October 7, 2009 - Leaf Peeping

The rains this week will surely finish off the brilliance of the foliage here in Maine. Fortunately, I've been out and about sketching and painting, and also taking lots of photos to reference for ongoing pieces. I spent a couple different days hanging around the farm of a friend which provided some wonderful colors and compositions. I am doing a series of small daily paintings - Maine Farm series - to post as they are completed. The Lower Field (bottom) is the first, accompanied by another that came from my general wonderings about. I just love the lusciousness of this season.




Foliage 1 (top): 6 X 6" oil on panel
The Lower Field (bottom): 6 X 6" oil on canvas
Both available at http://mainepainter.etsy.com

October 2 - Tidal Falls

This is a place that I used to frequent back when my son was a lobster cooker at the little shore-side restaurant there...a real Maine summer job. We used to enjoy our lobster at the picnic tables that sat near the shore and watch and listen to the tidal whitewater and marvel at the reversing falls. Lots of shore birds too. This is a 6 X 6" oil on panel.

September 30 - Zoom in, zoom out

Bangor Art Society's summer project was to choose a subject and zoom in close to it, and zoom out for a broad view. I chose one of my favorite Maine spots, Flye Point in Brooklin, Maine. Great color at low tide. The little spruce trees on the island really do grow like that! The broad view is 6 X 8 and the closer view is 6 X 6. Both oil on panel.

September 25 - In the fog, sometimes

Months have passed since my foggy week residency at Great Spruce Head Island, and the experience still affects me in some way, every day. For my small daily paintings I try to plan out my subjects for the week. Some days either my planned painting doesn't feel right, or I just go into the studio without a plan. On those days I find myself going back to that week, and drawing on those images...the spruce, the fog, the subtle but powerful colors. This was one of those days. Fogged-in. 6 X 6 oil on panel. Sold.

September 18, 2009 - Thinking autumn

The crisp cool air brings thoughts of autumn, and that always makes me think of the wonderful coastal blueberry barrens in their brilliant crimsons and oranges. They aren't there yet, but will be soon. I used to paint them a lot, and then stopped because it seemed so many Maine painters were painting them...but now, with a commission for one in hand, I decided to make a few small studies in preparation for the large one. In doing so I remembered how much I loved the views. These are all 6 X 6" on masonite panel.

September 15, 2009 - Seeing the same landscapes in a new way

At a recent art talk by Connie Imboden, she talked about her creative process over the decades. She's a photographer but her process and thoughts on creativity cross all disciplines and media. I felt she was speaking to me and my endeavors, and I'm sure every artist in the room felt the same way. She said that in our process we don't need to find new landscapes (for example), but find new ways to see the same landscapes. That is exactly what I strive for in developing my new work. I had just completed these little pieces before attending the talk, so I felt really great! These are small pastels of familiar places reduced to large shapes of bold vibrant color.

Sept 8, 2009...Long weekend

I'm regrouping in the studio after taking the long holiday weekend to work in my garden...the process of reorganizing the garden is much like taking on a new painting. It is in the very early roughed-in stage, and an ongoing project through the fall to have everything just right for spring blooms. So, today I've been regrouping in the studio, planning out what will be worked on this week, and going through older pieces for selections to add to my Etsy shop and perhaps something to submit to the Arts Are Elementary 10 X 10 benefit show. This is an older monotype print that I've always loved, calm and energy at the same time, so I posted it to Etsy today. "Contentment."