Artists of New England Podcast Interview

Artists of New England Podcast Interview

On the evening of January 28, 2019, I was interviewed at the Ceres Gallery, 23 Ceres Street, Portsmouth, NH,  for the Artists of New England Podcast.

The interview was hosted by Laura Cassinari King about my watercolor art and my children's books. You can listen to it on the Artists of New England Podcasts web site HERE or on Soundcloud HERE, Episode 33.

The time flew by, didn't seem like almost an hour.

Woods Catch Winter's...

Woods Catch
Winter's Sunset Glow

behind my home in Shapleigh, Maine
on Feb 1, 2019, painted on Feb 4, 2019
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 grain 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, including tax + shipping, $155

Fresh Snow on Citrus Ridge

Fresh Snow
on Citrus Ridge

by home in Shapleigh, Maine
on Jan 30, 2019, painted on Jan 30, 2019
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, including sales tax + shipping $115.00

Bare Road, Barely Snow...

Bare Road, Barely Snow,
Barest Sunset

along the Back Road in Shapleigh, Maine
on Jan 28, 2019, painted Jan 29, 2019
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, including sales tax + shipping $115.00

Before Winter Rain

Before Winter Rain

seen from home upstairs
on Fort Ridge in Shapleigh, Maine
on Jan 22, 2019, painted on Jan 24, 2019
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, including sales tax + shipping $115.00

Lace Snow Jeans...

Lace Snow Jeans
Red White Blue Booted

on the ponds road by home in Shapleigh, Maine
on Jan 2, 2019, painted on Jan 22, 2019
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. Arches cold press rough 100% cotton watercolor paper
framed, including sales tax + shipping $145.00

Study of One

Study of One

model Rebekah at our art group in
Kennebunkport, Maine on Jan 18, 2019
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, including tax and shipping $115.00

Apple Blush Pear Pair

Apple Blush Pear Pair

in the back snow fields by the woods behind home in Shapleigh, Maine on Jan 17, 2019, painted Jan 18, 12" x 9" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and permanence, Uniball waterproof fade proof ink, and paraffin wax resist on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper, framed.
$600

Art Focus

Art Focus

on Rebekah at our art gang drawing group
in Kennebunkport, Maine on Jan 18, 2019
12" x 9" (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, including sales tax + shipping $145.00

Our Art Gang Drawing Group
always graciously hosted by another Bruce
 

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features breaks with lifting refreshments,
 

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a kitchen with our host cooking
a frittata while we draw and paint,
 

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fine art by fine artists,
 

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art in it's unique style,
 

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art in the making,
 

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art from many perspectives,
 

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art from many fine individual styles,
 

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while our host plays eclectic music
and has our break's refreshments at the ready.
We're a lucky art group; it's always uplifting.

Winter Comes to the Ridge

Winter Comes to the Ridge

in the back field behind home in Shapleigh, Maine on Jan 17, 2019 study painted and posted Jan 18, 2019, study updated with more painting, October 15, 2024  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.
$400

Attitude Chilled

Attitude Chilled

Two Minneola tangelos on snow by home in Shapleigh, Maine on Jan 16, 2019, painted on Jan 17, 2019, 10" x 8" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and permanence, paraffin wax resist, and Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper framed.
$400

Note: Watercolor artists curious about the bright color saturation of the Minneolas, it's layered Permanent Orange (Daniel Smith), Pyrrol Orange (Daniel Smith), and Cadmium Red (Winsor & Newton), the bright Pyrrol Orange predominant.

Organic Orange...

Organic Orange,
Inorganic Yellow,
Chilling Blues

an organic orange and an inorganic lemon chilling
on the snow behind home in Shapleigh, Maine
on Jan 13, 2019, painted on Jan 13, 2019
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, including sales tax + shipping $115.00

Winter Afternoon...

Winter Afternoon
Farmers' Cemetery By Home

in Shapleigh, Maine on Jan 3, 2019, painted on Jan 14, 2019
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.
Arches cold press fine grain 100% cotton watercolor paper
framed, including sales tax + shipping $155.00

Snowbird Eggs...

Snowbird Eggs
in Orange, Lime, and Lemon

with a citrus fruit selection of an orange, a lime, and lemon
on the snow behind my home in Shapleigh, Maine
on Jan 3, 2019, painted on Jan 12, 20-19
7" x 5" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light
fastness and permanence, wax resist paraffin, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb.
Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, including tax/shipping $115

Reader Comment and Reply


I love the color enhancement, and knowing how fast you work, it's perfectly chilled for eating. -Carol Douglas

 Why do you keep throwing fruit in the snow? Carol Douglas (art blog HERE)

Puzzling question coming from an artist, and perhaps a bit pejorative using the verb throwing. Did Cezanne throw his fruit into place for his still life compositions? Perhaps your question is more about the setting of the still lifes.

Winter's white blanket is a perfect setting for a watercolor still life. The white in watercolor is the white paper, a wonderful expanse, so snow is a perfect setting. The white and blue of snow simplifies the scene, focusing the eye on the color of the subject. I made this color observation years ago while shooting a children's book in Antarctica. Week after week, seeing only white and blue and gray, when coming upon life, the orange and red colors of a penguin's beak popped in this monochrome environment.

One commenter wrote: "I love the richness and transparency of your colors... and the originality of your subjects!" M.P.

Art reflects what the artist brings to a subject. I like to play with words, with visual elements. I had three successful books using my photographs as visual puns, Punography (Penguin 1978) featured in Life Magazine, Punography Too (Penguin 1980), and for children Puniddles (Houghton Mifflin 1982). So, fruit on snow isn't much of a stretch. It gives the viewer pause, and usually a smile.

Why do I "keep" doing this. Why does any artist do what they do? I like playing with nature, a theme throughout my children's book career. I've always admired the art of the unique British artist Andy Goldsworthy (on Wiki HERE), how he plays with nature.

I've been amused with watercolor sales. The fruit on snow motifs have sold more than other motifs. Who would've thought it? That's not why I paint them, but it's a pleasant surprising discovery, and feedback of a motif piquing a viewer's interest.

FYI: These snow/fruit postings on my art blog include galleries of other artists' still fruit lifes which might be of interest.
Two Pear HERE
Down on Green, Up on Red HERE
Minneola Forelle Pair HERE
Lemons on a Snow Drift Cliff HERE
 

Still Life Pear on Snow

Still Life Pear on Snow

with a forelle pear in Shapleigh, Maine
on Jan 3, 2019, painted on Jan 11, 2019
5" x 7" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam,
and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light
fastness and permanence, wax resist paraffin, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb.
Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100%
cotton extra white watercolor paper
framed, including tax/shipping $115

Walk in the Snow

Walk in the Snow

in the yard at home in Shapleigh, Maine
on Jan 3, 2019, painted on Jan 4, 1029
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, including sales tax + shipping $115.00

Only Snow's Crunch

Only Snow's Crunch

in the back field behind home
Shapleigh, Maine on Jan 2, 2019, painted Jan 3, 2019
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
paper, framed, including sales tax + shipping $145.00

Yellow Orange Nude Study

Yellow Orange Nude Study

with Martine at our Friday morning art
group in Kennebunkport, Maine on Dec 21, 2018
12" x 9" (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, including sales tax + shipping $135.00

Lemon Orange Apple Snowed Man

Lemon Orange Apple
Snowed Man

behind my home in Shapleigh, Maine
on Dec 20, 2018, painted Dec 25, 2018
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. Arches cold press
rough 100% cotton watercolor paper
framed, including sales tax + shipping $135.00

Egill Casts to Skjálfandafljót

Egill Casts to Skjálfandafljót

Egill Óli Atlason in the north of Iceland
casting on the Skjálfandafljót on August 1, 2018,
painted on Nov 17, 2018, 12" x 9", 10" x 8" matted
and framed (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
NFS (not for sale), gifted on Christmas
to Egill and family
along with a painting of his sister seen on this blog HERE

Warm Cool Nude Color Study

Warm Cool Nude Color Study

with Martine at our Friday morning art
group in Kennebunkport, Maine on Dec 21, 2018
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, including sales tax + shipping $115.00

Winter Sun Arriving

Winter Sun Arriving

over Fort Ridge in Shapleigh, Maine
on Dec 20, 2018, painted Dec 20, 2018
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 SOLD

Late Day Elliðaey

Late Day Elliðaey

an island on the south coast of Iceland, off
Heimaey Island, Vestmannaeyjar, seen from the
ferry Herjólfur on August 8, 2016, painted on Dec 17, 2018,
7" x 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 fine grain 100% cotton
extra white watercolor paper, framed,
including sales tax + shipping $115.00

Still Three Sheep

Still Three Sheep

on the Stórhöfði peninsula at the south point
of Heimaey Island , Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland on
August 8, 2016, sketched on December17 , 2018
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, including sales tax + shipping $155.00

Three Sheep Graze

on the Stórhöfði peninsula at the south point of
Heimaey Island , Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland
on August 8, 2016, sketched on December 5, 2016
10" x 7", Winsor & Newton and Holbein watercolors, and
Uniball waterproof fade proof ink on 140 lb. Arches
rough 100% cotton watercolor paper
framed, $130.00 + $7.15 sales tax + $12.85 shipping = $150.00
on this art blog HERE
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Three Sheep Grazingby Bruce McMillan
 
In the sun
grows the sheen;
as the breeze
blows the wool.
 
On this place
flows its fleece,
as they look
down to graze.
 
All text and art © 2016 Bruce McMillan

Rachel Reclined Study 1 - Art Gang Art

Rachel Reclined Study 1

at our Friday Morning Art Group
in Kennebunkport, Maine on Dec 14, 2018
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, including sales tax + shipping $115.00

Art Gang Art
During a refreshments break, I snapped some photos of the sketches in progress at our Friday Morning Art Group in Kennebunkport, Maine. It's a privilege to sketch among such a fun, accomplished, talented weekly collection of artists, exemplified in these sketches, their in-progress below, each fine artist with their own unique style, friends...

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