Sea Weed

We like to vacation in May at the shore. Long walks on the beach and soaking up some sun after a long Maine winter gets us ready for the busy summer ahead. This year I took several pictures of sea weed on my last walk of the week. I intended to do a series, and hopefully will, but here is my first.

Lily
I think I have finally found a new muse. Lily was adopted from an animal shelter. There are a lot of bunnies in shelters, and with Easter coming, I am afraid there will be more. Adoption is so rewarding for both the animal and the owner. Lily has found her forever home!

I had to hold myself back from overworking this study. To reward myself I am working on a very tight pen and ink of her now. I limited the colors and tried to keep it loose.

A day spent at the coast yesterday, it was to cold and windy to paint outside, but I soaked up the scenery and came home with two tubes of paint and some other art toys. We met a really nice woman in the art store, who shared her little journal with us. She keeps it with her all the time, it is small and just full of the beauty she sees every day. You can also see she is a very proud grandma! I love talking with other artists, you can exchange a lot, using sentences that don't make a ton of sense to other people.

Will's Toad

My Facebook friend Will took this photo, and with his permission, I used it for my first painting on Masa paper. I learned so much, and really enjoyed the results.

It has been a very dry summer here in Maine, and so with my art work. The loss of my muse has been crushing, (my horse of 23 years). I think it is time to get back in the studio and get to work.

This weathered farm in Weld has always inspired me. I took the reference photo years ago (24) before the field was taken over by trees. The roof crept out over the road last week after collapsing under one of our heavy winter snows. The building was pulled down in order to reopen the road safely.

This is one of the few things I have ever been inspired to paint twice. I am going to tackle it in watercolor again soon.

This oil was done very quickly, and it is one I am happy with, as I put down the colors fast, and did not fiddle with it...I ruin a lot of paintings buy overwork. I will eventually frame and hang this one as a reminder to stop when the painting is done!

Looking at this also reminds me of taking my son around Center Hill when he was a wee one in need of a nap. He would get so wound up the only way to get him to fall asleep was a car or snowmobile ride. When I look at this scene I can still hear the Disney tape we used to play....

My new Joe Miller's Signature easel has arrived. I have been painting this afternoon and it is perfect. It is so nice to paint watercolor standing comfortably, but the design allows for use sitting too...The sable brush I bought at the same time is also a joy to use. There is a lot to be said about using quality materials.

We are buried in snow and slush here in Weld. Suddenly it is Winter again, but it has been warm, and the high water content in the snow promises a quick melt as soon as the sun comes out. Trees are being tapped all over town, and Maple Syrup Sunday will be right around the corner!

32 degrees in Weld today. It feels like March and looks like April! Finally got my photos from vacation sorted out, and then did this quick sketch of the Bass Harbor Light. It is not "frame worthy", but it proves I have been wetting my brushes!

When we walked down the stairs to take this photo we met the nicest woman, we talked for nearly an hour. It is odd when you meet a stranger, exchange fairly intimate details about each others lives, and then say goodbye.....

Last fall we finally toured the Olsen house in Cushing Me, (Part of the Farnsworth Museum). I loved this scene inside the front door, the house was mostly empty, one or two pieces in each room, just enough for fantasy to take over...I can just imagine someone coming in from a long day in the garden, hanging up their hat and.....

A very inspiring place for anyone, but especially for artists!