"Thatcher Island View", plein air field study, 9x12-Cape Ann, Rockport, waves, rocks, seascape with lighthouse

"Thatcher Island View", plein air field study, 9x12

This is the second painting that I did of the Thatcher Island Lighthouses on Cape ann. It's amazing how one can paint the same view at the same time of day and still see a completely different scene. Compared to the day before, there was a strong light on the upper left hand side of the water and yet the rocks were more golden and less orange. See below:

The wonderful thing about painting water is that nothing is ever the same. The moment is spontaneous, when a wave crests and falls, and one must use their memory to record it on the canvas. I only wish I had had more time in that lovely place to hone my wave-painting skills.

"Thatcher Island Twin Lights", plein air, 8x10, oil on panel

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"Thatcher Island Twin Lights", plein air, 8x10, oil on panel

We just returned from a lovely trip to New England where we spent a few days in Maine (York area), New Hampshire and Rockport , Massachusetts.If you follow my blog, you'll know I've been visiting Rockport for the past three years and I never get tired of the beautiful light quality there.

We were blessed with gorgeous weather, which gave me a chance to paint en plein air. The location of our accommodations could not have been any better, and I had the chance to paint out on the rocks every day. Our view looked directly over at Thatcher Island and so I did not have to look very far for subject matter!

As you can see, I could not have been much happier!

This was the first painting of the Thatcher light houses that I did on the first day of our arrival. One of the guests at the inn where we stayed walked past as I was painting and asked if I would sell the painting to her. Now don't you just love it when that happens?

I'll be posting my other plein air paintings that I did on the trip over the next few days.

I was so very happy to have the opportunity to practice painting large rolling waves and big boulders. Those are two things I never see here in Florida and boy did I need the practice!

"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.

The Rat Boat, paintings of old boats, small boats, wooden boats, rat boats, Rockport, Rockport harbor

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"The Rat Boat", 5x7 oil on panel

I have no idea why this old wooden boat has a little sign on the back that says "Rat", but I'm guessing there's a good reason! Perhaps rats live in the boat and dance to the light of the moon when no ones looking? Or perhaps some villainous human rat stole this charming old boat from its original owners and in a fit of guilt the thief decided to name the boat after the ilks of himself? Or maybe like a  treacherous rat, this tiny little boat in the Rockport harbor sneaks up on unsuspecting fishing boats in the pre-dawn hours and  a boatload of cats sneak up on the unsuspecting fisherman and steal the fish to the horror of the fisherman who had no idea there was a rat on their tail!

Or maybe a family of hungry gulls man the boat and stalk the fishing boats while the fisherman are catching cat naps? (Not rat naps!)

Here's a photo of the rat boat in the Rockport harbor in the pre-dawn hours.

I know it looks small and inconspicuous but that could be a front for the rats.... or the cats...

We are going back to Rockport next week. I am going to see if I can get to the bottom of this mystery.

But in the meantime, if you want to own your own little rat boat, just send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"Low Tide", 9x12, oil on canvas, paintings of boats, low tide, Bay of Fundy, old wooden boats, Maine boats

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"Low Tide", 9x12, oil on canvas

The first time I ever visited the Maine area was a few years back. We stayed at a lovely Bed and Breakfast in Boothbay Harbor that boosted a room with a "water view". The day we arrived it was pouring rain and so sitting out on our porch and enjoying our "water view" was out of the question. The next day we woke up delighted to see that the rain had finally stopped! We rushed out on to our balcony to see our water view.

Low and behold all we saw were a bunch of boats laying on their sides , their keels dripping mud  onto the bare earth below. I was shocked. "What is that?", I asked my husband.

" I think that's our water view", he replied almost sadly. Weirdly by the evening, the harbor had refilled with water and the boats were once again floating gracefully on the water.

The more we saw of Maine's many harbors and inlets, the more we saw this same phenomenon over and over again. I understand that if you go a little further east into the Bay of Fundy, the tidal changes become even more dramatic! Each day 100 billion tonnes of seawater flow in and out of the Bay of Fundy during one tide cycle, which is more than the combined flow of the whole world’s freshwater rivers!

Anyhow, sorry to digress, but we certainly live in an amazing world, don't you think?

If you are interested in purchasing, "Low Tide", please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"Cattin' Around", 8x10, oil on canvas panel-paintings of cat boats, Cape Cod cat boats, sailboats, impressionist seascapes

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"Cattin' Around", 8x10, oil on canvas panel

I am a total sucker when it comes to classic cat boats. They are elegant, efficiently constructed and comparing them to new sailboat designs is like comparing Jennifer Aniston to Grace Kelly.

In this painting I wanted to capture the feeling of movement in both the air and water.

Lots of thick impasto in this one, so if you are thinking of purchasing allow at least two weeks drying time.

"Morning on the Kennebunk River", 8x8, oil on Ampersand board, Maine, boats, Kennebunkport, autumn in Maine, small paintings

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"Morning on the Kennebunk River", 8x8, oil on Ampersand board

Another small painting of the boats on the Kennebunk River in Kennebunkport, Maine. I tried to keep this painting loose and impressionist with detail suggested rather than rendered.

"Walking to Canyon Road", 14x11, oil on linen, southwest art, Sant Fe, New Mexico Bed and breakfast, Inn on the Alameda, adobe architecture

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"Walking to Canyon Road", 14x11, oil on linen

Canyon Road in Santa Fe , New Mexico is the ultimate destination for artists and art collectors  around the country. If you want to stay close to Canyon Road, I highly recommend the Inn on the Alameda, a lovely B&B at the north end of Canyon Rd.

This is my second time painting this Inn so  I bet you can tell that I like it! This painting was painted primarily with a palette knife and has thick paint throughout.

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

"Humble Icon", 16x20, oil on linen, Paint America Top 100, american landscapes, Rockport Massachusetts, Cape Anne,impasto, colorful seascapes

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"Humble Icon", 16x20, oil on linen

This humble little red lobster shack is a national icon. It has been painted by thousands of artists over the years and has an endearing quality to it, by virtue of its humble stance at this location on a rocky wharf jutting into the Atlantic in the lovely little town of Rockport in Cape Ann, Massachusetts.

When we were in Rockport the past two summers we stayed at The Seaward Inn, an absolutely delightful Bed and Breakfast facing the Atlantic, a few minutes drive from the center of town. We stayed in a little room on the third floor, and we were told it is Whoopi Goldberg's preferred room when she stays at the Inn. The entire cast of A Perfect Storm, including hunky George Clooney, evidently stayed at this Inn during the filming of the movie in 2000, and I can say that both Gloucester, where the movie was filmed, and Rockport are worthy of a return visit. Rockport supports an active artist colony, and I hope to return there again in a few weeks to do some fall plein air painting in that beautiful golden light!

 "Humble Icon" was chosen as one of the Top 100 in Paint America's 2010 competition of contemporary American artworks, and now I am offereing the painting for sale at a reduced price. The painting has lovely color and thick passages of impasto throughout. If you are interested in purchasing the painting , just send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"Marina View", plein air, 9x12, oil o canvas panel-Marina, harbor, St. Augustine, Camachee Marina, boats, plein air

"Marina View", plein  air, 9x12, oil o canvas panel

We had a short stay in St. Augustine this past weekend and stayed in a room that overlooked the Camachee Marina. We have stayed in many different places in St. Augustine before , but never before on Camachee Island, which is just a 5 minute drive from the historic area, and away from the traffic and crowds. Although Isaac spoiled much of Sunday and Monday for us, we did have a lovely day on Saturday. The Inn at Camachee Harbor where we stayed had a wonderful view of the marina and the sunset views over the harbor are quite lovely as well.

I started this painting on our balcony on Sunday morning and as you can see it was an absolutely perfect day.

 But although I intended to finish it today, the scene was quite different-gray, foggy and pretty dismal. Every time I tried to photograph the painting  the lens of my camera would fog up from the humidity and as fast as I wiped it, it would fog up again. I finished it anyway and might try to do a larger studio painting eventually.  I wanted to challenge myself with a complicated view and this certainly fit the bill what with all the boats and perspective involved.

To purchase this plein air painting, just send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"The Colors of Venice", 8x10, oil on Raymar panel, paintings of Venice italy, canal, gondola, boats

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"The Colors of Venice", 8x10, oil on Raymar panel

Well, Chicago may be Frank Sinatra's kind of town, but I'll take Venice anyday! As an artist that loves color, what could be more heavenly than a summer day on one of Venice's many canals!

This painting is already sold, but you may also like this one!

"Bellissima Morning",35x25, oil on gallery-wrapped canvas

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"Bellissima Morning",35x25, oil on gallery-wrapped canvas

This painting was a commission for a beautiful restaurant in New Jersey. It looks much better in person! Please email me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if you have a personal request for a painting.

"Catch the Wind" 8x10, oil on Raymar panel, Maryanne Jacobsen paintings, paintings of Maine, harbor, Sailboat, sunset

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"Catch the Wind" 8x10, oil on Raymar panel

After I painted "Morning Whale Watch", I had a request to do another one. So here it is. This is a scene of the schooner that sails off of Frenchman's Bay in Bar Harbor , Maine. I love the burnt orange color of its sails and coordinated the rest of the palette around that. I named it after an old Donovan song, "Catch the Wind", which was popular in the 60's and which I still enjoy hearing today.

CATCH THE WIND
Donovan

In the chilly hours and minutes of uncertainty
I long to be in the warm hold of your mind
To feel you all around me and to take your hand across the sand
Ah but I may as well try and catch the wind

When sundown pales the sky I want to hide a while behind your smile
And everywhere I'd look your eyes I'd find
For me to love you now would be the sweetest thing, 'twould make me sing
Ah but I might as well try and catch the wind
Dee dee dee dee etc

When rain has covered leaves with tears
I want you near to kill my fears
To help me leave all my blues behind
While standing in your heart is where I wanna be and long to be
Ah but I might as well try and catch the wind
Ah but I may as well try and catch the wind 

"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!