Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Montreal Street Conversation


Montreal Street Conversation
on May 20, 2016 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
sketched on May 31, 2016
7" x 5", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
hot press fine grain 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Sunlight Touches...

 
Sunlight Touches
Pond Treetops
by the first pond on the woods walk behind our home
at dusk on a warm, humid, balmy evening in Shapleigh, Maine
on May 30, 2016 sketched on May 30, 2016
7" x 5", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press fine grain 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Monday, May 30, 2016

Early Morning Moon


Early Morning Moon
in Cabot, Vermont on May 23, 2016, sketched on May 30, 2016
7" x 5", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Nora Nude in May

Nora Nude in May
at the Friday morning Kennebunkport Drawing Group in
Kennebunkport, Maine on May 27, 2016
5" x 7", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press fine grain 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Nora Flowered

Nora Flowered
at the Friday morning Kennebunkport Drawing Group in
Kennebunkport, Maine on May 27, 2016
5" x 7", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press fine grain 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00




Skye Maher of Portsmouth, NH
painted Nora...and me, Bruce McMillan,
in the background as a reflection in the mirror,
while
I was concentrating and painting too.

Birthday Break Time at the drawing group;
note the mirror behind the model location.

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Leaving Cheever Falls

Leaving Cheever Falls
Ruth Kaldor in Walden, Vermont
on May 22, 2016, sketched on May 25, 2016
7" x 5", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press fine grain 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
NFS

Meghan Studies

Meghan Study I
at the Wednesday evening
Kennebunkport Drawing Group in
Kennebunkport, Maine on May 25, 2016
7" x 5", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
#3 graphite on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico hot press
100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00


Meghan Study II
at the Wednesday evening
Kennebunkport Drawing Group in
Kennebunkport, Maine on May 25, 2016
7" x 10", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors,
and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Arches
hot press satin grain 100% cotton watercolor paper
framed, $170 + $9.35 sales tax + $15.65 S&H = $195.00


 
Break Time
at the Wednesday evening
Kennebunkport Drawing Group in
Kennebunkport, Maine on May 25, 2016

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

She Dreams He Texts


She Dreams He Texts
at the Montreal Botanical Garden in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
on May 20, 2016, sketched on May 25, 2016
7" x 5", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
hot press 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Tulip Symphony


Tulip Symphony
at the Montreal Botanical Garden in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
on May 20, 2016, sketched on May 23, 2016
7" x 5", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
hot press 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Canada Goose by...

Canada Goose by Canada Pond
at the Montreal Botanical Garden in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
on May 20, 2016, sketched on May 22, 2016
7" x 5", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press fine grain 100% cotton watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Saturday, May 21, 2016

Ground Fog Valley 6:00 AM


Ground Fog Valley 6:00 AM
seen from Ruth Kaldor's deck in Cabot, Vermont
on May 20, 2016, sketched on May 21, 2016
7" x 5", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
hot press 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Negative Space Nude Study


Negative Space
Nude Study I
in watercolor with model Nessa at the art group
in Montpelier, Vermont on May 19, 2016
5" x 7", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press rough  100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Beaver Pond Grasses

Beaver Pond Grasses
in the evening at the Pump Box Brook flow behind the Kaye-Schiess'
in Shapleigh, Maine on May 18, 2016, sketched on May 18, 2016
7" x 5", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press fine grain 100% cotton watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Looking Down...


Looking Down
the Mousam River Inlet
at sunset from the Cuneo's in Kennebunk, Maine
on May 17, 2016, sketched on May 18, 2016
7" x 5", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
hot press 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Apple Blossom Spring

Apple Blossom Spring
on the apple tree in my yard in Shapleigh, Maine
on May 12, 2016, sketched on May 17, 2016
7" x 5", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press fine grain 100% cotton watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Monday, May 16, 2016

Bluets Facing Sky


Bluets Facing Sky
Azure Bluets (Houstonia caerulea), also called Quaker Ladies,
blooming in my lawn on in Shapleigh, Maine
on May 12, 2016, sketched on May 15, 2016
9" x 6", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press rough 100% cotton watercolor paper
framed, $170 + $9.35 sales tax + $15.65 S&H = $195.00

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Flowering Red Quince

Flowering Red Quince
in my yard in Shapleigh, Maine
on May 12, 2016, sketched on May 15, 2016
7" x 5", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press fine grain 100% cotton watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Enhanced Form Studies


Enhanced Form Study I
Model at the Wednesday evening
Kennebunkport Drawing Group in
Kennebunkport, Maine on May 11, 2016
5" x 7", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press rough 100% cotton watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00


Enhanced Form Study II
Model at the Wednesday evening
Kennebunkport Drawing Group in
Kennebunkport, Maine on May 11, 2016
5" x 5", Uniball waterproof fade proof ink
on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press
rough 100% cotton watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Thursday, May 12, 2016

J.J. Swept Back II

J.J. Swept Back II Watercolor
Model J.J. at the Wednesday evening
Kennebunkport Drawing Group in
Kennebunkport, Maine on May 11, 2016
5" x 7", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press rough 100% cotton watercolor paper
online at my art blog HERE where you may leave a comment
sold together with the drawing below at
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

J.J. Swept Back II Drawing
Model J.J. at the Wednesday evening
Kennebunkport Drawing Group in
Kennebunkport, Maine on May 11, 2016
5" x 7", Uniball waterproof fade proof ink
on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press
rough 100% cotton watercolor paper
online at my art blog HERE where
you may leave a comment

J.J. Red Head I


J.J. Red Head I Watercolor
Model J.J. at the Wednesday evening
Kennebunkport Drawing Group in
Kennebunkport, Maine on May 11, 2016
5" x 7", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press rough 100% cotton watercolor paper
sold together with the drawing below at
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00


J.J. Red Head I Drawing
Model J.J. at the Wednesday evening
Kennebunkport Drawing Group in
Kennebunkport, Maine on May 11, 2016
5" x 7", Uniball waterproof fade proof ink
on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press
rough 100% cotton watercolor paper

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Day Sailing Five

Day Sailing Five
as seen from the Machigonne II ferry in Casco Bay in Portland, Maine
on May 6, 2016, sketched on May 11, 2016
10" x 8", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press fine grain 100% cotton watercolor paper
framed, $170 + $9.35 sales tax + $15.65 S&H = $195.00

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Portland Observatory...


Portland Observatory
atop Munjoy Hill
seen from the Peaks Island Ferry in Portland, Maine
on May 6, 2016, sketched on May 10, 2016
8" x 6", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fluid 100
cold press 100% cotton acid free watercolor paper
$170 + $9.35 sales tax + $15.65 S&H = $195.00

Monday, May 9, 2016

Looking Between...


Looking Between
Light and Dark 
Model J.J. at the Wednesday evening Kennebunkport
Drawing Group in Kennebunkport, Maine
on May 4, 2016, sketched on May 4, 2016
5" x 7", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press fine grain 100% cotton watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00


Sunday, May 8, 2016

Judging The Winning Entry

And the winner is...
To benefit Alastair Dacey, oil painter
who was burned out of his historic Tarbell home,
as part of Todd Bonita's Portsmouth Gallery opening
I was asked to judge the "Best Title for This Painting"
Retail value $600. Each title submission was $20;
over $1,600 was raised.

 
(See the winning title below)
Todd Bonita
8" x 6", Oil on wood panel, framed

I was pleased and honored to be asked by Todd to do this. And I felt connected to the painting of Todd's dory since I'd photographed it two years ago docked in Perkins Cove and written a poem about (see below).

Using my background with books, over 45 children's books and two "groan up" books, Punography and Punography Too (both Penguin), I first went through all of the entries. It was a daunting task. My only requirement was that the judging be blind, that I not know who submitted what title, and the title was printed on a sealed envelope holding the name and contact information of the entry with their entry fee.

There were two titles for, Waiting, and another two titles for, Awaiting. There were four titles for, Serenity, and then three titles for Tranquil. These titles with their simplicity are truly fine, but if a title can keep that simplicity and still go beyond it, then we have a winner.

There were many title descriptors like Dory, Dory at Dusk, Yellow Boat Blue Water, At Rest and My Dory. These again are fine titles but I was looking for more. Based on noted children's book author Randolph Caldecott's quote, "The words fill in what the picture leaves out, and the picture fills in what the words leave out, both carefully interwoven," I was drawn to go beyond a descriptor title.

I narrowed the list of seventy-eight entries to a top five, listed here in alphabetical order:

Between Going and Staying
The idea of between intrigued me, moored between going where and staying here. But in the end not enough to pull me in.

Dog Overboard
Ha, it made me laugh, a good thing. How could I not be drawn to this? It was thinking outside the box, working with the Caldecott qote, yet, the problem was there was no splash on the beautiful calm sea, so it was close but not quite a winner.

Morning Dory
I loved it, a playful fitting pun that flowered. Morning Glory? Morning Dory. This fit all the criteria and made the top two, coming in a close second.

Orange you glad I didn't paint a banana
Another title to make you smile, and it did, thinking outside of the box. It's funny and it's certainly not merely a descriptor, yet funny still has to have more. So, though it caught my attention, it didn't hold it.


The Mooring After
Oh my, a playful pun on Mooring and Morning (The Morning After?), beautiful in its simplicity, taking the imagery beyond a descriptor, thus following the Caldecott quote, this title had it all. It also leaves a question in one's mind with the after; it keeps you intrigued. This title was not only in the top two, but the winner! With onlookers watching, including Todd, I opened the envelope and announced who was the winner: Avory Resca. She's from St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. Congratulations Avory. Read  more about this and see more photos on Todd's results page HERE.

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
September 1, 2014
Photo of the reflection of artist Todd Bonita's Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Grand Banks Dory number 3798 from The Dory Shop (HERE) tied up
at Perkins Cove in Ogunquit, Maine on August 26, 2014


Art of the Dory

Traditional colors
dip into the water
like a dripping wet oar,

watercolor painting
times of the past, ripples,
reflecting days of yore.

photo and poem © 2016 Bruce McMillan

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Why Sky Why Not


Why Sky Why Not
from memory sketched on April 4, 2016
5" x 5", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors,
and #3 graphite on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press rough 100% cotton watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Friday, May 6, 2016

Memories of Herðubreið


Memories of Herðubreið
with Óli and Bína in the highlands of Iceland
on August 6, 2010, sketched on May 6, 2016
12" x 9", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors,
white gouache, #3 graphite, and Uniball waterproof
fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
Private Collection - Iceland

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Facing the Light

Facing the Light
Model J.J. at the Wednesday evening Kennebunkport
Drawing Group in Kennebunkport, Maine on May 4, 2016,
7" x 5", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press rough 100% cotton watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

At the Corner...


At the Corner
of Gates and Washington
in the Strawberry Banke area of Portsmouth, New Hampshire
on May 3, 2016, sketched on May 3, 2016
7" x 5", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press rough 100% cotton watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Playalinda Beach Pair


Playalinda Beach Pair
Note: Playalinda is Spanish for Beautiful (Linda) Beach (Playa)
a commission by the subjects, Bob and Vicki, from a photo I took
on Playalinda Beach at the Cape Canaveral National Seashore
in Merritt, Florida on February 22, 2016
painted in Shapleigh, Maine on April 28 to May 2, 2016
18" x 12, Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, wax resist,
liquid frisket, #3 graphite and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink
on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press fine grain
100% cotton extra white watercolor paper

Commission, Private Collection

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Tulip Two Lips in the Rain

Tulip Two Lips in the Rain
planted as a bulb in our yard fall 2015 by Ruth Kaldor  
in Shapleigh, Maine on May 1, 2016, sketched on May 2, 2016
7" x 5", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors,
wax resist, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink
on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough
100% cotton watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Dandelion Joy


Dandelion Joy
blooming in our yard in Shapleigh, Maine
on April 28, 2016, sketched on May 1, 2016
7" x 5", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico
cold press rough 100% cotton watercolor paper
$100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00