Please join me to celebrate the SECOND ANNIVERSARY...

...of Maple and Main Gallery of Fine Art at One Maple Street in Chester, Connecticut, tomorrow from 5 to 8 PM.  Come meet more than thirty other artists who have work in this new show.  These five paintings of mine will be on exhibition:

"When Lilacs...Bloomed," 10 x 20" acrylic on stretched canvas

"Quiet Cove," 10 x 8" oil on linen panel

"New Dawn," 24 x 18" acrylic on stretched canvas

Zion National Park," 9 x 12" oil on linen panel

"Chatham Harbor," 10 x 30" acrylic on three canvas panels

 

 

"Chatham Harbor," which is my most recent painting...

... will be on exhibition at Maple & Main Gallery, 1 Maple Street, Chester, Connecticut.  Today is the last day of the current show there; it comes down at the close of business today.  On Wednesday, when the doors of the gallery open, a whole new show will be waiting to be enjoyed. 

"Chatham Harbor," original 10x30" acrylic on three linen panels, copyright Joan Cole

“Chatham Harbor” is a triptych, an art form used in early Christian art.  Triptychs were a standard format for altar paintings from the Middle Ages onwards.  Although this is not a religious piece, I chose this format, in part, because of my  reverence for the natural world.   Everywhere I look in nature, I am inspired to paint.  Albert Schweitzer is one of my heroes.  His book Reverence for Life says it all.  If everyone lived by Schweitzer's standards, the world would be a better place.

Be that as it may, this triptych offers the viewer a 180-degree view of Chatham Harbor.  At the same time, 

Panel 1

each panel,

 when viewed individually, 

Panel 2

provides its own unique perspective.   

Panel 3

I believe that beauty is a matter of perspective.  It surrounds us.  Beauty is everywhere we look—if we look.   

What do you find in “Chatham Harbor”?

"When Lilacs...Bloomed" will be on exhibition ....

....in Maple and Main Gallery of Fine Art next week.  The current show comes down after the gallery closes on Sunday, and the new show will be up for visitors to enjoy on Wednesday when the gallery opens at its usual time of 11 o'clock.  The official opening for the new show is next Friday, a week from tonight, from 5 to 8 PM.  I hope to see you there.  Please come see me when you are there.  I look forward to visiting with you.

You may remember that I began this painting on the evening of the day in May that my sister died.  I wrote a series of blog posts about the process of creating this painting, as well as a second, larger painting on the same theme, which I have not yet completed.

"When Lilacs...Bloomed," 10x20" original acrylic on stretched canvas, copyright Joan Cole

Initially, the title of this piece was "In the Valley...."  However, in the four months that it has taken me to complete it, I have realized that--as important as that valley has been to my family for generations--my focus of this piece was less on the valley (which is the Connecticut River valley near Springfield, Massachusetts) than it is on the lilacs.  As Springfield natives, my sisters and I enjoyed the fruits (and vegetables) produced by the farms on the fertile lands bordering the river:  asparagus in the spring, apples and potatoes in the fall, and a cornucopia of other produce.  But my family treasured above all the flowers that thrived in that alluvial soil.  We are not particular  or fussy when it comes to blossoms; any will do, dandelions to daisies and on to delphiniums and beyond.  But who can resist the fragrance, colors, and textures of a bouquet of lilacs in the spring?

Spring came early in New England this year, so the lilacs began blooming in April, which is a month early for them.  My sister had been doing poorly all winter, so I took their early blossoms as a sign from my mom--who had died when the lilacs were in profusion in another May many years ago--that my sister would not be with me much longer.  This may sound lugubrious to you or attention-seeking on my part or whatever.  Actually, it is my way of processing my grief.  I am grateful that my sister is no longer suffering.  I know lilacs will bloom again.  I know that beauty will always be all around me in every season.  I do not think of this as a sad painting.  It is a memory painting, a remembrance, a tribute to my sister.

The mountain in the background is Mount Tom in Holyoke, Massachusetts, which is north of Springfield.  It is a landmark to  natives like me.  

I'd like to hear what you think of this piece, which is certainly different from my usual plein air paintings.  Whether or not you can come to Maple & Main's opening next Friday or not, I'd enjoying hearing from you.  I encourage you to leave a comment for me.

Many thanks.  ~Joan

"Great plein air paintings may include sunlight...

...but are made in the shade," says Robert Genn in his newsletter this morning.   These are my sentiments exactly!  When I am  painting outdoors, I always seek shade.

Jan Blencowe, painting on location in Maine.

However, making paintings in the shade is  not always possible, so some of us use umbrellas of one type or another to shade our palettes and canvases.  

Claudia Post has a bird's eye view!

Or we find creative ways to stay out of the sun. 

At the same location, here's Claudia, painting comfortably in her slippers in the shade.  Did you notice the ice pack wrapped around her left ankle?  At the beginning of our Maine painting expedition, she thought she'd sprained both her ankles when she fell from a ledge.  She hadn't; she'd only sprained one.  The left one she broke! This she learned after returning home.  Her ankle's been in a cast ever since!

Broken bones don't stop this determined lady!

Whatever works is good! It's getting the job done that makes an artist happy.  

I'm so excited about the art exhibition the three of us are planning with photographer Lou Zucchi.  I invite you to mark your calendar now for October 17-21 when The Maine Attraction will be showing at the Essex Art Association. 

I am pleased to announce that "Moraine" and "The Quiet Place" ...

"Moraine," acrylic on gallerywrap canvas, 24 x 12", copyright Joan Cole

...have been accepted into the 83rd Annual Open Juried Exhibition of the Connecticut Women Artists.

The opening of this exhibition is Saturday, September 8, from 4 to 7 PM at The Slater Memorial Museum in Norwich, CT. You will find directions to the museum by clicking on their link.

The show will run until September 28th.

"The Quiet Place," acrylic on canvas, 10 x 20", copyright Joan Cole

Open to all women artists regardless of place of residence, this exhibition will include the following:  original work in painting, mixed media, drawing, collage, printmaking, fiber art, photography, and sculpture.

Juror for the show was Cathy Malloy, Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Hartford Arts Council.

I look forward to seeing you at the opening reception.

Silly and the Seal

Silly makes a friend.

These are two photos taken by Marina Lamb of Biddeford, Maine.  She sent them to show me what Roger and I had missed the afternoon and evening I had painted at the town boat ramp.  Apparently, on subsequent days, this furry visitor from the sea popped up.  How Roge and I wish the seal had been there the day we were.  I would have put both Silly and the seal in my painting!

Want to be my friend?

Painting in Biddeford, Maine, on the Saco River

My Sweetie

Roger enjoys visiting with folks who stop by to watch me paint.

The photographs in this post are courtesy of Marina Lamb of Biddeford, Maine.  She and her husband Greg visited with Roger and me when I was painting at the boat ramp on the Saco River in Biddeford recently. 

Joan (with the block-in of my painting begun) and Roger, chief supervisor.

I dedicate this blog post to Nikki Jacquin of Regina, Saskatchewan, because she has asked me what I pack for plein air painting.  Marina's series of photos gives a good idea of some essentials.  My Gloucester easel is amazingly stable in windy weather. Because each of its three legs is separately adjustable, I am able to paint on uneven ground, even among rocks and boulders. 

You can catch a glimpse of a spray bottle in the bottom left corner of this picture.  I use it to spray a fine mist of water over my acrylic paints to keep them "open."

When I am painting in my studio or traveling by car, I carry my paints in that aluminum "suitcase" that you see on the rock.  When I need to pare down my "stuff," I take only some of my paints with me in my backpack (which I will already have lightened to make room for the paints).

This gives you a good idea of my setup.  In a resealable Masterson
box, I work on a paper palette which has a damp sponge pad beneath it to help keep the acrylics workable.  I store my brushes in a canvas holder which I can roll up and carry in my backpack.

This is one of the nicest pictures of  me painting that I have.  My photographer friend Lou Zucchi will tell you that I am not good at smiling for a camera, and he's right.  He'll verify that this is a "genuine" Joan smile.    Kudos to you, Marina!   Thank you again for your kindness in taking these photos and for your willingness to let me share them with my readers.

This Post is for Nikki Jacquin in Saskatchewan!

Nikki (Twitter.com/#nikkisportraits) asked me recently for a list of things I take with me when I go plein air painting.  I chuckled to myself and explained that it would take more than 140 characters to tell her.  Actually, it wouldn't have.  I take everything but the kitchen sink!  (That's only 39 characters!)


The truth is I always WANT to take everything but the kitchen sink, but I know I can't.  The essentials are as follows:


pigments (pastels, oils, and acrylics are heavy; watercolors aren't bad, but they aren't my preferred pigment)
brushes (I once forgot them & had to paint with twigs, plastic "silverware," and the stub of a rope I found)
palette
palette knife
water/medium/or turp
something to clean brushes in (the plastic container I use to dip my acrylic brushes in--or a portable metal brush washer when I paint in oils)
*Easel (unless you are going to paint in a notebook or on your lap)
Paper towels or rags
Gloves (disposable)
Hat
Drinking water

Also important to take:


Sunscreen
Bug spray
Something to eat easily (A peanut butter & jelly sandwich doesn't need refrigeration.)
**Umbrella  


*My first plein air easel was a Julian French easel that my husband bought me on a trip to New York City over thirty years ago.  He chivalrously trudged all over the city, carrying it for me while we took in the sights and toured the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  I used it for many years; however, a Julian is heavy when it is filled with paints, etc. (To reduce the weight, some artists remove the metal drawer liner, but I never did.)  I still have that easel and use it mostly to paint in the yard.  


My second plein air easel we bought at Dick Blick's on sale in Las Vegas where we were visiting our daughter.  It is a very light, simple black metal easel.  I used it when I painted in the Valley of Fire and in Red Rock Park.  It is fine if wind is not a factor.

I later bought a Easy-L pochade box and tripod, which I have used when I paint locally.  It is compact, easy to set up, and fairly stable in moderate wind--as long as you attach the sling to hold a rock or two.  When rocks aren't available, I use my backpack as a weight; it works just fine.


My favorite plein air easel is a Gloucester easel.  It is a wood tripod that sets up and takes down fairly quickly once you get the hang of it.  It has the most stability of any outdoor easel.  Each leg of the tripod can be adjusted to whatever length is needed.  On Schoodic Peninsula in Maine last week, I often had each of the legs set at three different lengths to accommodate for the rocky terrain.

Joan Cole painting the Saco River in Biddeford, Maine  Photo by Marina Lamb

Here's a photo of me at my Gloucester easel over a week ago.  It was taken by a lovely lady named Marina Lamb who was walking her dogs with her husband at the public boat ramp in Biddeford.  She took many photos of me during the time we all visited and has sent them to me.  Thank you so much, Marina.

**Umbrellas are helpful, if you aren't painting in a lot of wind.  My preference when at all possible is to find a spot that is naturally shaded.  I don't mind painting in the woods, if I can be out of the direct sun and have a great view to paint.