wealthy DuPont family. I recall it being windy because my easel blew over three times that day!

Below is an image of the brick overlook in Daffodil season. 

My favorite time to paint at Winterthur is in the fall when the colors are incredibly vibrant. 

In keeping with the scene, the colors in the painting are vibrant and warm, and the painting would add a sense of light and energy to any  room! It is being sold unframed, but framing options are available for an additional charge. 

Thanks for visiting my blog. I hope you enjoyed the artwork here!

"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.

"Autumn Fugue at Winterthur", 14x11, oil on board, plein air, fall foliage, autumn landscapes, Winterthur Museum, Brandywine Valley art

"Autumn Fugue at Winterthur", 14x11, oil on board, plein air

This was painted last week on a cold morning at the Winterthur Museum for the Plein Air Brandywine Valley Paint-Out. I was standing on a slope and my easel blew over a couple times until I finally moved it onto the tram path, which was level. This meant I had to move the easel every time a tram or bus went by, which was basically every 15 minutes. I was attracted to the little gazebo up on the hill as a focal point, as well as the strong contrast of light and shadow patterns. Over all, I was really happy with the way it came out, as the autumn foliage really inspired me to push the palette more than I have been doing recently. Here is what it looked like when It was hanging in the show:

  Unfortunately, whoever shipped it back to me from Wilmington, had no clue how to ship a wet painting. Since this was painted with a palette knife, the paint was extremely thick to begin with. Common sense should have told the person that nothing should come in contact with the paint, but maybe the person didn't realize that the painting could be ruined by contact with heavy paper. At any rate, the painting had been wrapped snugly in brown paper and there was paint all over the paper and the frame when I received it today. Throughout the painting the thick impasto was either smeared or gone!I was really upset because I had worked so hard on the painting at Winterthur. Yet it was truly my own fault, too, since I had not given better instructions on how to ship it back!

So I took it out of the frame, cleaned up the frame and set about to repair it. It does not have the same freshness of the original painting, but I am still happy that I was able to rescue it somewhat. If you are interested in purchasing the painting, just send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

The grounds of the Winterthur Museum are gorgeous all year long, and it was a treat to be allowed to paint on this beautiful property. Founded by Henry Francis du Pont, Winterthur (pronounced “winter-tour”) is the premier museum of American decorative arts, reflecting both early America and the du Pont family’s life here. Its 60-acre naturalistic garden is among the country’s best, and its research library serves scholars from around the world. Please check out their website and be sure to visit if you are ever int he Wilmington , Delaware area.