Saturday, December 30, 2017

Leaning Towards Red

Leaning Towards Red
a  Pink Lady apple and a Bartlett pear on
the snow behind my home in Shapleigh, Maine
on December 30, painted on Dec 30, 2017
7" x 5" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano
Artistico cold press fine grain 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
($115.00) - NFS
GIFTED
 

Apple Stuck in Snow

Apple Stuck in Snow
in the snow field behind my home in Shapleigh, Maine
on Dec 20, painted on Dec 30, 2017
7" x 5" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano
Artistico cold press fine grain 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Sliced Iced Pear Study II

Sliced Iced Pear Study II
behind my home in Shapleigh, Maine
on Dec 20 painted on Dec 26, 2017
5" x 7" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano
Artistico cold press rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Frozen Field

Frozen Field
behind my home in  Shapleigh, Maine
Dec 26, 2017 painted on Dec 28, 2017
10" x 7" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb.
Arches cold press fine grain 100% cotton watercolor paper
framed, $120 + $6.60 sales tax + $10.40 shipping = $137.00

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Sliced Iced Pear Landscape

Sliced Iced Pear Landscape
behind my home in Shapleigh, Maine
on Dec 20 painted on Dec 26, 2017
7" x 5" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano
Artistico cold press fine grain 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Exhibited at at the 2018 Green Mountain Watercolor Exhibition

Sunday, December 24, 2017

Santa's Santa Fe

Santa's Santa Fe
painted on Dec 24, 2017
10" x 7" (w x h), 140 lb. Arches watercolor paper, NFS


Santa's Santa Fe 
by Bruce McMillan, © 2017

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For a pre-school boy, living in the red brick housing projects of Lower Roxbury, going on a subway ride, above ground and then underground, to downtown Boston was an adventure. At Christmas time my parents and I, and maybe my little sister, met up with my Dad's parents, Grammie and Grampa, and we went up to the top floor of Jordan Marsh.
        There wasn't anything for sale on the top floor, only the biggest and best sight in town. It was the immense display set-up, I'm sure the largest in the world, of Lionel Trains. The sights and sounds dazzled me, so many trains, all moving, with train whistles blowing. They kept going and going and going, toot, toot, passing by me watching the trains, while my parents and grandparents watched me.
        Since my father didn't think Boston was the place where he wanted to raise his kids, we moved to Bangor, Silver Road. Maybe four or five or six years later, when Christmas rolled by, trains were still in my head. I'd done my Lionel research. When asked what I wanted for Christmas, what I wanted Santa to bring, I knew. Of course, I wanted a Lionel train set, tracks and a transformer and all, not a big set, just one for the living room floor. But it had to have one thing, an eye-catching, dazzling. And it had to have train sounds. Maybe it would have an operating headlight, a lighted cab interior, and the best design and colors. That would be, none other than, a Santa Fe diesel, the El Capitan. Was it the Santa Fe and Santa subliminal connection that fueled my desire? Was it the silver on the train that caught the eye of this boy who lived on Silver Road? Who knows? Who cares? It was a Santa Fe El Capitan.
        Of course, I had no idea that Santa had ordered exactly what I'd asked for. It came all the way from New York, arrived unseen at Silver Road, and then was packed away, hidden, until Santa's Christmas Eve delivery.
        What little boy can go to sleep early on Christmas Eve? So, it was later than late before I was asleep.
        Santa arrived. He set up the tracks, the transformer, the El Capitan, the whole set. Santa turned it on. Nothing. No train movement, no sounds, no lights, nothing. Santa worked on it long into the night, again and again, all to no avail. Resigning himself to having to order a replacement, he finally retired to bed, but not for long.
        At 7:00 am I was awake and way too excited. I alerted us all on the top floor, waking up my sister and mother and father, while peeking around the banister. I was too eager to get to the Christmas Tree to look closely at my sort-of-awake-father. Down the stairs we raced.
        My eye's popped. I was astounded. Yes, there it was, the Santa Fe diesel. All it needed was for me to turn on the transformer. But, with a turn of the transformer's handle, I was no more successful than Santa had been. My father was silent. Or perhaps he was busy trying to tell me something. I had no idea. I was too busy thinking, looking, figuring out why it didn't work. In less than sixty seconds, with a change of the wires to different poles on the transformer, a snap off and on of the track wire connecter, a reattachment to the wires on the snap connecter, all things young Lionel train engineers know how to do, finally, came the test, another turn of the transformer's handle.
        "Whoo, whoo!" The Santa Fe El Capitan hurtled down the track. It went round and round, it's headlight shining the way. The silver sides of the engine must've reflected my smile. I can only imagine how my father felt, watching the Santa Fe train circling the tracks.
        That Christmas, I didn't know why my father took such a long nap after our presents were open. But he was awake for our Christmas turkey dinner.
        That evening, my father summed up the season's days, as he did every Christmas Night, proclaiming with his sigh, "It was another successful Christmas."
        "Whoo, whoo!"

Friday, December 22, 2017

Apple Posing in Snowscape

Apple Posing in Snowscape
behind the house in Shapleigh, Maine
on Dec 20 painted on Dec 22, 2017
7" x 5" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano
Artistico cold press fine grain 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Home in the Darkest Night

Home in the Darkest Night
at my home on Fort Ridge in Shapleigh, Maine
in reference to the longest darkness night of the year
on Dec 18, painted on Dec 21, 2017
7" x 5" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano
Artistico cold press fine grain 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Winter Residence . . .

Winter Residence, Flamingo Fish
at 66 School Street, Sanford, Maine
on December 13, painted on Dec 20, 2017
7" x 5" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano
Artistico cold press fine grain 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Pear in Nighttime Snowfall

Pear in Nighttime Snowfall
at home in Shapleigh, Maine
on Dec 18, painted on Dec 19, 2017
7" x 5" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano
Artistico cold press fine grain 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Monday, December 18, 2017

Two Winter Waiting

Two Winter Waiting
on a dock at Boothbay Harbor, Maine
on Dec 3, 2017, painted on Dec 17, 2017
5" x 7" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano
Artistico cold press rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
NFS gifted

Sunday, December 17, 2017

Summer Not in Line and Color

Summer Not
in Line and Color
Rachel E. at our Drawing Group Kennebunkport, Maine
painted in the Kennebunkport studio on Dec 6, 2017
7" x 5" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano
Artistico cold press fine grain 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Friday, December 15, 2017

Her Lines . . .

Her Lines as Curves
Rachel E. at our Drawing Group Kennebunkport, Maine
painted in the Kennebunkport studio on Dec 1, 2017
5" x 7" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano
Artistico cold press fine grain 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00


Her Lines Defined
Rachel E. at our Drawing Group Kennebunkport, Maine
painted in the Kennebunkport studio on Dec 1, 2017
5" x 7" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano
Artistico cold press rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Iced Over

Iced Over
the first pond on a ponds walk in the Town Park in Shapleigh, Maine
photographed on Dec 8, painted on Dec 14, 2017
7" x 5" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano
Artistico cold press fine grain 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Model Stretching Studies

Model Stretching Study I
Rachel E. at our Drawing Group Kennebunkport, Maine
painted in the Kennebunkport studio on Dec 6, 2017
7" x 10" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, Prismacolor waterproof fade proof ink, and #3 graphite
on 140 lb. Arches cold press rough 100% cotton watercolor paper
framed, $120 + $6.60 sales tax + $10.40 shipping = $137.00


Model Stretching Study II
Rachel E. at our Drawing Group Kennebunkport, Maine
painted in the Kennebunkport studio on Dec 6, 2017
5" x 7" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, Prismacolor waterproof fade proof ink, and
#3 graphite on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough
100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Model Relaxing Studies

Model Relaxing Study I
Rachel E. at our Drawing Group Kennebunkport, Maine
painted in the Kennebunkport studio on Dec 1, 2017
5" x 7" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano
Artistico cold press fine grain 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00


Model Relaxing Study II
Rachel E. at our Drawing Group Kennebunkport, Maine
painted in the Kennebunkport studio on Dec 1, 2017
5" x 7" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano
Artistico cold press fine grain 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00


Model Relaxing Study III
Rachel E. at our Drawing Group Kennebunkport, Maine
painted in the Kennebunkport studio on Dec 1, 2017
5" x 7" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano
Artistico cold press fine grain 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Saturday, December 9, 2017

Model Before She Stands Studies...

Model Before She Stands
Study I
Rachel E. at our Drawing Group Kennebunkport, Maine
painted in the Kennebunkport studio on Dec 1, 2017
7" x 5" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano
Artistico cold press rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00
 

Model Before She Stands
Study II
Rachel E. at our Drawing Group Kennebunkport, Maine
painted in the Kennebunkport studio on Dec 1, 2017
7" x 7" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Prismacolor waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb.
Arches cold press rough 100% cotton watercolor paper
framed, $100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00


Model Before She Stands
Study III
Rachel E. at our Drawing Group Kennebunkport, Maine
painted in the Kennebunkport studio on Dec 1, 2017
7" x 5" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Prismacolor waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano
Artistico cold press rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $100 + $5.50 sales tax + $9.50 shipping = $115.00

Friday, December 8, 2017

Complementary Nude

Complementary Nude
with blue and yellow of Rachel E.
at our Drawing Group Kennebunkport, Maine
painted in the Kennebunkport studio on Dec 1, 2017
7" x 8.25" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb.
Arches cold press rough 100% cotton watercolor paper

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Go Figure Study

Go Figure Study
of Rachel at our drawing group in Kennebunkport, Maine
painted in studio on Dec 1, 2017
10" x 7" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb.
Arches cold press fine grain 100% cotton watercolor paper
framed, $120 + $6.60 sales tax + $10.40 shipping = $137.00

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

The Playground Tree Painter

The Playground Tree Painter
at the playground of the John Story Jenks School in
Chestnut Hill, a neighborhood in northwest Philadelphia, PA
painted plein air on November 24, 2017
10" x 7" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and
Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and
permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Arches
cold press fine grain 100% cotton watercolor paper
In the collection of Lucian Kaldor,
the young artist painting,
grandson of Ruth Kaldor


What did Lucian want to do at the playground?
"I want to paint with Bruce."

 

And we did, plein air.


The Playground
Lucian Kaldor
Watercolor, 7" x 5" (w x h), November 24, 2017