Large Plein Air and Traveling in the State of Maine

                           September Light    Monhegan Island, Maine 8x16 on canvas panel

This fall I got a chance to do quite a bit of traveling around the state of Maine. Many people have said that this has been one of the best fall seasons in recent memory. I couldn't agree more. I love the light as the sun gets lower in the sky this time of year. I think this painting of Monhegan speaks to that.

 I decided this fall that it was time to get one of my painting goals moving forward and that goal was to paint some large canvases on location. Here is the back of my station wagon loaded up with two large canvases, one 24x24, one 24x30.

 

I found out I really like painting this large on location.

 

 

 

 

Here is the 24x30 set up on a great light weight easel I found at a second hand shop. I am standing at  a place called The Crib Works near Millinocket, Maine. This was such an exciting place to paint. There were some white water rafters passing by as I painted. They were having fun! That is the top of Mount Katahdin you can see in the very back at the top of that ridge. I will complete this painting in the studio. I think I got a good start on it here.

 

 

 

Here is a picture of this location taken by a fellow painter from the other side of the river. If you click on the image and look closely you can see I am a little red dot standing on that large rock right in the middle. One thing you can't tell from the photo is the roar of the river was incredibly loud.

 

 

I took this lucky photo of a deer in Acadia National Park last week while out scouting for painting locations. I hope you like it. Let me know what you think about painting large outside. I found out I love it!  Sandy

 

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Katahdin show, a new gallery, and my open studio

      
                                                    Katahdin-Maynard's View  24x24
                                                       oil on gallery wrapped canvas
                       Available at North Light Gallery  www.artnorthlight.com

  I am so pleased and excited that my painting of Mount Katahdin was juried into a show to be held at the Harlow Gallery in Hallowell, Maine November 5th-29th. The show is called Inspired by Katahdin. From there it will travel to an exhibition space at Southeby's International in Damariscotta. That show will run from January to May of 2015. Thank you jurors David and Carl Little and the Harlow Gallery for this opportunity.
I have a lot of news to share. I have been accepted into the North Light Gallery of Millinocket, Maine. I am very honored and pleased about this. 2015 is looking really good.
This past weekend I held my second annual open studio event here in Searsport. Thank you so much to my loyal customers and friends who came by to share hot spiced cider and cookies, chat and see my latest work. Also thank you so much for all your generous purchases!!
Well that is it for today. I will have more exciting news next week so I hope you will check on back then.  Sandy

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Summer Paintings, Shows, and Sales

                  Secret Cove  Little Deer Isle, Maine 6x8 oil on panel


   I am amazed how fast the summer has clicked by. I had a very busy July with three shows, two which are my biggest ones of the year. I have been painting in between getting ready for shows. I am happy to say that quite a few paintings have found new homes this summer. Thank you so much to my customers. It is always such a pleasure to meet you all in my booth and be of assistance in helping you to choose art for your home and offices. I am also very happy to meet my future customers who stop in and aren't quite ready to make a purchase but will see me in the future. 
   Another exciting thing that happened in July is a customer who purchased a small painting early in the  season has asked me to do a large 30x40 painting for a special place in her home. I am so pleased to be working on this and am looking forward to showing her when it is done.
  Here are a couple of paintings I did recently. In another post I might show some of the paintings that have sold this summer.

SOLD 

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Arts in the Park Belfast, Maine SOLD

                                          
                                          Pumpkin Island Lighthouse Little Deer Isle, Maine
                                                                   8x16 oil on panel 


This weekend July 12th and 13th is the Belfast Arts in the Park Festival held in the Heritage Park down on the waterfront .  This will be my third year doing this show.  It is such a beautiful location. Along with the juried art and craft displays there is also food booths and live music through out both days. The weather looks like the perfect Maine summer days we all wait for and savor. The painting above is one of the new ones I will bring to this show. I hope to see some of you there!

                                              Belfast, Maine waterfront.   Love this town!

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The Maine Botanical Gardens

                                               Stepping Stone Cottage  6x8" oil on panel

Recently the Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay generously opened the gardens to plein air painters for three days. Painters could have free admission (the fee is usually $12.00) and come in and paint anywhere they like.  This scene is in the children's area. There is a small pond that was full of pollywogs and small fish. There were large stepping stones to get across the pond. In this little cottage children could find small fishing nets that they could take out and try to catch something in the pond. While I was painting this a large group of school children arrived and they were having the grandest time checking everything out. Many of them commented on my painting as they passed by. "Wow nice painting" or " I like your painting".  Children love art and are so quick to appreciate it in any form. I hope to get a chance to return to these gardens this summer as many different things will be blooming.

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East Boothbay

                   In Good Company  6x8 oil on canvas panel   SOLD!

I always love all the islands both big and small that you can see just off the shore in Maine. This was painted in a place called Grimes Cove in East Boothbay. The sun was pouring down while we painted taking the bite out of the wind. We stopped for a while to eat our picnic lunch on the rocks. A perfect Maine painting day.

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Bernard Trip Plus Lobster! SOLD

                                             Triple Play  Bernard, Maine 6x8 oil on panel

This week my friend Dianne and I went on a painting trip to Bernard. This has been a favorite place of mine for years. Many times I have traveled to this harbor starting out before sunrise to take photos. This time we set up our easels for painting about 8:00 a.m. It was a very sunny sparkly day. Several people came by to talk. Fishing boats where coming and going all morning. Lucky for me these stayed in place the whole time I was working. It is always chancy when painting boats that the one you choose to paint may be the next one out to work the traps. By noon we had worked up an appetite and we walked over to Thurston's Restaurant for you guessed it, lobster rolls. It was my first this year and I told Dianne we were starting our summer out right!

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