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.
I love my vacation. I'm seeing friends, getting a lot of things taken care of around the house, grading a giant bag of work before next week, listening to my favorite radio, reading, drawing, enjoying the week. While taking care of some paperwork today, I looked up and saw the sun making this interesting pattern on the wall from a front window. I sketched it in in pen, used gray markers for the values, then added some watercolor pencil and pastel to finish. The drawing is mostly successful, but interestingly, the trees through the window look like they are glued on as an afterthought. I need to resolve an issue with the temperature and values in that space, but I left it for now because the illusion is so interesting to me.
This is my hundred fortieth daily drawing.... very interesting journey so far. Thank you for looking.
This calm little guy was hanging out on a fence post calmly nibbling a nut. He had his eye on me, but I was in the car and he stayed put for a bit. He had a beautiful shape in the shade, sort of hidden below the trees under the dappled sun. Just a quiet moment before we both went on our ways. This is my hundred seventeenth drawing. Thank you for looking.
Caught these men heading over the grass on their way to fish off some Maine rocks. They look a little like a father and son walking a path they have walked many times before; moving in comfortable silence in the sparkling sunshine.
I did a light contour in pen and then used india ink in several washes. I added some china white pencil in a few places at the end. This is my hundred sixteenth daily drawing. Each involves ink in some way. Thanks for looking.
$200 & $10 s&h
We celebrated the 36th annual North River Arts Festival this weekend, Friday night through Sunday afternoon. I have been involved in the last twenty or so, and have been painting out in the crowd for perhaps a dozen. Each year, including this one, feels fresh, exciting, what I call "the good kind of exhausting".
This morning we attended the Memorial Day parade, gathering to honor men and women who gave their lives for our country. As the high school marching band passed, I reminded my daughter (for the umpteenth time) that I love the sound of a marching band. I love parades, and their pageantry. Our arts festival is its own type of parade, combining music, people watching, color, vignettes, charm, variety, laughter, and the joy of the culmination of months of intensive labor ... all while I'm working at my easel. Glorious May!
