Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Autumn Color Tide Flats Study 1

Autumn Color
Tide Flats Study 1

at Littlejohn Island, Yarmouth, Maine along Casco Bay on Oct 15, 2023, painted Oct 19, 2023, 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 lbs. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper, framed.
$150

Monday, October 30, 2023

Thom Thomson Autumn Gallery

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Thom Thomson Autumn Gallery

Thom Thomson (1877-1917) was a Canadian artist active in the early 1900s. During his short career, he produced about 400 oil sketches on small wood panels and approximately 50 larger works on canvas. His works consist almost entirely of landscapes, depicting trees, skies, lakes, and rivers. He used broad brush strokes and a liberal application of paint to capture the beauty and color of the Ontario landscape. Thomson's accidental death by drowning at 39 shortly before the founding of the Group of Seven is seen as a tragedy for Canadian art.

1
Twisted Maple
Thom Thompson (1877-1917), Canadian
Oil on wood, 8" x 11" (w x h), 1914
McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada

2

In the Northland
Thom Thompson (1877-1917), Canadian
Oil on canvas, 45" x40" (w x h), 1915-16
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

3

Autumn Foliage
Thom Thompson (1877-1917), Canadian
Oil on panel, 11" x 9" (w x h), 1915
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

4

Autumn Foliage
Thom Thompson (1877-1917), Canadian
Oil on wood, 9" x 11" (w x h), 1916
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

5

Autumn Woods
Thom Thompson (1877-1917), Canadian
Oil on plywood, 11" x 9" (w x h), 1915
McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada

6

Autumn, Algonquin Park
Thom Thompson (1877-1917), Canadian
Oil on wood, 11" x 9" (w x h), 1916
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

7

Autumn's Garland
Thom Thompson (1877-1917), Canadian
Oil on canvas, 52" x 48" (w x h), 1915-16
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

8

Autumn Foliage
Thom Thompson (1877-1917), Canadian
Oil on panel, 9" x 8" (w x h), 1916
Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Sunday, October 29, 2023

Fall Up Tide Out

Fall Up Tide Out

at Littlejohn Island, Yarmouth, Maine along Casco Bay on Oct 15, 2023, painted Oct 18, 2023, 14" x 11" (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 lbs. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper, framed.
$500

Saturday, October 28, 2023

Sunset Clouds Float Sun Still in Space

Sunset Clouds Float
Sun Still in Space

on the way home from the grocery store along the Back Road, Shapleigh, ME on Oct 24, 2023, painted Oct 25, 10" x 8" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and permanence, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 300 lbs. Arches cold press 100% cotton watercolor paper, framed.
$300

Friday, October 27, 2023

Seaside Low Tide Aside

Seaside Low Tide Aside

at Timber Point in the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge, Biddeford, Maine painted plein air on Aug 8, 2023, 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 lbs. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper, framed.
$150

Plein air work in progress at Timber Point, Biddeford, Maine on August 8, 2023

My plein air setup with a hard-as-a-rock chair.

When painting plein air, I often work on more than one painting, needing some drying time for each work to dry since I layer on color, wet on dry. Other times there's a chance to inspire a new generation of plein air painters.

When a family stops by to chat while I'm painting, it's a fine time to stop and wait for my art to dry for layering. Plus, it's an opportunity for young artists to paint. I always have 5" x 7" watercolor blocks handy. Will and Emma with their parents stopped by chat and see my paintings in progress. Of course I offered Will and Emma the opportunity to paint too, using my brushes and bright color paints to create their own art. I offered them some sparse advice while the painted. I always remember my art classes when in was in the 5th grade with Frank Hamabe at the Bangor Daily News.

Monday, October 23, 2023

Spruced Up by the Sea to See

Spruced Up by the Sea to See

at the historical Ewing House in the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge at Timber Point, Kennebunkport, Maine, painted plein air on August 5, 2023, 8" x 10" (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 lbs. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper, framed.
$300

Thursday, October 19, 2023

A Fair Weather Day

A Fair Weather Day

at the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge at Timber Point, looking across the bay towards Goose Rocks Beach, Kennebunkport, Maine, painted plein air on August 5, 2023, 5" x 7" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and permanence, on 140 lbs. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper, framed.
$150

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

The Seaside Rocks...

The Seaside Rocks
at Kennebunkport's
Timber Point

as seen from the historical Ewing House in the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge at Timber Point, Kennebunkport, Maine, painted plein air on August 5, 2023, 9" x 6.5" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and permanence, on 140 lbs. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper, framed.
$225

Thursday, October 12, 2023

Team Builders

Team Builders

Steve and Lisa Ducharme, husband and wife, replaced my door with this window, cedar shingled this area and more, and replaced my deck and rail, while I painted them as a bonus thank you on Oct 12, 2023, 10" x 8" (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 lbs. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper, framed.
NFS, gifted to my team builders, true building professionals

Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Sun Sets Opposite the See Study 2

Sun Sets Opposite the See Study 2

at the stone beach past Walker's Point on Ocean Drive in Kennebunkport, Maine painted plein air on Aug 20, 2023, 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 lbs. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper, framed
$150

Plein air setup at the rock beach past the Walker's Point, Kennebunkport, Maine, on August 20, 2023.

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Kennebunkport Rocks Twilight

Kennebunkport Rocks Twilight

at the stone beach past Walker's Point on Ocean Drive in Kennebunkport, Maine painted plein air on Aug 20, 2023, 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 lbs. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper, framed.
$150

Plein air setup at the rock beach past the Walker's Point, Kennebunkport, Maine, on August 20, 2023.

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A Sense of History and Place

In 1991 I photographed two pages of my children's book, Beach Ball - Left, Right (Holiday House 1992), at this location in Kennebunkport, Maine.

The late Chris Stavros (1922-2018), American, often painted plein air near Walker's Point in Kennebunkport, Maine. He was always chatting with people passing by more than painting. He was in his eighties, and a perfect subject to include in my book, the flying journey of a beach ball in effect teaching left and right to young readers.

Chris Stavros painted using both oil or watercolor. He wrote on the back of one of his oils: "a stones throw from President George Bush's home at Kennebunkport, Maine." You can see the edge of the Presidential compound on the right in the distance.

Monday, October 2, 2023

On Drawing - Ink or Graphite

 On Drawing...

Stonington Spruced Up

Ink or graphite, which one to use for a quick minimal drawing before painting with watercolor?

Sometimes I'll jump right in and paint without sketching, sketching and painting with my brush, pure watercolor. But most times I sketch using a graphite pencil or using a pen with ink. My approach using graphite or ink is entirely different.


With graphite I'm doing a drawing, a realistic drawing, or I might use that approach with minimal drawing for hard edges for objects with ink. However, when using ink to draw it's not like making a coloring book's fill-in-the-outlines. I don't ink in entire outlines. My ink sketches are merely a guide. When using graphite, it's often hidden by the watercolors, though not entirely for graphite is opaque. But permanent ink, an even bolder opaque, when used loosely and sparingly becomes not only a minimal sketch but a part of the art's background.

In Stonington Spruced Up you can see how the ink-sketched drawing is quite loose and minimal. Look closely at the ink on the waterline, one minimal line, on the islands, one or two minimal lines, all giving me a guide for the watercolors. Look within the spruce. It's a minimal skeleton on which to build the body of watercolor. There are many empty spaces where the watercolor is the drawing draped over that skeletal guide, not following the edges. This is very different from drawing a realistic pictorial picture with graphite and then painting it.

I'm amused with watercolor societies when they state nothing opaque can be used, such as permanent ink, all the while overlooking opaque graphite. And with ink one must be bold, once it's on the paper, that's it. There's no erasing, drawing, erasing, drawing, niggling, like painters do with graphite, even me.

This watercolor scene is looking across the harbor in Stonington, Maine, painted plein air on June 28, 2021, 5" x 7" (w x h), using 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,
NFS