Painting in Maine- A new day another painting

Just finished!

Started plein air in Rockport, Maine. It took a while but I completed the last 10% in the studio. That last ten percent may have been fewer strokes and  adding details but those  strokes clear up and tighten up the whole painting. I am terrible at painting crisp lines in the field.

Rockport, Maine

Waiting Room

16x20

oil on linen canvas panel

Daily Painting Practice - I have relocated and now I am Painting in Maine

I have moved to Maine!

It has been a long time since my last post , and now you know why.  Moving here is a dream come true for me. Maine has so much to offer artists.  

Like a rugged coast....

 

Scenic mountain views...

 

or this future painting site ( which is  just up the road)

 Our trip from Omaha to Searsport, Maine would have made a great movie. It had everything Hollywood would want; Drama (not everything fit in the truck),  Mystery ( why would the GPS  send us to a dark deserted road at 2 AM and tell us we have arrived at our destination?),  Suspense (bordering on terror)  and of course...  Comedy (What happens when you pull into a motel after 14 hours on the road and they tell you no trucks allowed... ha,ha,ha,ha).  I'll spare you all the details but one, because this is an art blog.  My art adventure is part of the comedy. 

I needed to deliver my  painting "Crescendo" to  the Maine-Art  gallery in Kennebunkport, Maine for a show I was invited to participate in.  The opening was scheduled one week after we  moved in and the painting had to arrive that week. Since we were passing by ( they are 3 hours south of our new home)  I decided to pack the painting last and deliver it to the gallery on our way, instead of having it shipped.  Nice plan... The truck  was packed so tight the painting box barely squeezed in. ( I  actually tied a bike on the outside of the truck)

 When we did arrive in Kennebunkport, the 48 foot moving truck with car trailer attached was too long to maneuver the tiny road to the gallery so I had to park on the busy main road, untie the bike to get to the door, open the door without  letting the contents tumble out, snatch the box ( 40"x52") and carry it on my head, down the street to the gallery. 

All of this after a three day driving nightmare.  I was dirty, sweaty, unshaven and low on sleep.  Besides that, I was deaf from the engine noise and smelled of  diesel and  dog (she was in the front seat with us). 

This was my way of introducing myself to the gallery.

They were very gracious though and the show was wonderful.

"Crescendo"  at the Maine-Art Gallery in Kennebunkport, Maine

More adventures coming soon!

 

Daily Painting Practice - Maine Coastal Seascape - Thumbnail & several color sketches

This thumbnail sketch was only the beginning to a grand painting adventure.

 Who would have guessed that the small  sketch on the right could turn into so much fun? 
I started with a pre-toned 5"x7" canvas and just scrubbed in some darks.  The concept was "rough seas".

 A very limited palette of colors again.  Though this time I added Viridian Green to the mix. I  thought a ship might add some drama... or might just be fun to  try and paint.

 Definitely have the stormy seas going.  This is what I like  about photographing my sketches as they progress because...

 They change. But I still have a record of the previous idea.

 As you can see, my sea voyage continued for a while longer. The weather became much more dramatic. That is, until the sun came out and the storm passed.

 

 click on the image  to enlarge the painting

After the Storm

oil sketch - 5"x7"

oil on canvas board

I wonder where the boat went.

Daily Painting Practice - Schoodic Point Maine painting in progress

I have been making small steps on increasing my output while trying not to give up anything on quality. Here is my latest attempt.

click on the image to enlarge the painting

Schoodic Point

work in progress

18"x36"

oil on canvas

I  have always wanted to do an ocean painting in Maine and especially one on a foggy day. I was inspired by Winslow Homer's work.

This is the first pass.  I have  deliberately painted the foreground rocks  a bit  warmer and sharper than the rocks in the back, leaving the back ground edges fuzzier and the paint thinner. I also am enjoying the greens and  purple blues of the water in contrast with the  orange and gray blue of the rocks.

Detail

Detail

I found this  video on YouTube that someone shot  at the very spot of my painting.  It is  very beautifully  done. Enjoy!

Daily Painting Progress - Painting Down East Maine

I have not posted for a while, but  I  have a good excuse  for at least one week. I have been on vacation ( painting/business trip for tax purposes)  in Maine  for a week.  Maine is an incredible  place to paint/visit/eat/relax... We spent the week  along the coast, just past  Bar Harbor.

  Plein air painting is hard enough when the light changes every  10 minutes, shadows move or disappear completely when the sun decides to hide behind the clouds. The wind also was interesting. It pulled my painting umbrella right out of it's support.( I should have read the instructions on how to keep the umbrella attached)

But up here along the  northern  coast of Maine there is an added  complication.  Tides. The Bay of Fundy is not too far away and they  have the  highest  tide changes in the world. ( 55 feet).   We didn't have that much change in the tide  but it is noticeable during a painting session.
( look at the photo above) Here I am at the beginning. Do you see any rocks in the water?

An hour or so later.  Do you see the difference? No water, more rocks.

One great thing about painting in Maine is that you can literally turn in any direction or walk a few feet and sit down and paint an entirely different subject.

This isn't 20 feet from the first photo.

Of course another thing Maine is famous for is the fog. I think it has more fog than anywhere else in the world. So, in addition to tides,wind, sun, angry seagulls,  there is fog.

  Or  do you call it mist? I call it a challenge. Especially when it changes color and  thickness each minute or two. Mother Nature and I played this game of  "now you  see the coast and now you don't."

Anyway here's three little color studies. I have so many painting ideas I don't know where to begin.

Oh, before I forget. Another reason this was a business trip. I just got into another Gallery... right here in Maine! So I better get painting!

Daily Painting Practice - How to Get in the Right Mood to Paint Maine

I often wonder how many other artists approach paintings in the same way I do. I think I spend more time thinking and trying to feel my way through painting then I do actually pushing paint.

As I begin to paint this scene of coastal Maine, I need to find a way to feel like I am there.... in Maine! ( Which isn't the easiest thing to do sitting in a basement in Nebraska).

So, I do a lot of sitting back and staring at the canvas using my imagination to make the scene real to me. But sometimes even more drastic measures are needed.

I had to put on my hat and boots and get a cup of blueberry tea. I also started listening to old sea shanties and snorting salt water.

You also can see my latest addition to the routine. I started wearing disposable gloves to keep the toxins out. I got a package of fifty fairly cheap at Home Depot. I use the Nitrile gloves not the latex or vinyl because they are not for use with turpentine.