PAINTING ON MONHEGAN 2012

VIEW FROM THE ED JOHNSON HOUSE
MONHEGAN, MAINE

THE EVENTS OF A FORTNIGHT!

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012

So excited to have over two weeks to paint on Monhegan. Alex Tyng and I have two artists joining us, Phoebe Peterson from Virginia and Nancy Walton from Massachusetts. Tropical storm Lesley has been producing swells so we had our Dramamine ready, but it was a good ride out to Monhegan with artist, Phoebe Peterson. We are on Horn Hill again in the Ed Johnson house. Some nice improvements in the house with two new mattresses and internet!

CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW MORE OF OUR ADVENTURES

Vicarious Maine Painting

I started grad school the last week of August so very reluctantly had to forgo my part in the annual autumn painting pilgrimage to Maine. I am currently engaged on a project called "Women in the Act of Painting" and perhaps to compensate for missing the Maine trip, I found that I am stepping up my inclusion of images of women painting IN MAINE! Here are a few from recent days:

"Two Girls Painting in the Woods", Robert Henri (1865 – 1929)

"Self-Portrait", Alison Hill (contemporary)

"Paintings and Cocktails", Alexandra Tyng (contemporary, of course! ;-)

"Painters on the Beach", Don Stone (contemporary)

"Sketchers in the Woods", Robert Henri (1865 – 1929)

Catalogs Available

The Aladdin Lamp, oil on linen, 20" x 30"

The Dowling Walsh Gallery is offering a 22-page color catalog of my show Right Here: New Maine Paintings for the very reasonable price of $5. You can pick one up at the gallery, or contact Jake Dowling at 207-596-0084 or at info@dowlingwalsh.com if you would like one sent to you via mail.

The catalog includes 20 color reproductions and an essay by Carl Little, author of Edward Hopper's New England and other books. His article on Fairfield Porter and James Schuyler appears in the 2011 Island Journal.

Right Here: New Maine Paintings

Last Friday, on August 5th, my solo show Right Here opened at the Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland, Maine. It was a busy night for the arts in Rockland--First Friday Art Walk with gallery openings all over town and in nearby Thomaston, The Farnsworth Museum open late with free admission, and the famous annual Lobster Festival all coinciding--so I met lots of art lovers that evening! Jake Dowling and his talented team never cease to impress me. The work was hung beautifully. And the food (thanks to Hilary) was out of this world. If you are tired of gallery openings at which only wine is served, go to Dowling Walsh for a multi-sensory experience.

I first met this couple a few nights before at the CMCA Auction.

Suzette McAvoy, Director of the CMCA and former Curator at the Farnsworth, and my long-time friend and painting partner, Diana Cobb Ansley. Suzette wrote the essay for the catalog for my 2009 show at Fischbach Gallery in NY. She has known Diana since she interned for her at the Smithsonian.

Artist Lea Colie Wight flew in from Philadelphia to check out the Maine art scene.

Becca in front of Overlook.

Julian in front of Elemental Balance.

Here I'm standing in for Nancy Bea Miller in front of Star at the Edge.








Artist Richard Ranck and Cartoonist/author Tony Auth.

If you are in Rockland, or anywhere on the coast of Maine, in August, please stop by and see the show.

Show dates: August 5th-28th, 2011

Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10-5

Dowling Walsh Gallery

352 Main Street

Rockland, ME 04841

207-596-0084

info@dowlingwalsh.com

June paintings in August

Noon Islands, 9 x 12 oil on linen mounted to board, 2010 (Somesville, ME)

Okay okay, I am late. But two recent occurrences inspired me to get on with it: a flurry of comments on some of my old Maine paintings on Facebook, and Alex posting her recent Maine paintings both here and on Facebook. Today was overcast but bright, perfect for shooting art, so I finally took the shots and am now posting the pix of my most recent Maine sketches. These are from June when Alex and I went up to Mount Desert Island and stayed with Diana in Somesville (see two posts back) We had a short but highly productive week of plein air painting (four nights/five days?) These are some I did on that trip, and are AS IS. I did no more work on them in the studio. In fact, I can't bear to do any later retouch at all these days...it all happens on site and in the moment or not at all.



Houses by the Sea, 12 x 16, oil on linen mounted to board, 2010 (Stonington, ME)



Porcupine Islands, 12 x 18, oil on linen mounted to board, 2010 (from Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park, ME)



Alex Tyng Painting at Beaver Pond, oil on linen, 12 x 9, 2010 (Acadia National Park, ME)
Funny thing is that I also did a painting of Beaver Pond. It was fun to do but it ended as a confused mess. Alex wanted to keep going with her piece for another 20 minutes. I had a palette full of fresh paint and extra canvas so I speed painted this baby, more as a way of passing the time than with any serious intention. Wouldn't you know, this one was the keeper!


Reflecting Pond, oil on canvas, 12 x 16, 2010 (Somesville, ME)
Yes, that's the library in Somesville. It was the last painting of the last day!

Business Trip... to Maine!

Alex and I (Nancy Bea here) made a quick visit up to Mount Desert Island to stay with Diana while taking care of a little gallery business (Alex and I each have two galleries in Maine that exhibit our work, one is the same) and of course, PAINTING! Which is our business, for real. We stopped in Freeport for coffee and a little L.L.Bean-ing. Notice my business-like attache case (really, an archery set!)

Diana and her sweet dog, Tucker, welcomed us warmly!



Our first day of painting was a total pleasure, despite my easel becoming marooned!



We painted in Stonington one day and did some business with our mutual gallery there, gWatson. Here is Ron Watson talking with Alex.



Lupines were everywhere! It's a very floral time for coastal Maine.



Painting on the side of Cadillac Mountain one early evening was truly a highlight of the trip! Diana's gorgeous hair was flaming:



We worked hard all the hours we could. I came home with eight pieces or "sketches". Here is Alex with her Cadillac piece:



Happy sigh! I wish the rest of the MLG had been there with us. We'll do that soon, I hope. Farewell till we meet again, in Maine!

MLG Holiday shows!

The MLG ride again
Above is a somewhat blurry photo of four of the MLG at receptions for two of their December exhibits. Left to right: Eliza Auth, Alexandra Tyng, Mary Walsh and Nancy Bea Miller.



Here is Eliza at Rosenfeld gallery where she is participating in the annual "Smaller Works in Various Media by Gallery Artists" show. The title is a bit of a mouthful, but it is a very good show! Click here for more information.



Here I am (Nancy Bea) at Artists' House Gallery's "Small Works 2009" exhibit. I guess I still hold the dubious honor of being "...one of Philadelphia's foremost doughnut painters" as a critic once titled me. Maine aficionados, please also note the two small pieces I painted en plein air while on Monhegan Island a few months ago! Click here for more info.

Happy Holidays!

Maine was the catalyst

...that got me to this "exalted" position as Judson's Art Outfitters Artist of the Month for July 2009. Notice the painting is of Manana, and the artist photograph was taken by Alex on Diana's deck on Long Pond: I surely do get by with a little help from my friends. Thanks guys! If interested, click images below to read in higher resolution.

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Group Shot of the Guild

The Maine Landscape Guild
Taken last week on Monhegan Island! We are standing on Fish Beach and the small island of Manana is behind us across the harbor. From left to right you see Carla Tudor, Nancy Bea Miller, Mary Walsh, Alexandra Tyng, Eliza Auth and Diana Ansley.

What a week it was!

Monhegan Trip 2008

Thanks to all the MLGuilders for a wicked good week!  Hope you enjoy these bits of our week together.

Mary and Eliza enjoying popovers on a rainy day-

Manana from our window-

Carla drawing with the birds-

Eliza bewitched by the view out our door.

Alex inspiring us with her songs-

We took pictures from all angles-

And from every window-

No wonder with the stunning sunsets-

What better way to end the summer!