Postcards from Maine
We just returned home from a lovely two weeks in Maine. For a very, very long time, Maine has held a special place in my heart. I love the water, the smell of all those green trees, the beautiful granite on those spectacular sweeps of cliffside, the incredible blue of the sky, the clams and lobsters for eating, the boat rides, the walks through the woods to the water, the art, the antique and crafts shops, and just simply being there. On top of all that, I paint in Maine. Many artists have painted Maine so many times, for very good reasons. Art is about seeing and learning from nature, Maine gives us lots to see and learn.
Some days, there was gorgeous blue sky and no problems with taking out my pochade box that serves as an easel and storage case. Just a 10 minute walk from our vacation rental in Bernard on the western (quiet) side of Mt. Desert was a wonderful small beach. There, I could set up with my paints. As long as I had my sun hat, sufficient bug spray and sun blocking lotion, shade for Ula, and willingness to chat with passers-by, all was plein air painting heaven. On other days, when fog and rain replaced the sun, I took up my journal and watercolor box and painted the view from indoors.
Here are some of the pieces that I brought back home. They are small oil paintings done on carton, a resin impregnated paper. I love the brown of it that I let show through the painting. Makes me think of Vuilllard, one of my favorite painters. My plan is to transform some of these small pieces into larger paintings in oil. I will keep you posted on that.
