Goodbye 2016

The idea I keep embracing that pushes me out of bed every day, is art gets us through the very worst of times. 

I've put my lovely pale yellows, pinks and blues aside for awhile and I can't stop with the deep blue. 

The cello of deep blues. 

Indigo, Cobalt, Cerulean, Linen, French, Lattier, Phthalo, Provence, Royal, St. Remy, Ultramarine and Turquoise Deep. 

Maybe I'm in mourning. 

I keep craving the lakes in Maine I visited as a child, Pemaquid, Biscay and Damariscotta.

I'll give it some time. I have a few more of these I'm working on.

The serene and innocent Pantone picks for 2016 

don't seem relevant anymore.

Pantone is putting its money on a very hopeful green for 2017.

Those picks from Pantone always seem awkward at first, 

then they find their way into our hearts,
attitudes, clothing and dishes.
So I'm going give PMS 15-0343 a chance. 

And of course, green is next to blue on the color wheel.

Sometimes all it takes is a new tool

I've been trying out some new silicone brushes. They look like thick, fancy spatulas. They've helped me discover some new blending and scraping methods. A few new oil paintings from this weekend. Poppy seed oil on panel.
Here's a link to where you can buy these very cool new brushes.

They come in a wide range of sizes and shapes

South Coast Artist Studio Tour is coming up!

I'm prepping for South Coast Artist Studio Tour which takes place two weekends for me this year. Stop by July 19+ 20 or August 16+17 for some color therapy. What has been interesting for me is the feedback from people with a gallery visit and the tour visit is very different. I think people feel less intimidated and ready to share their reactions to my work when it's in my back yard. It might be the hay on the floor, plywood on the walls, or maybe it's the wine, but I love visiting with you. Come by.

I love this poppy seed oil paint so much, occasionally I cry little color tears.

Pink Air

It's happening. 
The air is starting to change.  
Fresh paint this week 
of how it seems to me.

A bit from Mary Oliver-

It was what I was born

for-

to look and listen,

to lose myself

inside this soft world-

to instruct myself

over and over

in joy.

A quite moment please, in honor of Agnes Martin's B day

"My interest is in experience that is wordless and silent, and in the fact that this experience can be expressed for me in artwork which is also wordless and silent"

Agnes Martin would have been one hundred today. A Canadian by birth, she spent time in NY and settled in New Mexico. She lived a quiet life, supported local school projects in Taos where she lived, and she painted. I love these two portraits of her, seated in similar chairs. When I look at her later work, the delicate palette, perfectly proportioned and balanced grids, I hear 3-4 people, sometimes just 1 or 2, each humming there own long lovely note note. She liked to sip martinis, too. My kind of lady.

Nice to draw on the beach tonight

It's wonderful to use my whole body to draw.
East Beach in Westport line drawings tonight.

Letting You in on a Little Secret

This past weekend, my open studio with South Coast Artists Tour was a wonderful experience. So many old and new friends stopped by. I sold 25 paintings and connected with many artists I greatly respect. One of my favorite moments was when a young woman bought two pieces and with a grin announced they were her first art acquisition. It was nice moments like that, that made it all worthwhile. 

Letting you in on a secret, sometimes I miss the applause and the audience presence from when I was performing in the theater. It's not why we make art but affirmation is a nice back rub after all the heavy lifting. This felt like the visual artist's version of it. I feel more connected to the folks who enjoy my art and this will be a annual event for me. Thanks for all the support!

With Paul's help the barn was transformed into a cozy gallery.
Photo by Paul Clancy

Photo by Paul Clancy

Photo by Paul Clancy

Landscapes for Saturday Sale

It recently occurred to me that most of the work I'll have at my sale this weekend has never been in a show or even hung on a wall together. It will be a reunion of colors that came to me, I played with for awhile and then packed away. When I finish a body of work, I like putting it away in a dry place to cure. Sometimes months and months go by before I see them again. And this weekend it feels like I'm sharing a year (almost two years) of colors that have been my imaginary friends. Come by and meet them. July 20-21 Southcoast Artist Open Studio Tour. 579 Old County Rd, Westport, MA. 02790 Kids and their imaginary friends are welcome too.

What Makes Me Paint Today

I find that observing rather than recording what I see works much better for me when I paint. What's on my daily observation list today? I get lost in the water in the shower, rain coming off the roof, puddling in the driveway, little gems on the spider web and the river a walk away, as it goes back and forth to the ocean. Here's some work that's come out of past observations. Some of this will be available as prints at my sale on July 20-21.

Moonlight White Garden Dreams

One of my favorites, Moonflower.
Just planted some around our little barn door.
Photo courtesy of blogger jonesgarden

My dad, loves to garden and landscape. As a child, I spent many Saturdays planting trees, making terraces, and scavenging for special garden stones with him. He once told me it takes 5 years to make a yard your own. Having 30 years in my last yard, I knew every cup of soil in each bed. Each plant was my choice, give or take a few. This new place has a wonderful wild quality to it. But when I start to weed and yank and plant, it feels like an overwhelming jungle. I have to keep reminding myself to enjoy the planning and dreaming part of the process. I've asked my friend Katherine Tracey at Avant Gardens to help me plan the perfect all white garden that will be beautiful in moonlight. Fragrance is important to me too. While I work on getting my jungled tamed, visiting her exquisite nursery in Dartmouth will get me through. All these plants can be found on her website here. If you are interested in white, pink, blue, yellow or whatever color, there's a search on her site to guide you. Remember they specialize in the rare and uncommon. You won't be finding what they sell at Home Depot.

One of the prettiest gardens I've ever enjoyed.
Paul and I shot it for Avant Gardens last summer.
Photos courtesy of Paul Clancy Photography

Just a few of the white beauties Katherine suggested 
for my dream garden. You can find all of these at Avant Gardens. 
From top left, Helleborus Joseph Leper, Nicotiana, 
Oakleaf Hydrangeas Snowflake, Oxalis White Pillow, 
Echinacea Milkshake,Asteromoea Mongolica, 
Helleborus Niger, and Stewartia

Not so mild tile

My collection of green pots on the mantle
16 OnCenter built for me at the church.
Roseberry Winn Pottery
and Tile wall of linen and butter.

Oh yeah, there were a few tears shed over leaving my beautiful Roseberry Winn tiled wall at the church. Mike and Bruce helped me design it, pressed and fired each piece, and oversaw the installation. I never tired of it's buttery color and how it looked with the mantle made by 16 OnCenter. I do see a few potential spots perfect for tile in the farmhouse. And Mike tells me he has plans in the near future for some tile design expansion, so hopefully, a collaboration will happen again. Here are some inspiring tile beauties I came across today on Remodilista.

From Exquisite Surfaces

Via Remodilista

From Purpura

From Made A Mano

Spring Bling

Photo by Sadie Dayton

Twice a year I get to design a catalogue for Swarovski's Touchstone Crystal and I get a little seasonally mixed up. I do the Fall book in Spring, and Spring in Fall so I am always seasonally challenged. I'm in the last month of creating Fall/Winter '13 and I should be excited about seafoam green, but I'm actually already giggling about Tory Burch's Klimt inspired, turquoise and burgundy line for Fall. But back to Seafoam green, which only comes around about 2-3 times a century; the model shots for the new spring/summer book were taken over two very cold days last November but thanks to an amazing team, with Sadie Dayton shooting and Joji Goto styling we found some sunshine.  Add in piles of bling with product photos by Ira Garber, the incredible retouching of Suzanne Dunkl, and styling by jewelry designer Troy Hines, the sparkle happened.

Photo by Sadie Dayton

Photo by Sadie Dayton

Photo by Ira Garber

Cover Envy

Wish I had done these. Dansk Magazine I love you.