Something Newish And Some News

How did a month go by so quickly? I’m down in Hilton Head now til we go back to RI for the holidays and wanted to show some recents paintings.

Seas off Sachuest ,8x10 and sold, was painted this summer at Sachuest Point, a wildlife refuge that juts out into the ocean with many trails and spectacular places to paint. Wasn’t, and won’t be the last time I’ve enjoyed painting plein air in such a magnificent setting. 

The second image Sachuest’s Summer Light is 12x16 and is available at Spring Bull Gallery for $750. The gallery is in Newport, RI and has     a unique representation of artists working in all mediums.

 

Feeling Grateful

We are on a month long trip to Colorado and Montana in our motorhome- visiting friends and family. Ted’s son is living in Bozeman now and it was great to connect with him-we even went up to Glacier National Park for three days. A spectacular place-even with the crowds. I met a plein air artist perched and painting over the river for an upcoming event in Kalispell. It made my day to chat with her!

I received an email that these 2 had sold from Spring Bull Gallery, which was really great news. One is a gift to a couple getting married at the Castle Hill Inn, where this lighthouse is located, the other to a collector- especially grateful for someone who has more than one of my paintings.

Collecting original art shows you are a person who takes their time to find a painting that speaks to them, who appreciates the artists hand, eye, and training to produce something that evokes emotion, recalling a memory or anticipating something new. 

 

Plum Beach Light

 This lighthouse stands in Narragansett Bay in North Kingstown- built in 1899 and now on the National Register of Historic Places. It was deactivated after the first Jamestown bridge was built in 1941, and was sorely neglected until 1999 when the Friends of Plum Beach Lighthouse took over and totally restored it. Also, it is now licensed by the Coast Guard as a navigational aid. It has always caught my fancy, and it’s been depicted by many artists and photographers. This painting is 8x8 on a cradled panel. 

The Artist’s Eye or how we see things so differently

The Alley off Mill 12x24

                                                        From Trinity Square 12x16

Atop a Rock 24x24

These three paintings are part of a group show at Spring Bull Gallery in Newport, RI.  I’ve been painting Plein air with The Monday's Palette in various locations around Newport - getting ready for this show titled The Artist’s Eye. It’s extraordinary to see the diversity of our work- sometimes standing only a few feet away from each other! The show runs through the end of August, so if you’re in the area, please come in and see it!

Plein Air Beavertail

I was happy to get a chance to paint some of the buildings at Beavertail lighthouse on the neighboring island of Jamestown. This is quintessential Rhode Island and has been my home for the last four decades. My kids grew up on Jamestown, with all the advantages of small town and island living- bike riding to school, no need to lock the doors, plenty of open space to explore, lasting memories and friendships. And so I gathered with friends, my plein air pals from around the state and we each interpreted that summer day in our own way. Feeling so grateful for my island home.

Boy on a Rope

Inspired after the fact. Has it happened to you- that you started working on a painting and something about it brought back a memory? I think it was the hat and the profile of the boy facing to the right in this painting by Georges Seurat that came to my mind.
Seurat was a French post- Impressionist best known for developing pointillism, breaking from the Impressionists in 1886, with this unique style of applying pure color in small dots.

Here's my layout of the composition. I'm painting over a 24"x24" oil that was a copy of a Richard Diebenkorn, who is one of my all time and go to favorites and a big influence on me. I used Cadmium Orange and a round brush, thinned down so it wouldn't build up on the surface.

Here's my finished painting. It's in a group show at Spring Bull Gallery for the month of September. All Hands on Deck features some outstanding artists, so I'm very excited to be part of this show!

Camping and Post Number 500

We went camping last weekend and despite the cool day and lots of fog, I was determined to paint. It's been way too long! I wanted to depict the classic Airstream nestled among the trees, being a part of its surroundings.

12x12 on panel. Just added a second image which is truer to the painting. Took the first with a lot of glare on the painting which washed out the color. Hmmm.
As I was updating this post, I realized it is the 500th time I've blogged! Nothing feels as good as being consistent with something that is important to oneself. Instead of thinking about doing, DOING is what gives me the deep satisfaction of really being in this process.  The results aren't what are most important, it's the showing up and doing the work. I appreciate everyone who visits my blog and takes the time to comment, it means so much to be part of this community! Thank you all.

Looking East

 

This painting was accepted into the juried show  IMAGINE PURPLE at The Portsmouth Arts Guild . I'm really excited as I have won a prize.But I don't know what yet...any recognition is always so appreciated.The reception is tomorrow night so I'll find out then. My little painting of the Pussy Willows which I posted a few days ago also got in!