These two very different images– one 9×12 and the other 17×22 were based on photos I took of a nearby cove in my hometown of Stonington, Connecticut, from vantage points mere yards away from each other. One was taken in thick fog and the other on a clear day just after sunset. I’m lucky to live in such a beautiful place with vistas that evolve daily and even hourly providing an endless supply of inspiration.
While I took my usual quota of scenic photos on my recent trip to Martinique, I also switched gears a bit and closed in on some of my favorite interiors. This one is a blend of both. The subject is our favorite spot for sipping a ti-punch and watching the sunset in Sainte Anne, Martinique. The bar is called “Otantik” and the view at sunset is the beautiful bay of Marin.
Whenever I return from a vacation, I feel eager to start a fresh panel. ( I don’t use canvas) We just returned from our fourth trip to Martinique and I was so psyched I finished this little 8 x 10 in a single day. Well, that’s a little bit of a fudge. I don’t count blocking out basic shapes and toning the panel but the truth is that is usually just a half hour task, as important as it is. Painting directly into white makes the job too hard. This will be my 4th painting of Martinique but my first in 2018.
I have the tools, but not the patience (or, dare I say it?) time left to cultivate true bonsai. Maybe none of us has. However I must concede that Jade Plant gives us the option of faking it because of the gnarled and easily manipulated trunks on even the youngest plants. Still, painting a bonsai takes less time and discipline. What’s more, any damage resulting from my less-than-green thumb is already done.
Early on, I learned that painting anything “white” should never mean squeezing out a dollop of paint from a tube of flake white, or titanium white and going to town. Some day I’ll have the courage to challenge that rule in a landscape or figurative painting (I’m sure I could pull it off in an abstract work) but not today. For now it is too much fun creating the illusion of snow using reds, blues, greens and even black. This little 9 x 12 winter scene involved the whole color wheel and was a joy to do. The hardest part was choosing the mixtures that contrasted snow with water.
With Labor Day behind us, we’re heading into the final stretch of the art festival season here in New England. One day I’ll be free to summer in Florida or other places where the festivals go on all year but for now I’m busying myself getting ready for my last outdoor shows and, after that some great indoor shows at the lovely Briggs Nursery in Attleboro Massachusetts. What a perfect place to show botanical art!
While I seldom use flowers in my pieces, when I do, my favorites are roses and carnations. Here, the tips of the little carnation petals seem to melt into the yellow background while the magenta edged white petals assert their presence. This little piece is only 4″ x 4″ I’m thinking a pair of these might work well as corners of a door frame. Hmm…
Next stop, Fall Festival at Slater Park in Pawtucket, Rhode Island on September 13 and 14.
I get most of my ideas for graphics in the morning. After finishing this piece it occurred to me it has a bit of an argyle feel. According to Wiki, The argyle pattern is derived from the tartan of Clan Campbell, of Argyll in western Scotland but there is a County Argyle in Ireland so I guess my subconscious is telling me to get ready for the wearing of the green.
In late fall and winter, the bright yellow edges of Euonymus deepen to gold with a touch of rose. still, the inner leaves which tend to be larger, remain green.
For this simple triptych, I organized some leaves from a single plant against colors which reflect those it shows in winter — yes it stays green and gold all through the winter, blizzards and all!
For each panel, I shuffled the three colors. See close-ups of this one and some other three-panel botanicals at my Etsy shop.
Gardening doesn’t come to a halt just because snow covers the ground. I have houseplants that stay indoors year round but not many. Most of them summer on my deck. I gave my parlor palm a little pruning several weeks ago with a selfish motive in mind. Here is the first result. I have several more fronds in process, but the plant continues to flourish so it’s win-win during the dormant season.
See more in my Etsy shop, My Stonington Garden.
P.S. The little guy at the bottom of this piece is a snippet from my Andromeda tree which is still lying on its side having been felled by the blizzard of ’13. A master gardener from the University of Rhode Island has advised that I wait until spring and hope it springs back. Fingers crossed.
My Stonington Garden 
