Little Red Dory, 8x10 Acrylic Painting by Kelley MacDonald

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Ever notice how first thing in the morning the water is like glass, only tiny ripples, and it reflects the sky so perfectly?  My favorite time of the day - oops, except sunset!  Anyway there are a few dories around here that sit so gloriously on the water at that time of day, it makes me almost compelled to get in, row off to my nice big sailboat (which, ahem, I do not actually have) and spend the day gliding through life.  This one is an 8x10, on a panel, and will pop into a ready-made frame.

So!  I couldn't resist taking another stab at the TURQUOISE Dory!  I basically punched up some colors, quieted down other colors, and added a small bit of detail to the lobster trap, and weeds. 

Pour Vous, 8x6 Inch Oil Painting by Kelley MacDonald

Today's lesson at the Art Club was "color matching".  That's when we take little squares of random colors from magazines and tape them to a piece of canvas, then 'match' the color - it always has to be mixed, and even the most veteran painter can have a bit of a struggle.  After everyone successfully matched their colors up we painted - from life, or a photograph, if they preferred ... but we made sure to 'match' the color correctly.  Our room was filled with silver pitchers of roses and hydrangeas from a recent wedding.  I grabbed this lovely bouquet - then instantly regretted it because I hardly ever paint flower bouquets.... but is really enjoyed it and just was fearless about all those petals and colors!

Sunday was the Hingham Arts Walk - it was a blast being with my art buddies from the South Shore, and seeing 'blast from the past' friends who stopped by!  One lovely woman insisted I looked ten years younger than the last time she saw me - and that alone was worth the whole day!  Thank you Page Railsback for hosting and doing all that work for the Arts Walk, you rock!

Little Gould Island, 6x8 Inches, Oil Painting by Kelley MacDonald

I did this on a linen pad, and you can see there are still staples on the right.  I just had the urge to paint the little island that greets me every morning, and despite my husband's feelings that "nobody wants to see a painting of that island", I felt the need to paint it.  And an hour after I painted it, the sky became steely dark and the water was light gray and it started to rain, giving it a  whole new look.  I just may do some studies of this, for me.  

The practice of doing a whole, if small, painting every day is what the whole Daily Painters movement is all about - it's good exercise for your artist's mind.

Funny thing, I may have told you, the land mass in the back of the little island is Aquidneck Island, where Newport is, (further down).  On the other side of Aquidneck is another little island, also named Gould.  Those Goulds must have been something, to get TWO islands named after them!  Or, was it a case of the left side of Aquidneck not knowing what the right side was doing?

:)

Bringing The Beach Home, 6x8, Original Oil Painting by Kelley MacDonald

$100 & $10 S&H

This was a demo I did, and the thought behind it was 'composition'.  I wanted to establish a rhythm and also not confine the composition to the page.  I collect beach rocks, I think I've mentioned, and set these down as if I were looking at them from above.  The 'sand' is actually a little rosier than in the photo.  This, second attempt to capture it, was unsuccessful.  The rocks speak to me, is all I can say.  I think some of you feel the same way about rocks... these particular ones are smooth, with soft edges.  Calm, I think, and soothing.

Here's today's wind-whipped waves against the island:

Jamestown Rocks, 6x8 Inches, Plein Air Oil Painting

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This week's Safari (Thursday) was held on a day that was billed to be a disaster in terms of weather.  3 of us boldly went ahead and re-visited the rocks at Beavertail Lighthouse in Jamestown.  We were steeled for blistering heat.  What we got was FOG, and, man it was chilly!!!  The lighthouse itself had fog drifting around it, so my first inclination was thwarted, as I wanted to take a run at the white stucco walls and red roofs.

But Carole pointed out the gorgeous sea-green spot in the water among the crashing waves - ah!  That's what I had to paint.  Strangely enough what I enjoyed MOST about this painting was the rocks - they seemed to take form on their own, and the lovely colors showed through.

One of those days when life give you lemons.... and you make lemonade!

*Oh, yes, my new easel withstood whipping wind without blowing over the cliffs this time (yup, rocks in the trash bag, and the backpack clipped onto it as an anchor!).  I foolishly tucked about 50 business cards in a baggie under my turp container... nowhere to be found when I returned from checking out my students' work...  Moby Dick, if you see them, you can drop them at my house!

Plein Air - Pink Evening, 9x12 Oil

This was a quick sketch done in oil of the sky and water across from my house.  I had to work really quickly, so it's very loose.  You guys have seen from my unenhanced photos that I'm not making this up - the sky at sunset here causes people to drive off the road!  Probably due to air pollution, but nevertheless breathtaking.  I like how the little house had lights on already in one room, too.  Because it's a 'Daily' painting, even though it's larger than my usual Daily Work, it's priced at

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my email: kcareymac@hotmail.com

Enjoy your long weekend~

Stonebridge Area!!! 8x10, Oil

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With temperatures in the 50's+ and a still, sunny day, I took Paco down to the Stonebridge and looked up towards Coastal Roasters Coffee Shop.  Scene was a little more complicated than I first thought (hmmmm...) and before I knew it 3 HOURS had gone by - the light had changed, and we were DONE!  I am so proud of Paco, he was the BEST plein air dog ever.  I made a bed out of sheepskin (fake) and beach towels with 3 of his babies, a bone and a bowl of water (really, it was easier taking my little kids places).  And he sat, sniffed the salt air, and lolled about, thoroughly enjoying himself.  Only had to interrupt painting twice to pull cigarette butts out of his mouth - do people not think that's litter?  Anyway, it was a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

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And Ice Cream Castles In The Air, Oil, 6x8

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Today started foggy, rainy and gray. And... then the big dark clouds drifted away and left these puffy, creamy clouds in a beautiful blue sky. So I took Paco out to the front yard and plunked down to paint this little painting from life. One lone sailboat (guess everyone else is at work) danced back and forth in front of Gould Island. After many interruptions (Paco found a dead mouse, he got himself practically 'hung' on his leash, he ran around my easel and toppled it) I finally came up with this. Paying a lot of attention to deliberate brush strokes, color transitions in the water, the sky and the two islands (the big piece of land in the background is Aquidneck Island), and in the clouds. Happy enough, considering how many times I had to jump up...

Two Silhouettes

I took a couple of days off to celebrate my birthday (something I highly recommend) with my family, but at the end of the week last week, instead of the usual little Daily Paintings I became fascinated with silhouettes. Now, I couldn't have told you that's what I was thinking of, I was thinking 'shapes' against a background. The top image was from a photo I took from a hotel room last year looking down in the early a.m. with filtered light - no shadows - of an intersection and a lone pedestrian crossing. The dark shape of the man, with the grid and cross patterns behind him was something I really liked. I could definitely do more with this, but I just liked doing it to this point. The bottom photo is of a family at the beach last year, and they were back lit. When I was done what I really liked was the water, surprisingly!

On my actual birthday (Saturday) my husband does this thing where I get to decide everything about the day*, and one of the things we ended up doing was going for a long walk in Bristol, RI. We noticed the Bristol Art Museum had a show of Thomas Sgouros' work, and we went in. I couldn't stop saying "WOW." On my Studio Blog I've posted some images of his, as well as another study I did of a mother and babe at the beach.

*One of the other things I decided we'd do is see Slumdog Millionaire, which I had to watch with my hands over my face - I don't 'do' torture! Fair warning about that movie!

Passing Storm, Acrylic 6x6

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This is what they call 'isolated thunderstorms' and it was rapidly moving up the Bay. I felt like 'Quick Draw McGraw' (for those of you old enough to remember that cartoon) rapidly, rapidly getting down the shapes and colors. I had just come home from a fruitless trip to pick up my paintings at Pembroke. This is the story of my life. The pick up, aparently was a 4 o'clock sharp. Since it was my son's birthday and I was preparing a feast, I, in my mind, assumed they'd be there till 5 p.m. and since it's an hour's drive, I told my family I had to leave by 4 p.m. Well, when I set the cake in front of everyone I said "Anyone know what time it is?" When they said "5 o'clock" I grabbed my car keys ("Happy Birthday!!!!" ) and tore off up the highway at 80 mph. I arrived at 6:03 to find the tents being rolled up and my paintings locked in the bank across the street. So I used a 1/2 tank of gas for nothing!!!!! But this view was waiting for me when I got home, although all the guests were gone, and the birthday son was at the beach on a run....

Morning View, 5x7 Acrylic

Yesterday morning I was all set up on the porch for this soft view down the Sakonnet River....

ALSO I didn't realize that at the Pembroke Arts Fesitval Mary Sheehan Winn (whom you all know from my Blog comments) has a lovely painting, too!

Sunset Clould 5x7 Acrylic

Last night I sat on my porch and watched the sun slide down behind these gorgeous clouds, rimming them in gold and rose.  I really like the panel I used - I think it was some form of Gesso Board, but being me I didn't keep the wrapper so I have no idea what they are.  Fortunately they came in a pack of 3, so this morning I got another one in and have one left for the weekend.  I like the way I stayed loose in this - it's a struggle - and how the values are so close in range.

Walkin' the Walk, 6x6 Acrylic

These days just seem to be made for walks on the beach.  Here's a woman and her Mom at Briggs Beach just getting a little exercise and talking about everything and nothing.  I'm not 'back' at my Daily Painting routine... having given myself time after opening my show.  Next week.  In the meantime... if you are in the Boston area, tonight there's a show I'm in at the Oceanside 17 Gallery in Hull, MA, called 'HEAT'... Should be a fantastic time, and you'll get to meet some really fine, fun people!

Plein Air Monday, Sakonnet Morning, oil, 9x12

The day dawned chilly but clear.  With ONLY four layers on, plus my Elmer Fudd hat (red plain wool, with ear flaps) I headed over to Grinnell's Beach across the street from me, thinking it would be a repeat of last week's plein air session.  But Phyllis Adams showed up this morning, and we found a spot out of the wind, where we only MILDly froze.  I used oils, she had her acrylics, and we happily painted for a couple of hours.  By the time we were ready to start wrapping up it got much warmer.  Once again I'll post it here, although technically it's not a Daily Painting per se, then after this I'll post on my Plein Air Blog.

When I got home I worked on a painting in acrylic from last summer that was a plein air piece - NOW I like it!

Pirate's Cove Plein Air, 8x10 oil

This morning was the very first Monday Morning Painters session, and, it being overcast, 39 degrees, with 20+mph winds, I was the only idiot who showed up.  So I stuck it out in case anyone else came, and first I painted the little island in the cove, only to realize that it looked very, very much like my Gould Island paintings which I could do literally from inside my dining room, so.... I wiped it off.  I was wearing 5 layers, a fleece hat, a hood, thin gloves under my winter gardening gloves.... and it was still freezing.  The wind was rocking my CRV and threatening to drag my eassel into the water by catching the grocery bag tied to the side for paint rags...  NEVERTHELESS I soldiered on, and decided to paint the old quarry buildings across the cove.  Finished it with 2 warm-up breaks for thermos coffee (thank you, Tim) in the car... so here it is.  I don't know that I'll get an actual Daily Painting done, it's kind of  a crazy day, so this will possibly be the substitute!

Just Had To Share This With You

No, this is not a Daily Painting, but this is the view from my porch as I arrived home from the studio last night. I haven't gotten to painting yet this morning, but thought I'd send this out - amazing, isn't it? This little piece of the Nanaquaket peninsula which used to be a Summer home for the Sisters of the Holy Union, is going to soon be filled with 7 McMansions... :( Oh, well, I'm taking lots of photos before the neighborhood goes 'down' :)

Also you might want to check out my Studio Blog http://welcometomyartworld.blogspot.com to see what I've been working on instead of a Daily Painting today.... Thanks for visiting, and I do appreciate every comment!

More Coastal Roaster Coffee Stuff ! :)

This is just what I'm up to these days. Dropping off paintings at Holiday Shows (55 were 'at large' this month alone!), packing & shipping Daily Paintings that have sold (will update the 'solds' on the blog SOON I promise!) and painting little acrylic paintings about my favorite coffee shop, Coastal Roasters, in beautiful Tiverton, RI. The photos did not come out as clear as I wanted, and rather than wait for tomorrow's light (today's light was gray and dismal) to get better images. Suffice it to say that the paintings are clearer, that you can read the signs, and the colors are richer. OK. The first one, below, is "The Coast Is Clear" (8x10), and it's about the gauntlet you have to endure to cross this Main Road to GET to the delicious, full bodied coffee (Starbucks, eat your heart out....). The speed limit is 25, but one day I was 'passed' by a truck going 50 (yes, I zoomed after him to see JUST how fast he was going!). And that would be me, saying 'SLOW DOWN!' to all the zoomers going by.... :) Below is one of my Holiday Dreams for a Coastal Roaster Cup!

Forgive me for being a little irreverant... but I think both Mary and Joseph would have been THRILLED to receive some nice hot Coastal Roasters coffee after their travails. The text on the bottom right reads "How thoughtful! They've come bearing Coastal Roaster Coffee!" Seriously, the Magi are very dear to me, my favorite symbol of the season, and I can't help but think that if they'd been able to, they WOULD have swung by Tiverton to bring some delicious java to the Holy Family....

Little Gould Island, 6x6 Oil

This was actually painted this winter, before Blogging entered my life! It's one of many paintings I've done of Little Gould Island, which sits right across from my house. I've painted it in fog, snow, sunny weather, sunsets (no sunrises yet, lazy thing that I am) and it still calls for more paintings of it. I think of Monet, and how his wife maybe said to herself "Not MORE waterlily paintings!" I understand it! Anyway I spent yesterday painting in Boston's North End, one acrylic and one oil - I'll feature them later today on http://welcometomyartworld.blogspot.com/.

Walker's Farm Stand, 6x8 oil on board

This is a farm stand down the road from where I live. All summer long they lure visitors in with gorgeous flowers, lucious fruits, herbs and the best corn around. It's a favorite stop on the way to the beach! The colors 'pop' a bit more in real life, am struggling with Photoshop! I painted this between last night and noon today at my friend Nancy's studio. Always great to have another 'eye' to keep you on track!

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