Day 112 "Overlook" watercolor & ink 7 x 9

When walking down the Burnt Head hill on Monhegan Island, there is this quick peek of the ocean, and the mainland 12 miles distant as you crest the hill.  The hill then drops into the village, bringing you down to sea level.  I love this sweet house, just as rustic and warm on the inside as out.  Looking forward to my time on Monhegan Island this summer.

This is my hundred twelfth daily drawing.  Thank you for your interest.

"Simply Simon's" oil 10 x 10 w.i.p.

  The house we rent each year on Monhegan Island is up Horn Hill, steep walk, but well worth it with its open floor plan, view of the mainland 12 miles distant above Manana, 240 degree (math teacher estimate) vista, glorious sunsets and views of approaching weather.  Half way down the hill is a flat area with a granite block bench and small memorial to Bill Cameron, a longtime resident who passed away in 2009.  A small sign invites visitors and asks them to "leave no trace".  I love pausing there, and painting there from above the village.  Tucked in behind a graceful pine is the home of artists Arline Simon and Moe Oberman, both of whom we met when we first began visiting the island about 15 years ago.  Moe and Arline are not on the island this year, and their absence is felt.  Here is a blog post about Arline, me and a painting swap over 5 months, and another about a visit with them, and a last post about dinner at their house when we discovered Moe's love of Fred Astaire.  The last one includes one of my favorite Astaire dance numbers, in the toy store from movie "Easter Parade".  So, I spent some time sitting above their house and painting this week, remembering their joy and sass. The painting is not quite finished; I will post again when I complete it.  Whatever happens to this eclectic home, I will always think of it as Simply Simon's, and thank God for the day I followed Arline's small shingle arrow pointing behind the  hedge to her studio.... "A. Simon  T, Th 2-4".   Here is a video of Arline being interviewed a few years ago about her work here on Monhegan.  

As always, thanks for looking.  I love your comments.

Monhegan Sketchbook July 3rd and 4th and Joseph Welch, a hero

 What an interesting couple of days.  Fog and sun, clouds, then rain, fog, clouds, sun.  4th of July celebrations were rushed and or cancelled up and down the coast as Hurricane Arthur threatens, and Monhegan's charming fireworks free for all down by the beach has been postponed until tomorrow night, so we'll miss it.  I meandered with my sketchbook, added a few new sketches of the foggy harbor, and a some other local vignettes.

Our friends Arline Simon and Mo Oberman arrived on the island yesterday so I stopped by their studio.  I wrote about them last fall after Arline and I exchanged paintings across several months. She surprised me as we departed Monhegan Island last summer, and I surprised her at the opening of her solo show at the Upstream Gallery in Dobb's Ferry, NY last fall.  

Arline's show included several drawings of Arline's from the McCarthy hearings of the 1950s.  To hear Arline tell the tale, she was watching the hearings on TV and was struck by the sheer evil of McCarthy's face and demeanor.  She grabbed her book and began sketching. Over fifty years later, her daughter, designer Emily Oberman discovered her mother's drawings in a portfolio, and designed a book "Pentagram Papers 43: Drawing McCarthy".   Arline brought her repro of the Joseph Welch drawing up to Monhegan for us after we purchased it last fall.  I did a little research into Joseph Welch.  He was the chief counsel to the Army during the McCarthy hearings. The era is very meaningful to me.  My father was an FBI agent in NYC during the 1950s.  When he transferred from his initial assignment in Arkansas to NY, his superiors assigned him to investigating purported  Communist sympathizers among US citizens.  He told me that he had no interest in that witch hunt.  Dad requested a transfer to the crimes division, which is how he saw his role in law enforcement.  I'm proud of him for making that move.

Here's a little video of the hearings that Arline responded to so beautifully with her pen and paper; the hearings that had nothing to do with my father's work what so ever.  

McCarthy vs Welch "decency"

Every day on Monhegan is interesting. Today was certainly no exception.

Thanks for looking, and as always, I appreciate your comments.

"Over Oberman's" - A Friendship, and A Swap

Over Oberman's  oil

 When we started visiting Monhegan Island ten or so years ago, I began visiting artists' studios.  On the walk down Horn Hill is a small fragment of shingle wedged in between a smaller couple of supporting sticks. The shingle quietly announces: "A. Simon  Tue, Thurs 2-4". It has an arrow.  Hmmmm.  Is there a Simon somewhere in there?  Man or woman?  And, where?  

The arrow points to a grassy knoll, with wonderful view over the village.  A. Simon.  So, I followed the arrow, and found a gap in a hedge.  Stepping through revealed a lovely old house, and studio perched on the side of the hill.   Turns out A. Simon is Arline Simon, of Yonkers and Monhegan Island, wife of artist Moe Oberman. Her work is exciting!  And, though my family moved from New York when I was of pre-school age, Arline's quick wit and accent felt like coming home. 

Tam's Notch by Arline Simon

Soon after, I began my Arline Simon collection with a striking image of Manana which I cherish. Visiting Arline in her studio has become one of the highlights of our Monhegan visits. 


This past summer, I was admiring one of Arline's pieces.  She and I talked about a trade.  Arline and Moe planned to look at my site to choose something, but didn't have a chance before we were heading off Island Saturday morning.  Just before the ferry pulled in, Arline came down the hill and handed me a bag containing her painting and a bouquet of wildflowers. (Tradition says, flowers given to you as you leave the island mean you will return.)  So moving.

With Arline at the dock

 We communicated this fall about completing our   trade, but hadn't yet succeeded when an invitation  arrived for Arline's semi-annual show at the Upstream Gallery in Dobb's Ferry, NY.  Long story a little shorter, I did a painting of Arline and Moe's home from above on the grassy knoll; we headed off to New York to surprise Arline at her opening, to see her new work (which is striking!), and to complete the exchange.  So glad we did.  Arline and Moe were so surprised!  We also had a chance to meet Jerry Vis,  to see his wonderful work and talk about his process.  Great weekend all around!

 

With Arline at Upstream Gallery