Sunday, August 3, 2014

NEW PAINTING: STILL WATERS OF JORDAN POND, MOUNT DESERT, MAINE 40 X 50

One of my favorite things about being an artist is watching my paintings develop.  I have a vision of what I want to do and a feeling I want to convey that I can’t often put into words, but am aiming toward.  I often feel my way toward the end effect.  My latest painting of Jordan Pond, Mount Desert is 40 x 50.  I love painting big and can’t wait to see where the painting will go.  I often take pictures as I go to see my progress.


 When I initially begin I need to feel how the scene will sit on the canvas.  In this painting I was looking for the monumental feeling I had at the end of Jordan Pond viewing the Bubbles.  I had Thomas Cole and Frederic Church’s views of Mount Desert in the back of my mind and wanted to show that those monumental scenes they painted on Mount Desert still exist in untouched beauty.  One would not realize the Jordan Pond House is just up the hill serving hundreds tea on the lawn every afternoon.




I usually work from the top to the bottom in laying in the scene.



Once I began the water I needed to feel my way around the space organizing the rocks and beginning to weave the rocks and water so they felt interconnected.




The entire scene is basically in, but I was still feeling my way as to whether to show all the clouds reflected in the water.  It is a delicate thing to be able to balance the scene.



My cloud reflections are in and I am working on seeing through the water.


Sometimes you need to sit with a painting and see how it feels and take the time to feel if it is complete.  It is not like someone is on my shoulder saying "you are done!!"  In this painting, it was several weeks until I felt there needed to be more clouds on the right.  It is all about adjustments.  The last bit of a painting is often when it begins to shine.  It is always a good feeling!

Monday, September 16, 2013

Plein Air Painting with the Maine Landscape Guild 2013 on Monhegan Island, Maine



Monhegan Headlands
Members of the Maine Landscape Guild had a wonderful week painting on Monhegan Island.  We had quite an adventure with fog, rain, thunder, lightening, and even the Monhegan Light was dark!! We did squeeze in some good painting and one night with 17 members for dinner at the Monhegan house.  To view our adventures follow this link:     dianaansley.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Plein Air Painting in Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island, Maine August 2013


Plein Air Painting in Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island Maine with Maine Landscape Guilders Alex Tyng and Diana Ansley! To see our adventures follow the link below:

http://dianaansley.blogspot.com/

Thursday, May 30, 2013

OPENING EXHIBIT AT THE GALLERY AT SOMES SOUND



Tonight is the 2013 Opening Reception with MDI Historical Society and Art Collector Maine at my gallery the Gallery at Somes Sound. I am one of 14 artists in the show which runs from May 30th to June 20th! Come see my new painting of the Claremont Croquet Classic "Two Minds, One Shot"!

Reception Tonight
Thursday, May 30th
5:00 - 7:00 pm

Please Join us.......

In becoming an active member of the community, the Gallery (formerly The Gallery at Frenchman's Bay), will be celebrating its name change to The Gallery at Somes Sound. The Gallery will feature a newly commissioned painting by Artist Brad Betts, entitled "Back In The Day, Somes Sound"; also on display will be Artist Anne Wheeler's exclusive hand painted ceramic tiles featuring a few of Somesville's historical landmarks. A portion of the sales proceeds of these items will support the MDI Historical Society on its continued mission of promoting the history of Mt. Desert Island.

The Historical Society will unveil its new exhibit, "Somesville's Golden Age" at the newly renovated Selectmen's Building. Across the arched bridge at the Somesville Museum, "Shaped by Water: An Island History," designed in collaboration with the Great Harbor Maritime Museum of Northeast Harbor, will reopen for a second season.

May 30th will also be the opening night of the Gallery's first Art Exhibition of the season, featuring Stehanie Barton-Miscione and other Artists from Art Collector Maine. The show runs from May 30th- June 20th.


Contact Information:
The Gallery at Somes Sound
1112 Main Street, Somesville, ME | PO Box 203, Mt. Desert, ME 04660
207.244.1165 | Tyra Hanson

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

On Island, where I wish I were right now!

Eric Hudson  "Maud Knowlton and Alice Swett Sketching"  1905 Monhegan Museum

Just blogged about this charming painting today on my blog, Women in the Act of Painting. Doing the research brought back so many memories of my times on Monhegan Island (....sigh...pout...yearn!)  You can read the post here if you care to learn more about the three artists concerned: Eric Hudson, Maud Knowlton and Alice Swett.

BTW, I could find almost no information on Swett, so if anyone reading this does have more background, please contact me? Thanks so much! Nancy Bea

Thursday, January 24, 2013

DIANA ANSLEY IS AN ARTIST ON ART COLLECTOR, MAINE .COM


ART COLLECTOR, MAINE.COM    

                                            AND        



I am so pleased to be part of the online gallery at Art Collector Maine.com.  My gallery The Gallery at Frenchman's Bay is one of the participating galleries and my paintings can now be seen at artcollectormaine.com

Monday, October 22, 2012

New Gallery Has the "Wow" Factor

This is a great article on the gallery I have joined in Maine.  Four of my paintings are pictured behind the gallery director, Tyra Hanson.        Click here to read the article in the Mount Desert Islander