Monhegan Still Life!

Monhegan Island Still Life, o/c, 12 x 16, 2012

I started this piece while on Monhegan Island in September of 2010. It was a good autumn for apples and I had no trouble gathering a handful from the sides of the road to use in my still life. Also featured are Lisa Brackett's amazingly delicious doughnuts! For various reasons I was unable to complete the piece while on island, so I carefully wrapped the doughnuts up in wax paper and tucked them into a small metal lunchbox I had providentially won at a Bingo event at the Island Schoolhouse the same week. The doughnuts traveled well and arrived back home with me in good shape. I reset the stage in my studio here (fortunately my neighbor has a scrub apple tree so I have been able to replace the wild fruit!) It took a while but I finally managed to finsih the piece last month.

It is now being show in a still life exhibition at Artists' House Gallery in Philadelphia, PA. The gallery director there, Lorraine Riesenbach, has been wonderful about including me in several group shows despite the fact that I am essentially on leave of absence from most of my other work obligations due to being in graduate school. Although participating in the shows is a bit of a strain, one more flying ball in my very large juggling act, it's probably a very good thing not to lose the showing momentum. Participating in showing work keeps you grounded in reality...and reality sometimes feels a very long way away from graduate school..land of theory! ;-) So I am grateful to her for her persistence and patience with me.

Beyond the Ordinary Still Life

February 29 through April 1, 2012
Artists' House
57 North Second Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 923-8440
Wed - Sun 12-5 PM or by appointment

Reception:
Sunday,
March 4,
1 - 4pm

artists' house gallery website:
http://artistshouse.com/

NEW PAINTING: SEPTEMBER SQUALL OVER MT. DESERT

"September Squall Over Mt. Desert", Oil on Linen  28" x 44"

For years I have wanted to paint the view from Islesford to Mt. Desert.  I had an exciting time last fall painting on Islesford.  One day it was very blustery and all of a sudden the sky started to darken and this wild squall descended upon us.  I wanted to capture the squall as it moved in on this glorious day.  In minutes everything was grey and wet.  Below is my initial block in.

Initial Block In

Second Stage

Third Stage

In the sky I wanted to capture the layers of atmosphere and the way the clouds spilled over from one to another. It was a bit of a balance between the impending storm and the gorgeous day that was diminishing every second.

Alexandra Tyng's Work at the Maine State Capitol in Augusta

The following article appeared in the Bangor Daily News on 10/27/11:

New art exhibit unveiled at Maine Capitol Complex

Posted Oct. 27, 2011, at 1:19 p.m.

Alexandra Tyng

The artwork of Alexandra Tyng, including this one titled "Painting on Cadillac," is now on display in Maine’s Capitol Complex as part of the Maine Arts Commission’s Arts in the Capitol program.

Alexandra Tyng

The artwork of Alexandra Tyng, including this one titled "Back to the Lakes," is now on display in Maine’s Capitol Complex as part of the Maine Arts Commission’s Arts in the Capitol program.

Alexandra Tyng

The artwork of Alexandra Tyng, including this one titled "Boat Sailing in Sunset," is now on display in Maine’s Capitol Complex as part of the Maine Arts Commission’s Arts in the Capitol program.

Augusta, Maine — The Maine Arts Commission announced Thursday that the artwork of Alexandra Tyng and James Dodds is now on display in Maine’s Capitol Complex as part of the agency’s Arts in the Capitol program.

The exhibit has been loaned by the Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland, and will remain on display until February 2012. The work is viewable by the public throughout the week at the Maine State House from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and at the Blaine House from 2 to 4 p.m., Tuesdays through Thursdays. Those wishing to visit the Blaine House are advised to call ahead.

“The Maine Arts Commission is delighted to be hosting this exhibition of paintings,” said exhibit facilitator Donna McNeil. “These world-famous artists depict familiar visions of life in Maine and guide the viewer toward a deep and joyful attachment to Maine’s landscape and way of life.”

Tyng began drawing and painting the Maine landscape as a teenager while staying at a nineteenth century rustic camp on one of Mount Desert Island’s lakes, and at her brother’s lighthouse home in Penobscot Bay. In the 1990s she began chartering planes so she could take reference photos of the glacially carved land formations of coastal Maine, which she uses as references to create large-scale paintings. She also paints panoramas from mountaintops, and closer, more intimate views of places. Every summer she spends several weeks painting outside on Mount Desert, Monhegan, Deer Isle and various other locations.

Tyng has had solo shows in Maine, New York and Philadelphia. She was selected as one of Maine’s outstanding artists by Maine Home+Design in 2008. Her Maine landscapes have been featured in “The Art of Monhegan” by Carl Little, and in art magazines, including “Fine Art Connoisseur” and “International Artist.”

Dodds was born in the small fishing town of Brightlingsea, which is nestled on the east coast of England. He trained as a shipwright in the nearby town of Maldon before moving to London to study painting at both the Chelsea School of Art and the Royal College of Art in London.

Dodds, who is a frequent visitor to Maine, has exhibited paintings and prints of boats throughout England and here in Maine at the Dowling Walsh Gallery.

All Arts in the Capitol events are free and open to the public, however, exhibitions are self-guided and may only be viewed within prescribed times. For information on this and all programs available through the Maine Arts Commission, visitMaineArts.com.

http://bangordailynews.com/2011/10/27/living/new-art-exhibit-unveiled-at-maine-capitol-complex/

My Film Debut!

At the opening for my exhibit at the Rosenfeld Gallery in Philadelphia, a local film maker, John Thornton, interviewed me about my work. It was a wonderful opening event, and lots of fun to talk to John. We had been friends and classmates back in the seventies at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. I was thrilled to see the results of his filming and I will post the link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bscwamkE6aQ

NEW PAINTING FROM MONHEGAN: RED MIST DESCENDS

Red Mist Descends

Painting on Monhegan is always moving. This morning was particularly beautiful with this pale-reddish mist moving back and forth through Gull Cove. One minute the view was completely obstructed and the next it was being delicately revealed through this pinky-red mist. Touches of blue sky kept appearing and this became one of my favorite plein air paintings days on Monhegan.

Benefit

Over the summer, MLG member, Eliza Auth, took part in an auction to benefit the Boothbay Region Land Trust. Her painting "Summer's End", along with work by wonderful painters like Donald Demers and Tony van Hasselt, raised a substantial amount of money to help preserve the land in this state we love to paint.

Maine Landscape Guilders Back to Monhegan!

Gull Cove

We arrived on Monhegan Saturday with a smooth crossing and gorgeous weather. Alex and I are enjoying two new painters in our house this year. Sue Braswell an old painting partner of mine from the Art League in Alexandria and Linda Brandon a fellow portrait painter of Alex’s. Fellow Maine Landscape Guild artists Mary Walsh and Eliza Auth will be coming next week to the island. Nancy Bea Miller has gone off to grad school! Judy Carducci, Greer Jennison, and Carrie Lewis have also joined us and they are staying at the Monhegan House.

Island life of course can be fun. I had totally forgotten that my phone actually goes dead in it quest to search for service. We really feel like official islanders as we have now outlived the propane crunch. It gets down to basics. If we want to cook then we don’t bathe or have heat!

Maine Landscape Guild Members Diana Ansley and Alexandra Tyng with new members

Sue Braswell and Linda Brandon.

This is the View of Manana and the Johnson house where we are staying.

Sue and I got to work painting this scene and then we did the truck below

Light rain today so we have been regrouping, stretching canvas, and finally washed our hair after seven days! Propane arrived last night. We went to the museum and the curator, Jenn Pye, pulled out some wonderful Alice Kent Stoddard portrait paintings for us to see. She Studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts with Thomas Eakins, and William Merritt Chase. Like many of our Maine Landscape Guilder's she was an artist from Pennsylvania and lived on Monhegan as well.

Alex and Linda were so inspired they had a paint off this afternoon in the fog.

Linda Brandon

Alex's Sketch of Linda

Linda Painting Alex

Alex sits for 30 minutes and Linda paints and then Linda sits and Alex paints. Each have very different approaches to capturing the face. It is amazing to see the faces emerge. Painting, a fire, and tea can’t get much better.

Gorgeous day and Sue and I took advantage of weather to paint the expansive view from White Head to Blackhead.

Deep fog this morning lasting most of the day, but we were all anxious to paint. Sue and Alex at their easels.

Alex in Gull Cove

Fog in Gull Cove

Gull Cove where Alex, Sue, and I painted the lovely pool of water, the cliffs, and the rolling surf. The sun broke through in bits and pieces creating these layers of soft hues.

Heavy Rain today and great for a much needed rest. We spent several hours discussing painting and photography with our painting friends Judith Carducci, Greer Jennison, and Carrie Lewis. We also had time to see their plein air work in oil and pastel.

It has been a stimulating week with such taleneted artists, interesting discussions, and thoughtful critiques. Many Thanks to Everyone!