"Feeling Blessed", 11x14, oil on panel, blessings, light and shadow, impressionist paintings, floral arrangements in paint, Greg McLogan, James1:17, Maryanne Jacobsen art

"Feeling Blessed", 11x14, oil on panel

The painting above is a self-portrait of sorts in that I have often looked back over my life and considered my many blessings. Some people have said I live a charmed life. Others declare that I am fortunate, or lucky. So what's the difference between being lucky and being blessed?

Below, I quote the words of author/writer Greg McLogan from his blog "Simple and Deep" because he has summed up this simple truth in a way that I myself could not articulate.

"I have learned that there is a huge difference between thinking and saying I’m just lucky or believing I am blessed. It lies in the difference in the mindset and heart of being one or the other. Being lucky is the idea that by chance, something in the universe made a situation go in your favor. Being blessed is attributing a given situation to the goodness of God or another person. I keep myself in the mindset of being blessed, because I know that things happen a reason, rather than the mindset that things happen by random chance. So to be a Christian, is to believe that there’s no such thing as luck. Saying it was luck or attributing everything to luck denies that God is in control. The credit for everything good that happens to us is God’s. There’s no such thing as luck, because God is alive and well. He cares about us, and wants to be involved in every area of our lives."- Greg McLogan

Finally, I love this quote from the Bible reminding us that every good thing comes down from the Father Of Lights above: Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.- James1:17

"Rocky Cove", 16x20 , oil on canvas, Cape Ann paintings, seascapes, Rockport, Massachusetts, Impressionism, rocks, Atlantic, Maryanne Jacobsen art

"Rocky Cove", 16x20 , oil on canvas

Sometimes I enjoy painting a scene so much that I can't wait to try it again! In this case, it was the scene overlooking Gap Cove in Rockport that I wanted to try again. I painted it en plein air when I was there a couple weeks ago, and so the scene was fresh in my mind.

Once again I decided to make the pretty house on Gap Head Road my focal point, and I decided to define the rocks a little more carefully than I had done the first time.

I will concede that painting en plein air is challenging because you must work very fast to capture the elements, and retain the original concept even as the light is changing. The benefit, however, is that the artist does not have a chance to mull over decisions regarding color mixing, value, composition- anything! You either nail it or you don't! That is why plein air work can either look incredibly fresh and spontaneous, or else be a disaster!

In the case of the painting that I did that day, I was very happy with it, so I thought it would be fun to try a bigger version. What I noticed was that I found myself overthinking decisions that I had made instantaneously the first time I'd painted the scene. I found myself playing around with the greenery in the foreground to the extent that it made the foliage seem more strained and conspicuous than the first time I'd painted it. I also had too many color choices, whereby I had substantially  limited my palette when I'd painted it that day on location.

In short, I have slowly but surely become an avid proponent of plein air painting, as a result of understanding its benefits. It has taken me 6 years to get comfortable with painting on location, and I will admit that once you get there, painting in the studio is always a little bit of a disappointment. Without the sound of the seagulls screeching in the background, and the waves lapping the rocks, the music that I normally play while painting didn't quite do it for me any more. Without the warm sun playing over my shoulders and the crisp blue sky above me, the mixture of light sources in the studio become almost confusing.

In short, although I was somewhat happy with this painting, I know the first painting was better even though it only took me one hour and this one took me 5 hours. I can't wait until the heat of this Florida summer breaks somewhat, so I can get back outdoors and paint another tiny piece of  God's glorious creation. Thanks for reading.

"Porch Peonies", 8x10, oil on board, pink peonies, blue vases, porch paintings, plein air, impressionist paintings, flowers, Vixen Hill Cottage

"Porch Peonies", 8x10, oil on board

During my trip to Pennsylvania a few weeks ago, I noticed that the peonies were in full bloom. I absolutely adore peonies so I determined to pick some, set them up outside out Vixen Hill Cottage, and paint them.

So one night I went out and picked a ton of them, determined to begin my painting the very next day.

I found vases in the cottage and set them up on a table outside and arranged all my paints the night before so I could get started first thing in the morning.

Instead of awakening to the usual slice of sunrise coming through the windows, I noticed that the skylights were being battered with heavy rain. So I sighed and figured it would stop before the day was over.

Well, the rain continued, and continued and went on and on and on. After 5 days, my peonies were almost completely spent by the rain. That was when I decided to collect the survivors and set them up in the porch. The sun was trying valiantly to peek through, but by now I didn't trust it!

In the end, the sun did in fact make a comeback that day, but I finished my painting on the porch, unperturbed by the prospect of another downfall.

Please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com, if you would like to purchase "Porch Peonies".

"Three Roses, a Lime and a Love Letter", 6x6 oil on panel, roses, lime, love letter, small paintings

"Three Roses, a Lime and a Love Letter", 6x6 oil on panel

Sometimes we just have to take the sweet with the sour and the thorns with the petals. It is a testament to the human spirit that we are able to weather the ups and downs of life, and even grow from negative experiences. This is called resilience.

According to Psychology Today, "Resilience is that ineffable quality that allows some people to be knocked down by life and come back stronger than ever. Rather than letting failure overcome them and drain their resolve, they find a way to rise from the ashes."

I suppose that these are some of the things that were on my mind when I created this little set-up and painted this little painting today.

"In the Secret Garden", 16x20, oil on linen

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"In the Secret Garden", 16x20, oil on linen

When I was a little girl, I read a lot. Those hours that i spent with books were some the happiest times of my childhood. I, along with countless other girls my age, were hooked on The Bobbsey Twins and Nancy Drew series. I couldn't read fast enough, and the fact that I developed bad eyesight from reading in bed during a nasty bout of measles is a testament to the fact that I couldn't stop reading, even when my mother told me not to. One book that I read as a child and cherished, was "The Secret Garden", by By Frances Hodgson Burnett. In the story, Mary Lennox, a spoiled little ten-year-old girl, is orphaned by the plague in India and sent from India to England to live in a big, lonely house on the Yorkshire moors with her unpleasant uncle. Here she discovers an invalid cousin and the mysteries of a locked garden, in a powerful story of compassion and friendship.

My son also had a lead in the musical version of "The Secret Garden" about ten years ago and I seem to recall that there was a movie version of the classic, as well.

I do believe that I was thinking of that old favorite book of mine when I painted this scene, as it is straight out of fantasyland, with the locked gate and the little girl with the swirling hair.

Usually it is very important to paint from life. But sometimes it's also fun to paint from what's in your heart and imagination. I think everyone should have their own Secret Garden in which they can wander when times get tough. What do you think?