Spy Pond

Rocks, water and leaves

8x8 oil on canvas

Boys and Girls Club

8x8 oil on canvas

So I've decided on a goal of painting weekly at Spy Pond, Arlington MA,  for a year and blogging about the experience.  I plan to post the art on this blog.  The pond is a 20 minute walk from my house and has a lovely park and shorefront that I've enjoyed since moving here 2 years ago.  Here are the two done so far.  The weather's been good and it's just getting into color change at the pond.  I'm very excited, and I head out to Concord for a day of plein air painting!

A week on North Haven

A few weeks ago I took a plein air workshop on North Haven, which is an island off mid-coast Maine.  Colin Page was the instructor.  I'm in awe of his paintings and energy and came away from the week very excited to try out some new ways of painting and painting at night.  Some of us went down to the dock a few evenings both to watch him paint and try it out ourselves.  Mine turned out quite abstract and as one person put it,  "What are those, bookshelves?"  The first three here were done on site and the fourth in the studio from a photo,  though the memories are lingering!  What a wonderful week.  The inn was delightful as were the other participants.  

Meanwhile, the group show I was in has come down and one of my prints sold. I hope to continue painting outdoors and will be taking Adria Arch's studio class this fall.  We'll see what comes!

The Neighbor's Deck

oil on canvas panel

11x14

Down Under

oil on canval panel

11x14

Up Close

oil on canvas

11x14

Sailing Lessons

acrylic on canvas

16x16

Colin giving a lesson down on the dock.  Energy is flying!

Chairful As We Sit and Brooks Mansion

I'm happy to say I'm a part of an effort to bring public art into Arlington.  As part of a fund-raising effort to print a banner of high school art, a group of us have been painting chairs. The banner will hang on the Spy Pond side of the Boys and Girls Club in Arlington.  The chairs will be on display August 5-12 at the intersection of Lake Street and the Minuteman Bike Path.  The chairs are for sale and proceeds will go towards printing the banner.  Please check out the blog:  chairful.blogspot.com, like us on facebook, and come see the pop-up installation!

Here's the painting I did of the Shepherd Brooks estate in Medford during the picnic held on the grounds last Saturday.  A painting buddy, Jenn Desaultes invited me along with several other artists.  We had a great day and got to see a beautiful old mansion which is being restored to provide a space for the community.  Thanks to the picnic committee for the grub and to Jenn for inviting me-it's always fun to paint with you!

Group Show

I'll be a part of a group show in Arlington, Mass. this summer.  The Mary Street Group is the title of the show at the Old Schwamb Mill which is open Tuesdays and Saturdays 10a-4p.  You're all invited to the opening on Friday, July 13 6p-8p!

Santa Barbara trip

 Up from the Beach

5x7

watercolor and pencil on paper

 Hazy Afternoon

5x7

watercolor and pencil on paper

 Looking to the Hills

5x7

watercolor and pencil on paper

 Onion on Lynn's Table

5x7

Caran D'Ache on paper

:) sign at the head of the beach at UCSB

I recently had the pleasure of spending a week in Santa Barbara visiting with my daughter, her husband and their dog.  Of course spending time at the beach was a priority and I had to capture a few of the scenes in watercolor, which is my first love.  Also I've been using Caran D'Ache crayons which are water soluble and can be used back and forth drawing and painting.  They're lots of fun and both those, a small set of watercolors and pad of paper are perfect companions on a trip,  particularly when you get abandoned by your offspring who has to work but you get to play!   First of course, you need to get past the warning sign at the beach!
Meanwhile I'm getting ready for a group show at the Old Schwamb Mill in Arlington which goes up June 30 and will go through the summer.  Opening reception is July 13 6-8pm and closing is September 8.  Their summer hours are Tues and Sat afternoons.  I'll be putting in my paintings from my week with MassArt and some prints from my class with Adria Arch.

monoprints and a still life

 Still Life on Table

oil on paper

11x14

 Seascape I

oil on paper-monoprint

8.5x11

 Seascape II 

oil on paper-monoprint

8.5x11

Seascape III

oil on paper-monoprint

8.5x11

I've been doing my homework assignment of 20 gelatin prints where I paint a landscape on the plate then print.  I've gotten a little obsessed with one seascape from Eastport and have made 8 prints.  Here are the three most successful.  The other painting is oil on 300 lb watercolor paper.  I saw a demo a few weeks back where the artist first drew the still life then used oils thinned with Galkyd to paint into the drawing.  She would go back and forth creating several layers and allowing the pencil drawing to take equal part in the image she was working on.  Here's my attempt with objects on my table by the front window.  I liked doing it but didn't work as large or free as I had hoped.  Another time!  Meanwhile, off to California to see my daughter and son-in-law and their dog Lolo.  Slim chance of sunshine but the beach and mountains are still there.  And the wine, I hope up in St. Inez Vallery!

gelatin print recipe and new painting

Here's the recipe for making a gelatin print that I got at the workshop and we used there: Click on the recipe to enlarge and be able to read:

I had a chance to paint a scene from one of my visits to Riverside, CA.  My daughter took me to the beautiful botanic garden at UC Riverside and we had a lovely day.  Here's to the memory of that day in the sun.

Italian Cypress

18x22

oil on canvas

very beginning monoprinting

I had a most enjoyable day today learning how to use a gelatin plate for monoprinting from Linda Germain.  Here are a few of my "beginnings."  Linda made the plates and we used Speedball ink.  I'll be using a commercial plate made by Gelli Art and look forward to much more "R&D."  Too dreary for plein air anyway!

revisiting paintings

Tidal Rocks

12x12 oil on board
sold

I decided to revisit this painting which was done as a small 6x8 sketch on the coast in Falmouth Maine this fall.  This larger version is 12x12 to conform to the regulations of the small works salon in Cambridge that I submitted it to. I had fun resizing and redoing the composition though I think a rectangular format works better for a landscape in general.  Keep your fingers crossed for me-I'll find out  on the 17th.

Tide's Out

14x18 oil on canvas

$350.

This is a painting of the rocks along the shore at Bois Bubert island off the Maine coast that was painted a few years ago.  It's been a favorite of mine and was a joy to paint and frame.  It was just accepted in a show "Seaward: Life and Work Along New England's Coast," at nourish, a restaurant in Lexington, MA.  The show ends May 31.  I'm very excited and hope to connect with other area artists-especially over the wonderful appetizers at the reception Tuesday!