"Au Printemps", 14x18, oil on canvas, springtime floral, oil , impressionism, red geraniums art, red apples and flowers, brass pot, begonias, impressionist florals, Florida plein air, Maryanne Jacobsen original art

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"Au Printemps", 14x18, oil on canvas, plein air

It's spring here in Florida and what glorious weather we've been having! So glorious that I recently decided to go out and buy this cute little bistro set and do some outdoor florals in my own back-yard. (In Florida they're called lanais, because they are screened in areas that prevent mosquitos from eating you alive.)

So I created this pretty set-up on my lanai last week with a huge pot of geraniums atop my new bistro set and another pot of begonias on the floor of the lanai and voila! -the fun began!

I painted the above set-up over a two day period as the light changed too fast for me to capture it all in one day.As you can see below, one of my three cats was enjoying the pleasant weather as well, and keeping me company as I painted..

I was happy with the outcome and hope to do many more little romantic florals like this one over the next weeks of beautiful Florida sunshine!

"Afternoon Light, Cortez Fishing Village", plein air , 11x14, plein air, Cortez fishing village, Bradenton Florida, fishermen, boats, bikes, tropical scenery, water, MAryanne Jacobsen art

"Afternoon Light, Cortez Fishing Village", plein air , 11x14

On the same foggy morning of yesterday's painting, by afternoon the sun had come out and much of the haze had cleared.

After first asking permission to paint of two men who seemed to be part of the place, I set up my easel right at the edge of the water, behind where you see the figure in my painting. I selected a great composition of two boats and the little fish shack that lies in the distance on the water as my composition, and had begun painting when someone came along and said, "Lady, you'll have to move so we can load the barge."

Well, of course! This is plein air and this is a working fishing village. So I packed up all my gear and moved to the foot of the walkway that goes up to the covered pier.

It turns out that the two men who I'd asked permission of were somewhat (I'm being kind) inebriated and had no work connection to the place at all. They stood nearby as I painted all afternoon and discussed politics, terrorism and how to change the world. It was different from listening to the gulls screech and I found after a while that I was kind of glad they were there. One even offered me a live starfish, which I dropped to the ground after realizing it was alive. You can see one of these friendly characters in my photo below.

This was 90% plein air. I added the figure after the painting had dried. Please visit Cortez fishing village if you are ever in the Bradenton, Florida area. You won't be disappointed!

"Grey Morning, Cortez fishing village", 11x14, oil on panel, paintings of boats, fog, old fishing boats, Cortez, Florida

"Grey Morning, Cortez fishing village", 11x14, oil on panel

For plein air painters in southwest  Florida, the tiny fishing village of Cortez is a little jewel tucked into the larger town of Bradenton on the Gulf of Mexico.  With a rich history, the tiny maritime town is only a few blocks long. Dozens of old fishing vessels bob up and town on the sleepy waters of the intracoastal and the ever popular Starfish and Company restaurant does a booming business during snowbird season.

Recently I spent the day there during a wonderful workshop with the incredibly talented plein air artist, Mark Boedges. We watched Mark paint on a foggy morning and by afternoon the skies had cleared and the dozen or so artists attending the workshop were free to paint on their own. I'll post the painting that I did in the afternoon over the next day or so, but here is the one I was really proud of, because it captured the atmosphere of the fog lifting that morning.

Mark has a way of softening his edges that is truly remarkable, and every single stroke that he puts down is very thoughtful. I think passive learning is very important for every artist, and the experience of watching Mark paint this same scene gave me the courage to try it as well. You can visit Mark's website here, to see his gorgeous paintings.

"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.

"Palm Sunday Peonies", 9x12, oil on linen-paintings of peonies, impressionist paintings, apples, Maryanne Jacobsen art

"Palm Sunday Peonies", 9x12, oil on linen-$700

Blocked this one in on Saturday morning right before the heavy rain started. Finished it yesterday indoors.

 Hope you have a Happy Easter!

"Along St. Matthews Rd.", 11x14, paintings of Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, old barns, country roads, Maryanne JAcobsen art, fall in Chester county, Chester County art, Pennsylvania landscapes

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"Along St. Matthews Rd.", 11x14

Just realized that there are still paintings from my painting trip up north in October of last year that I haven't posted yet.

This one is one of them. St. Matthews Rd. is near and dear to my heart as my kids used to sled on the hills along there when we lived just off the road, the annual Thanksgiving Charleston Hunt of the hounds would go through there in the fall, and the good Doctor Rosato (who lived on the road) and his lovely wife would ride through there on their gorgeous antique sleighs during holidays, ringing sleigh bells and delighting all the kids along the way.

It's a very scenic and winding  country road and this red roofed barn is a favorite structure of mine.

Haven't posted in a while because I've been busy with family stuff, but will try to catch up a little over the next couple weeks.

Stay tuned!

"La Paix", after Cortes, 9x12, oil on Raymar panel, After Eduard Cortes, French impressionism, Paris opera, flower lady

"La Paix", after Cortes, 9x12, oil on Raymar panel (Note: you can click on the image to see more detail.)

I have found that my work has been getting tighter and tighter over the years and this is not something I'm happy about. I love the work of Eduard Cortes, who was a French impressionist painter born in 1882 of both French and Spanish ancestry. He was known as the "Parisian Poet of Painting" and indeed his Parisian scenes are poetic!

The painting above is a scene he painted numerous times over his lifetime of painting and I used the images of his paintings to help me loosen up a bit. If you love French impressionism and have never checked out his work, please do so! And thank-you Eduard, for the inspiration you give me! This was fun to paint!

"Effortless", 8x10, oil on linen, paintings of dancers, ballet art, MAryanne JAcobsen art, original oil paintings of dancers, ballerinas

"Effortless", 8x10, oil on linen

This painting was hanging in a government administrator's office for a few years, because he had personally requested that my art be the centerpiece of his office. The painting was recently returned to me after the gentlemen retired, and so yesterday I took it out and reworked a couple passages. I hopefully improved upon the past!

Ballet and painting have one thing in common. (Or maybe more than one!) In order to be a successful dancer, or to produce a successful painting, the viewer of the art form must not see a labored effect in the finished product. Dancing and painting to make the final product look fresh, spontaneous and effortless is very, very difficult and takes years of hard work, perseverance, experience, and a touch of talent as well!

Although I've painted hundreds of paintings, I have only had a handful that have come out looking effortless. I will continue to work at this for as long as I am able, and in the meanwhile here is a magnificently trained ballerina executing a flawless variation from Giselle. While her dancing looks effortless, it is with no doubt at all, that I know she trained for literally thousands of hours in order to achieve this fluidity. Enjoy!

Você pode ter o melhor pé, o melhor en dehors, o mais lindo físico, se a sua dança for vazia será apenas movimentos. Osipova dançando essa variação de Gisele mostra exatamente o que a arte espera de um verdadeiro artista. A alma com luz mostra o verdadeiro sentido do que é dançar. De arrepiar cara. Beijos Renato.
Posted by Só Bailarinos on Friday, February 5, 2016

Who Let the Dogs out?, 8x10 , oil painting, Maryanne JAcobsen art, paintings of dogs, pugs, bull dogs, Wine-tasting, Santa Cruz, MJA Winerie, Canson paper pads for oils

"Who let the Dogs out?" ,8x10, oil sketch on Canson paper

On our way to Yosemite last year we stopped and had a wine-tasting at MJA Vineyards tasting room in   Santa Cruz. The fun and laid back atmosphere was perfect after a stressful drive !

While we were enjoying our tasting , we met a nice fellow from San Franscisco who was there with his two adorable dogs. We chatted and the dogs were a huge hit with everyone who came in, especially me! The owner gave me permission to photograph them and they did their best to hold still!

Last night I decided to try out my sample sheet of Canson paper panels for oil and acrylics that I rec'd in a gift bag at a Paint-Out recently. I chose the dogs for a quick study. The paper has a nice tooth and is sturdy enough to take a palette knife and even frame. The best part is that you don't get too attached to your work while you're painting because it is an inexpensive support. So I did this quick study in about an hour or so.

I'll definitely be buying more of these supports as I loved painting on it.

If you're ever in the Santa Cruz area and looking to relax, be sure to stop in at MJA's and enjoy a delightful and casual wine-tasting . And maybe you'll be lucky enough to meet Eda and her brother, too!

"Van Gogh"s Boats", 8x10, oil, Vincent Van Gogh, French Boats, empaths, highly sensitive personalities, French seacapes, impressionism, Bouzique, France, old fishing boats, Maryanne JAcobsen art

"Van Gogh"s Boats", 8x10, oil

Nothing is sadder than an artist that cannot find his footings in a cold world. Such was the case with Vincent Van Gogh.

Today we have a name for people like Vincent. They are called empaths, or highly sensitive personalities, or whatever. I understand Vincent. Sometimes the world is hard. Sometimes the world is cold.

And sometimes the world is beautiful!

 Empaths struggle to find their footing because everything is bigger for empaths than the life that most individuals see and live each day. Bigger and scarier.

Anyhow. That's all I have to say about Vincent's mental state. Vincent painted colorful fishing boats in a  painting titled, Boats at St. Marie.

Here is an image of his painting:

These colorful old fishing boats dating back to Van Gogh's era can still be seen in the small fishing port of Bouziques, in the south of France. How cool is that?

This little painting was painted a few years ago and I took it out recently and re-worked a couple passages. If you like it, send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com

"Catherine's Restaurant" 9x12, oil, Catherine's of Unionville, Pa. Chester county restaurants, cafes, paintings of restaurants, fall colors, MAryanne Jacobsen art, buildings, street scenes

"Catherine's Restaurant" 9x12, oil

Back in the fall I passed this adorable restaurant in Unionville, Pa, while traveling to a site to paint during the Plein Air Brandywine Valley Festival.

I am a huge sucker for brightly -colored awnings, so I knew I'd have to paint this!!!!!
Evidently, Catherine's is a very popular restaurant in the area and has been written up many times  by local newspapers for its fine cuisine. I have added it to my bucket list as a must-do restaurant the next time we are up in that area.

To check out their menu, just go here and happy eating!

"Oak Shadows", 16x20 , oil on Panel, Maryanne Jacobsen art, Sarasota Florida, New College Sarasota, Ringling Museum, Ralph Caples, live oak tree

"Oak Shadows", 16x20 , oil on Panel

Winter can be a beautiful time to paint outdoors in Florida. Recently I bundled up and ventured out in temps that were below par for Florida- 50ish, I believe. Yup, a little cold for us Floridians, and windy, too, but the sunshine makes it all worthwhile. It was brilliantly sunny that day and the sky was that truly gorgeous blue that is the reason why Florida artists need cerulean on their palette! (Cobalt and viridian mixed are a decent substitute.)

Anyhow, I went to the Caples mansion and carriage house, which borders on the beautiful Ringling Estate. Ralph Caples had a personal and professional relationship with the wealthy Ringlings next door and if you want to learn more about the Caples history you can read about it here.

 As soon as I arrived on the site, I become enamoured with the patterns and negative spaces that the immense oak tree was creating with her branches, and so I decided to paint it. The carriage house next to it seemed to figure into the composition as well, although I knew it would be a lot to do in one painting session.

I worked on the painting for about two hours before calling it a day. I packed up my car only to discover that the battery had gone dead because I kept the hatch up while I was painting, meaning that the light drained the battery. A kind man jumped my battery and all in all it was an almost perfect Florida painting day except for the battery.

Over the weekend I used my plein air sketch to recreate the scene above on a larger canvas. Those live oaks with the Spanish moss hanging from their limbs can be quite challenging to paint, as was also the complexity of the architecture of the carriage house, which was modeled after the Mediterranean Revival style. Overall, though, I was pleased with the outcome.

Be sure to visit the historic sites of the Ringling Museum, and the Caples sites, if you ever visit Sarasota. Both properties are on the waterfront of Sarasota Bay and the scenery is quite lovely and the history quite interesting.

"Eventide", 12x24, oil on linen, Eucalptus trees, cypress trees, California landscapes, MAryanne Jacobsen fine art

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"Eventide", 12x24, oil on linen

This was painted a while back and is still a favorite of mine. The trees in California are so beautiful- from the willowy Eucalptus trees like the ones above to the gnarly, twisted cypress trees that flourish along the windy coasts- I think if I lived in California, I'd be outdoors every day, painting trees!

Please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if you would like to commission a painting similar to Eventide.

"Pea Green Boat", 8x8, oil on panel, the owl and the pussycat, Edward Lear poem, romance, Valentine's Day gifts, original oil paintings. Maryanne Jacobsen art

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"Pea Green Boat", 8x8, oil on panel

I've painted the Owl and the Pussycat a couple other times in the past and I guess I never tire of these furry friends and the loving relationship they had in Edward Lear's little poem.

This painting has been in a couple shows and has been hanging in my living room for a while, framed in a beautiful Randy Higbee floater frame.

It occurred to me that it might make a lovely gift to a couple romantics for Valentine's Day, so I decided to take it off my wall and offer it for sale for a limited time only. If you order by Saturday, I should be able to ship it in time for the big romantic week=end coming up next week.

I am offering it for sale for $400 or $450 framed as shown above. Please send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com if interested and I'll invoice you via Paypal.

Thanks for reading my blog and have a great day!

"Restoration in Progress"12x16, oil on panel, MAryanne JAcobsen art, Gloucester MAssachusetts, old boats, The Flight, paintings of old boats, welders, New England boats

"Restoration in Progress"12x16, oil on panel

Last spring, while up in Boston for my son's graduation, we took a day to visit Gloucester, one of the country's oldest fishing ports and a favorite haunt of mine whenever I'm up that way.

I always enjoy seeing all the old boats, and on this particular day "The Flight" was out of the water and being restored. I watched a man carefully welding her sides and I determined I had to paint her.

This one took mustering some courage before I even got started with it. I had to really concentrate on getting the details of the drawing correct, before I could move on to worrying about the paint application.

I also made some changes to the composition  in order to take some of the frivolous dock debris out of the background and replace it with the simpler suggestion of water and  distant shore.

Hopefully it doesn't look labored, but in truth it was a laborious task from start to finish!