The Maine Event

This Friday, May 2nd is the opening of a group show:  The Maine Event - Visions of coastal Maine through the eyes of 8 Colorado Springs artists.  Last fall, 8 artists and friends and family members, 16 of us total, headed to Maine to paint, etc.  We spent several days in the Rockland/Rockport area and more time out on Monhegan Island.  The show comprises our plein air and studio pieces.  For those of you who live locally, I hope you can get to the opening.  If not, please stop by the Boulder Street Gallery 206 North Tejon, Colorado Springs sometime during the month of May.  Thanks!

Spring Geraniums

Spring Geraniums
Oil  12" x 12"
$295.00 + $10. s/h

I bought these earlier this week at Costco.  They had such a great selection that I couldn't resist.  At this altitude, 6000 feet, we can have a frost any time before Mother's Day.  So, I'm carrying them in and out each night so that they don't freeze.  The plan was to paint them out on the deck, but it's been so windy the past two days, that this became a studio set up.

Winnie The Pooh

Winnie The Pooh
Oil  8" x 8"
NFS

And yet another painting for a baby shower!  These are so much fun to paint!

Please let me know if you'd like me to paint something for a baby that you know!...or are soon to know.

Little Monkey

Little Monkey
Oil  8" x 8"
NFS

This little guy is for a baby shower.  I had so much fun painting him!  I'm doing another one which I'll post soon.
Even though he's taken, please let me know if you'd like something for a baby gift!  I'd be happy to paint a gift for you, or someone special.  I can use your toys or mine.

Colorado Springs Airport

I recently hung artwork at the Colorado Springs Airport.

Hope those of you who are flying in and out have a chance to see the work by all of the artists.

  The art is hanging in a new location:  near the baggage claims.

 This display is through June, when another group of artist will rotate through.

Shadow Dance

Shadow Dance
Oil 12" x 12"
$295.00 + $10. s/h

And, yet, another piece from our trip to the Yucatan.  I love that area: the people, the colors, the light.   The light and wall colors created such beautiful shadows dancing across the surface. 

Shadow Play

Shadow Play
Oil  12" x 12"
$295.00 + $10. s/h

I loved all of the tropical colors in the water in Mexico.  When we got to Merida, the capital city of Yucatan, there were so many buildings painted the same bright, tropical colors as the water!  Other buildings were painted the colors of bright tropical flowers.  The colors, the architecture and old colonial buildings, and the heavy Mayan influence made Merida a wonderful city to visit.   

Rhythm Of Waves

Rhythm Of Waves
Oil  8" x 6"
$100.00 + $10. s/h

And one more from my water/sea series.  I've loved painting these and know I'll paint more later, or sooner.  And, I'm already looking forward to our next tropical trip!  But, on to something different.

Sea Symphony

Sea Symphony
Oil  8" x 6"
$100.00 + $10. s/h

As you can see (sea), I am continuing with my water series from our recent trip to Holbox Island, Yucatan, Mexico.  One day we had a powerful rain.  The streets (of sand) were filled with huge puddles for several days.  Afterwards the water was dark and turbulent, which makes for more paintings!

The Song Of Water

The Song Of Water
Oil  8" x 6"
$100.00 + $10. s/h

I continue with my water series from our trip to Holbox Island, Yucatan, Mexico.  One day we had a very heavy rain.  That evening and the whole next day there were huge puddles on all of the sand streets.  This made for a challenging walk back to the hotel in the semi-dark after dinner!  I mentioned in a previous post that there are no cars on the island and that the streets are sand.  I would have thought that the water would just seep right trough the sand, but the drainage seemed to be an issue.  Anyway, the rain also created incredible color and wave changes in the water, of course during the storm, but the next day as well. 

Light and Life

Light and Life
Oil  8" x 6"
$100.00 + $10. s/h

As I said yesterday, I loved all of the changing colors and light in the ocean.  I realize that if you lived by water like this, you would have a never ending, constantly changing visual display right in front of you!

This title is complements of fellow blogger Steven Dunn.  He commented on a palm tree that I posted last week that the piece had such "light and life."  That got me to thinking that isn't that really what we paint, the light and life in front of us.  Thank you Steven.  If you don't know him, he has such an interesting blog!

Tropical Sea

Tropical Sea
Oil  8" x 6"
$100.00 + $10. s/h

One of the things that's fun, but time consuming, after a trip is the photo editing.  I take a lot of pictures when we travel.  Some are specifically for future studio reference and some are vacation pleasure shots.  As I was editing I was amazed at how many pictures I'd taken of just the water, different times of day, different weather conditions.  I loved the plein air piece I posted a few days ago, Down By The Seaside, and thought that all of those photos could become a series.  So, the next few posts will be the water that I fell in love with and couldn't stop photoing and now painting!!

Tropical Palm

Tropical Palm
plein air oil
8" x 6"
$100.00 + $10. s/h

This is the last of my Holbox Island, Yucatan, Mexico plein air pieces.  What drew me to this shadow was that it was so curved and the tree was so straight.  This palm drove me nuts all week.  My vision of palm trees is beautiful, exotically curved trunks.  I kept thinking that this one was just too vertical.  But, if that's my biggest worry, and I'm painting on a beach...that's the life!

All week while we were in Holbox Island there was an International Mural Painting contest being held.  It was great fun to see the progress and completion of the art work!

Down By The Seaside

Down by The Seaside
plein air Oil  8" x 6"
$100.00 + $10. s/h

So, as you've seen, I just enjoyed my time on the beach looking at the palm trees, which became a painting.  I looked at the colors of the frond shadows, that became a painting.  I loved the constantly changing colors of the water...so, that, too, became a plein air painting!

Because there were so many fishermen on the beach, the birds were also a constant 

source of entertainment!

Frond Shadow

Frond Shadow

Oil  8" x 6"

$100.00 + $10. s/h

I loved the way the palm fronds created almost abstract shadows on the sand.  After laying on the beach, reading and continually looking at the shadows, I realized that a painting was right there in front of me!

I have 2 plein air set ups.  This is an 8" x 10" Open Box M.  I use this when we fly somewhere.  (I have another larger set-up for car trips.)  For this trip we each had 2 carry ons:  a small suitcase with our clothes and I had a day pack (on the back of the beach chair), with my painting supplies.  I use a tripod that telescopes quite small, a limited palette (6 colors + white) of water based oils, canvas paper which I pre-cut to 6 x 8 1/2 (so I have a little room for tape), and a 6" x 8" Raymar panel carrier which normally holds 12 panels, but I've cut it down to hold 8 (that takes up less room and the water based oils dry fairly quickly.)  I include a TSA information sheet with the paints.  There is not a problem flying with paints in your carryon.  Paints are not liquids, they are like toothpaste, and they are not toxic.  I take 4 brushes and throw in a few paper towels to get me started.

Balmy Breeze

Balmy Breeze

Oil  8" x 6"

$100.00 + $10. s/h

My husband and I recently got back from 3 weeks in the Yucatan peninsula.  Our first week was spent with our daughter on Holbox Island, 7 miles off the northern coast of Yucatan.  Holbox is accessible only by ferry.  The roads are sand, there are no cars, just delivery trucks.  The taxis are 3 wheeled motorcycle type vehicles.  Like most beaches, it's beautiful, blue, colorful, relaxing, fun!  We had a wonderful time.  We went for walks, read, swam, sat under the palms on the beach, ate great seafood, and I painted.

How great is it to paint on a beach!

The roads are all sand.  

Cowboy Coffee

Cowboy Coffee
Oil 10" x 8"
$195.00 + $10. s/h

This is a plein air still life.  I set this old Cowboy Coffee Pot up outside on gravel in the sun.  I love the way so many colors are in the metal.  I let the gravel just be light values.

South Platte Valley

South Platte Valley

Oil  9" x 12"

I'm thrilled that "South Platte Valley" was juried as a Finalist in the Richeson75 Small Works Show.  The Gallery is in Kimberly, Wisconsin.  

Golden Afternoon

Golden Afternoon
Oil on 1 1/2" stretched canvas - ready to hang
18" x 24"
$595.00 + $20. s/h

Still organizing paintings that I've set aside, and still loving these western skies!  It's no wonder so many  artists in the past have painted these skies.  They're mesmerizing, constantly changing, never endlessly beautiful.  And, they can be a distraction when driving.  You always want to pull over and paint or take another photo!

High Meadow

High Meadow
18" x 24"
Oil on 1 1/2 " stretched canvas - ready to hang
$595.00 + $20. s/h

And another western sky among the pieces that I'd set aside.  Actually, this one is hanging in my studio!  I've loved looking at it, but am now ready to see it go to a new home.