Daily Painting Practice in Maine - Rocks and water

If you want to paint Maine... practice painting rocks.

I have always enjoyed the contrast of textures that nature provides. Like in this waterfall painting from the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

Up Stream 24x30

   Nature offers us soft clouds, white pines, a field of grass to contrast with the hard edges of rock and bark. Throw water and its many forms into the mix and you have a recipe for an exciting painting.

  In Maine these contrasting textures are every where because rocks and water are everywhere.

They don't  call it the rocky coast of Maine for nothing!

I have started several plein air paintings and color studies and have noticed that I tend to soften the edges too much when painting rocks.  This is good for the ones in the distance but those up close need more strength.

Color Study -Rocks at Schoodic Point

 

Color Study -Rocks at Booth Bay

The interesting challenge of coastal rocks is that some are rounded smooth by the waves and others hold a sharp edge.

Progress photo -  Schoodic rocks

This  painting is progressing. Slowly.

Progress photo -Schoodic rocks

The rocks in front need definition to  pull them forward. The rocks on the left  need soft edges as the water flows over them, and the rocks in the center need a combination of the two, plus the added bonus of the correct color and value to give it some atmospheric perspective.

Painting is actually all about identifying and solving problems... I've got the identifying part  down much better than the solving part.  I think more practice is called for.

Daily Painting Practice in Maine - Rolling Tide at Schoodic point

Another Seascape finished!!!

I call it finished but I have a habit of going back into these to rework them. The sea is in such a constant state of change, it only seems natural that my painting would be also. It is very easy to slip into a time-warp and never come out. I can just keep painting changes to the waves forever.

Rolling Tide -18x24

Daily Painting Practice in Maine - Plein air in Maine means Fog - Cape Elizabeth lighthouse

In Maine a plein air artist is translated as: one who stands in the  fog and paints.

Since moving to Maine, I have been painting in a fog... No, I mean that literally. I have spent many mornings driving to an area only to find it shrouded in fog. That is exactly what happened when I  traveled to Portland and the famous Cape Elizabeth lighthouse.

I say famous because there isn't a souvenir shop , diner menu or Maine calendar that doesn't carry an image of this light house. However, unlike most photographers and artists I ended up working in the rain.  I used my plein air umbrella to protect the painting against the rain and held onto another for myself.

Painting Cape Elizabeth lighthouse in the fog

Plein air painters often complain about the challenge of chasing the light outdoors. Well, you can't chase fog! It finds you and hides everything ... like your subject.

 But there are benefits to working in the fog.  First, it helps you appreciate why someone would even think of building a lighthouse. The second benefit is it hides the fact that you are standing on a cliff with a fifty foot drop only inches away from your feet.

 There was no stepping back to check  my progress on this painting.

Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse - fog lifting

When the fog did lift a little I could see the cliff side much clearer. Still, painting a white lighthouse in the fog was an interesting challenge... but not losing any equipment over the cliff was  even more interesting.

" Thick as  Soup"  8"x10" oil on canvas

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Daily Painting Practice in Maine - Plein Air in Swanville and Completed Belfast Tugboat

Completed another one!

I will be entering this one into the  Plein Air Painters of Maine show in  Boothbay Harbor, Maine next month.

"Lady in Waiting" - 18x24 oil on canvas

This is the plein air painting I did in Belfast, Maine when I first started hosting the Plein Air Painters of Maine (Northern Chapter).  You can check out the progress in the earlier post.  I  took it back to the studio to complete the details, like the masts. Straight edges and crisp lines are a weakness I have, particularly when I am painting outdoors.  The older I get the tougher it is to hold a steady hand with a brush, so tree limbs and masts and other straight edges end up  much wider than they should be. In addition, it doesn't help that I am much less patient when painting plein air. The only way to remedy to this bad plein air habit, of course, is to have more patience outdoors. ( which isn't going happen)  So I am am left with having to actually practice. 

 I started practicing  how to make clean straight edges with a painting  knife in the studio but  don't have it all worked out yet.  Looks like I'll be researching  on YouTube  for some hints.

I love the title for this painting, but all the credit for the title  must go to she who must not be named. I have no talent for titles. If it were up to me every painting would be named just what it is.... Boat in Water... Boat in Water number 2... and so on.

Yesterday morning, I  drove down the road in the opposite direction from last week's posting to Swanville and painted two quick color studies of Swan Lake. 

Swan Lake color study

This one was about 7:30 in the morning....

Swan Lake color study

...and this one was about an hour later. It was just a gorgeous morning to paint.

Here is what greeted me when I  first arrived...

Heron at Swan Lake

A beautiful Blue Heron. What a way to start the day!

Daily Painting Practice in Maine - Autumn in Maine

Autumn in Maine

A few weeks ago I posted progress photos of a plein air painting I was working on.  I called the post "close to home." It is a scene just down the road from our home.  I have taken it back to the studio and while I was finishing a few other paintings the Autumn colors have come and  peaked, but there are many areas that still continue to dazzle the eyes.

Here is the painting as it sits on my easel.

A New Day (working title)

I worked in some of the Fall colors.  The title needs approval but I think the painting is 99% complete...( hence the signature)

Daily Painting Practice in Maine - Plein Air Painting in the Fog

Painting in a fog is different than painting fog.

As all artists know, we have days that feel like we are painting in a fog. Our ideas don't formulate, our compositions don't come together, our values have lost definition and our colors blend into mud.  On days like this nothing is clear and our creative process can become almost comatose.

But painting in a fog is the exact opposite of actually trying to paint fog.

Foggy day plein air painting in Maine

Trying to capture the landscape enveloped in fog takes a lot a focus.  Color is very subtle, and edges.... forget you ever heard of edges. 

Foggy Day in Boothbay, Maine - 10"x10"

 

I think I learned a lot more about values and how they are affected by color temperature while painting the fog than from any book, magazine, or tutorial video.

So if you find yourself in a creative fog.... be fearless, go out and paint in the fog.... it will really clear your head.