Hanging Under the Apple Tree

Apple Tree

In the four short weeks since I painted this, the scene has changed dramatically!  The apple tree leaves are now dropping and the flowers' bright colors have faded.  At that point I was thinking, oh there is just so much green - too much.   The remedy was to scoop up pink flower pigment and mix it with the predominant greens.   The result was more varied reddish greens for alternating leaves.   This trick is handy for painters who want variation, but need a color that is consistent and harmonious with the rest of the painting. I even put some pink in the grass, just because it looked pretty.    I still may deemphasize the stone wall.   Did you spot that these stones look too blue?

Roses and Baby's Breath

Pink Roses and Baby's Breath

Could the generous person who visited and brought these fresh pink tea roses have known that I love pink roses?  My bathroom even has a pink roses theme.  What a nice gesture and the perfect subject for a new still life.

These roses were whitish at the base and edged with pretty salmony-pink.   Looking straight down into the throat of the blossom, no white was visible at all, just dark reddish pink.   The baby's breath accented the blooms and the whole bouquet sat in a cute little mason jar.

I could paint a hundred roses and I don't think I would be happy with them on the first go.   I usually have to go back at it and adjust, putting any spontaneity and freshness at risk.   With this small painting, the blooms may be too precise, but the leaves, stems and background are more loose.  Thank you for the pink roses!  Wait, do they look too
red?

Flower Vendor - Dublin

Flower Vendor - Dublin

In the heart of Dublin, Ireland, an expansive grid of narrow streets was crowded with people. Sightseers often stopped in their tracks to take it all in.  People with a purpose and a destination weaved in and around them.  We were part of the former group, browsing through block after block of vendors, cafes and pubs.   On this street, traffic was limited to business related deliveries so it was fun to wander around and take in the colorful sights and sounds. 



In this scene a young woman selling flower bouquets remained watchful as a couple of women scope out the floral sprays.   I thought from the minute I saw it that this would make an interesting painting scene.  By design, each element of the painting is prioritized by how realistic it is painted.  The center of interest is the proprietor, and is the most realistically painted.   Next were the black buckets on the brick roadway, then the flower bouquets, and lastly the two figures on the left.

Hearts

All Heart

It was St. Valentine's Day, a day for wearing pink and red, and/or novelty accessories to mark the occasion.   After all, they wait in the dresser drawer all year for their turn.  Maybe some years, they don't get selected, but this year, these happy socks got the nod and their annual showing.  

Although this painting is realistically rendered, the abstract placement of the subject and neon blue shadows on the square surface is what I liked best about it.  Plus there are lots of hearts here, and not just on the socks.

Cape Cod Canal Sunset

Cape Cod Canal Sunset

It's seven miles long and was man-made just about one hundred years ago.  The Cape Cod Canal cut 62 miles off the water route between Boston and New York.   The previous route took mariners through treacherous waters around the tip of Provincetown to reach Buzzards Bay and Long Island Sound.

It was a modern day maritime marvel then, and it still is, but land lovers get to enjoy it as well.   Access to the shores of the
waterway has never been easier and people can walk, cycle, fish and of course, watch the scenic vistas.    This painting depicts an exceptional sunset with the Sagamore Bridge in the foreground and the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge in the distance.   

Neon Water Lilies

Neon Water Lilies

The Heritage Museum and Gardens on Cape Cod was the inspiration for this water lily painting.   Our day trip was planned after seeing hearing about an ongoing scientific study of 200 varieties of hydrangeas.   The hydrandeas were very nice but it was the lily pond that grabbed my attention.  When I saw the watery blossoms and reflections, I thought it is no wonder that Monet was so fascinated with pond lilies that he painted dozens of versions of them over his lifetime.  The neon colors reflected by water ripples were simply mesmerizing!

Tulips Peaking - Boston Public Garden with Spring Bulbs

Tulips Peaking - Phase One

It was the first week of May and finally it is starting to warm up - and green up.    Tulips beds line the many walkways in Boston Public Garden and even from a distance, the bright colors are a delight after a cold grey winter.  

This creation is comprised of two 8x8 squares that were positioned side by side.   I used "sight sizing", a technique in which the scene and the painting are developed in duplicate (when standing a particular distance from the canvas) such that the eye can move from subject to canvas and the scene looks identical (in theory:)).

Maureen Painting at BPG

It was pleasant and sunny at the start but as the clouds moved in, the light changed, which is as always, a primary challenge of plein air painting.  I wanted to be sure that the peaking tulips were included, but as I often do, I didn't get close enough for them to make a big statement in the painting.     Instead, the old granite steps, walkers and ducks became the more important elements.   The swan boats had just started running so that was a nice backdrop, although they didn't make it into the painting.

Tulips Peaking

Lots of people stopped to watch the progress.   A young Emerson College senior named Marshall stopped by and we had a somewhat philosophical discussion about paint application and impressionism.  He was strolling through the BPG after having just taken the last test of his college days!   I congratulated him heartily and wished him success.   Old enough to be his grandmother, I could fully appreciate this huge accomplishment in the grand scheme of life.  That he was taking time to savor the day in a place where nature and city collide was so nice.. joining lots of others who were taking time to "just be."

Well beyond the two hour mark, I checked the time and realized that my parking meter had expired!   I packed up and headed for my vehicle.   I could see orange tickets on several windshields, including all the adjacent cars!?    No ticket for me! Great day all around!!

Northern Moon Snail Shell

Northern Moon Snail

The tide line is always changing and you never know what will wash up along with the average piles of seaweed.    My eastern facing New England beach is no Sanibel in terms of the amount or quality of shells, but every so often a perfectly undamaged shell of a New England species presents itself.   This is a "Northern Moon Snail" shell.   Here it sits among a colorful variety of seaweed and debris. Closer scrutiny shows a lovely array of colors, blue, gold, yellow, peach, brown and white.

Painting and Sketching in Tropical Paradise

In the beautiful island country of Jamaica, the delights were many: people, music, balmy breezes, cuisine and most of all, a rainbow of vibrant and colorful scenes.   I longed to paint with my oils, but this vacation was designed around the theme of "R&R."  Dealing with wet oil paintings in a beautiful hotel setting would have been too scary, and frankly stressful.    My fallback was watercolor and sketching, adequate substitutes and actually good for brushing up on different skills.    

There were many talented musicians strolling along the beach.  They periodically pausing to perform a few songs for tips.   They stayed long enough to be captured in pencil, which I share here.  Sketching on the fly was good practice, especially for a plein air painter like myself.

My favorite musician was Donnavan Darymple, who also performed some evenings at the hotel

We snorkeling along a reef about a mile from the hotel with local guides.   Back ashore, painting the underwater world with watercolor seemed pretty natural. Although I do find watercolor challenging, letting the wet colors run together was fun, as was playing with the masking fluid.      

Underwater I

Underwater II

Underwater III

Bullfrog

The frog is a New England "feller" painted from a photograph.   I actually painted this one first, as I was getting re-accustomed to watercolor.   As you can see, I approached it very much like an oil painting (covering the whole surface, layering, accentuating the darks).

Under the Shade Tree

One very nice aspect of the hotel's beach was that it had a large swathe of shade trees.    There was no problem shifting our chairs from shade to sunshine and back again.   This painting was done from under the tree where I spent most of my vacation.

Watercolor by Paul Thomas

 Last but not least is a painting done by Jamaican Watercolorist Paul Thomas.  He and I had a nice conversation at our beach where he was set up selling his beautiful depictions of the local scenes.   His hummingbird paintings were amazing - I wish I had taken a photo!    I gave him a block of watercolor paper as it had come to my attention that getting supplies on the island was not easy.   He most graciously painted the scene shown here.   He sure knows how to mix that beautiful turquoise that I was having a hard time achieving!  Thank you Paul!

Self Portrait

Black and White Start

I enjoy painting humans and would paint them more if I had the resources and a model readily available.   I've painted people from photos, but just as with landscapes, the camera tends to distort color and lose subtle details, thus, a live model is best.   The most available live model I have is me, so I once again this winter, I painted myself.  :)




First Pass at Color

I spent considerable time experimenting with the setup for this self portrait.   I have always loved the chiaroscuro style in which light dramatically contrasts with the shadows/darks.   I attempted to achieve this strong contrast by setting up a spotlight and turning off all the other light sources.    I stood in front of the large mirror in my studio and trained the spotlight on my face so that one side of my face was illuminated and the other side only had partial light.   Two full spectrum lights illuminated my palette and the canvas.    During the painting process, I alternated between two kinds of lighting in order to get the true facial shadows, 1) just the spotlight and 2) all three lights: the palette, the canvas, and facial spotlight.



Lighting at Easel

I started with a charcoal likeness and spent a lot of time placing facial landmarks, measuring and re-measuring.  If this stage is wrong, it can only get worse from here.   Once I was satisfied with the drawing, I used a spray fixative to seal the charcoal.  After an initial underpainting, I began the layering process.



I used the glazing technique for the flesh tones building up many layers of transparent color.    My tendency is to make my people too red, thinking ruddy Irish complexions.    Careful color comparisons reveal that we often have more greenish, grayish undertones, especially on flesh planes that are perpendicular to the light source.

Vezina Self Portrait

And I thought I knew what I looked like!  After all, I see this face in the mirror everyday (well at least most days:)).  So why does it seem difficult to objectively assess if the likeness on my canvas hits the mark?    If you know what I look like, you will quickly realize that the painted image is the reverse, since I used one mirror, not two mirrors.  Perhaps years from now when - or should I say if? - this is hanging in one of my children's houses, they will know to wedge it in a hall corner next to a mirror!

Ocular Migraine

I was driving on the highway on my way to Boston when I noticed a small blurry spot in my field of vision.   The spot was slightly to the left and just below my eyes' focal point.   As I drove the spot grew into a portrait shaped rectangle with prism-like edges.    If I tried to look straight at it, the shape would just move and stay to the lower left of my visual center.  

Now I was getting nervous.  I couldn't really see with this kaleidoscope area blocking a portion of my vision.   I took the next exit and pulled into a gas station.   When I closed my eyes, I could still see the confetti colored pattern, but now it had sprouted an arc up and to the left of the original rectangle.   There were skinny black triangles and bright white triangles, but there were also slivers of color as well, red, green, blue.    I tried blocking one eye at a time and still the pattern was there, and blocking my vision.    With both eyes closed the background was black but the colorful prism pattern remained.

Fast forward six hours, I'll spare you the details on that!   Something called an ocular migraine was floated as the likely diagnosis.   It is known to present itself with exactly this visual phenomenon.    Just twenty minutes after it had started, the aura moved to the outer edges of my vision and eventually disappeared.   



Thee Phases of Ocular Migraine

The doctor, upon discovering that I was a painter, asked me if I could draw what I had experienced (obviously, no one is able to capture it with a camera).   I drew a (poor) rendition of it for him with a black pen.   He pulled out his iPhone and showed me another artist's rendering of the condition - almost identical!  It has an interesting abstract flare to it.

Here is a painting of the three phases of what I remember seeing in full color.  Perhaps this can serve as a reference for future victims of this scary phenomenon, which by the way, is not a serious health issue.   And, as for the word "migraine" in the title, the condition can occur without a big headache, which was the case with me.


Sailing at Pleasure Bay

Sailing at Castle Island - Side-by-side view

Today's paint-out was at Castle Island in South Boston, MA, where there is something for everyone - eating, walking, biking, fishing, jet watching, sightseeing - something or nothing - your choice!

I set up facing northwest which placed the tallest Boston buildings, the Prudential and John Hancock in the distant background.    Within the scene coming forward were: the tree-lined access road to the Island, Pleasure Bay (a.k.a. the lagoon) the McDonough Sailing Program docks (jam-packed with kids), the backs of people in their beach chairs and finally the grassy area right in front of me.    There were people everywhere - on the docks, in the water and in the sailboats.   Bright summer sherbet colors dotted the scene, and as a color junky, I couldn't wait to get to dig into those piles of color.  




Sailing at Pleasure Bay

This is a very busy painting, and as such, I was trying to place the most focus on the sailing lessons (ie. using the most vivid color, strong contrast, and sharp edges).  That meant de-emphasizing the other vertical planes as needed  (ie. muted colors, softer edges).    In an exceptionally busy scene, there should be an order of priority to the painting elements.  Otherwise, there may be too many items competing for attention, throwing off the balance.     Despite these observations - it's still too busy of a painting!  What do you think?


Vieques - Isabel II Mayor's Office from Rivera Plaza

Mayor's Office - Stage One

Our painting location on this day was in the middle of the town square in Isabel II, Vieques, Puerto Rico.   It was sunny and 82 degrees with a gentle breeze.   Ahhh, yes!   The big old trees in the plaza cast pretty blue shadows on the pinkish concrete pathways.   Most of the buildings were stucco in pastel colors and just as pretty as could be.   This trip truly was a dream come true.



Mayor's Office - Stage Two

The bright warm colors in the buildings and street were screaming to be painted thickly.  Why don't we have pastel colored buildings at home?  We seem to gravitate to white, grey, black, just like our winters!   So despite a gnawing worry about transporting a thick, wet painting on a plane back to New England, I buttered on the thick color with wild abandon!



Mayor's Office - Isabel II, Vieques, PR

There was a moderate amount of activity until mid-afternoon when school let out.   At that point lots of (middle-school?) students were relaxing on the steps and grass, many of whom, I discovered were waiting for their rides.      I was sorry that I hadn't brushed up on my Spanish before this trip.  Several students stopped and asked questions; I couldn't understand them and they didn't speak English.  One very animated young student marched over to another group of girls and came back with another friend, bilingual, who became our translator.

So sweet and curious...art is a universal language, as we still engaged with less dependence on words.

Here is a 40 second look at the spot from where I painted.

http://youtu.be/Qv5Jlc6oEeQ


Vieques Beachchair Under Palm

Stage One

Yes that beach chair was mine.  We had just discovered a sandy path to the shore in the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge.   At the end of the road was a deserted beach and a covered gazebo (good for sheltering during the two passing tropical showers we had).   The conditions weren't as perfect as the first two Vieques paint-outs, but I'll take a quick shot of wind and rain with 82 degrees over anything New England has dished out in the past six months!


Downpour Coming

In this painting the sun and southeast facing beach were to my right which made for better color matching.   I'm sure that's why there is more pumped up color.  

Beach Chair Under the Palm

At the risk of you thinking I'm trying to rub it in that I'm here painting in paradise while you were weathering a brutally cold March, here is a very short video of the location of this paint-out.

http://youtu.be/II8BuypgpZU

The Shallop

The Shallop

The Plymouth Harbor waterfront is a fine plein air location for many reasons including the endless variety of subjects, pleasant bay breezes, prime parking and lots of foot traffic.   I started this painting back in September en plein air but I recall this being my second painting that day and I had run out of time.   I was happy to have captured the sky, water and the shape of the boats before packing up.   Every pastel shade of grey seemed to have been bouncing around that day.  

Being somewhat snowbound this week, I got back to the painting using a photograph.  I'm happy to work on this scene because who knows when the Mayflower II will be back on the waterfront.   It was put into dry dock for repairs this past fall.

Although the Mayflower is the famous element, it is the "shallop" that is the painting's center of interest.  In the 1600s, the word “shallop” referred to an open wooden workboat such as a barge, dory, or rowboat. Shallops were small enough to row but also had one or two sails.   This shallop looked like it was about 30 feet long and 8 feet wide and was used to shuttle passengers to shore.   The shallop actually sat aboard the Mayflower en route and was even used as sleeping space for some passengers. 

My favorite part of the scene was the colorful ripples reflecting the colors of the shallop, the pilings and the pastel sky.   I've included a close up of the ripples to the left.  I'm wondering if the shallop accompanied the Mayflower to dry dock for repairs or if it will be on display in the Spring.


Ripples with All the Colors

Tropical Watercolors - Loose

View from Mars

Yellow Lady Slipper

I was fortunate to be able to travel to Aruba this year and just like in years past, I brought my watercolors.  Watercolors, although not my preferred medium - provided a nice to change.   I used 4x6 inch and 6x9 inch Canon brand blocks, but I relaxed my past ways.  Rather than using photos or framing tight little scenes,  I just tried to match scenery color, only loosely matching the view.   I let the colors flow into one another using lots of Caribbean Sea water.   


This was more like playing around and experimenting, with no expectation of a worthwhile end product. What was worthwhile was more the process and relaxation of staring at swirling color starting to dry under the strong Equator sun.

These few are the "loosest" of the watercolors.  A forthcoming post will include some "tighter" watercolors.




Yellow Flower Spray





Sea Monster Emerging at Sunset





Tropical Fish

Explosion of Color

Colorful Still Life

Here in New England (like much of the country) we are weary of winter and out of energy for bracing against the cold.   I want warm temperatures and my eyes are craving color.  The subtle shades of gray in the sky and snow that I usually love don't have the same allure.   It's time for the next season, so let's get on with it!

Explosion of Color

Assembling this group of splashy and colorful objects was fun and painting them meant using oil color right out of the tube, a real treat after blah grays.   On the left as a backdrop was an old silk scarf that I have been wearing for forty years (yes - from when I was a clerk in Filene's Basement in high school).  The scarf's flower blocks are as bright today as they were then.   To the right of that was a blue vase full of yellow tulips accented with a bright checkered ribbon of yellow, orange, and lime.  To the right of that was a polka dotted gift bag, its orange tissue sprouting up and casting some interesting shadows.  An old metal tin was added which amazingly had most of the same colors, but on a micro scale.  I was happy with the composition at this point and I was hoping that the heavy weighting to the left because of the attention-grabbing color would be balanced by the interesting shadow patterns to the right.  Did the shadows in the painting hold up well enough?  I decided that they didn't, so I added a bow to the top of the rectangular tin which then cast some spikey shadows.   I liked it better but the drapes of the scarf needs work.  

Remember color? 

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Accordion Color

Full Color Accordian

Ennis, County Clare, Ireland was the first of many stops in Ireland.   Ennis was on the itinerary because it was here we would rest up from flying and get acclimated (time zone, driving on the left, etc.).    We used it as a hub for the western coastline attractions such as the Cliffs of Moher and The Burren.    We were happily surprised to learn that Ennis was attractive and historic in its own right.  It had a small but colorful village atmosphere, including plenty of shops, restaurants and cafes.  There were flower planters everywhere.

The fine fellow playing the accordion in this painting was a fixture on the main street.   He seemed to play continuously and probably the third or fourth time we passed him, he proudly posed for a photo.

I liked the contrast between the vivid colors all around and the musician's drab clothing and somewhat pasty complexion and I pulled some of the bright color into the sleeves and hat.   Does the bright color work?   I like it because it reminds me of the splendid floral displays, but a part of me wants to tone it down.   Comments?

Snowstorm Moving Away

Color Study - Winter Sky/Water After Snow

Yesterday it started snowing at noon and continued until around 8 PM. As I looked out early this morning, the purple "ocean effect"* snow clouds were still sitting over Provincetown on Cape Cod, and the water was an odd light green-gray color, lighter than the clouds on the horizon.   Occasionally this reversal of light and dark between sky and water occurs. The first little painting shown is a color study done of this pretty early morning light.

Snowstorm Moving Away - Duxbury Beach

Of course with a nice coating of clean white snow, everything looked beautiful.  The accumulation in my coastal area was about three (water logged) inches, and it had already turned to a frozen, solid state overnight.  The great thing about living along the water is that the high tide that follows the snow melts the beach snow, returning it to a sandy (non-skid) surface for walking.  So although the roads were slippery, walking on the beach was fine.

I was treated to the second amazing sky/water/sand color combination of the day.  A muted lavender cloud bank was breaking up, and subtle pinkish winter sunshine started to brighten the snowy beach.   The blue sky was heading in from the west.   The aging seawall looked dark taupe (like the sand) against the ridge of snow. The photo isn't showing it well, but the orange and turquoise in the foreground seawall and sand were some of the colors that made up the taupe.

 * Ocean effect snow occurs when moisture from the "warm" ocean water freezes when it hits the frigid air

SOLD

Silk Spools with Fan

Silk Spools and Fan Stage 1

I don't ordinarily work on a square, although I really like when I see art in this format.   For a square, some say that the rule of thirds does not apply.  In other words, a composition with the center of interest in the middle should work just fine, balance on either side of a centered axis, both horizontally and vertically.  It was fun to play with this size again, since the last time I did one was the Out of the Box event through North River Arts Society last year.



Silk Spools and Fan Stage 2

The reason I was working on the square was that it was to support a silent auction.  After I completed it, I decided to enter something else instead.  I love this one. I had just attended a fantastic still life demo by Daniel Keys, so I pulled out my still life shelf and set it up with some items.   Mill spools are becoming more and more scarce and are one of my favorite pieces of Americana.   I bought the fan in Japan and actually has some splashy color on one side and neutral on the other.   I used the neutral side and in fact set up everything in neutral color so that I could improvise with the color.    The goal for this painting was use a color palette that was considered "hot" for 2013 (per a designer magazine) would interest more bidders.  

Silk Spools and Fan Final

I settled on a palette combination that has hot pink, turquoise, cobalt blue, and shades of gold.   The black lacquered vase was picking up a lot of reflections.    Winding the thread throughout the painting is a look I have used before and had fun adding again.

I'll let this sit a few days and decide if there are any other changes needed.   (maybe the blue spool is looking too flat?).   Let me know what you think too.