Chic

"Red"  (click to buy)

This month's Girls Just Wanna Paint challenge is 'Chic', a sort of celebration of one of our members who is, without question, a woman of style. 

Because I know that her favorite color is 'Poppy', which is the color of her living room walls, and that she has a red sports car and that she wears red lipstick, this little arrangement spoke her name to me. Tomorrow evening we will all meet at Pam's incredible oceanfront condo for a bite and a laugh and a glass of wine and maybe a fantastic sunset. Cheers, Pam!

Artists in Residence

Every Fall local artists are invited to participate in the Artists in Residence program run by the parents of the Furnace Brook Middle School here in Marshfield. Artists set up in the school lobby and demonstrate their skills and as the kids pass between classes they can stop for a visit.
Last year I tried out a color mixing exercise that let the kids be 'hands on' and they enjoyed it so much that I repeated it today.  
I was joined by Mary McSweeney (in the background) who was doing her beautiful charcoal drawings of dogs. 
A big thanks to the parents and teachers and the kids at FBMS for their enthusiastic warm welcome. Keep making art!

Just Show Up

Almost Winter 6x6 oil on panel

I had the most fabulous time Saturday at BookStock, a meet and greet at the Winslow House featuring panels of  authors which included readings with a plethora of local writers. I had no idea!!
Meanwhile, I put in some studio time and realized again, that all I have to do is show up and the work gets underway. It's a delicious feeling for an artist. Thanks for your visits and comments. They make my day.

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 Cottage 4x6

Parrsboro Lighthouse 4x6 pen and ink

Ahhhhhh......Parrsboro. 
Indescribable, but you can imagine. We had relaxing and fun week at the cottage, took some day trips, ate great seafood, read books and just looked out at Cape Blomidon and the beautiful view.
Even after all these years, I have never tired of the stunning (really-even though that's an overused word now-it applies here) vistas everywhere.
This sketch of the lighthouse is one of the better ones I did this week. Also did a couple of watercolors and took a thousand more photos ;)  I HAD to ;)
Stay tuned.....

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.

Happy Anniversary

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This painting was done as an anniversary gift from Jen to her husband Jason. She wanted a painting of their yellow lab, Sam, swimming in the South River and sent me a photo. I thought that I recognized the dog from last September when I was doing my Painting Safari there. Sure enough, I actually had photos of the couple and their dog which I had taken surreptitiously. So, how to explain the stalker behavior?  Well, I just came out with it and she understood about the artistic license thing,  Thankfully :D
Contact me if you'd like to join me on my outdoor painting Safari which I will be starting as soon as the weather cools down.

Cleaning the Catch on Naples Pier

"Cleaning the Catch" 18x24 oil on canvas

Our hot summer rolls on here by the sea. I wish I could say that I'm accomplishing lots of things, but mostly I'm just getting a few home  and yard improvements taken care of and reading on the beach or in my air conditioned rooms. 

This 18"x24" scene of people cleaning fish on Naples Pier is on stretched canvas and was painted for the Faculty show at Von Liebig Art Center in Naples. It goes up October 20th through November 24th. Preview party is Friday night, October 19th.

What are you reading?

Girls Just Wanna Paint

It's important to note that I am not always completely successful in my paintings and I don't post any that aren't up to my standards. This is different because I'm stretching and need some feedback. I was going for that backlit, sparkly sunlit water thing and I almost wiped it.  
Can You tell what's going on here?    
This is my entry for Girls Just Wanna Paint.

Boston Skyline

Boston Skyline 8x8 Watercolor

This painting is from a photo I took from the roof of the MFA Garage one late summer day. The view from there is glorious as you can see. 
This summer I'm enjoying doing paintings that are a bit different from my usual work. I just completed another painting which needs to be kept under wraps for now, because it is my entry for North River Arts, Outside the Box show. The point of this show is for the artists to do something that won't be recognized as their work. Can't post it until after the silent auction which ends in early September.
I think I'm flying under the radar on this one ;)
FYI, my recent watercolors are in my DPW gallery and I will include a custom mat with each one.

Evening Shadows

Evening Shadows
4x4 Watercolor, pen and Ink

I love the afternoon light, particularly in the late Fall, when the sun sets early giving a brief golden glow to all it touches. The contrast with the deep shadows in the foreground is the hook. The three deckers are yellow and it's a great place to use the yellow/violet color harmony. This is an Urban scene in the Lithuanian Village area of Brockton. I'll work from this sketch to do this in oils where I think I can achieve more subtlety in the shadow area. Despite the heat we are enjoying an onshore sea breeze today and the tide is right to head to the beach with my book. Stay cool everyone!

Winter Light

"Winter Light" watercolor

It's not winter but that isn't relevant to this sketch done from a photo I took of my street late in December. Love the golden light on the phone poles and the deep shadows in the foreground.

Waiting for The Muse

"Joan 'n Tom" 6x8 Watercolor 
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I read a fabulous book called "My Name is Asher Lev" and was transfixed by both the excellent writing (Chaim Potok) and by the depth of the book which is the story of a young boy who is unable to suppress his innate 'gift' to draw in spite of his father's belief that he is wasting his time and that his "gift" quite possibly could come not from The Master of the Universe, but from the devil. It was a great story on many levels and it prompted me to want to do some pen and ink watercolors. This scene from MacMillan wharf in Provincetown is as familiar to me as my own hand. The boat on the left is named Joan and Tom. It's been there for as long as I can remember. I'm a bit rusty so I'll go back to the drawing board as the expression goes. 

Thanks for all your encouraging comments and support. I'm enjoying summer and thinking about what I should paint next. No pressure.

Summer Days

Partridge Island
SOLD

It's only been a week? I thought it was longer and was feeling tres guilty about slacking :D  Anyway, I was able to work through the rust and do this painting of summer in Parrsboro for our GirlsJustWannaPaint challenge which goes up tonight. It's summer here and tomorrow the tide will be perfect for a full day at the beach. That's where you'll find me. 

More of The Greats

Cooling off in the icy waters of Masschusetts Bay

I'm not really on the lam but it appears that way. Just busy with some gardening, visiting and beaching.  Our weather has switched from cool and breezy to hot and steamy. How hot? 97? Is that hot enough for you? (that's the local phrase during a heat wave) Luckily my new behemoth of an air conditioner handles it quite well and I am grateful for that.  I don't have a good painting to post so I'm giving you a link to the Farnsworth Museum to enjoy. There are three stellar exhibits on until the end of the year by some serious GREATS. Andrew Wyeth, Jamie Wyeth and Frank Benson. Enjoy!

In Storage

Click to bid

I love the abstract quality of the boatyard. Love its gritty industrial look. Summer's here though and the boats are all coming out of their shrink wrap. 

Our Girls Just Wanna Paint show is still up at Duxbury Free Library so stop in and see it if you are in the area. Meanwhile I'll get started on another boat painting.

On the Mud

Click to bid

This kind of weather makes me feel good about being inside. Here in cool, gloomy, gray New England I'm tucked into my studio painting boats. This boat is moored at Five Islands, Nova Scotia, where the tide goes out completely, leaving beautiful red mud and rivulets of turquoise water.

After being on Daily Paint Works for a year, I've decided to offer my paintings at auction which gives me the option of starting them at a lower price than the 'buy now' price I've been setting. I know that I like bidding on and winning an item for less than the fixed price and so will you. It does happen ;)

Up On Stilts

SOLD

I have a file called "my neighborhood" where I store photos of scenes from my beachside neighborhood and the South Shore, the Cape and the region in general. My neighborhood is vast. This is a winter scene from Long Point Marine in Duxbury. 

This painting is available through DPW auctions.