"A Marriage made in heaven", 11x14, oil on linen

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"A Marriage made in heaven", 11x14, oil on linen

This was the sunrise view that I could see from my backyard when I lived on Houndstooth Lane in Chester springs. I envy those two trees. They get to see the view each and every day, season after season!

"Croquet Lawn at The Claremont", 11x14, oil on linen- Claremont Hotel, Southwest Harbor Maine, vacations in Maine, lovely places to stay, impressionist paintings of Maine

"Croquet Lawn at The Claremont", 11x14, oil on linen

 Last summer we had a lovely vacation up in Maine, and one of the highlights of our trip was a short stay at The Claremont Hotel in Southwest Harbor, near Acadia National Park and just 15 minutes south of Bar Harbor.

My husband had told the kind lady at The Tourist Center that his wife was an artist and that we were looking for an 'artsy' place to stay for a few nights. Since it was the height of tourist season I wasn't very optimistic that my dreams would come true, but that's where I was  wrong.

When we arrived at the Claremont that night, the sun was about to set, and it was very foggy and pretty cold for my thinned -out Florida blood. We immediately went down to the boathouse for a drink near the fireplace, and there we were told that this was where Barack Obama had had lunch with his family during their Maine vacation the year before.

Although I was not particularly impressed with that information, I was very much impressed with the beauty of the Claremont Hotel, which was directly up the hill from the boathouse and swathed in swirling tendrils of fog.

We enjoyed a comfortable room with fireplace, and the next morning arose at the crack of dawn so I could go down to the boat ramp and paint. (If you see a tiny speck at the bottom of the ramp, next to the boat house, that's me painting!)

Imagine my surprise to see that as the fog burned off, the gently curving crests of the mountains on the other side of Somes Sound were revealed, the Sound being the only natural Fjord in the United States.

I painted carefully trying to understand this strange light condition that is so very different from Florida where the shadows are generally cool and the light warm. Here, with the fog still lifting, it was the opposite. If you would like to see the plein air painting that I did that day, here is the link.

Over the next few days we continued to marvel at our luck in finding such a lovely place to stay, where a generous breakfast was served each morning in a lovely dining room overlooking the Sound.

One evening a brief shower came up as we were having dinner and a double rainbow appeared in the sky!

The painting above is one of the cottages that are on the property , just beyond the croquet lawn, where believe it or not, guests can enjoy a good old-fashioned game of croquet during their Claremont stay! Here's the photo of the cottage and croquet lawn:

My challenge in the painting was to capture that elusive light temperature, where the shadows are somewhat warm and yet becoming somewhat cool, and the light is neutral.

I do hope to go back there again sometime. It was one of the most relaxingly lovely hotels that we have ever stayed at. If you do go yourself, be sure to make dinner reservations at The Red Sky restaurant, which was another winner in my book!


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"Morning on Valley Forge Mountain", 8x10, oil on board-Valley Forge, encampment, Washington , Revolutionary war, historic areas

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"Morning on Valley Forge Mountain", 8x10, oil on board

Last week I spent the week in Chester County, Pa. where I spent the majority of my life before moving to Florida in 2004. It was a very hot week, in the triple digits all week, so activities had to be done in the early morning hours before it became too hot.

My husband and I used to take numerous walks and bike rides in Valley Forge Park when we lived up there, so it made sense to start the week with an early morning walk on Valley Forge Mountain.

The light was stunning as you can see from my photo below:

 We managed to see a few deer on our walk, but the population has evidently been thinned out, due to Lyme's disease and the traffic hazards. There used to be herds of deer everywhere in the park. I was happy to at least see a few, and managed to catch this one with my camera before he ran off:

Few people realize how close we came to losing the war! Valley Forge was a critical turning point for  America as it was there that the troops received their much needed training from Prussian military expert Baron Von Steuben, which eventually turned the war around.

SOLD
"Afternoon Light-Mission Capistrano", 16x12, oil on board by Maryanne Jacobsen

This is a painting of the church courtyard at Mission San Juan Capistrano that I painted last year. I just love that old mission! You can click on the image to see the painting better. I painted it with both brush and palette knife. It was a complex scene for a couple reasons. The old adobe part of the mission where the bells are located is definitely unusual in terms of architecture. (See photo below) So I always feel challenged when I try to capture the complexity of the structure. The wall of the courtyard was more straightforward, but the combination of contrasting colors and perspective of the three adjoining buildings challenged me a bit. I had fun with the bougainvillea and the aloe plant in the foreground though.

Mission San Juan Capistrano is located in southern California in Orange County, about an hour north of San Diego and just south of Laguna Beach. I have visited it three or four times and never grow tired of that beautiful place. It is a national treasure and historic monument, and most people have heard the beautiful legend about the swallows that return there every year to nest. To read more about the mission and the swallows , please go here.

If you would like to see more of my Mission San Juan Capistrano paintings, just insert the word Capistrano into the search box located in the left hand sidebar.

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"Morning Whale Watch", 8x10, oil on canvas by MAryanne Jacobsen

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"Morning Whale Watch", 8x10, oil on canvas.

This scene was inspired by last year's whale watch in Bar Harbor Maine. The whales were absolutely amazing and so was the scenery.

I've painted this schooner twice before, both times with a limited palette, but today I decided to use a full range of colors, which was fun.

"That's Amore", 6x6, oil on panel-small still life, roses, apple, love, by maryanne jacobsen

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"That's Amore", 6x6, oil on panel

So today I set a still life up in my kitchen and painted this little guy.

The only reason it is named as such is because that is the song that was playing in the background when I put my final monogram on the painting.

Now can't you just see the lady and the tramp eating spaghetti with this fanciful bouquet on their table?

A special thank-you to Terry Mason who convinced me to get out of the dark closet I've been painting in for 5 months where I couldn't see a danged thing, and go back to painting in my bright, happy kitchen. It really DID feel better.

Painting Intuitively- "Lake Path", plein air, 9x12, right brain, alla prima

"Lake Path", 9x12, oil on canvas.

I have been reading the book, "Drawing from the Right Side of the Brain" and doing the exercises in the book so that I can better see "Like an artist".

I know all about the right brain/left brain phenomenon and indeed an art teacher did her doctorate paper on our family back in the 1980's, deeming  that myself, my husband and three sons are all extremely right brained.  It certainly explains why none of us can put a toy or appliance together by reading the directions!

Yesterday, after painting "A Familiar Path" I decided to go home and use that plein air painting as a study for a more 'accomplished' painting in my studio. I believed I could improve upon it tremendously, since after all, I wouldn't be chasing the light, swatting mosquitoes, sweating like a hog-wart in the 90 degree heat and humidity, and fending off the red ants in the grass at my feet.

So I went home with my painting and used the same identical palette of color, the same identical support of the same size, and then proceeded to work on it for three and a half hours.

Since it took me only an hour and 15 minutes to paint "A familiar Path", one would think that the new painting would be clearly superior, right?

Well, I'll let you decide:

The painting on the left was the one done outdoors in  about an hour and 15 minutes. The one on the right was done in over three hours, working from the photo I'd taken of the scene as well as my plein air reference painting. Here's the photo of the scene:

So what did I learn from this little experiment?

I think I realized that painting outdoors is much more intuitive than analytical and for the most part requires a deep connection to the right brain lobe. When painting en plein air in full sunshine one has no time to think in depth about color selections, mixing, values or brushwork, it all just becomes an intuitive exercise in laying down the collective knowledge that you have accumulated throughout your years of painting and drawing.

The studio piece for me, was much more of an analytical exercise. Back home, I had the luxury of time to think about values, color mixing, underpainting, temperature and even whether I should use a brush or palette knife on a certain passage.

Was the outcome  of the second painting much different from the first even in light of the fact I was not dogged by heat or bugs?

Well, I don't think so. My husband actually told me he liked the plein air painting better than the studio piece. He felt it more accurately depicted the scene which he knows well.

In addition, as I worked on the studio painting I could see subtle changes that I could not correct in spite of the advantage I had in the studio. For example, I knew I had nailed the color of the path when I was out there in the field, yet back in the studio I just could not quite get it right because it was no longer there in front of me for me to mimic.

I am enjoying the book "Drawing from the Right Side of the Brain" and it has given me some insight into the way I learn and some of the problems I have encountered in my 6 years of painting. Hopefully, by the time I have finished reading it and doing the exercises, I'll at least "see like an artist".

Thanks for reading!

"A Familiar Path", plein air, 9x12, oil

I have spent a lot of time this past week thinking about my life as it relates to art. What I have discovered helped me realize that taking time for introspection can be a good thing once in a while.

First off, I could not believe how many people went out of their way to contact me out of concern for my doldrums. Collectors, friends, family, fellow artists, and church members all took a piece of their own precious time to write to me  or call me and try to help me sort out my feelings. Many said prayers. I was totally overwhelmed by all the love and support!

I realized many things over the past week, not the least of which is the fact that most of the people I know , even casual acquaintances, are beautiful, caring and love-filled people brimming with gifts to overflowing and giving of themselves when others are in need, either mentally, physically or spiritually.

I also realized after a week without a paintbrush that I would miss art tremendously if I gave it up altogether!

Most imprtantly, I realized that God has given me a gift, and He expects me to USE that gift!

First off, let me just say that I don't consider myself gifted. One of the reasons that I felt I should stop painting is because I feel extremely mediocre as artists go. That being said, no matter what you think of yourself it is not a good thing to underestimate how your art affects others! I found that out this week, and some of the messages from collectors literally brought me to tears. What I think of my art is irrelevant. If my art blesses others, than I am blessed, and that's the main point that I have been missing.

We all have different gifts. Some people have the gift of giving, others, the gift of music, others the gift of conversation. Still others have the gift of perseverance, writing, prayer, comedy, joy, hospitality, cooking and the gifts go on and on and on!

We are all created as individuals and if that were not the case it would be a boring world indeed!

Today, I picked myself up, went out into the heat and humidity and painted right down the street from my house. I painted for an hour and a half and felt very happy afterwards that I had made the effort. I also resolved to not change one single thing about the painting I had done when I got it home, something I am apt to do after painting plein air.

I am taking my painting journey a step at a time, but for now it was definitely a good day.

Thank-you friends for lifting me up. I love you all, and especially Diana and Carol, who know me even better than I know me!

"Elegy", 8x10, oil on panel

SOLD

"Elegy", 8x10, oil on panel

I finally finished this today. I've painted this scene before but never this small.

I've really been struggling with my painting  for a while now. Thinking maybe it's time to stop, at least for awhile until I decide if I should continue. I decided to paint a very familiar scene to see if it would still be a struggle.

It was.

I remember the days when I would go to bed anticipating tomorrow's painting. I remember awakening in the morning and eagerly anticipating a new day of painting opportunities.

All that is past, like a long-lost lover. Lately, it is all just a big struggle- finding inspiration, trying to improve, getting motivated to start, etc.etc.

I don't know if others have gone through this or not, but I'd love to hear from you if you have.

Have a good weekend, folks, and sorry if I sound morose.

"Seeing Double in Arles", 5x7, oil on gessoboard, Provence, Arles, shutters, flowers, stripes, small original paintings, awnings, window box, shutters

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"Seeing Double in Arles", 5x7, oil on gessoboard

I decided to paint something fun today and that's when I noticed that there is "Stripe" Challenge going on this week over at Daily Paintworks.

If you are unfamiliar with the site, it has a great deal of lovely art for you to purchase, or just look at:0)

Every week, Carol Marine and other artists come up with a new "Challenge" designed to keep us all painting whether we want to or not! Sometimes the challenges are educational, and sometimes they are just plain fun.

I couldn't resist painting these double windows with striped awnings, and blue shutters with striped wooden planks!

"September Sonata", 24x18, oil on linen by Maryanne Jacobsen

SOLD "September Sonata", 24x18, oil on linen by Maryanne Jacobsen

This painting sold through a gallery  a while back , but if you are interested in a similar painting, please email me at MaryanneJacobsen@aol.com
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This is a smaller version of the scene at French Creek, Birchrunville that was the inspiration behind some of my best-loved paintings, including "God's Palette" and "Autumn's Last Hurrah". It is available for purchase through Gallerie Unique located in the beautiful Bell Tower Mall in Ft Myers, Florida. Please visit the gallery to see as well as many more beautiful pieces of original art, or contact Shelby Ward at (239) 332-2121 for purchase info.

To see more of my work, please visit my official website at Maryanne Jacobsen, Fine Art.

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"Last Light, Gordes", 8x10, oil on linen, paintings of France, Provence, Gordes, beautiful cities in France

"Last Light, Gordes", 8x10, oil on linen

I was happy to be able to fit in a quick study this weekend. This was painted in under two hours but it was the only time I could find to paint this weekend! If you love Provence, (as I do!) you may want to grab this one. It's much prettier in person!

Gordes is considered one of the most beautiful communes in Provence. According to the French, a commune is the lowest form (uncomplicated) of city gov't and is an equivalent to what Americans would call a village or municipality. According to Wiki: The French word commune appeared in the 12th century, from Medieval Latin communia, meaning a small gathering of people sharing a common life; from Latin communis, things held in common.

 I thought that was really interesting!

Built on the foothills of the Vaucluse, in the lovely Luberon, Gordes is one of the most well-known hilltop villages in the region, and one of the most beautiful communes in France. It is a typical Wedding-cake type village perched almost precariously on a hilltop, bewitching visitors from all over the world.

Many artists have stayed in the village of Gordes and have contributed to its fame. Some, such as André Lhote, Marc Chagall, Victor Vasarely and Pol Mara came to stay.  To learn more about Gordes, and see some photos of the region, please go here.

Hope everyone had a safe and happy Memorial Day Weekend!

"Calm", 16x12, oil on linen, by Maryanne Jacobsen, boats, Nova scotia, Peggy's Cove, Halifax, palette knife paintings

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"Calm", 16x12, oil on linen

After doing the smaller painting of Peggy's Cove last week, I decided to do a slightly larger one. I also changed the horizon line so that I would have room for lots of clouds. I used the palette that Kevin Mac Pherson recommended in one of his books, which includes Cad yellow, Cad red light, Alizarin crimson, Ultramarine Blue and Winsor Green. Not sure I even used the green but I guess I might have to give variety to all the blues.

Overall, I really like the way this one turned out. It reflects the beautiful cool blueness in Nova Scotia's waters on a summer day while also acknowledging the warmth in the overall atmosphere of the light. Nova Scotia can be a very cold, foggy place most of the year, but whether cold and foggy or sunny with clouds, it is truly a lovely, almost mystical place.

Nova Scotia is not easy to reach. There used to be a ferry from Bar Harbor to take you there, but they have discontinued the ferry and now it is at least an 8 hour drive from Bar Harbor to get there. The tides are dramatic and otherworldly in this beautiful place, and the terrain has the same lovely reds and golds that you find in Acadia National Park.

I hope you'll take a moment to let me know what you think of this painting!

This painting can be purchased through Galerie du Soleil in Naples, Florida.

"Humble Abode", 8x10, oil on linen, Florida Cracker Shack, Marjorie Keenen Rawlings, Cross Creek

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"Humble Abode", 8x10, oil on linen

I was going through some photos today and came across a group of photos I had taken a few summers ago after a trip to "Cross Creek", the backwoods Florida home of author Marjorie Keenen Rawlings. Rawlings is most familiar to us through her beloved work  The Yearling, about a boy who adopts an orphaned fawn,. The book won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1939 and was later made into a movie, also known as The Yearling.

I discovered that few people know much about Rawlings, though many have read The Yearling in school.  So here is a little history about Rawlings from Wikipedia:

In 1928, with a small inheritance from her mother, the Rawlingses purchased a 72 acre (290,000 m²) orange grove near Hawthorne, Florida, in a hamlet named Cross Creek for its location between Orange Lake and Lochloosa Lake. She brought the place to international fame through her writing. She was fascinated with the remote wilderness and the lives of Cross Creek residents, her Cracker neighbors, and felt a profound and transforming connection to the region and the land.Wary at first, the local residents soon warmed to her and opened up their lives and experiences to her. Marjorie filled several notebooks with descriptions of the animals, plants, Southern dialect, and recipes and used these descriptions in her writings.

As one enters Cross Creek, the first thing that you see is a sign that says the following:

 In spite of the excessive heat, humidity, and lack of creature comforts, Rawlings embraced this wild harsh land that few today would want to call home.

The painting that I did above, was not of Rawlings home at Cross Creek, but of a replica of an old Cracker Shack that was on the property and served as a home to the hired help. The humbleness of the property is evident, but what is not evident is the sense of profound peace and stillness that emanated the grounds.

Save for the occasional crowing of a rooster, the place was wrapped in a blanket of quiet serenity.

Above is a photo of the cracker shack , and which served as my reference.

I have enormous respect for the people who braved these harsh lands and forged their homesteads upon ground that  many today would consider uninhabitable!

I enjoyed doing this painting in my air-conditioned studio. It reminded me that I have much to be thankful for and also reminded me that I would have a hard time surviving on a remote homestead such as the one that Rawlings lived upon and called home! Yet overall, I could appreciate the sense of mystic loveliness that Rawlings described and which was etched on the sign above.

"Time to Go", 14x11, oil on canvas board, great blue heron, Gulf, beach, tropical scenes

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"Time to Go", 14x11, oil on canvas board (aka "Just Leaving")

This painting received the People's Choice Award at The Venice Art Center's annual Fall Member's exhibit. It is always wonderful to have your peers vote for you! This was one of the art center's most popular exhibits this year, so I was very happy to learn that the people who attended the exhibit had liked it enough to vote for it.

This painting was also one of two selected for The Best Of Worldwide Oil Artists, Volume 2.

I need to go to the beach and paint this weekend. It always makes me feel happy to live in Florida when I see all the herons and cranes everywhere. Right now it is very, very hot and humid here, so I am looking for any inspiration I can find.