Got another day to paint!

The forecast had said rain for Monday, but I think it blew through briefly overnight, because today was partly sunny and windy. I went back to the point to tweak yesterday's painting in front of the landscape, instead of in the studio. I got there about 11:30, and the light wasn't right yet, so I mixed some colors. I repainted the side of the house in total shade because I thought it would look better. I put fresh paint everywhere on the painting. I defined around the tree and worked a little bit on the water, and repainted the grass. Suddenly it was 2:30 and I felt like I was starting to "tickle" it too much, so I decided to stop. I'll look at it a while and probably will make adjustments in the studio.

I was so happy to get another day to paint here! Windy and chilly.

House and tree by the sea, oil on canvas, 14"x18"

(click the image for a larger view)

Last painting of this trip? Maybe.

Today was another gloriously beautiful day! We went to the point of the road where our Airbnb is located. It's the end of a little peninsula, and the road makes a loop and comes back. We walk it every day, and I've noted some beautiful views that I'd like to paint, but there isn't any place to park or even pull a car over - everything is somebody's property. Today we drove over and talked to somebody who lives in the best house on the point. He had just had his septic system replaced, and so he said he didn't want anybody on his new grass seed, but he pointed out the houses that had nobody there, and said nobody would mind if we painted from those yards. So we got to park in a driveway, and after walking around a little, we each chose a view. It was so warm and sunny out that I chose to stand in a shady area behind a house where there was a cool breeze. At first it was delightful, but after an hour or so it became chilly and then downright cold! But I powered on. This is unfinished - I rapidly scrubbed in color on the house and green grass, and will repaint those areas in the studio. It was so pleasant painting while listening to the surf as the tide came in.

Work in progress, House by the sea, oil on canvas, 14"x18"

(click the pictures for a larger view)

This may be the last painting day, I'm not sure. It was supposed to rain tomorrow, but now it looks like it won't, so we may get another painting session in. Tuesday and Wednesday we're going to Portland where my son lives, Thursday we're going to visit Bangor and see a friend, Friday we're cleaning the house, and Saturday morning we leave. Four weeks fly by. Next time I may have to get a rental for the whole summer!

A beautiful morning, a cold afternoon

We went back over to Martha Beck Dr, the nearby street that has the wonderful view of rocks that I keep painting. I wanted to finish the painting I started there yesterday afternoon, but the tide was too different, so I turned to the left and painted the view into some trees, with the sea beyond. I was bundled up, but it was so warm and sunny over there that I shed some layers. I didn't finish this one, but either I will finish it in the studio or maybe we'll go back there tomorrow.

Trees and sea, oil on canvas, 14"x16"

The tide and light started looking about the same as yesterday, so I put this first painting aside and pulled out the unfinished one from yesterday. The tide was high and started going out. The sun was starting to go behind some trees and it got decidedly chillier and windy. I put all my layers back on, but still felt pretty cold. I feel like I improved this painting from yesterday, but I may do a little more to it in the studio. I think that island on the right may be Monhegan again. I stopped when we completely lost the light and my fingers were too cold to work anymore.

View from Martha Beck Drive, oil on canvas, 16"x20"

Morning at the lighthouse

We went back to the lighthouse bright and early this morning. It was 15 or 20 degrees colder than yesterday, but it warmed up to the low 50s and the wind was light. There weren't many clouds and the light was just about the same as yesterday. We painted from the same area, but I faced away from the lighthouse and painted the rocks instead. The rocks here are so interesting! You can read about them on Wikipedia under Pemaquid Point Light.

Pemaquid Point rocks, oil on canvas board, 6"x8"

I am going to work on this a little bit more in the studio.

Here I am, bundled up for the chilly morning:

I'm having a great time! I have my sun hat on over my warm cap, that's why I look so goofy!

After going home for lunch, we went back to that great spot I painted at twice before.around the corner from our house. It was 2 in the afternoon, and we painted until 4:30. The sun goes behind the trees and the rocks lose the light. We will go back tomorrow to finish up, it's forecast to be a beautiful day! This is as far as I got, it's a pretty big canvas.

...to be continued, oil on canvas, 16"x20"

(click the pictures for a larger view)

We painted a lighthouse

After 4 days of fog and rain, (yesterday it POURED all day,) this morning dawned clear, warm and beautiful. We went to Pemaquid Point Lighthouse to paint. At first the sun was shining, then a few clouds came along, then a few more, and soon the sun was covered. Just as I had put the clouds into my painting, they all blew away and the sky was clear and cloudless. So I decided to remove the clouds from my painting. It also got super windy for a while, which almost knocked my brushes in their holder onto my palette, but luckily I caught them before they hit the palette. It was so warm that I had to roll up my sleeves. I had brought extra warm clothes, because I didn't know how it would feel down at the point, but it was just a wonderful, windy, warm (in the 60s) day. 

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, oil on canvas, 12"x16"

(click the pictures for a larger view)

After I finished painting (or rather was forced to stop because the light changed too much - I will tweak it a little in the studio,) I walked around and took some photos of the birds and the waves. That island off in the distance is Monhegan, I think. We're going back tomorrow to knock out another quick painting there. It's only a 9-minute drive from our house.

Me and my painting buddies

Rocks, birds and waves

I think that island off in the distance is Monhegan. I would love to visit it on another trip.

This is the spot!

I went back to the same spot I painted yesterday, and decided that I could paint there for the rest of the trip and never use it up! It's just so beautiful and amazing, and very quiet and private. There are houses, but either they are empty or the people are just not coming out. 

The tide was almost low when I started, and then it started coming back in. That, I think is the ideal time, with either high tide or low tide in the middle. It doesn't seem to change as radically. The day was clear and the light didn't really change until the sun started going down. 

I intended to include more in the painting - there was a pine tree on the left that I meant to include - but somehow I just focused on the rocks and made them bigger than they would have been. That island in the distance was actually much further to the left, but I moved it!

Painting moving water feels impossible - there is a rhythm to the waves, but in looking out and then painting them, I always seem to catch the waves at different points. I tried not to make them look too even - I hope it works.

I'm looking forward to going back tomorrow and trying a larger canvas.

oil on Senso linen panel, 9"x12"

click the picture for a larger view

Cold and Windy

When you walk up the street to the right of our house, after walking uphill through some beautiful, deep woods, you come around a curve and get a glimpse of the ocean. 

I've been wanting to paint there since we arrived. There's a beautiful little cove that the waves endlessly run into. It's so relaxing to stare at. I walk over there almost every day, at least once. It's about .3 miles away, and has a good steep hill so your heart really gets going! 

This morning I walked over there to see how the light was. Since it faces east, the sun was blinding on the water. So no morning painting there. I went back around 2:30, and the light was perfect! Of course, I drove over, since .3 miles up a steep hill is just too much with all my gear. There's a little area where one car can park. The wind was very stiff over there and the temperature felt much colder than on our side. I had to go back home and get my down vest and hat (I had also forgotten to pack my brushes (!) I got them, too.

I took a photo of what I was going to paint, and got busy.

And here is my painting:

oil on canvas panel, 6"x8"

This is the first time I've attempted to paint surf, and I really enjoyed it. I'm going to have to tweak this a bit, because the ocean color needs to get lighter and more desaturated as it moves toward the horizon. I'd also like to clean up the horizon line, since I didn't have a straight edge or even a mahl stick to steady my hand. Since I was seriously freezing, and the light was starting to change, I had to stop. I will definitely return to this spot to paint again.

Painting from indoors

Five days since my last painting! It's been windy, rainy, and gray, and that's been my excuse. Also had family here, and the time flew by. They left yesterday, but this morning was cold and windy and beautifully sunny. So I decided to paint the view from inside, which was one of the main reasons I chose this Airbnb - that view!!!

Those of you who would like to look on Google Maps, we are in Chamberlain, in Bristol, Maine, on the peninsula that has Pemiquid Light at the end. Our house is on the eastern side of the peninsula, near the top of Long Cove, on the east side, facing west across the water. The large living room windows face south, down the length of Long Cove. I like the house next door, gray with white trim. The light changed dramatically during the course of the painting, but I tried not to change the painting with it. I will tweak it later, because I'm not happy with that tree behind the house. I'll probably tweak the color of the grass in the sun, also.

oil on linen panel, 9"x12"

click the photos for a larger view

Long Cove

 Okay, it's been a few days - Thursday was super windy (I hate painting in the wind) and Friday was a torrential rain and wind storm that knocked our power out for about eight hours. Today I painted just a couple of houses down, looking back up toward the end of the cove. It was a gray day, with light to medium breezes, not too cold. The tide was coming in. I'm still not happy with what I'm producing. The light was changing a lot, as the sun peeked through every now and then, and when the breeze died down, the water became more mirror-like, then changed again as the breeze picked back up. My canvas was 12"x16", a lot of ground to cover in a big hurry. I got it all covered, but I will go back in and tweak it here and there in the studio. I still feel like it's a big mess, but at least I'm trying!

Painting with the Plein Air Painters of Maine

I searched on Facebook before coming to Maine and found this great group, Plein Air Painters of Maine, and joined it on Facebook. They posted about their paint out this morning at a beautiful blueberry farm, and I was able to join them. It was foggy when I left my house this morning, but by the time I got there, it was a picture-perfect fall day. The blueberry fields were a gorgeous deep red color. Lots of interesting buildings, too. I chose this view of a white structure with tree shadows on it. I think I'll have to go back into it to better define the stone wall. So pleasant!!!

Second painting

 It was such a nice day that I had to go out again, and even though it was already after 4 pm, I raced and got another painting under my belt. It was the golden hour. I feel better about this one, but it's still not quite what I was going for. Here it is, with a photo of my view. The tide was going out.

First day of painting

 Yesterday was cold and drizzly, so I didn't paint. I did walk around and take pictures, though. We also went to Damariscotta to see the pumpkin art! Then there was a beautiful sunset and the promise of a clearer day.

Today was much better weather, so I painted the view from right in front of our house. This was the first plein air painting I've done in years, so I'm kind of rusty. I timed my session to begin about an hour before high tide, and I painted for about 2 1/2 hours. Then I figured I'd better stop, even though there was more I could do. I may touch it up in the studio. Here is a photo I took of the scene, and my painting. I'm not that happy with it, but it's OK for the first one. It felt good.

View from my front yard

I broke the ice with this oil pastel of the view from just in front of the house. When I started, the sun was shining, but then the clouds moved in and it got pretty cold! Then the sun broke through and it warmed up for a few minutes. The neighbors have a very pretty garden. Oil pastel, 9"x12"

New Adventure in Maine!

I have not been using this Blog since 2008! I'm starting it up again, in the same spirit as before. Once Facebook and Instagram came along, I forgot about blogging, but it's fun and so now I'm back! It's interesting to look back at my old blog posts.

I am in Bristol, Maine in an Airbnb for FOUR WEEKS!!!!! Today is the first full day here, so I've been walking around near my house and taking lots of pictures, finding good painting spots. The weather is bright and sunny and quite breezy. Just beautiful here! I can't wait to start painting, probably tomorrow!

This is right in front of my house. It's close to high tide in this photo. At low tide the water is almost completely gone. I love tidal areas, no end of interest for a painter.

Just a short walk from my house

This is right around the corner from my house, in the other direction

There are cormorants on that rock!

Thanks for looking. I'll be posting all the art I do here, so check back often.