July Polo

"July Polo" sold

Past weekend was polo in Pennsylvania at Ligonier. As always it is a fun weekend and a beautiful place to visit. Once again Jack umpired and I enjoyed watching the play. Did get to do a small painting of the far corner of the field with the players, the mountains in the background and the wide skies.

Escape Artists

This past hot Tuesday afternoon I drove up to St Michael's to join the Escape Artists at the Wade's Point Inn for a few days and evenings of painting and camaraderie. This group of a dozen or so women have been meeting the first or second week of June for at least a decade. Several of the ladies are in the North End Gallery and I knew a few others from living on the western shore. A few came from a good distance and all came ready for fun, painting and good food. I haven't laughed so much in a awhile!

Wednesday morning started cooler and with glorious sunshine. I did this little painting of a hayfield behind the inn before breakfast and did a couple paintings each day. Some others worked plein air, some were trying new ideas, others developing ongoing ones. All were there to bounce thoughts and ideas off one another. It was a great retreat!

Three Spoons

For the past few months Jack has been carving spoons and other utensils. These are three of his latest. Part of the fun for him is trying new challenges with the wood. All of these feel good to hold. My favorite is the spatula, the tiger maple stripes are a nice touch and the finish is great.

Birthdays & Birds

Nothing like a little positive reinforcement to put a smile on your face! For Jack's birthday he got a spoon carving knife...weeks early as that was what he was working on at the time. But Joel and I devised this little surprise several months ago. Back then we suggested Jack enter his loon in the Ward Museum National Carving Show. -No, no, not good enough! I can't think of it!- Well, we could...and did!

Jane and Rick were on their northward visit and happily came along. Rick suggested that looking at the Novice division might be a good way to start to which Jack agreed. His reaction when he first saw the loon, then recognized it was wonderful, one we all enjoyed. That the judges had awarded it a third in its division was also rewarding. We gave him his exhibitor's badge at that point which made viewing the rest of the show from the vantage of an exhibitor a delight for him. He called Joel at once, then my mom and who knows who else! That it was his birthday was just an added bonus and probably one he's enjoyed most.

Sunday Last Day

"Corner of Box Iron & Pruitt's Landing" available

Got an early start on Sunday morning, as the forecast was calling for a good chance of rain. I thought to perhaps do last evenings painting again but when I stopped at the Bayview fields the sky was gray, the water and islands lost in haze. A few miles down, the sun came out as I turned onto Box Iron and saw these huge clouds marching north south above an old chicken house. Stopped, set up and quickly went at getting the clouds and sky down as it was a windy day. Since there is so often a good breeze blowing in these parts, this was really windy! The color of the field, the trees, the sky, cloud colors, even the dilapidated chicken house had good color. Only once the sky was laid in did I work on the rest and then only until the clouds closed in.

"Sentinel Trees" available"

After that the light had changed drastically. Let's face it, after a few hours on the best of days the light changes the scene being painted completely. Time to find a new spot. Saturday evening, Ann Coates put on her feast for the artists which is a really nice thing to do. I stopped by the gallery, Bishop's Stock, for a donut & coffee. I wasn't sure where to go next and Ann graciously offered property in her family. No one had gone there yet this year, would I care to? Yes, indeed! So for the rest of the day I had Cropper's Island, a piece of land jutting out into the bay, to myself. I set up for the Sentinel Trees first. Beyond them lay a corn field still harboring some winter wheat and the marshes surrounding all. The winds whipped up waves and the skies were cloud filled and spectacular. For a few hours my attention was focused totally here.

After I walked the farm field at this end of the island. There is a great long stand of cedars and beyond them crashing waves that I wanted to check out. As only a few months ago, because of thyroid problems, such a walk was impossible, it felt especially good to be striding out quickly! A fair number of deer prints show its a favorite haunt of theirs. Back closer to the causeway, a young eagle glided over the treeline towards the far marshes and I decided to set up near there to sketch the interrupted line of pines midway across the marsh. Once again, some dramatic cloudscape demanded attention first before settling into painting the marshes and water trails.

"Cropper's Island Marsh" SOLD


For all these paintings I used mostly the new Blue Ridge oil paints that I just got and really like. I like the naples & yellow ochre, the prussian blue is useful as are the earth colors also. These paints are easy to use and I don't feel like I'm fighting them or require lots of medium to make them usable. When needed I used a little medium, still the c. balsam, stand & spike mix I like.

Like last year, I had a great time. Like last year, I painted some paintings I liked, some not so and like last year, I met very, very few people. Course, most of the time I was painting out in the middle of no where and totally enjoying the time spent painting. Hopefully a few of these will get juried into the May show!

Saturday Paint Out

"Knox Marsh" available

Up early Saturday morning to get out and take advantage of the morning light. Drove out through Stockton to the boat landing on George Island Rd and set up to do a small painting of Knox Marsh. This morning, like yesterday, did not produce the most exciting of skies but at least it wasn't raining, just clear blue gray skies.

This weekend I've been using linen covered panels from SourceTek. I am liking them well enough, with the lead oil ground. The New Traditions linen on board remains my favorite for the finer linen and beautifully finished wood panels. If price were no problem, I'd use only those.

"Bayview Fields" available

For the afternoon painting, I headed for this beautiful field stretching down towards the Chincoteague Bay. A year ago, after a glimpse through the hedgerow, I slammed the brakes to back up for a better look. Standing at the head of this field, enjoying the play of light over the grasses and the far waters and islands is about as good as anything gets. I admit to a soft spot for lovely fields, attended by stately trees that wind gracefully down to the bays of the ocean, be they in Wareham, Westport or Worcester County.

Snow Hill Paint Out

For the second year I am doing Paint Snow Hill sponsored by Bishop's Stock Gallery. It is three days of plein air painting in and about Snow Hill, Maryland. There year there are about 70 painters. Ann Coates, the owner, invites a guest to jury paintings from the weekend for her May show.

My first painting in the morning was not much but I was happier with the afternoon's work. This was done along Bayside Rd.

East Meets West

"Set Sail" SOLD

"Gallery Duck"

Christina Allen and I collaborated again for a two person show at the North End Gallery. The East/West idea came from my move to the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Christina's staying on the Western side of the Chesapeake Bay. I think the show looked pretty good, a lot of work went into getting ready for it. Putting it up actually goes pretty quickly. The opening was fun and we had a good crowd all evening. Jack manned the bar and in keeping with the theme offered guests a Dogfish pale India ale, made in the Eastern Shore or 10 oz Bud Lite cans, a staple of St.Mary's County! Of course wine was available but the Dogfish was appreciated most!

We sold some that night and also throughout the month so we both had a respectable month. I do appreciate seeing the folks who come to see our shows. I got to meet a few collectors and put faces to their names and paintings which was a great pleasure. Several bought again and also some paintings went to new folks. I love it when someone sees a painting (of mine in particular, of course, but of any one's ) and decides it must be theirs!

Part of the pleasure of doing these collaborations is the chance to show many paintings all at once. Christina's watercolors and my oils seem to mesh nicely and it is a joy to see them hanging all together. It was also quite pleasant to put Jack's duck in the show also. As several of his buddies, shooting & woodworking, came to the opening, he was able to show it them and discuss it.

Mallard

After Polo for the Cure, I spent the fall getting ready for a January show at the North End Gallery. Jack spent what free time he could working on this duck. Not having a model right in front of him presented several challenges as sculpting is new to him and he comes to it "cold" so to speak. No drawing preps, no lessons on anatomy, basically none of the things an "art student" would expect in order to work. Just his own two eyes, patience and a willingness to hone his skill. I help with drawing, anatomy as I can but his budding carving ability carries it off. Everything about this new craft allows him to appreciate the competence of the master carvers from their knife work to their capacity to observe. Jack is enjoying gaining the first steps of these skills.

I had the first week in January to address painting the duck. We didn't want it bare naked for the show opening! Painting decoys is as new for me as carving them is for Jack. After this duck and the loon, we have more questions as each has shown us weak spots in our abilities. Not a bad thing, just shows how far we've still to go! We did finally find a small book, that unlike others we have, includes many good pics of carving and painting from a chunk of wood through blocking out, dealing with details and painting. It would be excellent for us to do the decoy from this book as the exercise would help on so many levels our understanding of carving.

Ligonier: Polo for the Cure

For the past several years Jack & I have participated every September in Ligonier Polo Club's charity match for the Leukemia Foundation. Jack umpires the match and I donate a percentage of the sales from my paintings. He has the harder job! I probably get to see more of this game then when he was playing and I was grooming for him. This past weekend the weather was beautiful and this isn't said lightly as the event has coincided often with hurricanes coming through the area. It is a gala event with the large white tents lining the length of the field. Everyone, people, horses, hounds are beautifully turned out. Rolling Rock Hunt parades their hounds before the match and then the game starts. This year it was closely battled throughout the six chukkas and excited for those watching.

It is always a fun weekend with parties and dinners. It is good to see polo and other horse friends. Watching some of the young players go from gangly teenagers to handsome young men is also fun. Mountain Meadow Farms where we, and our horses and dog, stay is ever so beautiful and pleasant. It is always a joy being there and we appreciate the warm welcome we get! This year the affair raised about 150,000, about 1% of that was my contribution from sales. Hey, every bit helps! As Jack says, When the umpire isn't shot and I sell some paintings, it's a good day!