The Thirty for Thirty Art Collective is holding their namesake challenge — 30 days of painting for the month of January. so….I am warming up with the painting that follows. “The Arborvitae” 8”W x 11”H Oil on Canvas Paper.
What a Year!
So happy to be able to paint every day! 104 paintings in 2023!!! A few of my favorites are below. I like these three because they were fun! I didn’t struggle. They just seemed to flow and come together!
“Deerfield 2” (20”W x 16”H) Oil on Canvas - This painting is the second one I painted of Deerfield Road in Watermill, NY. It is a beautiful spot!
“The Marsh” (20”W x 16”H) Oil on Canvas - This painting was inspired by my cousin, June Lajeunesse-Martin. We are working on a project together and her backyard is at its heart. This is beautiful marsh backs on her property.
“The Harbor” (6”W x 8”H) Oil on Canvas Board. This painting was done during a plein air class with Howard Rose. I learned ALOT and enjoyed the opportunity to paint at Conscious Point, Southampton, New York.
Borghese Vineyard Gallery
The Thirty Squared Artists Collective is holding an “It’s About Time” exhibit at the Borghese Vineyard (1750 Middle Road, Cutchogue, NY). The show runs from November 12 through January 15. Stop in for a wine tasting and some beautiful artwork. 14 fabulous artists are exhibiting their work! So happy to be included!!!
Thursdays
So happy to be painting every Thursday with this group of phenomenal artists! I just listen and learn. (We have really good snacks too!)
Southampton Artists Association Labor Day Reception
Beautiful reception last evening for the Southampton Artists Association Labor Day Exhibit!
Southampton Artists Association 2023 Labor Day Show
Looking forward to the Southampton Artists Labor Day Exhibit and Sale! These three paintings are my contributions for this year!
“Foyer Flowers” - Acrylic on Canvas (36”W x 24”H)
“Blu” Acrylic on Canvas (10”W x 10”H) I really love this one….
“Beige Hydrangeas in a Glass Vase” Acrylic on Canvas (14”H x 11”W)
Beautiful Evening!
Beautiful evening last Saturday at the Romany Kramoris Gallery in Sag Harbor, New York with Kathy Milliken celebrating her work which is on display there now through September 7!
Kathy and Bruce Milliken along with Diane and Mike White
Clothesline Art Sale
Love this event! It is held annually at Guild Hall in East Hampton, New York and it always has fantastic energy. Collectors of all kinds love this event and they come ready to buy!
This year’s Clothesline Art Sale was held on July 22, 2023 and I sold these three paintings!
"Lipstick Tulips 2" (16"W X 20"H acrylic on canvas)
“The Shores” (16”H x 20”W acrylic on canvas)
“Spring at Last” (20”W x 16”H acrylic skins with watercolor, inks and spray paint.)
Retired for One Year!
Yesterday marked one year of retirement! I wanted to have more time for art. So….I completed 75 paintings over the past year, which is up just a little from the one or two paintings I completed per year for my entire working life. YAY! So…here is the first painting I did after retirement, followed by the one I finished yesterday!
Violets - (11”W x 16”H) Mixed Media on Paper
“The Curve in the Road” (12” x 12”) Oil on Canvas
Art in the Park
Looking forward to participating in my first “Art in the Park” at Agawam Park in Southampton on July 15-16, 2023. This painting will be included in the Southampton Artists Association Tent.
Plein Air Lesson 2
This one was fun! I painted this during a plein air workshop at the Rogers Mansion in Southampton, New York!
This one sold!
This one sold at the Artist Alliance of East Hampton Summer Show. I submitted this work on paper for inclusion in a bin of smaller, unframed paintings and it sold the night of the reception!
“Butterscotch” 6”W x 9”H Acrylic and Pastel on Paper
Artists Alliance of East Hampton Summer Show
So happy to be part of the Artists Alliance of East Hampton Summer Show! These two paintings are on display through July 4, along with the works of many talented east end artists!
Spring Garden (12” x 36” acrylic on canvas)
“Her Favorite Colors” (16” x 20” acrylic on canvas)
Plus my friend Kathy Milliken’s beautiful painting made the advertising material!
Lessons
Well….I signed up for a Plein Air class. What fun! Thank you Howard Rose for a great day! I learned some important things —- you have to have a heavy enough set up that it doesn’t blow over in the wind; you have to tolerate some debris in the paint; and, keep your canvas size small so that you can finish before everything changes! PS Thanks also to Sarah and Sean for the perfect retirement gift - a plein air easel!
Plein air panting at Conscience Point, Southampton, New York.
Plein Air
“The Gate” - My first attempt at plein air painting is this oil on 6”x8” canvas board. My goal was to spend only one hour. So….after 30 minutes of setting myself up (mostly trying to figure out how to open the plein air easel) I spent an hour outside but could not resist spending another 30 minutes inside on refinement. I plan to use these “one”-hour stints to get used to plein air. We’ll see how it goes!
My Style
I have been retired for ten months now and painting just about every day. I am doing a lot of artistic exploring - reading about painting techniques, taking online and in-person classes, and soaking everything in by spending Thursday afternoons painting with other artists. (I’ve learned the most just by listening to what other artists talk about.) I’ve tried using oil paint for the first time, explored more with using acrylics on raw canvas, made acrylic skins for use in my work, learned how to paint and mix color using only the primaries, painted a few landscapes, and honed my skills on painting florals. Wow! I am so excited about making up for my earlier lack of artistic focus and just spending time learning. What is my style? I don’t know and I am not ready to commit. This is too much fun!
“Well Hej2” - Acrylic on Raw Canvas
“Deerfield” - Oil
“Wistful” - Acrylic Skins
“The Bouquet” - Acrylic
Practice
I love both of these paintings. The first, “Summer Arles Style”, I painted in 2018 after a trip to the VanGogh Museum in Amsterdam. The second, “The First of Spring”, I just finished (2023). I never had the time to practice painting or to really spend the time on detail. Lesson learned: A little practice goes a long way!
The Rendezvous
So happy to have been given the opportunity to paint this wonderful restaurant in Greer, Arizona. This commission will be donated for a local benefit. Can’t wait to hear how the benefit goes!!
Oils!
Thanks to the encouragement of my friends at the Southampton Artists Association, I have been exploring using oil paints. I really like it! The photos included here are some of my first tries at it. I have some tricks to learn and I need to understand a lot more, but…..so far so good!
“Sonnenblume” 10” x 10” oil on canvas
“Towd Point Boats” 12” x 12” oil on canvas.
"Polly's Poppies"
So happy to be able to paint these poppies. Thank you, Polly, for being so good to Sarah!
