Girls Just Wanna Paint challenger- "Maine"

This is an acrylic done from a photo I shot last year up on Gott's Island. I tried to keep it simple- It's on a black primed canvas  12 "x 24".
See all the other Maine paintings here!
We are celebrating our 10 year anniversary of this challenge group. Some very special peeps have been and are still part of this group.

Road Trip!

I just returned last week from a fun-filled 9 day road trip with my awesome friend Laura Harvey. We went to spend time in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, at Artist Lynn Nash's. We stayed for 3 nights in her beautiful guest house, called Libby's house. Her husband's Aunt Libby had the little ramshackle house, bought for $35.00, moved onto the spectacular property on the river in the 30's. Now it has been added to and renovated into a lovely guest house. We spent a few days relaxing, painting, reading and exploring. Lynn's family welcomed us with open arms and fed us a couple of delightful dinners. So nice!
We then trekked ( And Lynn drove separately) to the amazing Jane Filer's beach house in Oak Island, NC. We spent 4 more nights there, and painted our brains out- with intervals of swimming and exploring. I made a mosaic to leave at the beach house. I also delivered a larger mosaic I had made as a  barter with Jane for a special framers tool. Our friend Michele Yellin also met us there. We all set up studios in the area under Jane's house to paint off and on all day and night- what a blast!
The drive was long, but Laura and I never ran out of topics to discuss, and solved some of the worlds problems as well!

traffic wasn't too bad...( notice the license plate)

the view from Libby's

Libby's

Sugar, Lynns sweet doggie

Oak Island beach -warm water!

Jane talking to Laura about her work...

the walkway to the beach...

my plein air attempt one hot morning.

our pop up studio!

Janes work in progress,

she has a deadline!

                                                           her work is so inspiring.

Started some stuff...

Michelle work in progress.

Lynn was trying to finish this one.

Sorry I didn't get any of Laura's collages!

And here are the mosaics.

It was a wonderful adventure!

Bee Here now!

I have been into linoleum prints lately- this one is not only part of the Girls Just Wanna paint challenge this month- but it also is to be printed onto t shirts and bags for the upcoming North River Arts Festival this May.

Rocks, over and under water

This is my challenge piece for girls just wanna paint .It is on a huge piece of 300 lb watercolor paper, 4'x5', started with Kris Brennen, Kim Arouca, Patty De Young and Gail Hunter at Alice's house on Humarock beach last October. Kris brought the paper to the beach, we threw it on the sand and poured watercolors on it, scrubbed and splatted and had a good ol' time making a mess.
What it dried I visualized this painting, sorta, and just today got it to a place to show. More tweaking will happen, but I like it.
See the other challenge pieces here- the theme is over and under.

recent animal commisions

Been  busy times with commissions.

"Boston" gift for a dear friend.

Kitties

Horse. I loved drawing horses as a kid.

two fur babies,

Yellow lab

                                                                      friends puppy

these two are still in progress. 

Wednesday was Manet's Birthdays. He was a very important painter- heres what wiki says!

Édouard Manet (US: /mæˈneɪ, mə-/; UK: /ˈmæneɪ/; French: [edwaʁ manɛ]; 23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883) was a French modernist painter. He was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life, and a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism.

Born into an upper-class household with strong political connections, Manet rejected the future originally envisioned for him, and became engrossed in the world of painting. His early masterworks, The Luncheon on the Grass (Le déjeuner sur l'herbe) and Olympia, both 1863, caused great controversy and served as rallying points for the young painters who would create Impressionism. Today, these are considered watershed paintings that mark the start of modern art. The last 20 years of Manet's life saw him form bonds with other great artists of the time, and develop his own style that would be heralded as innovative and serve as a major influence for future painters.

I always love seeing this painting when I visit the MFA.

Birthday portraits

I decided to paint Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on his birthday.

It made me think about exploring other well known people and painting them that day as a painting challenge.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

9"x12 acrylic

 Francis Bacon, Scientist  (born on January 22) 20"x20" acrylic.

Today is Édouard Manet 's birthday French: [edwaʁ manɛ]; 23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883)

He was a French modernist painter. He was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life, and a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism.

Born into an upper-class household with strong political connections, Manet rejected the future originally envisioned for him, and became engrossed in the world of painting. His early masterworks, The Luncheon on the Grass (Le déjeuner sur l'herbe) and Olympia, both 1863, caused great controversy and served as rallying points for the young painters who would create Impressionism. Today, these are considered watershed paintings that mark the start of modern art. The last 20 years of Manet's life saw him form bonds with other great artists of the time, and develop his own style that would be heralded as innovative and serve as a major influence for future painters.