"Contemplation", 14x 11, oil on linen, paintings of dancers, ballerinas young dancers

"Contemplation", 14x 11, oil on linen

I have not done a figurative painting in almost a year, mainly because I have just not been inspired. So I was really, really happy to find such a beautiful photo of three young dancers in repose on Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's Facebook page.

A huge thank-you to Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre for kindly giving me permission to use their photo as a reference for this painting!

I think I need to paint more dancers.It was so much fun!

Note: This painting is not for sale at this time.

"Acadian Morning", 9x12, oil on Raymar panel, Acadia Nat'l PArk, Cadillac Mountain, Maine landscapes

"Acadian Morning", 9x12, oil on Raymar panel

I apologize for not posting in a while. I think I've been a little distracted with other things.

Today my friends, Vicki and Samantha of Vermont sent me some gorgeous photos from their recent trip to Acadia National Park in Maine. I was so excited to see all the beautiful photos that they took, because Acadia Nat'l Park is such a beautiful place to visit!

Although we have gone up to Maine for two summers in a row, this year we were unable to fit it into our schedules. So receiving these photos this morning really cheered me up after over a whole week of not painting a danged thing!

I did this one quickly. It's a quick study and not intended to be polished but more of an impression of a place that I remember very well and love! But doing it definitely got me out of the rut I was in! To all my friends up in Maine this summer, including Samantha, Vicki, Terry, Pam, Susan, Jane, Hodges and so many others, I hope you are enjoying the cool weather , because it is stinking hot here in Florida and pretty much everywhere else in the country!

Thanks again, Samantha, for today's inspiration!

"Green Shutters", 5x7, oil on gessoboard, by Maryanne Jacobsen, painitngs of France, shutters, doorways, flowers, green

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"Green Shutters", 5x7, oil on gessoboard

Stroll down the street and smell the scent of flowers lingering in the breeze.
Toss you hair over your shoulder and smile.
The shutters are green, the sky is blue, and God is good.

a Painting a day, Daily painters, original art , affordable art, impressionist paintings,Paintings of Provence, paintings of doors and windows,French landscapes,colorist art,green shutters.

"Springhouse in Shadow", 11x14, oil on linen-, Vixen Hill Farm, paintings of springhouse, Maryanne Jacobsen art

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"Springhouse in Shadow", 11x14, oil on linen

It's funny, but since I have returned home from our short trip to Chester County, Pennsylvania, I have realized that my normal palette of impressionist colors aren't quite sufficient in painting these old fieldstone structures.

A palette of burnt sienna, yellow ochre, raw sienna and  raw umber would definitely have been helpful to have had on hand for the tones in the stonework of this old springhouse, but since I rarely use these colors I had to mix them myself. After a little trial and error, I finally got some good earth tones on my palette and was able to complete this painting.

This springhouse was not only charming to look at, it provided the water for our cottage while we stayed at Vixen Hill farm. The water was cold and pure, absolutely delightful! I was a little concerned because there has evidently been a drought up there and the water levels were very low every where that we went, including the spring outside our cottage, but upon tasting it I knew it was perfect. If only I could have taken some home with me!

Here is the reference photo of the springhouse that i used:

I loved the slice of light down the center contrasted against all the shadow patterns and knew this would make a good composition!

I was surprised to learn how many people have no idea what a springhouse is! Having lived for many years in Chester county where there seems to be a springhouse around every corner, I had no idea that they were  rather 'foreign' in other areas of the country!  (sort of like what Santa Fe's adobe structures would be to northeasterners!)So in case you are clueless, a springhouse is/was a small stone structure that a natural spring ran through. The combination of the cold water and thick stone created a naturally cold environment, and before modern refrigeration had been invented farmers and settlers used the spring house as a storehouse for their root vegetables and other perishable foods.

 For more info about Vixen Hill farm, just go back and read my most recent posts!



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"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

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"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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