This month's challenge for Girls Just Wanna Paint is "Maine". I spend two weeks each summer in Maine on Monhegan Island, and have been going to Midcoast Maine near Pemaquid for decades. The Maine coastal air has a beautiful crisp quality and sparkle. I decided to paint my take on Maine diner, which could be in any one of a number of coastal towns overlooking the local harbor. You can see the process photos below. My intention was to show the conversation of this couple inside, with the active harbor beyond the
windows in the bright of day. My initial design had two women, one younger, one older, having lunch, but I changed it to a man and woman having lunch. I liked the contrast of the interior against the general boat shapes and sky outside. Eventually I glazed everything inside with a warm to unify the interior. I moved a few things around, lowering the lantern to break the line of the beam, and removing one of the dock posts outside, which was interfering with the intimacy of
the conversation between the dating couple by obscuring the interesting profile of her face.
As always, thanks for looking and for your interest. You know I love your comments.
I continue to carry a few of my blank coasters with me each day. This past month, I drew on them in The Snug, as I watched two men have a conversation at the bar, and at Flann O'Briens the night of the ill-fated Bruins 7th game in the Stanley Cup Finals, and out to dinner after a movie one night with my husband. I enjoy drawing on the coasters in pen in any restaurant setting, then adding watercolor later from my head, using colors that suit the mood of the scene. I am going to try adding a finish to the coasters, and am amassing a nice-sized collection. They look wonderful side by side and tell a story.
These are my six hundred twentieth, six hundred twenty-fourth and six hundred twenty-sixth daily drawings. As always, thank you for looking and for your interest.
This is such a busy time at school. Students are catching up on missing work, studying for finals, and excited by the warm weather and promise of summer. I am working hard to keep students engaged, to review learned materials, to challenge the interested students, and to grade all the work. Today I stepped outside with my lunch, sat on a bench for a blissful fifteen minutes and drew the trees in the school's front yard and beyond. You can't see it, but the yard to the right was filled with kindergarten students laughing and jumping and digging in the dirt with twigs while they navigated their recently created social mores. It was peaceful, and a welcome break from the hectic inside atmosphere.
This is my six hundred twelfth daily drawing. As always, thank you for looking and for your interest.
The theme for this month's Girls Just Wanna Paint challenge is "fashion". As soon as I began to ponder, last year's royal wedding jumped into my head. I remember the morning, setting the alarm to watch all the pageantry, and to listen to all the commentary about the thoughtfulness that went in to the ceremony, including honoring Diana. I remember that Meghan Markle walked half way down the cathedral alone, followed by a cadre of adorable children, and then was met by Prince Charles for the remainder of the walk, a couple of meaningful statements. Bottom line, I loved it. This is my value study for a painting I am putting together. I took the photo from my television during the festivities. This is my six hundred eighth daily drawing. Thank you, as always, for looking.
I scooted into town tonight for an impromptu dinner with my daughter. She suggested the Dogwood, a nice pub with good pizza an interesting beer list. We ate at the "social table" which meant sitting up high and possibly getting to know your neighbors. It was a good vantage point for my latest coaster art.
Nice evening all together. Thanks for looking. This is my six hundred fifth daily drawing. I appreciate your thoughts.
This month's challenge for Girls Just Wanna Paint is "Maine". I spend two weeks each summer in Maine on Monhegan Island, and have been going to Midcoast Maine near Pemaquid for decades. The Maine coastal air has a beautiful crisp quality and sparkle. I decided to paint my take on Maine diner, which could be in any one of a number of coastal towns overlooking the local harbor. You can see the process photos below. My intention was to show the conversation of this couple inside, with the active harbor beyond the 
