"Sun n Pines" 12 x 12 oil

As spring finally feels like it might be here to stay, I begin to think about summer and time in Maine.  Our friend Natalie had a lovely cottage in South Bristol where we stayed for a week several years in a row.  The cottage is set back from its own quiet cove, separated from the water by a yard of tall pines.  I remember the sun filtering through and the tempting water just beyond.  Here is a painting of those pines, without the water, and without the house.  They created a beautiful, quiet space, a space I cherish the memory of, just as I cherish the memory of our good friend, Natalie. 
Thanks for looking.  

Day 174 "Skyline by the Bay" 5 x 9 mixed

 I was in San Francisco a few months ago for a very quick visit.  I stopped along the bay late in the afternoon, looked over my shoulder to this lovely illuminated skyline.  It was magical.  This is my hundred seventy-fourth daily drawing.  Thank you for continuing to look at the world through my eyes. 

Day 173 "Island Alley" pen & ink 6 x 9

I am continuing to revisit my photos from trips we took a few years back.  This is a drawing of an alley on Hydra, one of the Greek islands we visited.  Everything sparkles in the Mediterranean sun, and there is a lot of blue trim which enhances the effect of sparkling by the sea.The buildings create a

striking overlay of shape upon shape.  I like to pick up a piece of art whenever we travel.  I bought the painting below from a street artist.  He painted it on a shingle scrap.  I love its vibrancy, and its primitive design. 
This is my hundred seventy-third daily drawing.  Thank you for your continued interest.  It warms my hearts.

Day 172 "Aegean Sky" 6 x 8 ink, marker, watercolor pencil

I love interesting architecture.  This is from a picture I took in Greece a number of years ago.  We took a day cruise from Athens to Hydra, and another island.  The sun sparkles off the whitewashed buildings.  
This is my hundred seventy-second daily drawing.  I appreciate your thoughts and attention.  

Day 171 "Early Spring" ink, watercolor, pencil

March remains gray and raw.  I hung out in the car this morning before church and painted this scene across the street in my sketch book.  The pines are lovely against the sky, and I loved the sweet antique cape peeking out.  Spring is itching to burst forth, but is held in check with the low temperatures and the weekly storms we have had.  There is still snow on the ground, and it alternated between snow flurries and sleet for most of the day.  The trees are budding, which looks odd with a foot of snow on the ground.  
I found a small watercolor set in my studio, and used it today (see below).  The watercolor pans  produced color a little grainy, but I think I'll use it again.  I like the combination of colors, and it comes with a portable sable brush.   

This is my hundred seventy-first daily drawing.  Thank you for continuing to look at the world through my eyes.  

Day 167 "Hauling Traps" 6 x 9 watercolor & ink

Every summer we spend some time in Maine, catching the ferry from New Harbor over to Monhegan.  Lobster boats are part of the landscape.  They are picturesque, hard working, colorful, iconic.  One day, I was painting on the rocks by Pemaquid Lighthouse, and this boat was circling through the nearby water hauling its traps out.  It was mesmerizing, circling in the sun, light shifting along its angles.  This is my hundred sixty-seventh daily drawing.  Thank you for taking a look at the world through my eyes. 

Pop Up page on my website. New original 8 x 10 drawings.

Announcing the new Pop Up page on my website, Jody Regan Paints.  You'll find 8 x 10 original drawings based on some of the daily drawings I have been making since October 1, 2017.  These are the first five Pop Ups, more are on their way.  Hope you take a look; thanks in advance.  

Day 166 "Hello, Honey" mixed 8 x 7

Years ago I painted a couple of honey bears with their iconic pointed caps in oil.  Tonight I copied the painting in ink, watercolor pencil, and marker.  I love the faces and character of these cute bears.  The light bounces around inside them, creating greens, oranges, and blues along with the background.  Each seems to have its own personality.  
This is my hundred sixty-sixth daily drawing.  Thank you for looking as I continue to explore.

Day 165 "Snow Shadows" 6 x 9 watercolor & ink

Although spring begins tomorrow, we have been hit by nor'easter after nor'easter storm this month. March came in like a lion, then morphed into a dragon.    In fact, they are calling this week's storm "four'easter".  The snow is beautiful on the ground.  Across the street are a number of pines, leaning into the hill.  I love the way their shadows descend down the hill below the trees.  The snow has so many colors in it.  It is gorgeous.  
This is my hundred sixty-fifth daily drawing.  Thank you so much for looking.  

Day 164 "Friends" ink, marker, pencil 7 x 6

In a neighboring town, there are lovely homes like these two, nearby one another and overlooking the bay.  I love their cottage feel, mansard roof lines, and proximity to one another.  The sun plays off their windows and dormers, making beautiful patterns.  I love that these two houses have been standing for decade upon decade, watching people come and go, and I imagine them talking to one another about the changes they see.  
This is my hundred sixty-fourth daily drawing.  Thank you for your time and attention.  

Day 163 "Lucerne" 9 x 7 pen&ink

Years ago we took a school trip which included a few days in Lucerne.  What a beautiful small city, nestled below the Alps.  We spent an afternoon walking around and found a small museum, The Rosengart Collection, which had a wonderful collection of Picasso along with Kandinsky, and some other works. The Rosengart family had just donated the building and collection to the city a few years before.  The family had been patrons of Picasso. We enjoyed wandering the streets.  
This is my hundred sixty-third daily drawing.  Thank you for looking.  

Day 162 "Lone Tree" ink and watercolor pencil 9 x 5

I was struck by this beautiful cloud and the single tree in the foreground.  It's a photo I took a while back, and I don't know where the site  is.  I need to do some more investigation, and some more exploring painting clouds.  I loved the big, blue bowl of sky above rising powerfully, without interruption above the cloud.  
This is my hundred sixty-second daily drawing.  Thank you for looking.  

Day 161 "High Street" 9 x 6 pen & ink

Once again, I love the contrast of old and new buildings in Boston.  High Street has beautiful old buildings with intricate details on the corner, with tall, slick, skyscrapers behind them. I love the streets, love the detail, love exploring the contours with my pen.
This is my hundred sixty-first daily drawing.  Thank you for looking.  

Day 160 "High Wire Act" ink and marker 6 x 9

The  Eversource crew are my heroes!  We had our third nor'easter in two weeks during the last two days.  One of our trees went over, took out the high voltage wire with an explosion, then hung itself on the remaining wires, hanging over the street.  We called the police who closed the road.  The tree remained that way overnight, and the crews came today to remove the tree, and to repair the wires.  Heat and light!!  They were great, and are working so hard.  We have been here over two decades, and have had big storms, lost no trees. The wind in these storms has been bigger than I've felt here.  I spoke to one of the line repair crew today while hanging at the local coffee shop and grading.  He told me he hasn't been home (Florida) since October 26th.  He spent 100 days in St. Thomas, which was blasted by two category 5 storms last fall.  Is weather getting more dramatic?  Seems that way today. 
My hundred sixtieth daily drawing is the heroes from Eversource who restored our electricity today.  Thanks for looking at my drawings, and for following my journey to date.  

Day 159 "Blackout" mixed 12 x 9

We had our third nor'easter in two weeks this week. One of our big trees up front went over in the wind, snapped the high voltage wire then lay across the remaining wires, cutting power for the street.  It went with a bang.  We called the police who sent someone to close the road.  This morning a crew removed the tree, then another crew restored electricity this afternoon.  Winter was calm until the beginning of March, and it hasn't stopped.  Rumor has it there is something coming next week again.  We have a wood stove here to keep us warm, and oil lamps, and a new flashlight that does the trick.  My hundred fifty-ninth drawing is our tabletop where my husband red by oil lamp, and I drew.  We heated soup atop the wood stove.  Great to have warm food.  Today I graded papers at the local coffee shop and talked with a tree crew member who had stopped in for a cup of coffee.  He told me he was just back from 100 days in St. Thomas.  We have no right to whine about a few days without power when our neighbors are struggling as they are. 
Thanks for looking at my 159th drawing, and for joining me on my drawing adventure.

Day 158 "Escape the Heat" ink and pastel 6 x 5

Every summer I spend some time at the Marshfield Fair, volunteering for a friend of mine who runs part of this lovely agricultural fair. The fair is a smorgasbord of visual interest for me.  Here's a quick sketch of a family coming through the door from outside in the heat.  
This is my hundred fifty eighth daily drawing.  I so appreciate your interest.  Thank you.

Day 157 "Wendell Street" ink and markers 9 x 6

I headed into Boston early this morning, and wandered around the neighborhoods looking at the sun making its way between the buildings.  Downtown, I stopped on Wendell street, looking down this sweet alley, with a great layering of old against new, and sunlight reflecting from the new building back onto the old.  Very interesting.  
I love drawing the city buildings, examining their architectural details stories from the street.  As the city grows, I'm afraid these lovely notes will be harder to discover, as most new buildings seem very utilitarian and streamlined.  

Holding book up in front of the alley.

This is my hundred fifty-seventh daily drawing.  I love the city, and I love your thoughts about my drawings.  Thank you for looking.

Day 156 "Into the Woods" 30 x 40 acrylic

I have a good friend who is a master gardener, which I am not.  She called yesterday to ask if I could help her out.  She was putting together several entries for her local garden club to be exhibited at the Boston Flower and Garden Show opening this week.  One of her entries is in a category called "the potting shed".  She asked me to paint a path into the woods, which will be inset into a 30 x 40 inch window with potting shed props surrounding it.  Here is my take on the path into the woods, which I painted out of my head.  It looks very good inside the "potting shed" window.  I attached a few extra pictures here of my lovely cat, Maggie, hanging out with me while I painted.  She loves knowing what's going on, and attacks the paintbrush whenever it gets too near.  The painting is 30" by 40" and is acrylic on paper.  I don't usually use acrylics, but this was fun, and interesting.  I delivered it tonight and it looks great in the window.  
This is my hundred fifty-sixth daily drawing, though this is a drawing with paint.  Thank you for your continued interest.   

Day 155 "Zakim Dusk" ink and pastel 5 x 9

I love the Zakim Bridge in Boston.  It is sleek, angular, graceful.  I enjoy its the views of shifting space as you drive to it and through it.  Recently, we were heading north out of Boston at dusk while approaching the Zakim bridge. The sky shouted out its last gasp of color as the headlights came one in the steady stream of traffic.  A few years ago, my husband, daughter and I rode the Duck Boat tour of Boston on my birthday.   It was a blast, and we drove under the Zakim on a sort of utility road that lead to the harbor.  I reveled in the new views of the Zakim Bridge above.  This is my hundred fifty-fifth daily drawing.  Truth is, I don't know from day to day what I'll draw until I sit down with my sketchbook in front of me.  This is an interesting endeavor.  Can't wait to see what's next.  Thank you for looking. 

Day 154 "Coffee Shop" pen & ink 9 x 12

During my school vacation I made a point of connecting with some also busy friends to have coffee in the morning.  We hung out, laughed, caught up, and enjoyed great coffee and atmosphere.  I enjoyed the bright space, and juxtaposition the customers coming and going.  This is my hundred fifty-fourth daily drawing.  Thank you for continuing to look at my daily journey. I enjoy your thoughts, and comments.

Day 151 "Bottom of Beacon" pen&ink 6x9

Last weekend I was in Boston briefly.  I was a little early so had a few minutes to hang in the car and draw.  I began this drawing of the beautiful row of buildings where Beacon Street intersects Charles street.  I drew from the car.  I often being by defining the space with the skyline of the buildings, thinking about the negative space as the composition grows.  Here is my start, and above, the completed drawing.  What is that little green truffula tree doing on my dashboard, you might ask?  Years ago, we went to a friend's wedding and the tables were designated with these cute little trees.  For some reason, we took ours, and attached it to the dashboard where it has stayed all these years.  
This is my hundred fifty-first daily drawing.  Thank you, as always, for looking.  

Day 153 "Thinking" 8 x 9 mixed

During our recent days without power, we had time to read, play games, and play with our cats.  Here is our cat Maggie, sitting and thinking about the paper towel tube in which I had placed a pencil.  She sat and looked and thought... then dove at the tube, digging out the pencil with ferocity.  She is quick... so quick.  This is my hundred fifty third daily drawing.  I drew in pen, added some gray marker, then used china white pencil to add a few highlights and whiskers.  Thanks for looking, as always. 

Day 152 "Genius Bar" mixed 4 x 9

We had a chance to check in at the Genius Bar for some cell phone help the other day.  They did a great job answering questions and getting us the fix we needed.  While waiting, I noticed the beautiful silhouettes of the customers and did a quick sketch of them against the windows.  The store is designed with a  wall of glass with floor to ceiling windows.  It is a little otherworldly and oddly pleasant, which is not how I ever feel about any store.  
This is my hundred fifty-second daily drawing.  For this, I painted a black rectangle using ink, then drew the silhouettes with white conte, then used some pastel to shade in the lights.  I'm intrigued by the idea and can see a painting from this design.  As always, thank you for looking. 

Day 148 "Canal" 9 x 9 pen & ink

A number of years ago, my daughter and I traveled with her middle school to Holland, Switzerland and France.  We spent a few lovely days in Amsterdam.  I loved it there, the bikes, canals, pedestrian accessibility, just lovely.  Here's a quick sketch of one of the canals.  We had a few hours on our own during which we meandered through neighborhoods and over waterways.  I loved it.
This is my hundred forty-eighth daily drawing.  Thank you for your attention.  

Day 147 "On the Ledge" 3 x 9 ink & pencil

Quick sketch after a very busy day.  On the ledge above our fireplace sit three tiny skiers, about 1.5 inches tall.  They live there, skiing across the back of the mantel, quietly, actively, with their shadows cast on the wall.  
This is my hundred forty-seventh daily drawing.  I am enjoying the process, and just finished my smaller sketchbook which I always carry with me, so am beginning a new one, and I am about to finish my larger sketchbook that stays in my sketch bag.  Thanks for checking in on my daily observations.