Pigment of the Imagination--show at NAA

I have entered my "Carnival" a colorful abstract painting in the Newburyport Art Association's show that runs from October 19th to November 11th. It's a large format painting which you can view under the "abstracts" section of my web page. A young daugher of a friend of mine made up a whole story from looking at this painting about a clowd at a carnival. Happy Halloween.

Taos pictures

It seems my memory card is corrupted, but I took it to the camera store and they put them onto a disk, and I was also able to download them via my printer port.

Report on current work: I've sorted all my unfinished work from workshops over the past year and have begun to work on them. I want to clean up all these unfinished paintings (like spring cleaning) and then I can move on. I completed 5 so far this week. From this process I've learned that it's important to finish them while they are fresh in your mind.

Taos Painting Workshp

Well, I'm back from Taos and Santa Fe. What a trip! Lots of painting. Julie was great, scenery was great, the 9 people I lived with were great! I'm just getting unpacked and resettled. Today when I tried to download 396 pictures from my camera, it wouldn't download. Ohhh Noooooooooo.

I've put a painting in the current Newburyport show--trying to keep current with all these art activities and paint at the same time, what a challenge. I hope I can report soon that I've been able to download my pictures, and that I've been able to complete some of the paintings I've started.

Santa Fe and Taos AGAIN!

I'm pretty psyched. I'm headed to New Mexico again. I just love Santa Fe--will do Canyon Raod--and will be spending a week in Taos on a workshop with Julie Airoldi and hanging out with my friend Dale Partiss Greene.

I've been good lately, doing lots of value studies. Must have done at least 6 today. Since I like to work quickly, I've been using acrylics and might just take them to NM.

Newburyport Show

The 2007 Fall Members' Juried Show is now showing at the Newburyport Art Association from Sept. 21 to October 14.

I had a great August studying with Michael Chesley Johnson on Campobello Island in New Brunswick doing 5 x 7's and 8 x 10's in the most amazingly beautiful spots of gorgeous scenery and also in Lubec on the U.S. side. The people there are so nice. Michael paints in the method that I like and his instruction is right on the mark. He helped me with a lot of my problems. Maybe the biggest was to use more paint.

I'm getting ready to start a painting a day for 30 days. Let's see if I can do it.

Roller Skating Nationals 07

This is the only student I retained after retiring from coaching last October. I was very proud of her performance in Youth International Solo Dance this month in Omaha, Nebraska. My husband, George, had three placements. Nine of our skaters qualified to enter the nationals. www.skateland.com/instruc.html

August Adventures

This, unfortunately, has not been much of a painting month, but that is about to change. I've been reading art books fevorishly and now I'm headed to Campobello Island, New Brunswick, to do a plain air workshop with Michael Chesley Johnson! I also signed up for a 9 week class with Maris Platais at Lexington LACS starting the week I get home from Canada.

Pam and Charles

I just came home with my 5 paintings that were in the Newburyport Art Association's recent exhibiiton by the New England Abstract Group. It was a very nice show, many of my friends were able to attend, and I thank them for going. In the adjacent gallery an artist by the name of Pamela Giarratana was having a one-woman show. Her work is very inspiring and her colors are gorgeous. She mentioned an artist by the name of Charles Sovek and I looked up his web page to see if I could take classes with him, but very unfortunately, he recently passed away. I'm so sorry I missed working with him. His web site is the most amazing one I've come across so far: http://www.sovek.com/index.htm

I'm all out of paper but heading to the store to get some so I can print out probably 100 pages of excellent information.

Last Kevin Shea Workshop

May 29th was the last session of plein air painting and we have great weather out at Plum Island. Kevin showed why we should wear dark clothing as the white shirts would reflect a lot of light onto the canvas. Now if I can only get myself to go out alone and paint!

Kevin's Workshop, week 6

Market Square, Newburyport was the site for today's painting session. It was cold and rainey, but, like typical New England weather, it was clearing up by noon and very warm. Painting under these conditions was much nicer than I thought it would be. I'm a big fan of Gustave Caillebotte's Paris Street-rainy weather http://www.artic.edu/artaccess/AA_Impressionist/pages/IMP_4.shtml. Next week we plan to return to Market Square.

Last week I toured art galleries in Santa Fe, Taos and Albuquerque. It was a sensational trip. That is the place to go for every kind of art.

Chain Bridge Island - Week 4

We had wonderful weather today, best all week. Kevin chose to gather on the Chain Bridge side of the island on the Merrimac River between Newburyport and Amesbury. The discussion was about brush sizes and the use of brushes. I'll be away next week, but the group will probably return to this spot.

I'm going to Albuquerque, Sante Fe and Taos on an art gallery tour with four friends for a week.

I have a painting up at the "Painted Word" show currently hanging at the Newburyport Art Association. It's a good show, try to go if you can.

Newman Rd - week 3

It was a full house yesterday on Newman, everyone showed up. Painting the marsh is difficult for all of us and especially when the wind is blowing at 25 mph! Kevin kept us all in a good mood--we all deserve "A" for effort.

Annisquam plain air w/Margaret

Margaret and I went to Annisquam and found a beautiful spot and we each painted one painting and a quick sketch of a second one. We were there for probably 2 1/2 hours and the weather was perfect. I should have taken a picture of Margaret's work, sorry I didn't.

Tomorrow I take my entries to Nbpt NAA for submission to the "Painted Word" show.

First warm day

Gorgeous day today for the first time this year. After working in the yard for 5 hours, I started to work on studio paintings. I just had to celebrate and do something bright. It's 36" by 48".

Tomorrow Margaret Bernier and I are heading out to Annisquam to do plein air painting!

Lowell's Boat Shop

Kevin Shea's group met today at the famous oldest boathouse/boat builders in America "Lowell's Boat Shop". Joanne Gauthier from Hudson NH joined us today. We painted indoors because of the storm system that has been here all week. I didn't take pictures of everyone's paintings this week, sorry, I guess I was engrossed in my work. I only got the drawing and blocking in done before it was time to go. I like the composition and the darks and lights. My challenge will be to keep the darks dark and get my values right. I may try to paint a copy of this one from scratch and save working on the original for a return trip to the boat house. Next week we return to Newman Road--weather permitting.

Newman Rd

I am blocking in to begin these paintings and I'm trying to get the color scheme of the Pissarro for the marsh grasses. So far, this is difficult for me. I hope to report soon that I am getting the concept.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Four of us, Gini Littlefield, Jean Rohran, Allie and myself, showed up to paint with Kevin Shea’s 8 week outdoor painting class. It was probably 40 degrees upon our arrival with a little wind. We were all bundled up. We painted the marsh on Newman Road in Newburyport and will go there again next week.

We got right to business, with Allie blocking in her painting before the rest of us were even set up. She is busy with family schedules and had to leave a little early. We three got a good start on ours and did leave at noon as it was pretty chilly.

I was very surprised that the cold didn’t bother me at all. The biggest surprise was the gloves. I thought I would not be able to paint with gloves on, but I actually liked it. I think I’ll get a second one started in my studio so next week I can work on both on location.
I took pictures of today’s efforts.

my new blog

April 9, 2007, Monday

I am very excited with this blog idea. I can't wait to hear back from viewers about their art experiences or their comments on mine. I'll be going outside tomorrow morning to paint plein air from 9 am to noon in the Newburyport area (Massachusetts). It's supposed to warm up to the 40's, but that is still pretty cold for me. I hope you will enjoy my blog. Please reply.