Yellow Rose Blue Sky plus Complimetnary Gallery

Yellow Rose Blue Sky

on June 8, 2020, painted July 1, 2020
10" x 8" (w x h), using only Hansa Yellow Medium,
Pyrrol Orange (both Daniel Smith) and French Ultramarine
(Winsor & Newton) watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, no ink nor graphite, on 140 lb. Fabriano
Artistico cold press rough 100% cotton extra white
watercolor paper, framed,
$300

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
Yellow and Blue
Complimentary Colors
Playing Well Together

 ...............................

Fine artists know
how to let them play...
Matisse, Monet, Van Gogh, Kahn,
Johns, Lichtenstein, and Frankenthaler.

 

1
Interior in Yellow and Blue
Henri Matisse (1869-1954), French
Oil on canvas; 32" x 46" (w x h), 1946
Centre Pompidou, Musée National d'Art Moderne, Paris

2
Yellow Irises with Pink Cloud
Claude Monet (1840-1926), French
Oil on canvas, 42" x 42" (w x h), 1914-1917
Private collection

3
Wheatfield with Crows
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), Dutch
Oil on canvas, 41" x 20" (w x h), 1890
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

4
Foreground Yellow and Green
Wolf Kahn (1927-2020), German-American
Oil on canvas, 40" x 40" (w x h), 2019
The artist's website is HERE.

5
Target
Jasper Johns (1930- ), American
Encaustic and newspaper on canvas, 66" x66" (w x h), 1961
Art Institute of Chicago

6
Nude with Yellow Flower
Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997), American
Oil and Magna on canvas, 72" x 92" (w x h), 1994
Christies 2013 auction sale $23,643,750 USD

7
Orange Breaking Through
Helen Frankenthaler (1928-2011), American
Oil on canvas, 93" x 95" (w x h), 1961
Private Collection

8
The Starry Night
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) Dutch
Oil on canvas, 36" x 29" (w x h), 1889
MOMA, Museum of Modern Art, New York

Loosestrife in Two Colors

Loosestrife in Two Colors

Garden Loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris) in a rock garden
in my yard in Shapleigh, Maine on June 28, 2020,
painted June 29, 2020
7" x 5" (w x h), Daniel Smith 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, $150

This was painted using only two complimentary colors, Hansa Yellow Medium (Daniel Smith) and Prussian Blue (Winsor & Newton) as a self-challenge to show how two colors play with each other, to create depth, smooth softness, hard edges, and movement, along with lights and darks.

Edge of a Thunderstorm - plus other artist's storms

Edge of a Thunderstorm

the view from my dining room window as a thunderstorm
passes by on June 24, 2020, painted June 27, 2020
10" x 8" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press
rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper,
(no ink nor graphite)
framed, $400

This was painted with a limited palette of yellow, blue, and purple, with touches of a blue-green and a red, using Hansa Yellow Medium (DS), Lemon Yellow (DS), Cobalt Green (W&N), Prussian Blue (W&N), French Ultramarine (W&N), Davys Grey (W&N), Payne's Gray Bluish (SH), Quinacridone Purple (DS), and Cadmium Red (W&N).

DS = Daniel Smith (American);
W&N = Winsor & Newton (British);
SH = Schmincke Horadam (German)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
How Other Painters Interpreted
a Summer Storm
All of these eight paintings are in museums.
All of these artists have
completed their journey through life.
There are seven watercolors and,
lastly, one astounding oil,
no stars, no night.

 

1
Clearing Sky
Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967), American
Watercolor, gouache and pencil on paper,
22" x 18" (w x h), 1917
Burchfield Penney Art Center, Buffalo, New York

2
A Storm over the Rigi
(Lake Lucerne, Switzerland)
Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851), British
Watercolor on paper, 15" x 10" (w x h), circa 1884
Tate, London, UK
 

 
3
Storm, Taos Mountain, New Mexico
John Marin (1870-1953, American
Watercolor and charcoal on paper, 22" x 17" (w x h), 1930
The MET, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York

4
Before Thunderstorm,
Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite
Chiura Obata, (1885-1975), Japanese
Watercolor on paper, 1930
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C.

  

5
Horses Running before a Storm
John Steuart Curry (1897-1946), American
Watercolor, pen and brown ink, charcoal, pastel,
red chalk and graphite pencil on paper,
23" x 18" (w x h), 1930
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, New York

  

6
The Coming Storm
Winslow Homer (1836-1910), American
Watercolor over graphite on wove paper,
21" x 15" (w x h), 1901
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
 

7
Storm on Yarmouth Beach
John Sell Cotman (1782-1842), British
Watercolor on paper, 21" x 15" (w x h), 1831
Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery, Norwich, Norfolk, UK

  

8
Wheatfield Under Thunderclouds
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), Dutch
Oil on canvas, 40" x 20" (w x h) 1890
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Rosa Rugosa Pair Study 1

Rosa Rugosa Pair Study 1

Wrinkled Roses (Rosa rugosa) in one of my yard's rock gardens
in Shapleigh, Maine on June 23, 2005, painted June 27, 2020
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, $150

Rosa Rugosa Pair Study 1

Rosa Rugosa Pair Study 1

Wrinkled Roses (Rosa rugosa) in one of my yard's rock gardens
in Shapleigh, Maine on June 23, 2005, painted June 27, 2020
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, $150

Yellow Rose Pair

Yellow Rose Pair

of roses growing in my yard in Shapleigh, Maine
on June 6, 2020, painted June 27, 2020
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 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $300

A Reykjavik View to Simplicity

A Reykjavik View
to Simplicity

based on a photo taken looking down a street at Mount Esja
from Reykjavik on August 8, 2019, painted June 23, 2020
8" x 10" (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, $300

Reykjavik City in Simplicity Study 1

Reykjavik City in
Simplicity Study 1

based on a photo taken looking down a street at Mount Esja
from Reykjavik on August 8, 2019, painted June 23, 2020
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, $150

Reykjavik City in Simplicity

Reykjavik City in Simplicity

based on a photo taken looking down a street in
Reykjavik on August 8, 2019, painted June 23, 2020
14" x 11" (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, $500

Through a Wood

Through a Wood

catching the light
behind my home in early evening
on June 16, 2020, painted June 21, 2020
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, $150

Maple Leaves Rose

Maple Leaves Rose

a maple leaf shadow on a maple leaf
by my Rosa rugosa garden on June 18, 2020,
painted June 19, 2020
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 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $300

Wonderful Afternoon Studies

 Wonderful Afternoon
Study 3

based on a photo
taken by a Canadian painter at
Scotchtown, Grand Lake, New Brunswick
on June 15, 2020, painted June 18, 2020
8" x 10" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, no graphite nor ink, on 140 lb. Fabriano
Artistico cold press rough 100% cotton extra white
watercolor paper, framed, $300

 Wonderful Afternoon
Study 2

based on a photo
taken by a Canadian painter at
Scotchtown, Grand Lake, New Brunswick
on June 15, 2020, painted June 18, 2020
8" x 10" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness
and permanence, white gouache, and Uniball waterproof
fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press
rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $300

Wonderful Afternoon

Wonderful Afternoon

based on a photo
taken by a Canadian painter at
Scotchtown, Grand Lake, New Brunswick
on June 15, 2020, painted June 17, 2020
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 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $300

Painting at Cape Porpoise

Painting at Cape Porpoise

a selfie overlooking the harbor from Bickford Island
in Cape Porpoise, Kennebunkport, Maine
on June 4, 2020, painted June 16, 2020
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, $150

Enlightening Yellow

Enlightening Yellow

docked at the public dock
on Bickford Island in Cape Porpoise,
Kennebunkport, Maine on June 4, 2020
painted on June 14, 2020
14.5" x 11.5", (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light
fastness and permanence, and #3 graphite on
140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough
100% cotton extra white watercolor
paper, framed, $500

Yellow Paint
by Bruce McMillan

In June of 2020
that yellow painted on
marker buoys, painted on
yield signs, painted on roads,
two-way streets, came out of
its shadows, now painted
on black pavement on the
road to the White House to
proclaim: BLACK LIVES MATTER.

© 2020 Bruce McMillan

Tied Up Study 2

Tied Up Study 2

on the public landing dock at
Cape Porpoise Pier on Bickford Island
in Cape Porpoise, Kennebunkport, Maine
on June 4, 2020, painted June 12, 2020
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 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $500

Tied Up Study 1

Tied Up Study 1

on the public landing dock at
Cape Porpoise Pier on Bickford Island
in Cape Porpoise, Kennebunkport, Maine
on June 4, 2020, painted June 12, 2020
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 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $300

Signs of Buoys

Signs of Buoys

on the dock at
Cape Porpoise Pier on Bickford Island
in Cape Porpoise, Kennebunkport, Maine
on June 4, 2020, painted June 9, 2020
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 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $300

Lobstertraps Docked Study 1

Lobstertraps Docked Study 1

on the dock at Cape Porpoise Pier on Bickford Island
in Cape Porpoise, Kennebunkport, Maine
on June 4, 2020, painted June 8, 2020
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 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $300

Lobstertraps Docked Studies 3 and 4

Lobstertraps Docked Study 3

on the dock at Cape Porpoise Pier on Bickford Island
in Cape Porpoise, Kennebunkport, Maine
on June 4, 2020, painted June 8, 2020
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, $150

Lobstertraps Docked Study 4

on the dock at Cape Porpoise Pier on Bickford Island
in Cape Porpoise, Kennebunkport, Maine
on June 4, 2020, painted June 8, 2020
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, $150

Low Tide Below Goat Island Light

Low Tide Below
Goat Island Light

at Cape Porpoise Harbor, Kennebunkport, Maine
in late afternoon, painted plein air June 4, 2020
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 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, $300

That top left part of this scene caught my eye...
 

And quickly the tide comes in.

Together Anchored

Together Anchored

as the light faded during sunset at Cape Porpoise Harbor, Kennebunkport, Maine in the early evening, painted plein air June 4, 2020 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.
$200
A silent auction August 1, 2026, Atlantic Hall, 173 Main Street, Cape Porpoise, ME (GPS Hint: Use 1 Mills Road, Kennebunkport, ME 04046) to benefit historic Atlantic Hall with bids starting at $125. If not sold, $200 on artist's website, theartofbruce.blogspot.com

The light was getting its sunset glow as the tide came in.

Lobsterboat Harbor Full

Lobsterboat Harbor Full

at Cape Porpoise Harbor, Kennebunkport, Maine
in the early evening, painted plein air June 4, 2020
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 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press fine 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper, framed, $300
SOLD (via the 2020 Yarmouth Art Festival)

Thoughts while painting this: As I looked out at the harbor, I saw a design pattern to enhance and focus on., all while keeping it loose. And because I'm a story teller, a writer, even in a visual sense, adding the lone rowboat at the bottom right, made me smile, sort of a Where's Waldo moment, a story, everyone's in the harbor, except for one lobsterboat out at sea.

The drawing is done, ready to paint at familiar Cape Porpoise.

With Goat Island light in the distance, it was a glorious evening to paint. A mother with three daughters wandered by, keeping their social distance, and when chatting they learned that I was the author and photographer of on of their favorite books, The Remarkable
Riderless Runaway Tricycle, one of their favorite books. The mother's mother, pipped in that the she knew one of the characters in the book, Helen Schepens-Kraus, the watercolor painter who's easel knocked was over by the tricycle, and that grandmother owned three watercolors by Helen Schepens-Kraus.

Page 25, The Remarkable Riderless Runaway Tricycle
Bruce McMillan (Houghton Mifflin, 1978)

"Helen Schepens-Kraus (1916 -1988) was born in Spokane, Washington. Painting watercolor landscapes and seascapes of the Central California inland and coastal regions as well as nudes and floral still lifes, she painted in what is referred to as the California Style. She exhibited widely in the Monterey and San Jose, California areas and was an artist member of the Carmel Art Association. She spent the last twenty-five years of her life in Kennebunkport, Maine where she had a gallery." And in 1977 she posed while painting on Ocean Drive for pages  25, 27, and 28 of The Remarkable Riderless Runaway Tricycle (Houghton Mifflin, 1978).

Watercolor by Helen Schepens-Kraus, 8" x 6" (w x h)

Daffodil Duo

Daffodil Duo

by my home's foundation in Shapleigh, Maine
on May 12, 2020, painted June 3, 2020
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, $150 - SOLD
 
Purchased as a 2020 high school graduation gift by a mom for her daughter; shipped to California: "I love the colors of the sky and how it offsets/melds/compliments (not sure of the right word) the flowers. Nice narrative action between the flowers, too. I really didn't know what to get her for graduation that would be meaningful and represent both her accomplishments and new adventures. You provided the exact solution. Serendipity. Thank you from the bottom of this mom's heart. I love it."

As an extra thank you, I usually add original signed watercolor bookmarks made from paintings that didn't work, or studies, when I ship a purchased painting. In this case I'd added ones of the study I did before I painted the final art. As you see, it included the daffodil. I got this photo from them.

And I got this lovely message from the graduating high school senior:

"A week ago, I went onto Facebook to go to the band site to see the posts they were doing for the seniors. And then I decided, oh, I just want to see what Bruce has been painting recently. So, then I go on to his Facebook site and I see this painting. And I was thinking, 'Oh, wow, this is such a pretty painting with the two daffodils.' I was wanting to take a screenshot of it and use it as my phone background screen, and I didn't. But I was thinking that it would be so pretty to do that. And now I have the actual painting!" - Sierra

Quaker Ladies

Quaker Ladies

or common bluets, also called
azure bluets, (Houstonia caerulea), as seen
in my yard on May 12, 2020, painted June 2, 2020
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, $150