February 2023 Challenge: "Movement"

 "Undercurrent" 9"x 15" Pastel by Victoria Chesley Brega

 Mural Study  

"Red Leather Baseball" 6"X6" Oil on panel by Margaret Farrell Bruno

I was challenged by the movement of the strings in this painting. 

And also the color change as they moved into shadow.

 

 

"Cloud by Day"  6x9 gouache by Jeanne MacFarland

movement everywhere

 

"after Felicita Sata, illustration from the book" Dark on Light."

I've been studying and copying children's book illustrators for the 100 day challenge on instagram.

5"x 5" watercolor 

@sallydeanart

 

"Morning Commute - San Miguel de Allende" - gouache 6 x 8 by Jody Regan. People walking up and down Calle Relox as their day gets going. 

Movement of the bells filled the air in San Miguel all day long  -5x7 watercolor by Pamela Copeman

"Fierce Night" 20x20 by Kelley Carey MacDonald
The movement of clouds or waves splashing or crashing makes this one of my favorites.

 

"Sway", 12x12 by Page Pearson Railsback

 

January 2023 Challenge: "Anything Goes"

"Chateau In Normandy", 7x9" watercolor by Pamela Copeman

I loved my trip to Paris and beyond...

"Just Another Chocolate Frosted On A Dunkin Napkin" 6x8" by Kelley Carey MacDonald

OK, yes, I have started painting donuts for my "Working In A Series" Class at North River Arts Society.  I have to say, I love these little sweet pillows of pastry!  

 

"Work In Progress" by Page Railsback

"Balancing Act" 6"X6" Oil  by Margaret Farrell Bruno 

One gust of wind and anything goes. 

 

"Winter Market" ink & watercolor 6 x 9 by Jody Regan - checked out Snowport market in Boston's Seaport; though after Christmas, still very active.  Never knew what you'd find around the next corner...

 

"38 Geary - San Francisco bus ride"-watercolor  22"x22" by Sally Dean

 I painted this last month from a sketch I did in 1985 when I lived in San Francisco. I did lots of tiny thumbnails from the windows of the bus and those sketches make great jumping off places for bigger paintings. It's fun to revisit the past. No phones back then to steal my attention.....

"Salt Life" Gouache 3"X11" by Jeanne MacFarland

“Beginning with Brady” 11" x 14”  Acrylic sketch by Victoria Chesley Brega

“The first study of my recently adopted frisky little Jack Russell “Brady” in a moment of repose…”

Kelley MacDonald's Show Opening Sunday!

 From 12-4 on Sunday, January 22 Kelley will be one of the artists featured in a show called

 "Not Your Average Comfort Zone"

There will be paintings of all sizes - from 10x10" to 48x36".  I have priced them to be accessible to all art lovers.  Please consider joining us for some wine and cheese and a great selection of art.

There will be 17 pieces of mine there, all painted in the Intuitive method.  

In addition to the Sunday Opening, there is a "Thirsty Thursday" on January 26th, from 4-7 where a cash bar is available.  Probably less of a crowd, if you are concerned about that, more intimate and you can talk with all of the artists (in addition to me in the large gallery upstairs there will be art by Bee Given and Merle Poulton and in the small adjacent gallery is work by Susan Shaw, and in the gallery downstairs Richard Kattman and Charlotte Handy will be on display)

I hope to see you at one of the Openings!  Thanks for all your support throughout my creative journey!

Providence Art Club 

Maxwell Mays Gallery

11 Thomas Street, Providence RI 02903

December 2022 Challenge: "Flow"

 

"Scituate Jetty" Oil Painting 8"X10" by Margaret Farrell Bruno A Plein Air painting I recently finished up. The ebb and flow of the ocean and tide is always a challenge when painting Plein Air. Paint quick or the rocks 

“Flowing”

9x12 Grid Journal Page 

by Mary Sheehan Winn

Grid Journaling is about flow. I begin by mapping out how many squares I want to work with. I then cover the grids with text using a fine line micron pen. In this one I used Haikus, which I write and keep in my phone notes. I added watercolor and then collage. The grids evolve as I work, but I intentionally place color and design to flow harmoniously throughout the piece. Happy New Year!

"FLOW", 48x48 acrylic, by Page Railsback

"POWER Plant In Nashville" 5x10 watercolor on arches cold press paper

by Sally Dean

The flow of electricity is often taken for granted. Until it is interrupted!

"Jelly Flow" 6x8 Acrylic on Gessobord by Kelley Carey MacDonald

It was a difficult thing to get this river of jelly running - I went to Dunkin's at 7 a.m. to get fresh, fresh jellies, only to find they must have been yesterday's and were stiff and all misshapen!  I coaxed the sweet stuff out as best I could!

"Voila - I love how the water flows through Venice!" 5x7"watercolor  by Pamela Copeman

"Another Lighthouse in Maine" 4x8 gouache by Jeanne MacFarland

“Tidal Flow Study”  9” x 12”  acrylic by Victoria Chesley Brega

“ A study to help solve foreground issues in a much larger painting of Four Score Tidemarsh in North Scituate, my favorite view from the house where I grew up…”

"A River Runs Through It" acrylic on paper by Jody Regan - the  Cut River flows through the Green Harbor area of Marshfield.  It looks benign and moves quickly.  Sweet spot. 

Jody Regan show "Drawn Out" showing at the Hingham Library Dec 3 - Jan 5

 

Jody Regan's show "Drawn Out", hosted by North River Arts Society, chronicles her 5+ years of daily drawing/painting. The show is hanging at the Hingham Public Library from Dec 3, 2022 to Jan 5, 2023 with an opening reception on Dec 8th at 5:30.  

 The show displays seventy-two of Jody's daily works with varied subjects from flowers to urban scenes, to coastal Maine, to restaurant and pub interiors. 

 

Thank you to the Frame Center in Hanover and the dedicated hanging team for all their help.  

 Check out the photos below for a sampling. 

 

"people" themed board at the show

Complete wall almost finished

Measuring and leveling

Scale map for part of the show

Scale map for the entire show

Drawing the the Hingham Farmers' Market

Drawing at a local restaurant

November 2022 Challenge: Vintage

"Light On Pemaquid" 4x8 gouache by Jeanne MacFarland

I love lighthouses and especially lighthouse keepers cottages. This one has such a vintage feel.

 

"Hers and His" oil on board by Jody Regan.  These two lovely rockers sit on a porch in my neighborhood.  I love their age, and their angle, as if they have witnessed decades of conversation and companionship. 

"Mom's Collection" 8x10 oil by Pamela Copeman
My mother collected Flow Blue dishes, she adored them even if there was a petite crack or chip (kind of like us all). Flow blue is a style of earthenware, sometimes porcelain, originating in the 1820’s. The name explains it all, the blue glaze that blurred or “flowed” during the firing process. I am lucky enough to have some pieces from her collection and they are cherished. Vintage pieces for sure.

"Two Moms", 12x12, oil by Kelley Carey MacDonald
This is the best painting I've ever done concerting anything 'Vintage' - my mother's 1950's red whisk and my mother-in-law's Jadeite mixing bowl.  I love it so much I could never part with it.

  

 

"After the Wedding" dress

charcoal, watercolor crayon and ink on Arches watercolor CP paper 19"x 22" 

by Sally Dean

I wore this vintage dress the day I was married, after I changed out of my rented costume wedding dress from Boston Costume (strange-I know!) We left my moms house while the party was in full tilt- now I wonder why? We missed the best part! On our way to Maine , where we honeymooned on a sheep farm B&B, we both realized we hadn't eaten, it was a pretty chaotic and unorganized but fun and wonderful wedding. We drove through a McDonalds on Rt 1 in Saugus, our car was festooned with balloons and streamers. The drive through person said "did you just get married? Good luck!" in a kind of snarky tone, but we laughed so hard. We have had good luck. Still married, 35 years!

"Vintage Bette" Acrylic 6"X6" by Page Railsback

“Mementos of Zela”    8” x 8”   acrylic by Victoria Chesley Brega

“Two cherished pieces of memorabilia from my maternal grandmother Zela Bridgham Dolloff, representing two stages of a long and full life.”

"Joanna" - Charcoal on paper by Margaret Farrell Bruno

The timing couldn't have worked out more nicely for this model at a recent life session 

given our challenge this month is Vintage.

“Dave Saad’s Favorite Machine”

Colored Pencil and Ink 8x10 Sketchbook Drawing 

By Mary Sheehan Winn 

I dug deep into the archives for this drawing of a vintage 1969 Mustang from my art school sketchbook. I had to look up a photo to make sure the details were correct because ‘back in the day’ car designs changed incrementally, every year, mostly around the headlights and tail lights. My friend and fellow student Dave Saad, an avid Mustang owner and fan, added the inscription to my drawing, thus the title. 
 

 

October 2022 Challenge: "Story"

"Rapt" 10x10 Acrylic by Kelley Carey MacDonald

All my life, I have been an avid reader.  I think it is because I loved the time sitting on my Dad's lap as he read to me.  As I grew, books were a reward for good behavior, good grades, etc.  Really, other than painting, is there anything better than a good book?

"A World Within" 4x6 gouache by Jeanne MacFarland

"Sydney's Lesson" Pastel painting by Margaret Farrell Bruno

Every picture tells a story, don't it?

 

“There’s A Story Here Somewhere”

9x12 Watercolor Collage by Mary Sheehan Winn

This collage evolved from some random non dominant hand writing I did in my sketchbook. 

I added the boxes over the text and worked from there, finally using Transparent Mixing White 

(who knew?) to paint over the text that was outside the margins, just to push it back a bit.

 Collage art is subject to change so I may add to this story and I may not.

“One Last Paddle”  12”x16” Acrylic by Victoria Chesley Brega   

“Part of the ritual of closing up our Dolloff camp in Maine for the Winter…”

"The Story," 8x8 Acrylic by Page Pearson Railsback

"Story" 12x16 Acrylic with Gold, by Pamela Copeman

If this Dining Room Table could speak it would tell my Story. All of the laughter, dinners, love and conversations shared. All of the memories created and all my family and friends who have gathered around to simply be together.

 

"Love Story" 9 x 12 acrylic by Jody Regan.  My daughter was maid-of-honor in a friend's wedding this summer.  She asked me to create a painting of their wedding dance.  I stepped through a video of them dancing and found a frame with this gaze of true love.  It tells the whole story.  

 

 

"What's the story?" 

72"x48" acrylic on canvas by Sally Dean

I don't know even yet what the story is !

- its a work in progress.