"Happy Together", 25x35,oil on wrapped canvas, Maryanne Jacobsen art, still life, oranges, sunflowers, roses, pitcher, window seat

"Happy Together", 25x35,oil on wrapped canvas

I don't often paint larger works, unless it's a commission, mainly because it takes a lot of paint.

But after being in a rather apathetic spell all week, I decided that I needed something to focus on. This was the result.

I started gathering a bunch of stuff together and placing it on the counter in the kitchen. Painting large in the kitchen isn't really such a great idea. It certainly makes cooking a lot less appetizing, lol. Yet it affords me the best space and light, so that's where I often end up, when I am painting larger works.

Here's the arrangement I finally came up with after much trial and error:

The roses were on their last legs, so I had to pretty much fake 'em. The big dilemma was how to make a set up on a kitchen counter into an attractive painting. So I kept making it up as I went along.

The idea of a window looking out over a pretty countryside came together towards the very end. I had to construct the scenery out of imagination, and in the end, I was happy with the overall result.

I wouldn't advise this method, however. I almost wiped this out at least a dozen times.  Next time I paint a large piece, I think I'll try to have a better plan in place!

"Valley Sunset", 8x10, oil on panel, eucalyptus tree, California art, sunsets, mountains, Impressionist art

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"Valley Sunset", 8x10, oil on panel

The third thing on my bucket list of things I absolutely had to paint while I was in California was a eucalyptus tree. In my mind, these tall, magnificent trees epitomize grace, mystery and resilience. Their wispy, lace-like leaves hang down in soft patterns, in much the same way that Spanish moss clings to the live oaks that we have here is the southeast.

On Saturday, we drove out to Julian, a western town  in San Diego county that came into being during the California gold rush. It hangs 4,000 feet above sea level and boasts bakeries, antique shops and old- Western style architecture  that attracts tourists. After walking around Julian and eating fresh baked apple pie, we drove back down the mountain to San Diego, just as a magnificent sunset appeared above magenta -colored hills. The sunset and surrounding countryside were breathtaking to behold and I did my best to memorize the moment as we traveled along the hillside.

On Monday, I went to Balboa Park to paint eucalyptus trees as there are literally dozens there. I only had an hour to paint so I wasn't able to complete the scene. Instead, I decided to encorporate my sunset memory with the wispy eucalptus tree  I had begun and what you see above is the result.

I cannot believe how inspiring the California landscape was for me. I do hope I can return there again before my days on earth are over!

If you would like to purchase "Valley sunset", please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"Return to Zion", 16x20, oil on linen, Zion National park painting, The Watchman, Virgin River, Palette knife landscapes, Maryanne Jacobsen art

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"Return to Zion", 16x20, oil on linen

I think this needs a little more work, but it is 95% finished.

Last week I used a limited palette to paint this very same scene of The Watchman and Virgin River at Zion Nat'l Park in Utah. I only used 4 colors in my last study (plus white) and I'll confess that it was pretty challenging for me to work without my usual array of pigments.

So today I decided to try the same piece again, only larger, and with my usual pigments that number about 12-15, plus white. What I wanted to find out was whether or not having more pigments to work with, enhanced or detracted from the overall painting, using the last painting of Zion as my comparison.

Although the larger canvas gave me more freedom to work, I actually must concede that I like the small painting with the limited palette better! I still need to add the tree branches on the left when the paints are dryer, but other than that, the scene is the same in both studies. If you haven't read that blog post, here is the picture of the smaller painting:

The problem for me with using a limited palette is that I do a lot of palette knife work and that requires tons of paint!

So , before I started the smaller painting of Zion, I used those 4 colors (cad Yellow pale, Ultramarine blue, alizarin crimson and windsor green) to create all the other colors that I figured I'd need- Purples, warm greens, orange, grays, etc, etc. That meant using a heck of a lot of mixing space to find and create these colors!

I am sure it gets easier to mix these secondary colors with practice, but the problem for me is that when I go outdoors and paint en plein air, there is a limit to how much mixing room I have! So is it better to lay out all my dozen or so paints beforehand, as I usually do, and have them Johnny on the spot, ready to go? Or is it better to just bring these  4 little tubes and hope I can create a decent painting with limited mixing room?

Not sure if any of this makes sense, but if there are any artists out there that have gone through the same experiments with mixing on a limited palette and have a solution to the "Mixing Room" problem, I would love to hear from you!

Thanks!

"Reverence", 24x18-by Maryanne Jacobsen

SOLD"Reverence", 24x18by Maryanne Jacobsen
Note: click on the image to see the impasto better!

I have not done a Big Sur painting in a long time, so for the past couple days I worked on this one. Those ugly rocks in the foreground were kind of a drag but they were in my photo so I had to put them in. This is Big Sur in the afternoon, looking north towards the Bixby bridge which I indicated in the background.

I took the photo about 5 years ago during a trip up the coast. The painting was done with mostly a palette knife and some brushwork.


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"Monhegan Morning", 14x11, oil on canvas, boats, fish, Monhegan island, Maine, lobster, art

Sold"Monhegan Morning", 14x11, oil on canvas

Monhegan Island was one of the highlights of my recent trip to Maine and Cape Ann. This was the sign that greeted us when we stepped off the boat onto the island:

It is pretty hard to describe Monhegan unless you've been there to see it for yourself. Think working island, fish, lobster, fish shacks, public plumbing very limited, gorgeous cliffs, ocean, sunsets, fog, lighthouse, mist, boats, and pastel-colored perennial gardens dotting the rolling hills. The island has been an artist's haven for many decades.

Are you beginning to get the picture?

I enjoyed painting this scene of a road leading down to fish beach (I think that's what it's called) on the day that we visited the island. The light is very, very blue there, so you have to look for the warms in the scenery. There are lobster traps, buoys and fish nets everywhere, so if you can't figure out what you're looking at in this painting, just use your imagination!

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"Purple Mountains Majesty", 8x10, oil on wrapped canvas- by Maryanne Jacobsen

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"Purple Mountains Majesty", 8x10, oil on wrapped canvas

I've been working on mountains and brushstrokes a lot lately, and I've had a ball trying to refine my knowledge of both! Sometimes, I get too involved in trying to do the "correct thing", academically speaking. But I always find that when I just experiment, using common sense, I end up accumulating little pieces of knowledge that carry over into my next endeavor.

I definitely enjoyed painting this piece, and I thank God that He has given me an artistic outlet for my passions and creativity. Here is a photo of "Purple Mountain Majesty" after I framed and varnished it for the new collector. I have a feeling he is going to be very happy when he sees it in person!

Please contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if you wish to commission a painting for a loved one or for yourself!




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"Purple Mountains Majesty", 8x10

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"Purple Mountains Majesty", 8x10, oil on wrapped canvas

I've been working on mountains and brushstrokes lately, and I've had a ball. Sometimes, I get too involved in trying to do the "correct thing", academically speaking. But I always find that when I just experiment, using common sense, I end up accumulating little pieces of knowledge that carry over into my next endeavor.

I hope you enjoy this one! I definitely enjoyed painting it, and I thank God that He has given me an artistic outlet for my passions and creativity!




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Lake Trasimeno-Umbria

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"Lake Trasimeno-Umbria"- 10x8, oil on canvas panel

Three million years ago, there was a shallow sea in Umbria. A depression formed by geologic fractures allowed the birth of present-day Lake Trasimeno, a lake in Italy's Lake District that is slightly smaller than Lake Como.

Historically, Trasimeno was known as The Lake of Perugia and this name makes it easy to understand the importance that the lake has always had for the whole of north-western Umbria and for the Tuscan Chiana district. In prehistoric times, this lake was extended so as to almost reach Perugia.

This painting was done with a limited palette using both knife and brush. Thanks very much to Kathy Schmocker for the use of the reference photo for this painting.

If you would like to purchase this painting, please contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.


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The Blissful Valley, Final

SOLD The Blissful Valley, 18x24, oil on wrapped canvas (Click on the picture if you would like to see more detail.)
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