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- Seascape color study continued

Continued Color Study:

Next stage:  Adding more color and playing with texture.

 I am not an efficient painter. If production were necessary to my making a living, I would definitely  starve. I have not developed a method to turn out paintings in a regular rhythm.  The best explanation (or excuse) I have is that I rely more on my intuition  than I do confidence and procedure when I paint. 

 
 Confidence, I know comes with knowledge, and knowledge comes from practice, and practice comes from painting and painting and ...painting.
 But I suspect there is also a part of being productive that deals with being settled. Either you settle on a certain style, subject matter, medium, method, or even size of work. 
 I am, or have been up until now,  more of a gypsy painter. Roving from subject to subject, method to method and style after style, I haven't found a home or settled down. Not exactly a formula for increasing productivity is it?

 Still exploring. This is part of  the production slow down. Even though I started this painting with a thumbnail and a color sketch, I am still exploring the scene. Still creating, arranging, re-arranging objects, light, and color as I paint.

 Work in progress

I am enjoying this intuitive method. But someday this gypsy painter would like to settle down.

 
 

 

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- Rough Seas -Manicuring Thumbnail Sketches and Growing Ideas

Thumbnail sketches have not been a common practice with me.

I have always been too eager to jump right into painting relying on my photo reference or even the plein air scene in front of me to generate the composition and ideas. However, recently I have started a new habit that not  only keeps me tuned into my creative side  while I am at work but also helps me formulate concepts that make my work more personal.

 Every year, especially at this time of year, you can find these small checkbook size calendars or daytimers. I discarded the calendar and folded some scrap paper (roughly 5 3/4"x6 1/2") and stapled the center.  Sliding them into the  calendar cover,  I have my own thumbnail sketch book.   The ideas flow out during the day and only take about 60 seconds. Then when I get home, I pick which ones I want to develop further into color sketches, like the thumbnail of the ship.

I have no idea or what a schooner actually looks like other than it has sails. I don't have reference for  details of the boat or the sea but I have my imagination. So relying on that,  I am developing the concept " ship at sea, rough water"  I started by reusing an old daily painting canvas board that I covered over with a gray green mix. I originally thought of a night scene but I must have waited too long because by the time I got to adding some color...

 The sun was breaking through the clouds on the horizon.

 I am sticking with a very limited palette to ensure my colors harmonize.

 I also wanted to stay away from white. The details may not be correct, that doesn't matter. It's the feeling and idea that you want to capture.

click on the image to enlarge the painting

"Heading Out"

color sketch 5"x7"

oil on canvas board

Seems an appropriate theme as we start a new year. Happy painting , happy new year! Enjoy the voyage.

daily painting practice - painting wet rocks is a slippery ordeal

click on the image to enlarge the painting

Schoodic Point

work still  in progress

18"x36"

oil on canvas

Rocks, fog, moving waves ... I have painted them over and over and over and I am not  satisfied. That is, I am not satisfied at this moment.
The thing that is driving me crazy  on this one is that  sometimes I love how the painting feels...an hour later I come back and  it looks stiff and unfinished.    agggghhhh! the price I must pay  to the painting gods.

Here's another I am starting just to keep my sanity.   Sometimes a little diversion helps.

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!