"Looking for Catnip", 6x6, oil on panel, paintings of kittens, little cats, animal portraits

SOLD

"Looking for Catnip", 6x6, oil on panel

I painted this little kitty in between making homemade bread and broccoli cheddar soup from scratch.  I dropped the painting face down on the floor when I went to photograph it, but happily it didn't seem to have done much damage!

"Walking to San Gimignano", 12x16, oil on board, Tuscany, paintings of San Gimignano, vineyards, Tuscan scenes, impasto

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"Walking to San Gimignano", 12x16, oil on board

I haven't done one of these palette knife, colorist paintings in a long while, and yesterday I just felt like letting the paint fly. It was fun to push the color in this Tuscan scene.

Note: You can click on the image to see the impasto better.

"Thinkin' Spring", 6x6, oil, hyacinth, blue hyacinth, purple hyacinth, banana, small studies, quick studies, red apples

"Thinkin' Spring", 6x6 oil on panel

I di this quick little hyacinth study last night and the light was pretty poor. So I had to finish it up this morning.

Here's my reference:

 I'd never painted hyacinths before so this was a first. They are definitely tricky! However, the beautiful scent was a charming accompaniment to the soft music in the background as I painted.

If you are 'thinkin' spring', you can find these lovely little hyacinths in Trader Joes this week!

If you are interested in purchasing this little study, just send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"Another Beautiful Gulf Morning", 16x12, oil on linen, old boats, fisherman, Gulf of Mexico, Florida art, fishing boats, seascapes of Florida

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"Another Beautiful Gulf Morning", 16x12, oil on linen (Note: you can click on the photo for better detail viewing of the painting.)

I took the two plein air studies that I did over the last two weeks from my outings to the North Jetty, as well as a reference photo, and used them over the past few days to create this studio painting.

I added the figure of the boat's owner and stuck with a limited palette to keep the painting unified. I combined both brushes and palette knife to keep the painting interesting and lively.

This painting will be going into the Light Chaser's annual show at Art Center Sarasota next month, but if you have any interest in the plein air study, "Old Boat, New Day", that I painted last week,  just contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com for pricing. Below was the reference that helped me add the gentlemen in the boat:

"Old Boat, New Day", 12x16, oil on panel, old boat, fishing boat, Venice Florida, North Jetty Venice Florida, paintings of boats,

"Old Boat, New Day", 12x16, oil on panel

Last week my plein air group painted at the North jetty in Venice. I did a small 8x10 and was happy with it. So yesterday I decided to go back there and do a larger painting.

As luck woul have it,  a fisherman was just bringing in his boat as I was setting up! I was so excited! The boat was old and had tons of character. I kept hoping he was not docking the boat just to go to the bathroom or something! But the old boat stayed there for the next two hours and so I worked quickly to put it in.

It turned around a couple times in the current, but not before I had a chance to capture it.

The painting has lots of texture in it and I was pleased with how it turned out. Just goes to show you, sometimes returning to the same spot really helps. In this case, I felt that I had a better chance to study the tree mass to the left which had been a little vague in the first painting.

"In Between Customers", 12x12, Venice Italy, Venice canal, gondolier, Italian landscape, alla prima, impressionism,

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"In Between Customers", 12x12, oil on board

 This is an older painting that I took out today and reworked a bit. I had fun with this one when I first started it. It was  challenging because of the different perspectives, but I loved all the  contrasts between light and shadow as well.

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please contact Galerie du Soleil.

"North Jetty Morning", plein air, 8x10 oil on board, plein air, Venice, Florida, impressionist art, beach, Southwest Florida art

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"North Jetty Morning", plein air study, 8x10 oil on board

I have not painted outdoors since late September, thanks to circumstances. This morning , however, I decided I was ready! Slathered with sunscreen and additionally armed with my new Tillie Hat, (skin cancer will change your painting habits!),  I decided to go out bright and early so I could get a quick painting in, before the Light Chasers had their first plein air demo by award-winning artist Hodges Soileau.

I snagged a great spot under some mangrove trees, so there was no chance of worrying about sun on my canvas. (Or on me!) There were many pelicans in the water early in the morning but I was painting very quickly and didn't manage to get any of the birds in my painting this time. However, I did manage to finish this in less than an hour!


Hodges demo was superb, as usual, and since I have taken quite a few of his workshops, I knew in advance that the artists unfamiliar with his teaching style were in for a treat! There were about 50 Light-Chasers that turned out for this awesome event!

How lucky are  the Light-Chasers (my plein air painting group) to have this beautiful setting, gorgeous weather, and amazing teachers to do demos for us under the mangrove trees!

After about two hours I went back to my spot to try to put finishing touches on my painting, but the light had changed radically and the rocks were covered with water. That's okay. I like the painting the way it is. It's alive. And my paintings have not been alive for a very long time.

Thank-you Lord for helping me get over my fear of painting outdoors!

And thanks to our fearless leader, Terry Mason, for all the selfless work she does to keep our Light Chasers outdoors and painting with the best!

"Balancing Act", 11x14, still life, realism, red onion, eggs, pottery

"Balancing Act", 11x14, oil on linen

Sometimes it seems as though our lives are precarious balancing acts. How quickly our daily joys can turn into stress and pain over some unexpected turn of events. How quickly our relaxation can turn into stress, when we are unprepared for a turn of events.

The holidays can often be a real "Balancing act". Unexpected costs for gifts, unexpected company, unexpected illness or even a delayed flight can turn what should have been a happy time into a period of stress and even dread.

This Christmas I have promised myself that I will not stress out. I will stay focused on the true meaning of the season and share this blessed time with those I love and friends I cherish. I will not cave in to the negativity of shopping at unreasonable hours, cleaning till the skin comes off my hands or eating sugar-laden treats till I can't close my pants!

Although Jesus Christ was not really born in December, (see here), I will still stay focused on the fact that his birth whenever it occurred, was a blessing to the entire world. And for those who choose to follow the path of Christianity, there are rewards that are most certainly beyond our current level of understanding to comprehend.

So if you are currently trying to juggle a "balancing act", sit back for a moment and meditate on your life's blessings- those that are past and those that you still hope for. The Christmas season is about Hope, Love and Peace. Let's try to enjoy it!

"Balancing Act" can be shipped framed and ready to hang in time for Christmas. I was always very proud of this piece and while it is not really indicative of my current style of painting, I have received many compliments on it, over the past few years.

"Purple Door", 8x8, oil on panel, small paintings of France, Provence, Lacoste

SOLD

Purple Door", 8x8, oil on panel

I've painted Lacoste before. It was featured in the movie "A Good Year" and is as predictably French as a small town in Provence can get. It has narrow streets that go up and down and weave their way from a curving road in the heart of town up to the ruins of the castle of Marquis de Sade.


Au Revoir.

Purchase 'Purple Door' through Galerie du Soleil in Naples, Florida. Telephone:  (239) 417-3450

Email:  Shelby@GalerieduSoleil.com

"Country Road", 9x12, oil on Raymar panel, impressionist paintings, country landscape, woman with umbrella, boat, house

"Country Road", 9x12, oil on Raymar panel

A while back I did a small little study of a painting by  19th century french Impressionist Édouard Leon Cortès (1882–1969).  Cortes is known as "Le Poete Parisien de la Peinture" or "the Parisian Poet of Painting" because of his diverse Paris cityscapes in a variety of weather and night settings.

I fell in love with his style of painting and today I decided to do another painting after his rustic country landscapes. In this version, I tried to learn from him while also incorporating a bit of my own style into the painting.

Learning from the old masters is a wonderful way to improve one's artistic skill. I did many paintings after Monet when I first started to paint, and I never grow tired of what I can learn from the French Impressionists!

"A moment in Time", 24x12, oil on panel

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"A moment in Time", 24x12, oil on panel

New still life, lots of nice impasto in the flowers! I took stuff I had around the house- some dried yellow yarrow, some red grapes and white begonias and arranged them on a desk and liked the combination...

Here's my set-up:

If you would like to purchase this painting , just send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com.

"Midsummer Daydream", 8x10, oil on linen, paintings of women, garlands, flowers, summer midsummer, William Blake

"Midsummer Daydream", 8x10, oil on linen

The narrow bud opens her beauties to
The sun, and love runs in her thrilling veins;
Blossoms hang round the brows of Morning, and
Flourish down the bright cheek of modest Eve,
Till clust’ring Summer breaks forth into singing,
And feather’d clouds strew flowers round her head.
- William Blake

I love the poems of William Blake, and was delighted to find this one after I painted the portrait!

I have not been posting regularly for almost two months. In early October I was diagnosed with skin cancer, and for me, it was a life-changing event. I never thought much about my health before, because it has been relatively good, thank the Lord. So when I went to the dermatologist for a routine yearly skin check, I was hardly expecting to hear the news that the so-called 'pimple' I had on my forehead looked supsicious to her. She took it out, but warned me that she wasn't sure she had gotten it all. Fast forward a few days, and I rec'd the word I didn't want to hear- cancer.

It has now been almost two weeks since the first surgery. The second surgery the following day was reconstructive in nature- to repair the defect, and I'll confess that seeing 27 stitches in my forehead made me think of nothing other than that I looked like Frankenstein. Yet, all of my fears about disfigurement were for nothing. I was blessed to find a very talented facial surgeon, who worked beyond my wildest expectations to produce a result I know I'll be able to live with and not be self-conscious about. In truth, I suspect it will be hard to find the scar in a few months!

God sometimes makes us go through trials in order to grow our roots deeper. He also uses these circumstances for the good, though at the time we go through the trial, we can almost never see it that way. As a consequence of this trial, I have done a great deal of introspection about many things, life, health, God, family, friends and even art.

 I have also done a lot of research on health, cancer and the immune system. One of the books I read is Cancer Killers, written by three men, one of whom had virulent cancer throughout his entire body. He healed himself with general nutrition and what some would consider some very unorthodox therapies. The only reason I am recounting this story on my art blog, is to encourage anyone, who has ever received a diagnosis of cancer, to be encouraged by the fact that many people today are beating the odds in a natural way, as a result of learning the value of good nutrition, an alkaline Ph balance in the body, and a stress-free lifestyle.

I realize that I had the most benevolent form of cancer possible, and for that I am very thankful. Yes, I will have to re-think my future of plein air painting, because I live in Florida where the rays are doubly dangerous. But overall, I am now grateful for this trial, because I now understand that God was trying to get my attention. He wanted me to have a healthier body! He wants us all to have healthy bodies, and everything that our body needs to heal itself is available in nature, if only we take the time to do the research and find out what they are. For instance, how many people understand the value of an alkaline versus an acid body? How many people know that Tumeric,  a spice used extensively in Indian cooking, can help destroy breast cancer? How many people are aware that certain foods are valuable antioxidants, and in today's world of toxic food and toxic environments, it is vital that we take the steps we need to educate ourselves on how to reduce these toxins in our bodies!

If you, or a loved one, is interested in learning how to prevent and even cure cancer, and make your body stronger and healthier, I highly recommend this book.

Thanks for listening. It was good to start painting again!

"Poppies Alfresco", 24x24, oil on wrapped canvas, poppies, red flowers, contemporary art, wall art

SOLD

"Poppies Alfresco", 24x24, oil on wrapped canvas

This painting was a commission and is sold. If you would like to commission a painting, just send me an email at maryannejacobsen@aol.com

"Quiet Elegance", 18x24, oil on linen, award-winning paintings

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"Quiet Elegance", 18x24, oil on linen

"Quiet Elegance" received the Judges Award last week at the opening of the Harvest of Art exhibition at the visual Arts Center in Punta Gorda, Florida. This is Charlotte County's oldest and most prestigious annual juried exhibit, and will be the 24th year for the Harvest of Art. I had just joined the art center, so I was delighted to receive this award. Muchu Gracias to the judge!

"Lil Darlin", 6x6 oil on panel, old vars, antique cars, BUick, dyna flow, paintings of classic cars, small paintings of old cars

"Lil Darlin", 6x6 oil on panel

This car came out right about the time I was born. Our famiy owned a big ole Buick for many years and I remember that my dad was soooooo proud of it!

Now don't you wish they still made cars like these?