And Over At The Codman

FINALLY, Win has sent out the vacate notices under Heritage Mgmt's name in a Codman envelope. They're actually asking for their months rent and terminating us as of October 1st. Meanwhile, over at the Codman building ,the scene is this. I took the photo yesterday when I went over to the building to maybe go up to my space, which I did not. The area behind this dumpster is a bank of windows which is boarded up now but has been wide open, windows removed, for at least a week now. In the other photo the windows on the top floor are across from my studio. The whole wing is almost wide open now. We're really renting storage space in an active construction site. The way we've been treated by the ownership of this building past and present is bizarre. The good news is that I went and got the key to my new space and my nephew is going to sand the floors for me next weekend. I have 7 windows! and there is light reflected back into my space from a huge skylight on the roof. Also, some of my friends are in this building so, all will be well. Open Studios is being planned for multiple buildings now. Stay tuned.

Stonington Cat Watercolor 9X12

Two years ago today I was on a trip to Stonington, Maine with my friend Diane Scott. We stayed at a sweet little place on the harbor and painted for a few days. I did this watercolor from a photo I took there. Another fabulously picturesque place in Downeast Maine. Unfortunately, Hurricane Katrina was bearing down on New Orleans and cable TV kept us updated. I remember thinking at the time how necessary human optimism is to the survival of the species. The weathercasters kept saying, "if the levees break". And I kept thinking, "IF?" It seems there's always hope, even when there's no hope, which is a good thing.

Five Islands 6x8

This was painted in Nova Scotia on a misty summer day in June. I stood outside with my palette on the hood of the car and painted this on canvas paper mounted into a little cigar box I picked up at the tobacco store. I love the landscape here. Sorry for the lag in posting. I'm sure with the move to the new studio, I'll be energized again.

Nantucket Lightship 8X10 study

This is a study of the Nantucket Lightship from the deck of the cottage in Wareham. It was a hot and hazy evening and I just blocked this in really quickly. It's very high key in terms of its color depth. I'll be getting back to it soon. Right now, we're painting the bedroom walls.

Hydrangeas and Black Eyed Susans

Today, rdl and I went to the MFA to see the Edward Hopper show. Just glorious. We had a great day, having a bite to eat in the Cafeteria and lingering to see other areas of the Museum. Taking it all in. I think we could say we were awestruck. Here is another photo of my last painting under warm studio light. Notice how lighting affects the colors. I need to photograph this outside on a bright overcast day to get the most true color and no glare.

Getting Away

Despite, my last post, I'd been invited by my friend Susan, also a painter, to spend a few days with her in Wareham in a house on the bay. I went down Monday and came back Wed night. We painted the fabulous and ever changing scenery and weather. This was Wednesday afternoon. I 'finished' this painting but it needs a tweak. The photo is too glare-y but you get the idea. The wind never stopped blowing at this place and the rest of the area was having a heat wave! It was fabulous!

Back Yard Plein Air

The expression, "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence", applies here. I live a block from the ocean and 2 miles from a working harbor filled with boats of all types. Old fashioned cottages can still be found and there are beautiful gardens galore. Right here at our house I have a bunch of container gardens and cool garden statuary and endless still life "props', the collection of which, is ongoing. Yet, I'm compelled to drive to Maine to paint lobster boats, to Nova Scotia to paint flowers and cottages, anywhere to paint anything. It's an artist thing. Here in my own backyard is just as nice as anyplace, really. This is my block in of this little setup with petunias. I'll finish it today. The heat has been replaced by cool sea breezes, my kind of weather.