"The Beach House", 16x20, oil on panel , Florida Keys, Key West, paintings of Florida gardens, Duck Key, Hawks Cay Resort, tropical gardens, palette knife paintings, impressionism, hibiscus, beach house

 "The Beach House", 16x20, oil on panel (Note: please click on the image to see the detail)

Quite a while back, we had a family vacation in the Florida Keys. When your kids are guys and young adults, it's hard to interest them into taking a vacation with you. Right?

But upon proposing the Florida Keys, the guys all changed their minds.

In case you are out of touch with civilization, "The Florida Keys are a string of tropical islands stretching about 120 miles off the southern tip of the U.S. state of Florida, between the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. They’re known as a destination for fishing, boating, snorkeling and scuba diving. The southernmost city of Key West is famous for Duval Street’s many bars, Mallory Square’s nightly Sunset Celebration and the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum." ― Google

Although the ultimate destination was Key West, accommodations there were a bit pricey for a family of 5 adults, so we elected to rent a villa on Duck Key instead. Duck Key is located about in the middle of the island chain, and was named by British General George Gauld  in his chart of the Florida Keys. The name comes from the shape of the island, which resembles a duck's head when viewed from above.

We stayed at the Hawk's Cay resort, and one morning I took a walk and came upon this pretty house with a garden full of hibiscus and other flowers. I came across the image recently when looking at old pictures and decided to paint it.

I took some liberties with the colors but overall I was pleased with the outcome. The painting was done mainly with a palette knife and has thick impasto throughout. If you are interested in purchasing this painting, here is the link to my website.

Thanks for visiting my website. Feel free to leave a comment as blogs can get very lonely!

"Sunroom at Chanticleer", 12x16, Chanticleer Gardens Wayne Pennsylvania, St. David's, botanical gardens on the Main Line, palette knife paintings

 "Sunroom at Chanticleer", 12x16

This was painted with a palette knife only. Once in a while it's fun for me to keep my palette knife skills intact. I chose this sunny porch scene, which is off of the sunroom at Chanticleer, a lovely oasis of gardens surrounding a lavish estate in St. David's , Pennsylvania.

I've done other paintings of this lovely place, including Chanticleer's Garden and An Invitation to Rest. Chanticleer is a lovely botanical estate to visit any time of the year!

For more info about Chanticleer including hours and ticket prices, visit their website here.

Thanks for visiting my blog. If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"Riot of Color", 9x12 oil on panel, St. Paul de Venice, palette knife paintings, paintings of doorways

"Riot of Color", 9x12 oil on panel

A quick little palette knife painting of a scene from St. Paul de Venice, France.

Purchase inquiries at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

A Walk in Central Park, 9x12, oil on panel, palette knife paintings, Central Park, impasto, Maryanne Jacobsen art, sale, small studies

"A Walk in Central Park", 9x12, oil on panel

Spring is here and in spite of a dreadful winter, the trees will soon be filled with blossoms in Central Park, and couples will best rolling arm in arm.

I haven't painted with a palette knife in a long while, but yesterday I was in the mood, so I revisited a scene I had painted years ago.

It was fun.

This was a quick study, and I am offering it today for only $99, with free shipping. Just click the "Buy Now" button at this link.

"The Dream House", 16x20, oil, California impressionism, Santa Barbara homes, dream house, road trips, palette knife paintings, MAryanne Jacobsen art

SOLD

"The Dream House", 16x20, oil (Note: click on the image to see the detail)

This was painted over ten years ago, after I had visited California for the first time. We took a road trip up the coast , starting in San Diego and ending in San Francisco, and oh what a road trip it was!

One of my best memories was a short stop at Santa Barbara for lunch overlooking a harbor and then a ride up into the mountains where the vistas were beautiful and the homes were opulent.

A brief stop at a tiny monastery, found us staring at this statue and engraving which read,

"I am a man. No men are foreigners to me. Of one blood are all nations."

Further up the mountain , the roads became steeper and more narrow and the scenery even more dramatic. I stopped and snatched a photo of this lovely home, nestled under the shadow of the mountains :

So that home became the subject of my painting, "The Dream House".

This painting is available, please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if interested in this work.

"California Wildflowers", 16x20, oil on panel , palette knife paintings, coastal art, La Jolla, Nasturtiums, wildflowers

SOLD

"California Wildflowers", 16x20, oil on panel (Please click on the image to see a better view of the impasto)

This was painted after I came back from a trip to California, where I had the chance to paint en plein air in La Jolla.  (See post La Jolla Wildflowers)

I decided to try a larger one, this time using palette knife only and this was the result. The nasturtiums were everywhere last Spring, as a result of all the rain. It was truly a beautiful sight to see and eye candy for this artist!

This painting is available through Gallery 444 in San Francisco.

"Provencial Light", 30x24, oil on wrapped canvas, paintings of Provence, Lacoste, palette knife paintings, Maryanne Jacobsen art, impressionism

SOLD

"Provencial Light", 30x24, oil on wrapped canvas

I had painted something similar to this in a smaller format some years back, and really enjoyed trying to capture that elusive Provencial light that makes artists gasp for joy when visiting Provence. So I determined to paint the scene again, this time in a much larger format than before.

I  must say that I thoroughly enjoyed painting this. It was painted with mostly a palette knife and has thick passages of paint throughout.

This painting is sold. Please contact me if you would like to commission something similar to this one.

"Hen-Pecked", 11x14, oil on panel, paintings of roosters, palette knife paintings, colorful paintings of farm animals

"Hen-Pecked", 11x14, oil on panel

It's been quite a while since I did a palette knife painting, and it's been a really long while since I painted a rooster! So last week i took out my knife and painted this bird as a sort of Eastery kind of painting. I figured since people and kids dye eggs at Easter and have Easter egg hunts, I'd paint a rooster since you can't have any eggs with out a rooster being involved, if you get my drift.

The poor thing sort of looks like he's having a bad day, so I decided to title the painting hen-pecked.

Thanks for checking him out and just send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if you would like to purchase him.

"An Invitation to Rest", 18x24 oil on board, Chanticleer, beautiful gardens, Wayne, Pa. blue adirondeck chairs

"An Invitation to Rest", 18x24 oil on board

Was very inspired by all the beautiful gardens at Chanticleer in Wayne , Pa. Be sure to visit if you are in the Main Line area. YOu won't be disappointed.

This painting can be purchased for $2000, plus shipping. Please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if interested.

"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.

"Under the Tuscan Sun", 12x24, oil on canvas, paintings of Italy, Tuscany, palette knife paintings, impasto, colorist art

"Under the Tuscan Sun", 12x24, oil on canvas

This painting is available through Galerie du Soleil in Naples, Florida.

Please call (239) 417-3450 for more information.

Two national shows and three roses!- American Impressionist Society, American Women Artists, Castine Plein air, Maryanne jacobsen art, roses, vase

SOLD

 "Pas de Trois", 8x8, oil on board

You know you haven't blogged in  awhile, when some of your readers send you emails asking if you are well!

I apologize for not blogging over these past weeks, but I had good reasons! I'm just getting over an illness that had me under the weather for a few weeks. In spite of not feeling well, I decided to go to the Castine Plein Air event anyway, and I'm glad that I did. I'll be blogging about that later on, but for now I just wanted to say that I'm back and thanks to my readers for their concerns!

I also received really wonderful news this week that I have been juried into the 16th annual American Women Artist's exhibit to be held in November at The Hanna Gallery in Fredericksburg , Texas. Of over 600 entries, only 60 were selected for the exhibit, and I was delighted and honored to have "Pas de Trois" included in this group of  beautiful paintings!

My little vase that I purchased in a health food store has certainly served me well, as I also used it for the painting, "Dancing Queens and a Pear", which was juried into the prestigious American Impressionist Society's 14th annual juried show in Charleston this October.Wow! Two national shows in one month! I am soooo happy and thankful for the blessing!

 Here's a photo of the set-up that  I used for my painting: As you can see, I stuck the vase unceremoniously between the blender and the toaster, and painted it right in my kitchen!

The next day, I carried the roses and vase into the bathroom, added a pear and couple glass bottles and painted "Dancing Queens and a Pear" in the somewhat confining quarters of the bathroom. Well, whatever works and for me the combination of north light from the window and warm overhead light above the mirror, made for an  interesting lighting effect.

I think it is going to be a busy and exciting fall season for this happy artist! Thanks for reading!

"Patterns of Light", 12x16, oil on board

SOLD

"Patterns of Light", 12x16, oil on board- sold through Galerie du Soleil

This was painted a few weeks ago and I forgot to post it!

"Three's Company", 8x10, oil on wrapped Belgian linen-paintings of roses, oranges, pink roses, impressionist roses, impasto, MAryanne Jacobsen

"Three's Company", 8x10, oil on wrapped  Belgian linen

I haven't done a floral in a long while and was in the mood to do one, so today I bought some reduced roses at the market and set to work!

Here's my set-up:

I got a late start and the light was rather poor so I had to work fast. I enjoyed doing these as a change of pace. I think it's good to mix things up periodically so as to not get into a rut.

"Three's company" has thick paint throughout. If you wish to purchase this, please allow at least two weeks for the impasto to dry before I can ship it. Also available in a gold plein air frame for an additional $40.

"La Bicyclette", 12x16, oil on masonite, by Maryanne Jacobsen

SOLD "La Bicyclette", 12x16, oil on masonite

Over the past weeks (and actually months! ) I have lost a lot of interest in painting. It definitely started with the BP oil spill back in April. Now there is so much bad news everywhere, and especially regarding the environment, that one wonders if it's the end of the world! The recent mass die-offs of whales in Argentina , as well as fish and birds in the US, and huge floods and earthquakes around the world, has had me thinking that the world that I have known and loved is changing in a negative way.

Today I decided to try to paint SOMETHING! Not an easy task when you have had the blues for a few weeks.

France has always been a place of magic for me, so I decided to start in that place that I love-Provence. I also have had a mean crush on Rod Stewart for the better part of my adult life. So I turned on a Rod Stewart CD (and hit the replay button on a couple of my all-time favorites) and just went into a happy zone. Although in shadow, the bicycle is the focal point of the painting, since it is the starting point in my effort to lead the viewer's eye throughout the painting.

"La Bicyclette" was painted with palette knife only, since I knew I was too lazy to attempt to clean paint brushes in my current lousy state of mind. Let us hope that the earthquakes, floods and massive deaths of birds and fish was just a weird holiday aberation and that the new year will be full of health and happiness for the planet.

Hope everyone has a very happy, healthy and blessed New Year, and thanks for staying with me as I've wandered around in the desert.

Lake of The Woods, 16x12, palette knife exhibit coming up in Atlanta

"Lake of the Woods", 16x12, oil on masonite

Some of you may remember this painting from last fall. It has been juried into an exhibit of Southeastern palette knife painters, to be held in Atlanta from April 2nd to April 30th. Juror of the exhibit is Angela Nesbitt, a talented palette knife painter who creates wonderful figurative work with an abstract quality, using a palette knife. The exhibit will be at The Gallery at Paper Mill Village, and the reception will be Friday April 9th from 6 to 8:30. Please stop by to see the exhibit if you are in the area!

To see Angela's work, please go here.

Cocky-cock-a-doodle-do!

SOLD
"Cocky", 8x10, oil on canvas, (Note: Click on the photo to see a close up of the texture.)

I am delighted to have been chosen the artist of the week at The Top Artists' Directory!

Just click the link and check it out and please visit my website here, to see my latest paintings and exhibit information.

Rooster art, Daily painters, original rooster art , colorful oil paintings of roosters, palette knife animals,down on the farm,affordable original art,colorist art>,

"Cocky", and an art award

SOLD
"Cocky", 8x10, oil on canvas, (Note: Click on the photo to see a close up of the texture.)

I was thrilled with how quickly this one came together for me. I used leftovers on my palette to 'smear' in the background, and I think it gave a cohesive look to the entire painting. Don't ya just love when that happens? This was painted with palette knife only, and has lots of juicy texture.

Last weekend I received an award for my painting, "Colle Verde Vineyard" at the Venice Art Center's Spring all-media exhibit.


That's me far left standing next to Juror Susan J. Klein. Klein's work has been exhibited internationally and has garnered numerous awards and honors, most notably the selection of one of her paintings to adorn the American Embassy in Rome as part of the Art in Embassies program directed by the American Department of State.

I was thrilled to have been chosen to receive an award in this competitive exhibit!

Here's the painting "Colle Verde Vineyard" displayed with ribbon. I normally don't buy black frames, but in this case, it complimented the piece beautifully!

If you would like to purchase "Cocky", please contact Lorica Artworks at (978)470-1829.



Rooster art, Daily painters, original rooster art , colorful oil paintings of roosters, palette knife animals,down on the farm,affordable original art,colorist art>,

Bad Hair Day, 11x14

SOLD "Bad Hair Day", 11x14, oil on canvas

Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. We all have days like this.

Here's the story behind the painting, in case you're interested.

We have these gorgeous trees here in Southwest Florida called Tree of Gold. Well, I'm sure that's not their real name, but that's what people call them. They only bloom for about a week and then they're done until the following year. Truth is, they aren't very pretty without their big gold blossoms. Well anyway, I went and set up my paints in front of one of these trees not far from my home. It was hot and humid, so I set up on the sidewalk of a county street so the red ants wouldn't chew on me as they would if I painted in the grass. It was also very windy. My easel blew over twice, but no problem. I kept going. A kid on a skate board came whizzing by and almost knocked me over. Then a woman on a bike came by and chided me for blocking the sidewalk because "golf carts need to go through here". "There is abundant grass on either side of the sidewalk in which the golf carts can pass beside me, and in fact one has already done so", I explained to the woman. "You just shouldn't be here!" she screamed at me.

Well, so much for my "Tree of gold" Within seconds it became "Bad Hair Day", as I took my palette knife and just took out all my anger on the poor canvas. It's full of thick, expensive, wasted paint, by the way. Just click on the painting and you'll see how much paint I wasted on this sucker!

If you'd like to purchase this gem of emotional expression, please contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com

Note: "Bad Hair Day" has been juried into Art Center Sarasota's newest exhibit, "Masquerade, Mystery and Mischief", which runs through July 3rd. Opening reception is May 14th. Hope to see you there!

Venice Paint-Out in Paradise

SOLD "Basking in the sun ", 12x16, oil on canvas



Here is the third and last of the three paintings that I created last week during the paint-out. It was a pot of flowers, literally basking in the sun on the patio of Luna's Restaurant in downtown Venice. This painting was fun for me to do as it was spontaneous, and it sold immediately at the show's reception last night. I received many wonderful compliments about my work last night and sold 2 of the three paintings as well! I'm glad I participated in this event- I hope to have the chance to do many more! The gracious Swiss gentlemen who bought this painting was taking pictures at the event. I hope to upload some photos of the event to this blog when they become available.

a Painting a day, Daily painters, original art , affordable original art, plein air paintings, colorist art,contemporary impressionism, art blogs, abstract landscape paintings,alla prima,palette knife paintings,invitational paint-outs,>,Venice Art Center.