Paintings From Maine

A Daily Painting

2010-07-14T15:04:00.006-04:00

"Bosc Pear", 5"x7", Oil on Board
I don't paint a lot of daily painting so I decided to get a pear a prop it up and do a quick painting of it. I haven't decided what direction to go in next. I do have some old bottles that I've been considering but right now I'm still undecided.

Vintage Teapot

2010-06-18T15:07:00.004-04:00

"Vintage Teapot", 8"x8", Oil on Board
I just finished painting this teapot this morning. This is a subject that I've painted before with fabric behind and under the teapot but I wanted to revisit this subject with just a simple background.

Another Candy Painting

2010-05-24T08:36:00.003-04:00

M & M's III, 6"x6", Oil on Board
I finished this M & M painting over the weekend. Although it's not much different from my other M & M paintings I just love painting these...kind of fun with the bright colors.

Just Finished My Martini

2010-05-16T16:28:00.003-04:00

"Martini", 5"x7", Oil on Board
I just finished painting this earlier today and had to battle the wind to get a picture of it. I'm not happy with how the painting turned out but I post my failures on here as well. I've also been busy working on some landscapes, but I haven't decided if I'll post those on here on not. At the Art2010 at the Harlow Gallery, I got an honorable mention for one of my pieces. That show ends on the 30th of this month in Hallowell, Maine.

Finished my Teapot

2010-05-01T12:01:00.003-04:00

"Old Teapot", 6"x6", Oil on Board
I finished my teapot yesterday and just took it outside to get a quick photo of it. This was painted with a limited palette; however, I don't use pre-mixed greys. I like having the control over mixing my own. In other news for the week, I had two paintings accepted into a juried show at Art2010 at the Harlow Gallery here in Maine. May 7th will be a reception when they will announce prize winners...I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Sneak Peek Old Teapot in Progress

2010-04-27T16:14:00.004-04:00

This is an old teapot that I'm currently working on. Some areas have given me grief but I'm determined to finish the piece. The finished painting will measure 6"x6". On a side note, I entered some work in another juried show over the weekend and will find out by the end of the week if my work was accepted. I never really worry about winning awards at these events...I just want my work accepted and then if I happen to win something it's a bonus.

A Daily Painting

2010-04-14T10:09:00.004-04:00

Untitled, 12"x12", Oil on Canvas
I decided to paint this cow as a daily painting. It's not my typical subject matter but I wanted to go for something different with looser brush strokes. I've also never painted animals in oil before so I figured there's a first time for everything. My painting, "Jar on a Windowsill", won 3rd place in the oil division at the Maine Open Juried Art Show. I was actually happy with that placement as this was the first time I had ever entered any of my oils into a juried show.

Mango Painting

2010-03-21T12:33:00.004-04:00

"Mango", 5"x7", Oil on Board
I just finished this mango painting this morning. Probably the majority of time was spent painting the antique, paint-stained, wooden box that the mango is sitting on. This is my first mango as I usually like to paint pears when it comes to fruit.

New Banner

2010-03-07T18:20:00.004-05:00

A special thanks to my sixteen year old son, Cameron, for designing and setting up a banner for my blog on his school Macbook with Photoshop. Cam, got some help from Casey Klahn's blog on how to design a banner. It's a simple banner but hopefully adds a little more to my blog. Yes, my son is playing Xbox Live and he has a huge biology report due on Tuesday which he hasn't finished.

Pear Study With Pastel

2010-03-06T11:29:00.002-05:00

"Pear", 6 1/4" x 10 1/2", Sanded paper
After I finished painting the jar, I decided to do a quick study with my pastels of this pear sitting on a old, wooden box. I used mostly Sennelier, Windsor & Newton and Unison pastels for this as well as a sanded paper from Uart that I had never tried before. I wasn't happy with this particular grit of sanded paper because I wasn't able to build up many layers of pastel. In the future, I'll probably return to my La Carte sanded paper or my own surface that I've prepared with pumice.

Jar Finished

2010-03-01T10:16:00.004-05:00

"Jar on Windowsill", 5"x7", Linen on Board
Well, I finally finished this piece this morning...I'm glad! I was getting kind of tired of working on the same piece for such a long time, however, I am happy with the results. Again, some of the problems I encountered working on this piece were in dealing with values. I'd get an area wrong and then have to go back in and wipe it clean and start over. Maybe someday I'll get it right! I am happy with the lighting in this piece though and the shadows and reflections it created. Last Friday I dropped of new work at the Carver Hill Gallery which I'm hoping the gallery director will update her website with my new paintings. I'm not sure what I'll start in on next but I have been thinking a lot about pastels lately so maybe I'll go in that direction.

Sneak Peek Old Jar

2010-02-17T16:07:00.005-05:00

I know it's been awhile since I've posted anything so I wanted to show you a "work in progress piece". This is the oil painting that I'm currently working on, title unknown at this time. The image is a vintage jar sitting on a windowsill but I'm only showing you the top portion of the painting. It's been taking me quite a bit of time to get this piece completed but I hope it will be worth it when it's finished. Well, it's back to the studio!

New Still Life

2009-12-23T15:23:00.002-05:00

"Plums", 8"x8", Oil on Board
This is a piece I've been working on for awhile now. I'm just glad that I finished this before the new year. I painted most of this piece using thin glazes of color which I would have to let dry in between layers to get the desired effect. Probably my most difficult glaze was the light colored haze that you see on plums. I couldn't get that layer to dry quick enough and would end up ruining it and having to start over. At any rate, I'm finished! I'd like to wish everyone Happy Holidays! Take care!

Pastel Landscape

2009-10-10T11:11:00.004-04:00

"Cape Elizabeth", 10 3/4" x 8 1/4", Pastel on Sennelier La Carte
I haven't done anything with my pastels in quite some time so I thought I would give this landscape a try. This piece was initially laid in with some harder pastels like Rembrandt and then as I build up the surface I use my Sennelier, Schmincke, Great American and Unison pastels. When the painting is finished, I usually do not use a fixative (which my framer hates) because it really changes the color of the pastel. For me personally, it feels good to work in a different medium once in awhile. Take care Everyone!

Old Playthings!

2009-09-27T12:46:00.006-04:00

"Blocks and Marble", 6"x8", Oil on Linen
I finished this piece yesterday but I've been having a difficult time getting a good shot of the painting to post. I often wonder if other artists struggle as much as I do photographing art work. At any rate, I'm not happy with this piece but thought I would post it just the same. I've also been busy working on some pastels lately which I'm not sure if I'll post on here or not. I guess it will depend on how they come out.

Who Likes Cherries?

2009-08-22T08:37:00.004-04:00

"Sunlit Cherries", 4 1/2" x 6", Oil on Board
I actually finished this piece yesterday. Probably my biggest challenge with this piece were the reflections on the bottom of the cherries. I had to do a lot of transparent glazes to get them just right. Some of the reflections had an almost graphic quality to them but that's really how they appeared. I think the arrangement of the cherries works and for some reason I was worried about it because I used four of them. For the most part, I'm happy with the piece!

I Finally Finished This!

2009-07-18T10:27:00.003-04:00

"Trio", 9"x 12", Oil on Board
Thank God I finally finished this! This is probably the third painting of pears that I've painted. I guess it's my favorite fruit to paint! I'm actually happy with the results and feel that it came out better than I had anticipated. My biggest challenge with this piece was getting the values correct and capturing all of the subtleties in the shadow areas. Enjoy!

A Small Painting

2009-05-06T20:43:00.004-04:00

"Three Marbles", 4"x4", Oil on Board

I Just finished this small piece tonight! I'm probably a little happier with this painting than my last one and that's probably because I enjoy painting reflective, shiny elements more than I do fruit. I placed these marbles outside in the sun and was really intrigued by the dark cast shadows that each marble produced. I'm not sure if I'll continue working small or paint something larger next. I guess it will depend on where I go with my subject matter.

It's Been Awhile!

2009-04-24T11:12:00.004-04:00

"Macs", 8"x8", Oil on Board
Hello Everyone! Yes, I know it's been a long time since I've posted any new paintings. I've been dealing with some health issues which have really put a damper on my ability to paint. I'm trying to get back at it here and finished this piece of McIntosh apples. I'm not happy with this piece but at least I'm painting again. I also haven't been on-line very much either so hopefully I can get a chance to look at all of my favorite art blogs and catch up on everyone's new work.

More Candy

2009-03-04T19:46:00.005-05:00

"Plain M & M's II, 6"x6", Oil on Board

I finished painting this a couple of hours ago and decided to go ahead and get this posted tonight. I ended up painting this candy piece because I really wanted something colorful after painting the teapot. The biggest challenge painting these pieces are all the lettering on the packages. I might have to reshoot this piece because the yellow M & M looks jagged on the edge. It's not like that on the painting so I'm not sure what's going on. For my artists pick of the week, take a look at Scott Fraser and Linden Frederick's work. I was fortunate to see Linden Frederick's work at the Farnsworth Art Museum back in 2007 and it's impressive.

Teapot Finished

2009-02-16T11:20:00.004-05:00

"Children's Teapot", 10" x 10", Oil on Board
I finally got the chance to finish my teapot painting yesterday. I'm sorry it took so long to get this finished but I haven't been painting much lately because I have been dealing with a lot of personal problems. I'm actually pleased with how this piece turned out considering the level of difficulty I was presented with. For my artist pick of the week, take a look at Jeffrey T. Larson's work. This man paints beautiful still lifes!

Spout Finished

2009-02-04T08:22:00.004-05:00

I finished painting the spout area a few days ago and wanted to get this photo posted to update everyone on my progress with the teapot. For my artist pick of the week, take a look at Robert Jackson's work. I especially like his paintings with the balloons!

Plugging Away

2009-01-24T20:09:00.004-05:00

Hi Everyone! I wanted to post an update on the progress I am making with the teapot painting. Yes, it's slow going but I'm getting areas blocked in and I'm currently blocking in the area of the spout, bottom, etc... I spent the majority of my week reading chapters from textbooks. I also want to include a link to Richard McKinley's weekly blog. Richard has three great articles on "The Switch to Digital, parts 1,2,3" on how to take digital photos of your work and how to prepare them for show entries. I thought this might be great info for any beginning artists out there because he really explains everything in great detail. For my artists pick of the week, you might want to check out Nancy Depew who paints incredible florals and does an awesome job painting silk fabric under her small works. If you get a chance, also check out Adam Vinson and Tony Curanaj's work.

Finished Nectarines Today

2009-01-09T21:11:00.004-05:00

"Nectarines II", 8"x 10", Oil on Board
I was happy that I finished the nectarines today because I'm ready to move on to something new. I'm not 100% happy with this piece but I guess I can live with it. For some reason, it took quite a bit of effort to get back into the groove of painting after being sick in December and with the interruption of the holidays. With that being said, I'm already looking for my next subject to paint. I start a new semester on Monday and I'll be taking two classes this time so I'm going to have to manage my time wisely so I can continue painting. Since I have insomnia, I figure I can use the extra time for painting or studying. If you get a chance, check out Ted Polomis' website. His work is awesome! Well, I hope you all have a great week painting and oh, if you hate the music playlist just turn it off.

Marbles Painting

2008-11-30T19:23:00.003-05:00

"Marbles", 6"x 6", Oil on Board
I finally got the chance to finish this painting today but regret not being able to get more paintings completed this month. I definitely lost time fiddling with the other painting for a week and a half and also feel like the class I've been taking is having an impact on my productivity as well. Unfortunately, the next two weeks probably won't be any better because I will be studying for a final exam. I'm going to keep this post short so let me know what you think of this one. I'm off to study!

Turkey Tomorrow and I've Been Tagged Twice

2008-11-26T10:01:00.004-05:00

This is the big 24.19 lb. bird that my mother will be cooking for tomorrow's fiest. My mother was unhappy that I had bought such a big turkey but I was really encouraged by my 15 year old son. Cameron, my son, loves the leftovers almost as much as the big day itself. He's been talking about turkey sandwiches, turkey soup and a homemade turkey pie for two weeks now. My question to you is: Do all 15 year old boys love food this much? He's 6'1" tall and weighs around 190 lbs. He's been seeing an orthodonist for 7 years now. His orthodontist won't put braces on him yet because he says Cam's not done growing yet...unreal.

No, my marble painting isn't finished but I've been working on it when I can. It's been kind of a crazy week here with the upcoming holiday, differential fluid spewing out of my jeep and my 8 year old nephew was injured at school and has a hematoma that may require surgery this week.

I've noticed that I've been tagged by a couple of artists here in my comments. I almost wasn't going to go along with the tag because I feel like I don't really have anything interesting to share about myself but here goes: I was tagged by Joanne Giesbrecht, my good friend up north and R. Garriott a talented Denver based artist. Here's my list of (not so) unusual things about myself.
1. I disinfect shopping cart handles when I go shopping (I actually carry the wipes in my large purse and have included a small spray sanitizer for my hands as extra protection).
2. I'm probably the only 42 year old woman who still listens to Tool, Led Zepplin, Alice in Chains etc...(No, I don't party...you might say I reformed after having my son).
3. Favorite concerts: Robert Plant and Paul McCartney at the Seattle Kingdome.
4. My dad is a Maine Baseball Hall of Famer. He played AAA ball and got offers to play pro.
5. I'm a single parent and my teenage son is driving me crazy! (He's a good kid but he's really full of it)
6. I won my first art award in second grade.
7. My companion all day is my overweight, black Chihuahua, Lita. (Lita got into my paint again last Friday...she had Ultramarine Blue and Aliz. Crimson paint all over my studio again...she was looking for food!!!)
Here are the artist I will tag: John Vander Stelt, Todd Ford, Alex Perez, D. Prizzi, Pierre Raby
Ok, that's five...close enough...who's counting!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Sneak Peek Marbles Painting

2008-11-19T09:31:00.005-05:00

Here's a sneak peak of what I've been working on. I actually had another painting in the works that I had spent about a week of time on. That painting ended up in my garbage pile! I was having problems with it so I decided to start a new one to put an end to the frustration. I actually have quite a bit of this completed but I've also been doing a lot of homework from a class I've been taking. I'm taking a case management class at a local university. I already have quite a few credits towards a degree in social services and hope by taking additional classes it will lead to a job. I'm looking to get a full-time job in this area and then moonlight as an artist.

The artist reception at the Carver Hill Gallery on Saturday went really well. It really is a beautiful space. I thought my work was hung and lit very well. It's amazing how well paintings look under proper lighting. I use balanced daylight bulbs for painting down in my studio with lighting that is 5000 - 5500 degrees Kelvin which is equivalent to north light. The bulb should also have a CRI as close to 100 as possible. A lot of stores are carrying these bulbs now so they are easy to find. Well, I hope to spend some time painting today so I can get my current painting finished.

Reflections

2008-11-03T17:03:00.005-05:00

"Cobalt Bottle and Marble", 6"x6", Oil on Board
I was happy to finish this painting just a few hours ago. Again, I painted my cobalt bottle and threw in an amber color marble. The thing I really like about this piece are the dramatic shadows. I'm also happy with how my marble turned out but wish I had positioned it a little differently because it almost lines up with the horizontal of the back wall, it's too late now. Let me know what you think!

Artist Reception

2008-10-29T18:48:00.005-04:00

I forgot to mention there will be an artists reception at the Carver Hill Gallery on Saturday, November 15th from 1:00 - 6:00 pm. The gallery director has asked to have my new pears painting for the show along with the other seven that she already has. To save on gas and mileage on the old Jeepster, I'll probably just pop the painting in the mail once it's dried and varnished. I was surprised that the owners included my "Nectarines" painting on their promotional material...it's not one of my favorites. The Carver Hill Gallery is also newly representing Caren-Marie Michel whose acrylic landscape is on the bottom left. I used to exhibit with Caren when I was at the Westbrook gallery. Her career has really taken off here in Maine.

Work in Progress

2008-10-29T18:37:00.003-04:00

This is a section of the painting that I'm currently working on. I hate going for weeks without posting because people end up thinking that I've disappeared. At the same time, it's hard to show everyone an unfinished painting. I've been painting my cobalt bottle again and added another reflective element that I have purposely cropped out (I think it adds an element of surprise to not show the entire painting and keeps the viewer guessing what the final piece will look like). The shadows in this piece will play an important roll in this piece if I can pull it off.

Fruit Again

2008-10-22T10:07:00.005-04:00

"Sunbathers", 9"x 12", Oil on Canvas
Hi Everyone! It took me awhile to finish this piece because I've been trying to work on a couple of different projects. I had to take almost a week out of my painting time to add cradled backs to my oil on board paintings (I had about eight of them). After they were finished, I delivered them to the Carverhill Gallery. I've also been taking a class at a local university which has required some additional work. Now, for my current piece, I arranged these Bosc pears on a plate outside in direct sunlight. I was really intrigued by the shadows and the white on white. Hopefully, you can feel the warmth in this piece because a shade of yellow was used as an underpainting in the "white" areas. I really concentrated on getting the right values in this piece because this is something I've struggled with in the past when painting "white" objects. Maybe now that I've gotten some of my class work behind me and have my paintings mounted, I can return to some kind of normal painting routine.

One Year of Blogging!

2008-09-25T20:45:00.009-04:00

"Bottles", 8"x10", Oil on Board
My blog has lasted a year! I had wanted to post this painting on the 17th (the actual blog anniversary date) but things never work out quite the way I plan. I want to thank everyone who has been so supportive of my work over the past year. Your comments and support has meant a lot! A special thanks goes out to: Alvin Richard, Todd Ford and Joanne Giesbrecht. These three wonderful artists have been so supportive and encouraging to me. Thanks folks! I've been painting with oils now for a little over a year and feel like I've improved so much; however, there is still so much to learn with this medium and not enough time in a day.

I really wanted to get this painting posted tonight so I apologize for the quality of the photo because I usually photograph outside in natural daylight. I painted these old bottles as a companion piece to my vintage series. I had all of these bottles on a shelf in my kitchen except for the cobalt one which I recently purchased at an antique shop. The cobalt bottle is my favorite but I also like the old, big bottle with all of its stains.

Around the first of September, I got an email from a gallery owner in Rockport, Maine expressing interest in my work (she found me on the internet). After meeting with the owner and showing her my work, I'm pleased to say that the Carver Hill Gallery will be representing me. It's really a nice gallery in a unique setting. The gallery carries a diverse body of work most of which isn't listed on their website. I'll be delivering my work to the gallery around the first or second week of October. I'll keep you all posted!

Colorful Fruit

2008-08-29T11:58:00.002-04:00

"Nectarines", 5"x7", Oil on Board
I spotted these nectarines at the grocery store and instantly fell in love with the colors. For some reason I've been attracted to orange, reds and yellows lately. I would like to do some more work with fruit compositions because the possibilities are really endless. Last weekend I also picked up some old, cobalt and amber colored bottles and hope to incorporate those into future paintings as well.

Candy Fix

2008-08-18T16:09:00.003-04:00

"230 Calories", 6"x6", Oil on Board
I haven't painted any candy still lifes in awhile so I decided to paint my favorite, Reese's peanut butter cups. I'm quite happy with how it turned out and only wish my camera did the painting justice because there are some really delicate areas in the painting. I couldn't think of a title when I finished this and then I remembered that everytime I eat these I end up thinking of the additional calories that I'm racking up for the day. Pure Guilt! Anyone up for a snack?

Chinese Food Container

2008-08-05T11:08:00.003-04:00

"Takeout", 8"x10", Oil on Board
I finished painting this Chinese food container last night. I'm not happy with how it turned out but it's been a good learning experience. I wished that the container either had red letters or Chinese symbols etc...I think it would have punched it up a little. I'm off to look for my next subject!

Southern Maine

2008-07-24T12:07:00.006-04:00

"Maine Coast", 5"x7", Oil on Board
I haven't been doing a lot of painting this summer because I've had so many other things going on. I painted this quick, little landscape of a scene I found down near Cape Elizabeth. Over the past couple of weeks, I've also made some trips to the coast to view and sketch boats and dinghies so I may be working on paintings of them in the future. A few weeks ago, I was also fortunate enough to get down to Boothbay Harbor to view Kevin Beer's work at Gleason Fine Art gallery. It was a pretty impressive show of Maine landscapes especially the paintings of Monhegan Island. I was hoping for a chance to go to Monhegan before the summer is over.

I'm Happy With This One!

2008-06-25T11:28:00.004-04:00

"Vintage Syrup Pitcher", 5"x7", Oil on Board

Yes, I finally finished this! Obviously this painting took way too long for its size; however, I took my time on it and I've ended up with a piece that I'm happy with. I picked this piece because of the challenge of painting glass again and because I loved the lighting. I'm also adding this piece to my series of "vintage" paintings. My palette for this painting consisted of: Cadmium Red, Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna, Raw Umber, Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Yellow Light and Titanium White (Gamblin). Please let me know what you think!

Landscape Study

2008-05-25T12:45:00.004-04:00

"Scarborough Marsh IV", 5"x7", Oil
I've been doing some quick studies of the Scarborough Marsh this week and ended up with this study of the area. I'll probably go back in and add some more darks in the foreground because I'm not happy with it. The marsh is really a great place to paint especially if you visit at different times throughout the year. I ended up traveling down south to the Scarborough/Cape Elizabeth area on Friday to paint. It's really a beautiful area and a different place to paint since most of my landscapes are focused on the Bar Harbor/Stonington area.

Finally Painting Again

2008-05-18T13:00:00.008-04:00

"Lemons", 5"x7", Oil on Board
I'm sorry I haven't posted in awhile, yes my son and I were sick and I just haven't felt well enough to want to paint. I'm trying to get back at it slowly and decided to paint these lemons. It's not the greatest painting but it's enough to get me painting again. Hopefully, I won't be gone for so long next time or stop painting.

Landscape

2008-03-27T11:03:00.003-04:00

"Albion View", 5"x7", Oil on Board
I've been wanting to paint some more landscapes in oil so I decided to paint this small study. The original image is a little brighter than this photo even though I used the white balance adjustment on the camera. I actually did replace the camera that I was having a lot of problems with and bought a digital Panasonic Lumix. It's a nice camera but I still haven't worked out all of the settings for lighting my artwork. I'm not as comfortable painting landscapes in oil as I am in pastel so there's room for improvement here. I haven't decided if I'll paint more landscapes or move on to a still life.

I Love Cherries

2008-03-22T12:08:00.005-04:00

"Cherries in Silver Bowl", 6"x6", Oil on Board
I came quite close to finishing this yesterday; however, I was too exhausted so I ended up finishing it this morning. I'm quite happy with how the painting turned out but the detail is really more incredible in the original. This photo was as close as I could come to the original painting. I also re-painted the background on the Vintage Hamilton Beach Mixer and it came out much better. I've re-photographed that painting and re-posted it below. I'm much happier with the mixer painting now. Let me know what you think!

Another Candy Painting

2008-03-13T14:52:00.010-04:00

"Jr. Mints", 6"x6", Oil on Panel

I finished this little candy painting about an hour ago. This is probably about the third still life painting I've done of candy, but I have fun painting them and they are kind of whimsical. The most challenging part of these kind of paintings are the package designs and hand painting the lettering.

I got a call from the owner of the Courthouse Gallery in Ellsworth, Maine which is near Bar Harbor for those of you who do not live in Maine. The owner of the gallery is interested in showing some of my work at her gallery this summer. She requested to see more images of my pastel landscapes which I sent out to her on Monday. I'll give it a week and then I'll follow-up with a phone call to find out which pieces she is interested in. My biggest problem with this whole process was that all of my Jpegs were not at a reduced size so I ended up having to make my image files smaller. I don't know how my image files are ending up so large to begin with. I'm weak in the technology area!

Vintage Hamilton Beach Mixer

2008-03-09T10:40:00.004-04:00

"Vintage Hamilton Beach", 8"x10", Oil on Board
I finally finished this painting yesterday. The past month or so I've been so busy with other things that I really couldn't focus on painting. I'm hoping that I can get back into some kind of routine now with my painting. Please keep in mind when you look at the photo of the painting that the background is still wet in areas and the camera picked up the glare from it. I will replace the photo as soon as the painting has dried. I felt like my subject matter was a little challenging; however, I still enjoyed painting the mixer. The one thing that I kept thinking about when I was painting this was how beat up the mixer was with all of its scratches and imperfections from years of use. The mixer still runs and I've found use for it as a still life object. The mixer reminded me of people in the sense that even though a lot of us have imperfections and life has worn us down we keep going.

M & M Painting Finished

2008-02-01T16:01:00.002-05:00

"Plain M&M's", 6"x6", Oil on Board

Yes, I finally finished this! I was getting ready to take it outside for a photo and had to stop because it's snowing. What else is new? I'm actually pleased with how this painting turned out. My favorite part of the painting is the section inside of the candy wrapper with the M & M's tucked neatly inside. You can also get a sense of the light coming through the wrapper there as well. Please let me know what you think!

New Cherry Painting

2008-01-09T10:18:00.000-05:00

"Cherries on Green", 6"x6", Oil on Board
I finally got this photo posted with the help of my son. As I mentioned earlier, I'm having problems with my camera. Hopefully, I'll get this issue resolved soon. I'm happy with how this small painting turned out. Let me know what you think? It's great to be painting again after giving the joints in my hands a much needed rest.

Fruit Still Life

2007-12-28T11:22:00.000-05:00

"One Pear", 5"x7", Oil on Board
I've really enjoy painting fruit so I thought this pear would make a nice still life when I found a whole bin of them at the grocery store. I kept the brush strokes a lot looser than I normally would and really enjoyed the simplistic, organic quality of the pear. With the new year coming, I'd like to paint some larger pieces as well as continue with my small paintings. It will be difficult to work on more than one piece at a time. If I don't post another painting before New Year's, than Happy New Year's to everyone. I've appreciated all of your comments and support since I started this blog back in September.

I Finally Finished This

2007-12-23T13:51:00.000-05:00

"Cherries and Plate" 5"x7", Oil on Board
I finally finished this the other day but I didn't get it photographed until today. I took too long on this painting but I think a lot of it is just the time of year and the fact that a week ago I didn't have any heat in my studio so that certainly put me behind. I'm hoping I can get more work done after the new year. We shall see because it really depends on how much pain and swelling I have in my hands. As for the cherry painting I just finished, I'm happy with how the cherries turned out but that's about it. Hopefully, my work will continue to improve the longer I stick with it. If I don't post again before Christmas, then Merry Christmas to all of you.

Tomatoes Still Life

2007-12-07T09:56:00.001-05:00

"Two Tomatoes", 6"x6", Oil on Canvas
I finished this last night but decided to wait for natural light this morning to photograph the painting. I used a few different reds, cad. yellow light, thalo green, white and some greys to create this small painting. The biggest challenge for me was getting that dull shine on the tomatoes. I think I'll continue with more still life paintings.

Small Paintings

2007-11-25T15:54:00.000-05:00

"Maine Marsh", 4"x 6", Oil on Canvas
I've painted a few miniatures over the past couple of weeks and decided to paint another marsh painting because it's such an incredible area.

Schoodic Point Pastel

2007-11-21T10:36:00.001-05:00

"Schoodic Point in Fog", 5"x8", Pastel
I finished this pastel landscape of Schoodic Point last night. For those of you who are not from Maine, Schoodic Point is downeast on the coast in the town of Winter Harbor. That whole region is one of my favorite places in the state. The day I visited was foggy but I thought it was beautiful. I'll be working on a landscape in oil today and will get that posted as soon as it's finished.

It's Snowing!

2007-11-20T15:03:00.000-05:00

Well, we are getting our first snowfall of the season here in Maine. We're supposed to get 3 to 5 inches with sleet and freezing rain but I don't think it's going to amount to much. This is only the beginning of a very long and cold winter here. I'll try to keep you all posted with wintery pics. Most of us here in the northeast heat our homes with heating oil and at $310.00 for 100 gallons of oil (and rising), I'm afraid it's going to be a very expensive winter. Ok, enough about the cold...I've been working on some pastels, one of which I've already thrown away because I wasn't happy with it. I do have a pastel landscape of Schoodic Point that is almost finished and an oil painting ready to go on the easel. I'll post pics as soon as it's finished.

Pastel Finished

2007-11-13T16:30:00.000-05:00

"Fall Drive", 8"x10", Pastel
I was happy to have finished this pastel landscape of rural Maine. Am I happy with it? No! I'm usually never happy with my work because I'm so critical. There is always something in a painting that I could have done differently but there is always next time. If I decide to frame this, I will not spray the pastel with fixative. I don't like fixative on the final layer because it really does alter the final colors. Usually a good tap is all that is needed to get any loose pastel dust off of the surface. When framing a pastel, I also use spacers and a mat with a reverse bevel so if any pastel dust falls it will not end up in the corners of the mat.

Olive Series

2007-11-12T16:01:00.001-05:00

"Three Olives", 5x7, Oil on Board
Sorry I haven't posted in a week but I've been taking care of some art related items. Friday I went to the Westbrook gallery to drop off new pastels and an oil landscape. They seemed to like the work. I've also been preparing my entry for a juried show which is always fun. I finished this quick olive painting to go with the series. After I finish posting, I plan on working on my pastel that I had started and working on a new artist statement. There is always so much to do and very little time.

Pastel Continues

2007-11-05T22:13:00.000-05:00

The photo of the my pastel came out a little dark but I wanted to give you an idea of how far I've gotten on the piece. I decided to work the piece from top to bottom to eliminate smudging. On some pastels, I'll work on the piece all over. A taped edge is left around the perimeter for ease of handling at the frame shop later. I'll hopefully have this completed soon!

Pastels Again

2007-11-01T21:31:00.000-04:00

It's a miracle that I was able to upload these photos because I've been getting error messages every time I try to load a photo. Apparently there is a known issue regarding uploading of photos within Blogger. I hope they get this bug worked out soon. I haven't worked on any pastels within three months so I thought it was about time. I'm using Reeves BFK paper with a pumice ground that I created myself. I usually pick out the pastels I need from my cases and put them in a try etc... so they don't roll off onto the floor. At $3.00 - $4.00 a stick I can't afford to break them on the floor. We'll see how this goes because I've never made my own pastel surface before. I typically use Sennlier La Carte sanded paper. I also have another olive painting started in oils for my olives series.

Windy Day

2007-10-30T14:57:00.000-04:00

"Accidents Happen", 5"x7", Oil on Board
Yes, I'm finally finished but not without problems. Yesterday when I took the painting outside to photograph, a huge gust of wind blew the painting down on my garage floor while I was setting up my tripod. HOT TIP: Never photograph wet paintings outside on windy days. I actually cried when I picked the painting up because the background had dirt, debris, etc...stuck to the wet paint. It took me about three and a half hours to clean off the ruined paint and then repaint the background and the upper part of the glass. Yes, I know I'm an idiot. Since Halloween is pretty serious around here, I'm not sure how much I'll get done tomorrow.

Glass Painting Finished

2007-10-28T20:26:00.000-04:00

I finally finished my glass and spoon demo oil painting. I'll post a better photo as soon as I can get outside. I feel like the whole past week and a half has really messed up my painting schedule. In addition to last week's car repair weekend, I finally went to the doctor's on Friday for some help with a sinus infection. They gave me these huge horse pills (antibiotics) of 1000 mg. 2x a day. Whatever happened to taking 500 mg. a couple times a day? I'm sure these pills will kill off any friendly bacteria I have also. Anyways, I had this terrible sinus headache all week right between my eyes and really didn't accomplish much. I just want to feel better so I can start doing some more oil paintings and pastels.

Painting the Spoon

2007-10-24T22:49:00.001-04:00

I didn't reach my goal today but I'm happy with the way my spoon is turning out. I spent hours on the little section that I worked on because I wasn't satisfied with it. I'm missing a highlight on the spoon as well as a few others. I'll also need to glaze over the swirls that are behind the spoon to tone them done. I was a little intimidated at the thought of painting glass, reflections etc...but I've been trying to simplify the piece by concentrating on the shapes and painting the color notes that I see. It seems to work better than thinking about the difficulty of painting glass. I can't wait to see how much I finish tomorrow.

Plugging Away

2007-10-23T23:11:00.001-04:00

I've gotten a little more finished on my demo painting although this painting should have been finished by now. The bottom of the glass is missing some reflections and those will be added towards the end when surrounding paint has dried a little. Tomorrow I hope I will have the spoon finished and maybe the top portion of the glass. The background should go quite quickly.

Car Repair Weekend

2007-10-22T23:08:00.000-04:00

I didn't get much done on my demo painting because my Jeep ended up breaking down and needed repairs over the weekend. Whenever my computer goes on the blink or my car breaks down it seems like life comes to a complete stop. To top it all off I think I'm coming down with a cold...like I have time for this! I ended up going to Riteaid to try and find some miracle cure for the common cold. I came home with a product called Zicam which is supposed to help me get over my cold quicker and with less severity. At this point, I'll try anything! I'll check back in here tomorrow night.

Demo Continued

2007-10-18T20:26:00.000-04:00

I didn't get as far as I would have liked on the painting but it's a start. I'm not sure how much I'll get done tomorrow because I have to go to an artist reception at the gallery in Westbrook tomorrow. I look forward to attending gallery events but at the same time feel frustrated when I can't spend enough time in the studio painting.

Painting Glass and Water

2007-10-17T16:26:00.000-04:00

I've decided to post my process of completing an oil painting. This painting will probably take more than a few days to complete because it's a little more detailed so I'm posting it as a demo. I'm obviously not an authority on oil painting but this is my process. If I'm painting a detailed subject I start out with a light pencil drawing. I'll have to keep my pencil lines light because they could show through my paint layers. When I have some areas blocked in, I'll post another photo. I hope viewers will let my know if painting demos are of any interest. I've also provided viewers with the opportunity to subscribe to my blog via email and I'm hoping that's something folks will be interested in as well.

Another Marsh Painting

2007-10-16T10:09:00.000-04:00

"Scarborough Marsh II", 6"x6", Oil on Canvas
I actually painted and finished this yesterday but didn't have time to get it posted because it was late when I finished. I have a mixed opinion on this one because there are some areas that I like in the painting and other areas that I'm not happy with. It does go great with my other marsh painting. I'm not sure what I'll attempt next, maybe another still life.

Cloud Study

2007-10-13T17:20:00.000-04:00

"Clouds", 6"x8",Oil Primed Linen Panel
I wanted to paint something a little different and ended up doing this cloud study. I really just loved the colors when I looked up in the sky.

Final Olives

2007-10-11T10:39:00.000-04:00

"Manzanilla Buddies", 5"x7", Oil on Board
I'm happy with how my new olive painting turned out! I'm seriously thinking about doing a series of these because they are just so fun to paint. I'm also grateful that it wasn't raining here this morning so I was able to photograph the painting. I get frustrated if I'm not able to list a new painting as often as I would like but I'm realizing that painting and keeping up on a blog is a lot of work. I really commend all of the daily painters out there who are successful at keeping up their pace.

I Finished the Olives

2007-10-10T23:19:00.000-04:00

I finished the olives today and I'm satisfied with how the painting turned out. Unfortunately, we had a rainy day here in Maine today and I wasn't able to get outside to photograph the end product. One of the items on my to do list is working on indoor lighting for photographing artwork because with the weather we have here in the winter there are going to be a lot of days where I won't be able to photograph outside. I've also been busy reading a book called "Art Marketing 101" by Constance Smith. The book had some valuable information for fine artists with info on everything from shipping and displaying artwork to grant writing and artist residencies. I thought it was a good read! I'm not sure what my next painting will be...and actually the pressure is on to create some new pastel work. I don't know how I'm going to get it all done.

A Break From the Studio

2007-10-09T23:08:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted in a few days because I decided to get outside and do some plein air painting. Needless to say, I feel like I'm horrible at it. I think it's good to get out of the studio once in awhile and paint outside because it energizes my work. Unfortunately, I don't feel like I'm much of a plein air painter so I won't bother to show you my results; however, I do plan to keep painting outside once in awhile. This was the small still life of olives that I had started on Saturday. I was able to get back at it tonight and get it moving along. Hopefully, I'll have this completed tomorrow sometime.

Gallery Trip

2007-10-06T21:45:00.000-04:00

I made my trip to the Westbrook gallery yesterday to drop off some more of my work and to do an on-site painting demo. It was really worth the trip because when I arrived, internationally renowned watercolorist, Tony Van Hasselt, was also dropping off his work for a show that starts on the 19th of October and I had never met him before. He and his wife were both very nice, really genuine people. His work consisted of plein air landscapes that were rendered in watercolor. Watercolor has never been a strong medium for me but Mr. Van Hasselt honestly makes it look effortless. He didn't talk about his work at all but was rather interested in mine. When he left, apparently he was on his way to teach a workshop in New Hampshire. He and his wife travel all over the world to paint and teach...what a life! I started a small still life today...more olives. I like the idea of taking a simple subject and doing something with it. I'll check back in tomorrow to share my progress.

"Morning Coffee"

2007-10-04T09:45:00.000-04:00

"Morning Coffee", 8" x 8", Oil on Canvas
Here's a better photo of the coffee painting. Today will be a busy day as most of the day will be spent getting ready for my trip to the gallery in Westbrook tomorrow. I need to get some of my pieces framed...this is usually put off until right before I need to drop them off at the gallery or a show as I hate framing.

Coffee Cup Painting Finished

2007-10-03T22:42:00.001-04:00

I finished the coffee cup and spoon painting about fifteen minutes ago. Some of the reflections were a bit of a challenge, but I hung in there. For the most part, I'm satisfied with it because I've improved tremendously over the past two and a half months. If it's not raining in the morning, I will take a decent photo of the painting outside and select a title. Good night!

Still Painting

2007-10-02T22:40:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted anything over the past three days but I have worked a little on this 8 x 8 oil painting. It's obviously not finished but I think it's OK to show the painting process. Sometimes I work the whole piece all over or I wait to put the background in last because I don't want to smear the background as I maneuver the painting from side to side for better painting angles. I had a flu shot on Saturday and ever since then I haven't felt well...maybe the shot was a mistake. At any rate, I hope to get back to painting in the morning. I'll post my progress on this tomorrow

The Beauty of Fall

2007-09-29T16:32:00.000-04:00

"Gourd", 5" x 7", Oil on Board
Fall is my favorite season here in Maine. I found this simple, small gourd at a roadside farm stand the other day. Gourds, pumpkins, squash, etc... make great subjects to paint. I actually finished this yesterday but I was too exhausted to get it posted. Hopefully, I can get outside to paint some of the changing colors of the trees because this time of year is just unbelievable. Hot tip: To help you judge the colors in nature you can create your own color isolator by punching a hole in a white, grey or a black piece of cardstock. You look through the hole to evaluate a particular color.

Stonington Landscape

2007-09-27T11:42:00.000-04:00

"Stonington Boats", 5" x 7", Oil Primed Linen Panel

It stopped raining long enough to get a photo of this outside today. I tried photographing this last night but the artificial lighting made too much of a glare on the painting. I'm not sure what I'm going to paint next but it will probably be a still life. Well, it's time to get into the studio and I'm hoping my next painting will be better.

Finished Late

2007-09-26T23:26:00.000-04:00

It's kind of late but I wanted to check in to say hello! I finished a small landscape of Stonington harbor about a half hour ago. I photographed it but have decided to take new photos in the morning in natural lighting. As soon as I do that, the photo will be posted. I've tried different kinds of lighting inside but I'm never happy with the results. I'll post the new painting tomorrow. It's not one of my favorites but I'm putting it on here anyway.

I'm still at it!

2007-09-25T14:55:00.000-04:00

"Cherries", 6" x 6", Oil on Canvas
I hope everyone likes this one even though it's kind of simple. I've also been busy working on a small landscape; however, it may end up in the garbage...I'm not crazy about it! I've also been preparing my own pastel paper with Reaves BFK and a pumice ground...I'd like to keep up my pastel work. I would like to take the time to thank all of the visitors and other artists who have left comments here on my blog. You've all been so supportive of me and my work. I would like to say that oil painting has been a wonderful experience; however, I have arthritis and I'm having a difficult time gripping paint brushes. Some of them feel so long and heavy. Does anyone out there know of a brand of paint brushes that are more lightweight/shorter? I plan on continuing with oils but the pain and stiffness is slowing me down. I've found over the past few years that some of the best advice I've received has come from other artists.

"Maine Fishing Boat"

2007-09-23T15:05:00.001-04:00

"Maine Fishing Boat", 8" x 10", Oil on Canvas

This is a painting I did over the summer. I spend a lot of time on the coast and one of my favorite places is Stonington. It's a beautiful spot and I have an uncle who is a lobster fisherman there. My family have lived and fished off the island for about 150 years or so. This is one of the boats I saw in the harbor.

My Favorite Candy

2007-09-22T16:49:00.001-04:00

"M & M's", 5" x 7", Oil on Board
Here's my recent painting...obviously I love M & M's. Capturing the look of the package was difficult but I hope I pulled it off convincingly. For my daily paintings, I will probably attempt subjects that are less detailed because I end up spending way too much time on it or I can work on changing my style and trying to paint looser. At this point, I'm not sure which way I will go. I'm open for comments or suggestions from viewers. I will be adding a link to this painting to Ebay.

Finished the Paintings

2007-09-20T21:09:00.000-04:00

"Scarborough Marsh", 8" x 10", Oil on Canvas

This is the landscape painting I finished two days ago of the Scarborough Marsh here in Maine. As you can see from the photo below, even the folks in the canoe were enjoying the beautiful day It's a scenic state to live in until you hit January then you feel like you're going to freeze to death every time you go outside and the only thing you're going to see are snow flurries. The marsh painting will actually go to the gallery in Westbrook in a couple of weeks. I also finished my still life for the painting a day today. I will list that painting tomorrow. I would like to list it on Ebay only I'm not sure of how to link it to my blog. Maybe there is a blogging for idiots article somewhere on the Internet that I could research.

Started a New Painting

2007-09-18T20:18:00.000-04:00

Scarborough Marsh in The Fall

I started a new still life painting today and no it's not finished. That's my problem...I'm slow. I realize that I'm going to need to pick up the pace if I'm ever going to paint a painting a day. That's my goal! It was beautiful here today and yet I spent half the day dealing with issues and errands instead I wish I could have gone over to the coast to paint. A missed opportunity!! Last night I finished a landscape of the Scarborough Marsh in oil, maybe I'll post a photo of that when I get the chance. Above is a photo of the Scarborough Marsh this time of year.

Vintage Water Pitcher

2007-09-17T11:22:00.000-04:00

"Vintage Water Pitcher", 8" x 10", Oil on Canvas

I found this vintage water pitcher at an antique store here in Maine and fell in love with its simplicity. I hope to paint more still lifes with reflective surfaces. Let me know what you think!

Two Months Painting With Oils

2007-09-17T10:34:00.000-04:00

"Three Amigos", 5" x 7", Oil on Board

I just started painting with oils about two months ago and the paintings that I will be listing are some of my first in oil. The strong sunlight of a window was really my source of inspiration for "Three Amigos" and the title just seemed to fit! Eventually, when I learn how to create a blog a little better, I will be creating a painting a day or nearly every day. I will be creating most work on a small format anywhere from 6" x 6" to 6" x 8". I may on occasion post images of larger works. I may even throw in some of my Maine pastel landscapes. As I am so new to oils, I welcome all feedback!