Road Trip and Celtic Cross

Celtic Cross

7x9 Sketchbook Watercolor

My desire to participate in a Plein Air event, arose from the advent of the first annual Parrsboro International Plein Air Festival, which took place in June of 2017. My husband’s mother comes from this remote part of Nova Scotia, Canada, located on the North West shore of the Bay of Fundy and we have spent two decades traveling up to visit relatives and stay in a little cottage on the shore.  Thus, when I was alerted to the PIPAF event, I just had to apply, because Parrsboro is mine. I stopped in this cemetery in New Brunswick and snapped a few photos. I love cemeteries for their garden like settings and beautiful monuments. This is my contribution to Girls Just Wanna Paint, “Not New England” challenge.               

Hawks Road, Parrsboro Nova Scotia

"Hawks Road" 12x12 oil on panel

$350 Buy With PayPal

The topic for this month's Girls Just Wanna Paint challenge is 'calm'.  

Here we have bright sunlight casting tree shadows over the sandy road. This first glimpse of the Bay of Fundy comes into view at the end of Hawks Road, through a short stint of woods, where we have rented a cottage for the past 20 years. 

It is Heavenly.

Cottage at Second Beach

Parrsboro Plein Air

Canada Day

8x8 oil on board 

$250 buy now with PayPal

I applied for and was accepted to the first annual Parrsboro Plein Air paint out. 
Not only is this my first ever Plein Air competion, it is taking place in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, a place I've been visiting for close to 20 years and where my husband's mother's family is from.  
It is one of the most spectacular places I've been and I know it well.
I painted this at Sargent's cottage at second beach. 
Notice the reflection of Blomidon in the windows.

Parrsboro Changing Tide

 Parrsboro Changing Tides

6x6 oil on panel

It's that time again. 

The Girls Just Wanna Paint monthly topic is "Saved".

I saved this painting from Parrsboro for this post!

This is my second painting of the changing tide from Parrsboro.

Parrsboro

"Cape Blomidin"

6x6 oil on board

I painted two in a row of this view from our little cottage on the Bay of Fundy. 

I love the simple shapes and composition as the tide rapidly returns, erasing the sandbars. 

You'll notice a slightly warmer tone when I post the second one as the light was changing more toward the "golden hour". 

I have been traveling and visiting friends and family this summer. I've visited Monhegan Island, Block Island, Provincetown and of course, I love spending the summer in my backyard oasis here in Marshfield by the sea, watching my birds and bunnies and hanging out in my pool :D

Yes, it's a kiddie pool, but that's all I need.

Monhegan Garden

Monhegan Island Garden

I was painting on Monhegan at the beginning of June with my cohorts Bobbi Heath and Carol Douglas. 
While waiting for the ferry we decided to try and slam another painting in. This has remained two thirds completed until last week when I got serious about finishing it. 
I probably had FOF, which is painter lingo for, "fear of finishing", just one of the many phobias affecting most of us painters.  A whole post could be written on artist's phobias and maybe I will, but, that's for later.
I have two more very good starts from that trip to finish up and you will, hopefully see them soon. 
I the meantime, Don and I are back in glorious Parrsboro.

Fog

Cape Blomidon 

8x8 WC on Arches Cold Press

A little peek of a fair weather sky over Blomidon which is shrouded in fog. The mist actually rolls down the sides of its cliffs like whipped cream on an ice cream sundae.

This is our July Girls Just Wanna Paint challenge. Our 6th year anniversary!

Cheers to all of our GJWP artists past and present! 

Oh Canada

Patriotic in Parrsboro

8x8 oil on panel 
$150 
special shipping price to Canada

I only recently discovered that my Mama had a Canadian flag in her eclectic collection of this and that. I don't know where or when she acquired it but, it's mine now and I was delighted to be able to fly it off the railing at the cottage in Parrsboro. 

We do, after all, have MacDonald roots from Antigonish on my mama's, mama's side.

While racking my brain for something to paint besides water, boats and trees I suddenly hit on a novel idea. The flag!

I really enjoyed working the back and forth in the creases and I adore the RED in the Maple Leaf! 

Trees

View of Cape Split from Partridge Island

4x12 watercolor

This is not the painting I originally planned to submit to the GJWP challenge this month, but the first one is only half finished, having been started the day before we left for Nova Scotia and it was just a bit more complicated than it needed to be.
I did this down at Partridge Island this afternoon. Don't know if it's noticeable but there's some shimmery silver paint in it. Don and I  are having a wonderful time staying with Cousin Barb, Marilyn, Abbie the Yellow Lab and sweet cats, Molly and Honey. Tomorrow we're attending a Yorke family reunion in Diligent River ;)

Bay of Fundy Monolith

Bay of Fundy Monolith

4x10 Watercolor

I've been working on hot pressed paper which I love for its smoothness but I bought a little 4x10 block of Arches 140 Cold Pressed paper and I found that I liked the way 

the paint takes to the surface. 

It may even be better.

Don and I are heading home to New England tomorrow. It's been a great and much needed get away.

Parrsboro Panorama

Parrsboro Panorama 6x12 watercolor

This is the ever changing view from our cottage at Second Beach. As the tides change the wind comes up and the scent of the water and air is heavenly. All the flags fly straight out. Almost as soon as the tide is high the wind dies down. Wind, Water ocean smells. Heavenly!

Don says, "close the door, it's cold."   ;D

Parrsboro

View over Five Islands

We didn't realize how much we needed this vacation but it's been a beautiful week! We packed up the car and the cats and took off Sunday morning arriving in Parrsboro around 7:30 PM in a hard rain. I awoke Monday morning to the sound of pouring rain outside my window which meant..... sleep some more ;)  Needed that. We read all day while we listened to the rain and watched the tide come in. Bliss. 
Tuesday dawned clear and sunny and the weather has been great every day since. Yesterday, we drove from Parrsboro up through Pugwash and along the Northumberland shore to Pictou and back down through Truro and home again. 238 miles. As always, Don has to stop or turn around or back up so I can take yet, another picture, which he cheerfully does. He now brings his book with him to pass the time. I plan to paint tomorrow and post something by Saturday. 
We're heading home Sunday, relaxed and refreshed and ready to work.

Outside the Box

8x8 acrylic mixed media

I can finally reveal my Outside the Box piece which was great fun to do. I can't do better than this photo because of the glare on the iridescent paint. The color is much more vibrant than it shows. I drew the dragonflies and then decoupaged them on and painted them with a shimmery acrylic paint. I'll have to think of something different for next year because I want to keep everyone guessing.
By the way the closing party is tonight at North River Arts in Marshfield Hills. Be there or be square.
Don and I and the 'girls' are heading to Parrsboro, Nova Scotia tomorrow for a week. A little slice of heaven. 

Skimming Aquidneck Island

Skimming Aquidneck Island 6x6

SOLD

Yesterday I escaped to my studio and painted this sailboat on an evening cruise off of Aquidneck Island in Tiverton, Rhode Island. I tried to make the light glow as it shines through the sails and catch the sparkle on the water at the same time. I keep my brushwork to a minimum and try not to paint over a stroke once I lay it down. 
Today I drove to Provincetown to drop off a miniature painting for the member's show. I did the usual stroll and checked out the always fascinating scene in town. It was overcast with beautifully scented breeze off the Bay. Heaven.

Advocate Cottage

                                                            

                                                                 SOLD

Advocate is a tiny village 'Down Shore" as they say up in Nova 
Scotia. Don's Sea Captain Grandfather and some of the other relatives are buried in the old cemetary down there and it is one of the places we 'ride' to each time we go to Parrsboro. How many times do you think I asked Don to stop or turn around so I could get this shot? I was lucky too. My camera's battery died and I had my old Sony Cybershot along and used it as a backup. Don't you love the classic 1950's teardrop windows in the door? You see lots of them up there as well as the no front steps no matter how high off the ground the door is.

Two Islands Farm

This is our last day and of course it dawned beautifully. I was up with the birds (crows, are there any louder birds anywhere?) and out early to paint. Went up to Two Islands and stopped to take photos of some horses in a pasture. They all came running over to greet me and since they were in deep grass I never saw the little donkey who brought up the rear until his head emerged from the tall grass! Meanwhile, talk about swarms of flies of every kind!! I had to paint in the car with the windows up and the air on. Hedonistic....I know, I know...

I really used artists' license in this little study. Eliminated the porch on the house and the windows. Looks like two barns. Also, I had added some flowers against the white barn and after seeing the photo on the computer I took them out. It's what we call over working or not knowing when to stop ;) All they did was grab the eye to notice that they didn't enhance the

composition at all!

Apple Madness

Shaking the rust off of my brushes here in Parrsboro. The weather for the drive up was stellar. The skies were blue with big puffy clouds and the light driving into town at about 8:30 PM Monday evening  was spectacular. It was the summer solstice but It stays light longer up here anyway because of the latitude.
Today I broke out the gear and was going to paint a sweet bouquet of wildflowers in a jelly jar....but quickly came to my senses and settled on these apples, which were difficult enough!! You can't stay away from painting very long before you lose your mojo ;)

Parrsboro Pine WC 8x10

Parrsboro Pine
8x10

This spruce has been standing on the edge of the lawn at the cottage in Parrsboro for the last 12 years but when Don and I arrived there this year, no more tree! There were such violent Ocean storms that the erosion this winter was heavier than usual. I did this watercolor last October when I was up there. Glad I caught this magnificent tree, then. I love this place.

Gone 6x6

Click to bid

We spent the past week in Nova Scotia and my wireless card would not connect at either of the available sites, even after considerable time working in control panel connections. Nada. I received an error message that, yes, I the signal was there, but my computer couldn't connect. Whatever. It works perfectly fine here at home. Wirelessly. Anyway, despite poor weather including pouring rain, thunder, fog, mist and wind, it was glorious, and I painted several paintings. Here is the view from the cottage at low tide. Overcast clouds with some rays coming through. I had to work to see the color, as this scene is very monochromatic and the light glares off the wet sand.

Joy's Cottage 8x10

This cottage belonged to 3 sisters, one of whom died two summers ago. Her name was Joy and everyone who knew her said her name described her perfectly. I think of her spirit being here when I paint this little cottage. I will mention also, that the photo does not do justice. Like reproductions in art books, the computer monitor doesn't give the depth of seeing the real painting and some works photograph better than others. I need to tweak this just a touch, but for now it's up for all to see.