"Springtime, China Cove", 12x16, oil

 "Springtime, China Cove", 12x16, oil

I have painted this same scene numerous times in the past and I never get tired of it. The gorgeous Pacific Ocean stretching way back into the distance with the various little peninsulas stretching out in between makes for a wonderful study in creating distance and atmosphere in your paintings. 

I won a first place ribbon with my first rendering of China Cove, way back in 2015, judged by renowned watercolor artist  Vladislav Yeliseyev. The award landed me representation at a gallery in Sarasota, Florida. The painting was put in the front display window and immediately sold.

I have a wonderful memory of painting at Point Lobos State Preserve during the Plein Air convention in Monterrey 10 years ago. It was there on my second trip to the Preserve that I veered further south and discovered the beautiful little cove that was hidden away in a protected niche of the sanctuary. This is where the seals would come and play and nurse their cubs in the springtime. The waters were a translucent blend of vivid emerald and turquoise and cerulean blue, such as I had never before seen together in one place. So I set up my easel and paints, and allowed the beauty of that place to become a part of my memory. 

All around me I could hear seals barking, gulls reeling and nature in all its glory responding to this beautiful sanctuary of peace and tranquillity.

Here are some pictures from that day.

I have been blessed to paint in many beautiful places in this great country, but Point Lobos Preserve on the Pacific Coast will always be way at the top of the list of my favorite places to paint and visit.

If you are interested in this painting, please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

Thanks for visiting my blog.

"Morning Novena", 11x14, oil, Maryanne Jacobsen art, Carmel mission, Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, Carmel-by-the-sea, Carmel California, Calfornia missions, mission trail

 "Morning Novena", 11x14, oil

When I visited the Carmel Mission in California a few years back, the steeples were under construction.

I have wanted to paint this beautiful church for a while now, but was put off by my reference photo, showing the construction site.

I finally decided to work around the obstacles and this was the result. The day I was there an elderly woman was just exiting the church with her walking stick. I thought about how poignant the scene was, with the devout old lady probably making her daily novena. And that is when I decided on the title.

I usually prefer painting buildings in bright sunlight, but I decided I needed more practice painting buildings in shadow.

If you are ever in the Monterrey peninsula, be sure to visit this serene and lovely mission built way back in 1770 and restored in 1940. It is also called Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, but the Carmelites just call it the Carmel Mission. 

To read more about the mission, just go here.

Thank-you for visiting my blog. Please also visit my website at https://www.maryannejacobsenfineart.com for more California art!

"Raining Rose Petals", 12x9, oil, floral painting, impressionist roses, American impressionist society, colorful floral painting, Maryanne Jacobsen art

 "Raining Rose Petals", 12x9, oil

This painting was painted in the impressionist style and was juried into the American Impressionist Society's Fall online exhibit. I have always loved painting impressionist florals and this one was no exception.

Although each rose was painted with her own distinct personality, the center rose stands center and foremost, among her more colorful friends. They are all flamboyant and showing off; they are in their prime although their petals are starting to drop.

But these roses will never wilt to nothing. They were captured in a moment of time, for the viewer to enjoy forever!

I hope you enjoyed these lovelies. Please email me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com, if you would like price and purchase information.

"December Snow", 8x10, oil on panel, snow scene, original oil painting, Christmas gifts, framed painting of snow, tranquil snow scenes, Maryanne Jacobsen art

 "December Snow", 8x10, oil on panel, frame included! (Note: Click on image to see it better)

This is the time of year that I dream of a White Christmas! As a Floridian of 20 years, I get to wear shorts all year, and  see my garden bloom throughout the year.

But during the holiday season, I yearn for those beautiful winter scenes of tranquility and peace, that I once enjoyed when I lived in beautiful Chester County Pennsylvania.

I am offering this painting for sale, with the frame included, through my website. Please click here to enjoy the serenity of a snow scene all year long!

"Midsummer Daydream", 12x24, oil on birch panel, California impressionism, eucalyptus trees, sunset, rose, summer, midsummer, daydream, original art for sale, Maryanne Jacobsen art

 "Midsummer Daydream", 12x24, oil on birch panel

This painting evokes memories of lazy strolls through southern California valleys and hillsides as the sun sets beyond the Eucalyptus groves in a rose-tinged haze. The trees are graceful, almost dancing silently, their long silvery leaves waving ever so gently in the summer breeze.

This painting originally retailed for a great deal more than the price I am asking for it. It is being sold unframed for $550, which includes shipping and handling as well. I have some framing options available at an extra cost, if interested, including the handsome black frame with gold lining shone below. Just send me a message for more details at maryannejacobsen@aol.com. The painting has an ethereal romantic quality about it, and would make a lovely Valentine's Day gift for that special someone in your life.

"Midsummer Daydream" is part of my special sale at my website. Please check out all of the 12 lovely paintings that I am offering at a fraction of their original cost.

If you would like to purchase "Midsummer Daydream", just send me a message at maryanne jacobsen@aol.com.

"Where the Robins Sing", 24x24, oil on masonite, still life, outdoor still life, garden art, wine, strawberries, pink flowers, original art, Maryanne Jacobsen art

 "Where the Robins Sing", 24x24, oil on masonite

This colorful garden still life was painted a few years ago and has nice impasto passages throughout.The birds were singing in the trees beyond the fence, and there was the tiniest hint of fall in the air that day. The glass of cabernet was the perfect ending to my painting session and I even ate the strawberries!

 Artists and their art continue to bring beauty into the world through their creativity, imagination and skill. Thank-you for supporting my work and I hope you have a wonderful day!

"Strawberry Blonde", 8x10, portraits, red-heads, strawberry blondes, Short Dog Studio, Bill Taylor Photography, Beth Brownlee Bathe, Maryanne Jacobsen art

 "Strawberry Blonde", 8x10

I broke my clavicle about a month ago as a result of a bike accident. Trying to get back into painting has been very slow-going and extremely painful, as I find I am in a lot of pain if I stand for more than 20 minutes. (I've never been able to paint sitting down.) Recently I was invited by fabulous artist Beth Brownlee Bathe to paint virtually from her wonderful Short Dog Studio in Ephrata, Pa. She and her partner Bill of Bill Taylor Photography have offered artists the chance to paint from some absolutely fabulous long shot poses photographed at the studio. The models are always beautiful and there are a variety of poses to choose from. Last week I painted (very painfully) a full figure. This week I decided to keep it simple with just a portrait. This was the result.

A huge thank-you to Beth Brownlee Bathe, Bill Taylor Photography and Short Dog Studio for giving me and many artists a little pleasure during these COVID-times.

#BethBrownleeBathe, #shortdogstudio #BillTaylorPhotography

"Chanticleer's Garden, 9x12, Chanticleer garden, Wayne Pa. Saint David's, Philadelphia area gardens, beautiful gardens, rooster, paintings of gardens, Maryanne Jacobsen art, rose garden, Chanticleer

"Chanticleer's Garden, 9x12

This majestic rooster stands atop his pedestal, gazing fondly about his garden.

"Chanticleer" usually refers to roosters, but it was also the name of Adolf Rosengarten's beautiful estate on the Philadelphia Main Line. Today,  the Chanticleer estate is now a pleasure garden open all year to the public in the Wayne/ St. David's area of the Main Line. According to the website, "Mr. Rosengarten's humor is evident in naming his home after the estate "Chanticlere" in Thackeray's 1855 novel The Newcomes. The fictional Chanticlere was "mortgaged up to the very castle windows" but "still the show of the county." Playing on the word, which is synonymous with "rooster," the Rosengartens used rooster motifs throughout the estate."

I love visiting Chanticleer whenever I am in the area, and it is especially beautiful in the spring. Here is another painting that I did of the estate a while back:

"Red Maple at Chanticleer", 16x20- SOLD

If you are in the Wayne/St. David's area, be sure to visit the gardens. Private and group tours of the Rosengarten's former home are also available. Visit their website here for additional information.

"Under the Arches", 8x10, Mission Capistrano, SanJuanCapistrano, California missions, Father Serra, Southern California missions, Maryanne Jacobsen art

"Under the Arches", 8x10

This is a view ot the beautiful Mission SanJuan Capistrano from under the mission arches. The shrub directly in front is an Angel Trumpet plant, rumored to be toxic, but gorgeous nonetheless less. There were very few blooms on the plant at this time, but when it does bloom there are beautiful white upside down trumpet -shaped blooms.

I've painted the mission numerous times. There is no end of  inspiration there!

For purchase info, please email me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"Fond Memories", 12x24, oil, house portrait, commissions, paintings of family homes, Cape Cod, seaside homes, Maryanne Jacobsen art

"Fond Memories", 12x24, oil

I was recently commissioned to paint a memento of a very special family home that was about to be sold. The house, on Cape Cod, held many pleasant memories for my client and thus it needed to be memorialized in paint.

Painting a portrait of something as near and dear to a person as a family home is always a bit stressful for me, but in my past experiences the outcome has been worth my stress as the owners are always joyful to have a little concrete memory to retain.

I took my time with this one, studied the photographs, made preliminary sketches in pencil and even painted a small 9x12 paint sketch to make sure I had thoroughly familiarized myself with my subject matter. In the end, my client was very happy with the painting and so for me it was well worth the effort.

If you would like a portrait of your own family home painted, just send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com and we can discuss the process!

"Spring Greens", 12x16, oil on panel, land art events, Brandywine Conservancy, Chester County barns, Pennsylvania landscapes, plein air, Maryanne Jacobsen art, Farm to Table plein air

"Spring Greens", 12x16, oil on panel

Here is another painting that I did during my recent trip to Pennsylvania, as I painted as a juried artist in the Farm to Table Plein Air event.

This was a lovely property on the outskirts of West Chester that had numerous out buildings, a Springhouse, barn and gorgeous historical home. The morning was incredibly bright and sunny but just as incredibly windy. I chose to paint the barn because I liked the overlapping tree shape against the roofline and the light and shadow patterns.

But I found that it was all I could do to hold onto my easel, and it managed to blow over twice before I finally realized that I had to hold it with one hand and paint with my other hand. My brush washer holding my solvent took off as a flying projectile at one point, and the grass and my apron were instantly sprayed with solvent. I also lost the S-clip that held my brush washer to my easel and that annoyed me greatly since I knew I'd have to paint the rest of the trip with the solvent holder on the ground. Only a big deal if you have a bad back, which I do.

The lady painting behind me (a pastel painter)  had brought a brick, and she used that to weight down her easel. I didn't have a brick, and so I painted the entire time with the disadvantage of having no more solvent and having to hold onto my easel for dear life.

The painting progressed anyway, but I knew I'd have to make some corrections to the perspective in the end, because I couldn't adequately measure and paint with only one hand free.

With all that green, I knew some vivid color was needed, and since there was evidence that some marigolds and day lillies had been planted around the barn and fence, I took the liberty to embellish their growth in the painting.

I have to admit that that was the fun part of this painting- putting some flowers in at the end. In addition to losing  my solvent and S-clip, I ended up with poison ivy on my arms as a result of scouring around afterwards and trying to find the little clip! (Which I never did find.)

This is one of the paintings that will be included in the Farm to Table Plein Air culminating event on October 26th. For more information please check it out on my website!

"Friends and Neighbors", 10x20, oil on linen, classical realism, pears, grapes, Maryanne Jacobsen art, still life

"Friends and Neighbors", 10x20, oil on linen

Sometimes I think it is important for me to paint something that is more in line with the classical tradition.

I tend to prefer "looser" work, but I much admire the artists who render so beautifully fruits , flowers and vases in the tradition of the Old Masters. This was my attempt at a "serious" painting. and while I am serious about all my work, I hope you all know what I mean!

"Summer Garden, Rockport",11x14, oil on panel, Rockport, Massachusetts, homes of Rockport Massachusetts, Cape Ann, summer gardens, Maryanne Jacobsen art, Windswept, Old Garden Path, paintings of homes in Rockport

"Summer Garden, Rockport",11x14, oil on panel

Rockport, Massachusetts on Cape Ann has long been a favorite haunt of mine. A favorite activity when my husband and I are there is to take the stroll along the ocean via the Old Garden Path. I have taken that walk dozens of times and never grow tired of it!

This is one of the gorgeous summer "cottages " that line the street called The Old Garden Path. Sitting high and stately  on a slight hill and with a long stone pathway leading to the porch, one can always count on beautiful perennial gardens in the summer. Black-eyed Susan, purple coneflowers, Russian sage- it's a delightful scene to behold as one walks down the street.

I took a photo of this house a few years back and decided to paint it. The home is called "Windswept". I'll bet sitting on that front porch facing the Atlantic Ocean, one can partake of the most marvelous of wind currents!

This painting is available. Please email me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com for more info and thanks for looking!

"Peaceful Port", 11x14, oil on panel , Maine art, Port Clyde, Tennant's Harbor, St. George, seaside village, fisherman's village, back in time, Maryanne Jacobsen art, original art

"Peaceful Port", 11x14, oil on panel (Click on photo to see the image better)

This is a little dead-end path in the tiny little village of Port Clyde, Maine.  We visited there on our way to spending a few days on Monhegan Island at the Island Inn. We flew from Florida into Boston, and then had a long drive ahead of us to get to Port Clyde. We had our reasons for flying into Boston, mainly because we were going to spend the latter part of our trip in Cape Ann. Anyhow, at 10 PM we were still driving the tiny back roads of Maine trying to find the village of Port Clyde. Its was incredibly foggy that June evening and with the fog as thick as pea soup we could barely see two feet in front of the car. To add to the drama, neither one of us had any cell phone service and never having been there before, we feared we were lost without our navigation device.

I finally convinced my husband to pull into a random driveway, and I tentatively knocked on a front door to ask for directions. The chap who answered the door looked at me suspiciously until he realized I was truly lost. He gave us directions , and fortunately we weren't too far off the beaten track. We arrived at  The Seaside Inn around midnight, amidst thick fog, and in looking for the driveway to the Seaside Inn we almost drove right into Muscongus Bay! Scary! The boat ramp there is right in front of the hotel driveway and there is no sign warning you that  you are at water's edge!

Anyhow, the whole area of St. George, Tennant's Harbor and Port Clyde is a throw- back in time, brimming with charm and character and the salty old smells of the sea. I hope to return there again one day!

If you are interested in this painting, please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"Summer Moonrise", 12x24, oil on board, Impressionism, California trees, eucalyptus trees, Maryanne Jacobsen art, Moonrise, summer moon

"Summer Moonrise", 12x24, oil on board (please click on the painting to better see the texture within)

If you read my blog, you'll know that I have an ongoing love for eucalyptus trees. They have a lyrical quality in the way they nod carry themselves- sometimes nodding their heads like naughty children and more often then not curling and twisting like a dancer performing a strange adagio.

This is another painting of a eucalyptus cluster. it was painted on a board and has soft muted colors and texture throughout.

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

"Island Walkers", 28x16, oil on board, Monhegan Island, misty mornings, morning walk, Maine art, islands in the Atlantic, Maryanne Jacobsen art

"Island Walkers", 28x16, oil on board (Note: If you click on the image you can better see the brushwork.)

This is a painting of well-worn path on Monhegan Island, off the coast of Maine. The island is a special, almost magical place. I've only been there twice, but those visits left me with abundant memories of the island's quirky character  and raw beauty.

This was painted from a photograph that I took one misty, June morning. The lilacs were blooming everywhere and a bed of red tulips drew my attention as the reds stood out vibrantly in the low contrast atmosphere.

Please contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if you would like more information about the painting.

"Periwinkle Hydrangeas and Plums", 12x16, oil on copper panel, hydrangea, paintings on copper, impasto florals, sunflower paintings, paintings with texture, Maryanne Jacobsen art

"Periwinkle Hydrangeas and Plums", 12x16, oil on copper panel (Note: If you click on the image, you can better see the impasto in the painting)

This summer I have done some additional experimentation with painting on copper panels. There is a wonderful patina that peeks through the painting in the areas that you don't paint. Sort of like a warm underpainting, only better. The problem with painting on copper is that it is slippery and the paint does not adhere to it the way it would to a canvas or linen panel. That being said, I enjoy the challenge of the slippery surface and feel as though I am getting better at handling it.

The painting above was painted with mostly a palette knife, so it's loaded with thick impasto, adding to  the special effects of the copper!

I set up the still life on my lanai (Florida word for (patio), and finished it in my air-conditioned studio.

Here's my set-up:

I am thinking that I'll do a few more florals on copper before I use the copper for figurative work.

If you would like to purchase this painting, it is available through Gallery444 in San Francisco. Phone number is (415) 434-4477. Thanks for looking!

"Invitation", 22x28, oil on wrapped canvas, paintings of courtyards, Provence, wine, happy places, sunlit alcoves, Maryanne Jacobsen art, impressionism

"Invitation", 22x28, oil on wrapped canvas

Whenever the dog days of a Florida summer get me down, I endeavor to find that special place in a different part of the world, where I can escape the humidity and torrid heat of Florida summers.

In this case I chose aa shadowy alcove in a sunlit courtyard, shaded from the heat but still fragrant with summer scents and lit with warm reflected light. It could be anywhere in Greece, Italy, Provence, maybe.

But wherever it is, it is a happy place and I am going to stay there for a while with my glass of wine!

Subscribe to my website newsletter and receive a very special savings on this painting for a limited time only. Just click this link to subscribe and you will start receiving my newsletters and special offers right away.

Thanks for stopping by!

"Sundown, Balboa Park", 16x20, San Diego, Balboa Park, architecture, San Diego tourism, museums, Maryanne Jacobsen art , impressionism

"Sundown, Balboa Park", 16x20

Balboa Park is an exceptionally wonderful place to visit when in San Diego. The museums and festivals are exceptional, and there's even an area designated for the artist community.

I originally tried to paint this scene en plein air, but became overwhelmed by everything that was going on in the scene. So I snapped a photo and used it for a reference. I loved the backlit late afternoon sky against the contrasting architecture of the buildings.

Don't miss the opportunity to visit the park if you ever land in San Diego!

"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