"Lunch Date" oil 12 x 16 - spring date along the water

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.
 

Day 546 "Sunday AM View" ink & watercolor

Sunday mornings, I usually sit in the same pew in church.  New North Church  in Hinhgam has the oldest pews in town.  They are labeled with the original pew holders' names, including Benjamin Lincoln, Revolutionary War hero who accepted Cornwallis' sword at Yorktown. Today I moved forward one pew, and saw this out the window, through the ancient rippled glass.  I drew while listening to a fascinating sermon about The Prodigal Son, where I always think the older, responsible son had a right to be cranky.  We had a lively and interesting discussion afterwards, with a variety of points of view.  Edifying.  
This is my five hundred forty-sixth daily drawing.  As always, thank you for looking, and for your continued interest in my work.

Day 497 "Sunday Morning" ink & watercolor

Sometimes I get to church early on Sunday mornings, hang out in the parlor and read, or grade quizzes, or draw.  This Sunday morning, the sun was casting beautiful shadows on the sanctuary wall I could see from my seat on the parlor couch.  New North Church in Hingham is a beautiful building, erected in 1806.  It has a long and interesting history.  I enjoy sitting inside, thinking about those who came before.

This is my four hundred ninety-seventh daily drawing.  As always, thank you for your interest.  

Day 267 "Gueros" 7 x 9 ink and pencils

Another image from this past weekend in Brooklyn, NY.  Yesterday I posted the view from our wait outside Gueros taco restaurant.  After we ordered, we stood outside on the street to wait for our order.  As you can see, there is a line of customers working their way to the counter, where an efficient and personable couple of employees make sure your order is just right.  We waited on the street, had a nice conversation with a couple who arrived on their bikes.   They encouraged us to wait with one of Gueros 20 ounce margaritas, especially on a hot night. There was also a young woman who came out of the deli next door (see yesterday's post), dropped a bottle of iced tea, which exploded across the sidewalk.  She sighed, picked up the scraps and moved the glass against the building on the edge of the sidewalk before she moved on.  She became the subject of intense discussion between two tables of diners on the sidewalk 20 feet from the breakage.  One table was pleased that she picked up what she could and moved the rest to the side.  The other table was disgusted by the fact that she left broken glass on the street.  The discussion was heating up and I was fully engaged in eavesdropping (hey, open air, tables on the street...).  A few minutes later, the woman came back with brown paper bag, cleaned up all the glass, and disappeared into her building to applause from the two tables of diners.  So entertaining.  
This is my two hundred sixty-seventh daily drawing.  I was fascinated by the warm interior visible beyond the outdoor diners, and the complexity of the activity indoors as well as outdoors.  I chose to only color the interior because I loved the beckoning warmth and activity.  
Thank you for continuing to look at the world through my eyes. 

Day 241 "Value Study of The Desk by Fairfield Porter" 9 x 6 ink and marker

"The Desk" oil Fairfield Porter 1963

I have been thinking about Maine this week, so looked up some Fairfield Porter paintings.  His color and design are inspiring.  On initial inspection, his color application seems simple because he often painted in flat shapes with little modeling.  However, I look to his work as masterful in use of design, color and value.  I chose a 1963 Porter painting, "The Desk", to study.  It is a strong interior, with an open desk just off of the center of the composition.  There are papers and books scattered about as if someone just got up and  took a break from a lot of deep thinking.  I love the painting.  Here is my value study of this Porter interior. Look at how he handled the light outside, through the gauzy curtains, across the wood floor and along the coffee table, and skipping along the scattered paper on table and floor.  There are hints of interest.. on the desk, on the desktop, paintings on the wall... so subtle.  
This is my two hundred forty-first daily drawing.  Thank you for taking a look at my thoughts expressed visually.   

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 100 "The Peel" mixed 9 x 12

Tonight I had about a half hour to grab dinner with my husband between his work day and meetings, a wake, and my evening work.  We grabbed a bite at The Peel, great pizza, etc.  I love the look of the shop from the outside, active, and warm inside.  This is my hundredth daily drawing!  This time has gone quickly... and I plan to continue.  Thank you for looking.  

Day 94 "Chocolate Bar" 9 x 12 pen&ink

Another drawing of the L.A. Burdick Chocolate Shop in Boston.  It has interior mirrors which make for a very interesting juxtaposition of foreground, middle and background figures and images.  We spent today indoors during the snow bombogenesis, a day off from school, fifteen inches of snow to shovel later in the day before tomorrow's deep freeze.  Drawing images of the sweet smelling hot chocolate and shop was cathartic.  Thank you for looking at my ninety-fourth daily drawing.

Day 91 "Hot Chocolate - Cold Day" mixed 6 x 9

Last week we spent a few hours in Boston on a cold, breezy day.  It was beautiful, crisp, not yet the single-digit cold that hurts your face.  We finished our time with a stop ie L.A. Burdicks Chocolate Shop.  I have walked by there many times, a little chalet-looking building off Newbury Street.  It is much 
bigger on the inside, with an interesting beamed ceiling with bright dormers.
I will make this a regular stop on chilly days in the city from now on.  The inside is filled with mirrors.  I loved the juxtaposition of  the still-bundled shoppers in the bright, cheerful, fragrant interior.

"Inside Out" complete oil 8 x 10

The Girls Just Wanna Paint challenge for last month was "imagination".  I found myself returning to a living situation I imagine for myself whenever I'm in Boston, which is frequently these days.  I invented an imaginary living room with view of the lovely vintage rooftops I enjoy seeing carved against the sky.  I posted the painting on the GJWP site as a work in progress, not completely resolved.  Here is the completed painting with a few adjustments.
I've had a thing for casement windows, maybe since I first saw Greer Garson in "Mrs Miniver" looking out her English village casement windows at her pilot son in the R.A.F.  who would tip his wing to her as he flew over the house. I added a version of casement windows to my imaginary Boston abode.  I pushed the light and dark in the composition, and added some more interest in the apartment.  
You can see all the imagination challenge paintings Here.  As always, thanks for looking.

"Inside Out" 8 x 10 oil

The Girls Just Wanna Paint group challenge this month was "imagination".   Interesting idea.  First I thought of Gene Wilder in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" singing "There is no world I know to compare with pure imagination.  Living there you'll be free if you truly wish to be."  Then I imagined living in Boston.  I am entranced by the antique rooftops against the sky of Boston, so here is my imaginary living room with comfy reading chair and big view of the rooftops I love.  
I tried to keep everything in the painting darker and warmer than outside. I will get back into the painting when it is dryer to push the values some more from the inside to the outside.  I like the design and it does pique my imagination.  Thanks for looking.  You can see all our images here.  
As always, thank you for looking.  I love your comments.

"Coffee Shop" pen & ink 9 x 12

We got the first real snow of the season last night, blizzard conditions.  I learned from the local weatherman that "blizzard conditions" refers to visibility and duration, not to the depth of snow received.  If the visibility is under .25 of a mile for at least three hours, it is called a blizzard.  We had a blizzard last night, woke up today to about 14 inches of snow and 13 degrees.  The snow was light and easy to move. Happy that.

I spent an hour in the local coffee shop before church this morning, sipping fresh coffee, and sketching the variety of winter-clad people coming in for hot chocolate, coffee, and pastries after their morning shovel.  There was a big rush, during which I grabbed likenesses of all kinds of people.  A few minutes later (see my photo), all calm...  Nice way to begin the day.
As always, thanks for looking and I love your comments.

"Family Lunch" watercolor & ink 7 x 9

First take on this image from a local burger joint.  I liked the backlit family having lunch one afternoon. I am enjoying the juxtaposition of figures against structural framing, and the light streaming in the doorway.  People watching is one of my favorite pastimes.  Last year I brought each of my 8th grade math classes to a local sandwich shop.  I gave them each a math packet which they worked on while they ate and chatted.  This year, I plan to bring my art project students with their sketch books.  I'll give them some direction ahead of time about how to sketch scenes without making anyone self conscious.  Should be fun!  I'm planning to make another go at this image.  

Thanks for looking!

Fair Floral - 10 x 8 oil

Katie making some changes

My home town has an agricultural fair that takes over the aptly named, "fairgrounds" here for 10 days each August.  We love the Fair, have volunteered/worked there for years and years, and we go for a little while everyday, maybe just to walk and take in the pageantry, lights, color, etc.  This year, the director for the arts and crafts area organized a floral design/floral painting afternoon.  Floral arrangers arranged, then artists painted the arrangements.  Here is my result, with a few shots of the painting in progress.  And, I gave my daughter a few minutes at the easel while I took a short break. So, I guess this painting is a collaboration.  

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

Establishing the light and dark pattern... looks a little bit like "Little Shop of Horrors" at this point

Modelling in the lights and darks

  

Monhegan Pitkin Cottage Window - Two Views

 Across from Monhegan's Library sits tiny Pitkin Cottage.  The Library and cottage are part of one of Monhegan's two street intersections, if you could call them that.  Theirs is the more northern of the two intersections. The church sits in the other.  As visitors stroll into the Pitkin intersection, they pass the Library, gaze shifts to the left and the Monhegan Schoolhouse, then to their maps, then to the decision ahead at the fork in the road: up to the right leads to the Lighthouse and Museum, and up to the left leads to the Ice Pond and/or Cathedral Woods.  Because of this rhythm, I believe most people don't see the Pitkin cottage, though it is certainly in plain view. My theory is actually based on empirical evidence.  I have painted and sketched in a number of spots on this path, amid the pedestrian traffic.

What's the point?  So.  The Pitkin cottage used to have these beautiful (and worn) windows filled with a collection of blue bottles on both sides of its tiny kitchen.   I loved looking through the kitchen at the bottles in front of bottles with the sun-filled interior sandwiched between them. The windows have since been replaced with more practical new ones. Here are a couple of takes on the lovely windows, or as I call it, "an interior painted from the exterior". In both cases, after asking permission, I painted standing in the yard, right on the edge of the intersection I described above.  No one saw me either time.  Invisible in plain sight.  It's a skill... maybe a superpower if you could invoke it with intention.   

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

"Waiting for the Weekend" in stages oil 16" x 12"

 "Waiting for the Weekend" is my take on the mudroom, or storage room in the lovely Maine house I rent with artist friends for a week in June.  I'll be going for my third consecutive year in a matter of weeks.  It's the room I associate with all summer houses.  You can see the flag, and life jackets, and citronella candles, and lighter fluid.  Without seeing, you know there are Zebco fishing rods, and a wooden croquet set (perhaps missing one ball), and drop lines and kite string, and oars, and plastic buckets, shovels, and sand toys, and some flippers, and perhaps a deflated rubber float or two, and a kickboard, and some oarlocks.  I spent summers in a house with all of these things and more, and I have a story associated with each which this room brought to mind, though it has no physical connection to the paraphernalia of my youth.
I've been writing lately about threads, and connections.  Here they are again.

I always travel with several art books to read and study.  Each trip, the books vary.  On this trip, I brought Alfred Chadbourn's "Painting With a Fresh Eye", to which I attribute the ultramarine block-in. I "drew" the basic shapes, and washed in the shadows, moving a few things around until I was satisfied.  My intention is usually to move around the painting, bringing the level of resolution up gradually.  However, I always fight the lure of some component that is enthralling.  Looking at these iterative photos, the life jackets were the draw. 
          

"Waiting for the Weekend" - a roomful of kinetic energy listening for the crunch of gravel under the station wagon's tires, the tumbling forth of scrambling young feet, slamming screen doors and days of sun and fun ahead. Looking forward to June.