I always have a good time when I'm painting ladies with hats.
I painted this one during the Covid lockdown, and took it out today and reworked it a bit.
Special thanks to Short Dog Studio and Beth Bathe for allowing me to use their reference photo.
Mission San Juan Capistrano is a place of quiet peace, lush, fragrant gardens, as well as ghostly whispers of the past.
Echos of long ago struggles can now hardly be detected in this place of serene fountains, gracefully curved arches and seasonal flowers, yet the missions stretching along the California coast have a long controversial history that profoundly shaped the culture and founding of California and the history of its ethnic peoples.
Mission San Juan Capistrano, in Orange County, is probably the most beautiful of the many missions that defined California's history. The Great Stone Church, built by the Juaneno Indians beginning in 1797, was destroyed by an earthquake in 1812, yet today it is still one of the biggest tourist draws in the county*. Mission Capistrano is one of my favorite places to visit whenever I am in Southern California, and over the years I've painted dozens of paintings of this crumbling, yet still beautiful structure and its lovely gardens. I never tire of seeing its enduring beauty amidst the ruins, which are a solemn reminder of nature's fury and lack of favoritism when destruction comes.
As the anniversary of Hurricane Ian approaches, I can say that the Mission and its history cause me to reflect on life's roller coaster rides. The painting reflects a bit of both- hope and despair, beauty and ruin, and the light and shadows cascading over the stones of the ruined original church, remind me of Matthew 6:19. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy (insert earthquakes), but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven."
It's always joy to visit the Mission, so be sure to visit it if you are in Southern California.
This painting is available. Contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com for purchase information
* information from the LA Times
I love old cars. They are so classy and fun to paint. I haven't painted any old cars in a really long time, so yesterday, I decided that I wanted to paint something different from my usual, and I chose to try my hand at painting this beautiful old classic car.
The car depicted is an Auburn Speedster from about 1936. In the world of classic cars, there are few that can match the sheer elegance and style of this one. With its sleek lines, powerful engine, and undeniable charisma, this iconic automobile remains a symbol of luxury and sophistication to this day. These cars made a social statement with their beautiful lines, and were fitted with a supercharger, the engine output measuring 150 horsepower. This allowed the Speedster to reach top speeds of over 100 miles per hour!
That's pretty remarkable for a car built in 1936!
These cars were the brainchild of Auburn Automobile company, located in Auburn, Indiana, and you can still see some of them today at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum.
The 1936 Auburn Speedster is more than just a classic car; it's a symbol of an era when automotive design reached new heights.
If you are an old car buff, interested in owning a version of your own Auburn Speedster, this little gem is available through my website. You can purchase it directly here.
Thanks for visiting. I hope you enjoyed this short history of the enduring allure of classic cars, and the shining example of luxury and elegance imbued in the Auburn Speedster!
Odette is the tragic heroine in the classical ballet Swan Lake. Odette is a princess turned into a swan by the evil sorcerer Von Rothbart's curse, who wants his evil daughter Odile (the Black Swan) to wrestle the handsome Prince Sigfried's heart away from the gentle Odette. The ballet is a love story of enchantment and tragedy, as only the Prince's undying love can break the curse and free Odette and the other swan maidens of the sorcerer's curse.
When I was artistic director of my ballet company back in the 1990's, we performed a full length Swan Lake 2 or 3 different times. The challenges of staging a ballet of this magnitude on a small company were tremendous, but I was ambitious and the rewards of re-creating the magic of that ballet eventually overshadowed the work that was involved. I have painted this scene before, but had the urge to paint Odette again in memory of the many hours of love I put into the restaging of that ballet !
Ballet, art, and music are all similar passions. When one has an artistic passion, it dictates their lives for that particular season. Luckily for me, I no longer need to do an entrechat quatre in order to fill my passion.
May every creative person continue to fill the world with beauty, through music, dance, art, and poetry!
I was fortunate to visit Lake Elsinore in California, this past spring as the area experienced another beautiful superbloom , as a result of all the rains over the winter months.
The trails were breathtaking with color, and the bright orange poppies made a beautiful compliment with the blue of the lake.
As an artist, I noticed that the light temperature of the area, and California in general, is much color than that of Florida, and so I found myself adjusting the beautiful blue light, with warmer shadows, and cooler lights.
The family and I had a great time, enjoying the flowers, the beautiful weather and the magnificent scenery.
It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Lately, I have decided to work on improving my drawing skills, since drawing is such an integral part of painting well.
Today, I wanted to work on ellipses, because they are such an important part of still life painting. Actually, they are an important part of all styles of painting!
Take a lake filled with waterlilies, for instance. You simply cannot paint those waterlilies successfully unless you can paint an ellipse and understand how they change with perspective. Here is one of Claude Monet's famous waterlily paintings:
Notice how the shape of the flower changes as it goes back in perspective.
So I set up a still life with some ellipses in it, and worked on it all day. Yes indeed those things are hard to paint accurately! (At least for me.)
I love the little French sugar bowl and lid that my daughter-in-law gave me a while back, and so I included that in the picture as well as some Ghirardelli chocolate! Yum.
In the end, I think I made some progress in painting ellipses from an overhead perspective.
Maybe, I'll work on some water lilies next....
This painting is available through my website, under the "little gems" collection. Or send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if interested in purchasing a little coffee and chocolate.
It's almost the end of summer, and that means cooler weather, autumn leaves, pumpkins and... wait. I am getting ahead of myself!
For now, I want to focus on what is left of these warm summer days. I set this arrangement up on a table near our pool, and contemplated the beauty of summer. Those long days produce luscious fruit, gorgeous gardens, and oh so many lazy days for the children!
When I was a student, I used to love summer vacation because it was my big chance to catch up on my favorite books. I was never much for beaches, (except for the fudge that could be procured at every boardwalk in America!), but I loved the slowness of each hot, sweltering day, and the gentle nights filled with fireflies and the strident hum of the crickets.
I painted this for those cold , wintry nights that will be upon us before we know it. The memories of summer are sometimes what helps us through those dark days when it is sometimes hard to get out of bed.
Although I live in Florida now, I truly miss the chill of winter- the frost- the ice- the bone-chilling cold. And yet I also recall the endless drear of February and March- the slush, the coats and gloves, and driving on slippery streets that are unfit for even reindeer.
So if you would like to preserve a bit of summer for the month ahead, "A Summer Song" might be the perfect thing! The painting is available through my website here. Send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com for pricing info.
Thank-you for reading my blog today, and enjoy the rest of summer!
This sweet little painting was done in an impressionist style. It has soft, yet vibrant colors throughout and was painted on gallery-wrapped canvas. I also painted the sides in the same color palette, so the painting can be wired and hung without a frame! Yay!
I am selling this sweet little gem through my website. It would make a lovely gift, or a pretty little accent piece to your home decor. Purchase through my website .
SOLD
I think the most interesting thing in the world to paint is people. No two are the same, and everyone we see or meet on the street carries their own personal stories and experiences that have honed their characters, affected their demeanors, and sometimes touched our hearts.
Even a fleeting moment in time, like passing someone on the street corner, can evoke memories of someone we once knew who resembled the person on the corner, or perhaps created thought patterns in our mind as we tried to figure out that person's own individual's story.
This woman in her big fur coat and hat has an enigmatic expression on her face that made me wonder what she was thinking, experiencing, or perhaps toying with in her own mind.
I love to people watch. How about you?
This little bluebird is hoping someone will give him a home, because he is tired of sitting on this branch. If you would like to give the little guy a home, you can purchase him for only $95 through my Daily Paintworks link here.
Thanks for reading my blog. Check out all my artwork at my website here.
This little pink building was a little ice cream shop in Rocky Neck, in East Gloucester back in 2010, when I photographed it. I have no idea if it's still there (the ice cream shop), but the pink building was adorable to look at, and filled with pink flowers in the front yard. It was directly on the water in Rocky Neck, which is an artsy community in the seaside town of Gloucester.
Although I took the photo years ago, it took me this long to paint it! It was just a quick little 2 hour study. If you like it leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you!
SOLD
I had so much fun painting "La Vie En Rose" a few weeks ago that I decided to paint this cutie again.
Whereas the first time, I did just a quick sketchy painting, I took more time with this one, and the results are more refined.
My favorite part of the painting? The flowers in the hat of course. It's funny but when you enjoy painting certain subjects, you tend to paint them more than once, and thus you become more and more proficient at that subject. While I'm not proficient by any means in painting flowers, I do paint them often, and for that reason, I saved them for last, knowing that they would be easiest to do when I was tired.
Feel free to leave a comment. I'd love your feedback!
The title of my painting, "La Vie en Rose," translates from the French to "Life in Pink" in English. It is a phrase often associated with a state of blissful happiness and seeing life through a rosy lens.
The girl in the painting personifies grace and femininity. Although she is not smiling, in her pensive state her demeanor exudes confidence, daring the viewer to read her thoughts; inviting the viewer into her world of romantic fantasy. Her straw hat is embellished with pink roses symbolizing beauty, growth, and a connection to nature.
I painted this while listening to Pandora Internet radio's French Cafe station, blending my favorite music with the challenge of capturing beauty within a harmonious balance of nature and mystery.
I had a lot of fun painting this, probably because I love all things French, and even managed to enjoy a glass of wine while painting! I think the wine added a little "je ne said quoi!" Don't you?
If you enjoyed the painting and this post please feel free to comment below. The painting is available through my website. Follow this link for purchase information.
There is nothing that lifts my soul like a beautiful garden, sunshine peeking through the trees, and little birds singing in the distance. I am old-fashioned and a hopeless romantic, but that is what makes me happy.
If you are like me, then perhaps you feel the same way, too. If so, I hope this painting adds some sunshine to your day!
This painting is currently on sale to celebrate summer! Send me an email at maryannejcaobsen@aol.com if interested in pricing.
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.
