Fall flowers for a perfect fall day

I sketched (except for the text) this fall bouquet with dry twigs, Chinese ink and watercolor. After reading Ch'ng Kiah Kiean's Tutorial from USk 2013 in Barcelona, I gathered a handfull of twigs then whittled them with an X-acto knife hunched over a wastebasket in the gallery.

Getting back into sketching

After 5+ months of producing oil paintings for the show, I haven't had much energy to pick up a brush...or even a pen. Finally I was able to sketch a few fall bouquets along with a friends kitchen when we visited beautiful Georgetown Maine.

"A Year of Learning to Paint"

40+ paintings finished and the show is hanging!!! 
(At Clayton's in Yarmouth, Maine)

In January of 2013 I had to teach myself to oil paint again after years of letting the paints sit in a tote bag with the tops dried on so tight I needed a pliers to pry them loose and stacks of unused canvases collecting dust in the storage unit. I decided that I would do this entire show without buying any new supplies—to use all the paints, canvases and brushes I already had.

A most amazing, challenging, disciplined and creative year of learning to paint.

 Hanging the show with my amazing friends Patti and Elizabeth.

 I never thought I would get here—DONE...for now...

The Perfect Day of Surfing

16 x16 oil on canvas

(Final painting for the show) 

September Harvest Moon in Maine

Wednesday September 18th moonrise over Willard Beach on the Casco Bay.

                           

        

Thursday September 19th moonrise over Peaks Island and Fort Gorgeous on the Casco Bay.

September Flowers

After dinner quick sketch of the flowers on the table in my new Strathmore 18 x 24 inch sketchbook—on sale for $5. I decided to use supplies I don't normally use (and always wonder why I have them). Econoline watercolor ink, big brush Pitt Pens, Stabilo Woody crayons and Tombow markers.

A summer day on the coast of Maine

I needed a break from painting so a felt pen and colored pencils seemed like a easy sketch solution. A quick sketch of the ship channel at the end of the street along with the ubiquitous seagull, a visit with my friend Mary for a glass of wine while sketching her grandaughter Haisel and delicious tuna steaks from the big winning tournament tuna.

Looking across the Casco Bay ship channel towards Peaks Island at the 

end of the street

At my friend Mary's house with her two cute grandaughters running around. 

Hard to capture a fast moving 3 year old who was also critiquing my work.

Mary's son Jack was part of the crew that caught this monster 586 lb tournament winning tuna.

"No Dogs Allowed"

May through September in Maine, dogs are not allowed on the beaches except at wonderful Willard Beach where the dogs run free 7-9 am and 7-9 pm. Sophie loves that we live at Willard Beach because there is lots of seaweed to roll in!!!

"No Dogs Allowed"

18 x 18 oil on canvas

Willard Beach and gallery days

Enjoying wonderful summer days at the beach and the gallery. 

Gallery Brushes

12 x 16 Oil on canvas

July Moonrise over Willard Beach Maine

16 x 16 oil on canvas

Willard Beach

Enjoying summer at Willard Beach, Maine.

"Fetch—good dog"

10 x 8 Oil on canvas

"Early Morning Run"

8 x 8 Oil on canvas

Surfer #3

Checking the Waves

10 x 10 Oil on Canvas

Maine Surfer #2

12 x12

Oil on canvas

Surfing—Scarborough Beach, Maine

12 x 12
Oil on canvas

Sunday afternoon

A very slow Sunday afternoon at the gallery. No energy to do much other than a few quick oil studies while I ponder what to paint next...

Sophie

6 x 8 oil on panel

Irises

8 x 8 oil on canvas

Every Day in May—unfinished :(

A commercial job made it impossible to complete Everyday in May 2013. This month-long daily drawing challenge comes around every year in May. This year it was fun to follow on FaceBook. I made it about 2/3 of the way through. Maybe next year I will do better...

EDinMay #19—Something that belongs to someone else

George's can of old brushes left behind at the gallery.

EDinMay #20 My favorite drink

I absolutely love Matcha Green Tea Frappuccinos, so when I went looking for one in Singapore it came with red beans on top...

EDinMay #21 The last thing I bought

Lunch with my beautiful niece. She came to Portland so we had to indulge in 

the famous Sweet Potato Fries with Truffle Ketchup.  

Almost "Every Day in May 2013"...so far...

#3 Something of joy—The gallery where I work and paint

# 4 Socks—The fleece socks I wore everynight on Mt Kilimamjaro

#5 Pine trees—On one of the many islands dotting the coast of Maine

#8 A coffee pot—My beloved latte maker

#9 A lock...or three

#11 Gloves—My fingerless gloves for winter running

#12 The oldest thing in my refrigerator

#13 A pillow

#15 A pencil

#16 Something that scares me—Cheese scares me! Soooooooo good, but sooooooo many calories

#17 Something from a first aid kit

#18 The palm of my left hand

Every Day in May: Day 2—A favorite sound

Living on the waterfront in Portland Maine, the sounds of the gulls awaken me in the morning as they swoop around the buildings and chase the lobster boats out of the harbor. They perch on the hotel next door watching and waiting and soon there will be baby gulls. 

I watch as they build a nest precariously perched on the slanted roof and stand guard until the chicks are born. The mother gull walks the furry chicks into the shade everyday and then back to the nest at night. When they are ready fly there is a lot of rolling off the roof. I'm never quite sure who makes it...

Ever Day in May 2013: Day 1—Something bubbly

It has been such a long since I have done any watercolor sketches so the Every Day in May challenge seemed like the perfect opportunity to get back into it. The last time I did the EDinMay challenge was in 2011.
I absolutely love kombucha (a delicious bubbly fermented drink) but it is crazy expensive. I have started making my own. I have at 2 gallon jug fermenting on top of the refrigerator. When it is ready I bottle it, add some fresh ginger, a little lemon and pomegarnate juice and it is delicious!!!

My ongoing oil painting journey...

Still cold and gray here in Maine. Such a contrast to the colors I mix on my palette which is a good balance for what I see out the windows. Bright colors just make me happy. 

One of the most important things I have learnined is not using black paint, but creating the darkest darks by using Ultramarine Blue, Alizarin Crimson and Phthalo Green.

Down East Sunrise

10" x 10" oil on deep wood panel 

Great Blue Heron

10" x 10" oil on deep wood panel

Paint and paint and paint...

Starting to paint for the show—a low budget event! All paintings are done with supplies that I already have—oil paints and canvases. Many of the canvases have a deep profile so I am painting the sides—no need to frame.

"For the Birds"

6 indvidual paintings. All 6 x 6 oils on deep profile stretched canvas

Full Moon Over Casco Bay

8 x 8 oil on deep profile canvas

For the love of dogs...and cats

I am starting to paint for real...ugh, that pesky impending show.

I love painting and drawing animals and periodically do pet portraits, so I am creating a wall space for commissions.

All paintngs for this show are being done with supplies I already have—paint, boards, panels and canvases. I have only had to fill in with white paint and a few new brushes...I hope...

Moosey

5 x 7 oil on cradled wood panel

Frenchie

6 x 6 oil on cradled wood panel

Jazzy

6 x 6 oil on cradled wood panel

Scout

6 x 6 oil on cradled wood panel

Snowy Egret

A quick paint sketch using the paints left on my palette before packing it all up to travel back to Maine. Still paint left...I wonder if I have time for another...

Snowy Egret

5 x 7 oil on canvas panel

Jazzy

Possibly my last small painting study while here with my family in California. Tomorrow, I travel back to Maine to start painting for real for the show later this year. This is my sweet 16 year old cat Jazzy who is so well-loved at Bay Mountain Farm where she sleeps comfortably in the dog's bed in front of the woodstove.

"The Crouch"

5 x 7 oil on canvas panel