 Rocks & Surf
Two Lights State Park Cape Elizabeth, ME 6" x 6" Oil on Panel  Apple Trees Cumberland, ME 6" x 6" Oil on Panel Another WIP I feel like I have spent a lot of time chasing the sun, snow, or just the clock with this challenge. More to work on, but got out and painted. Everyday I paint I call it a success.
 Ranunculi and Hyacinths #2 6" x 6" Oil on Panel I painted this arrangement again because I was wanting to convey a sense of the spidery stems. The arrangement got a little larger than anticipated in day 14's painting so the stems were shortened. I also thinned out the flowers and didn't use the palette knife as much. The two paintings have very different feels with those changes.
 Ranunculi and Hyacinths 6" x 6" Oil on Panel Somedays I just want to use a palette knife and lay down a lot of paint. It can be very satisfying. I had fun with the glass vase. It really takes so few brushstrokes to convey the feeling of glass. I did grow my subject in the frame and really need to slow it down and make sure I get the composition I want before proceeding to the paint. Might give this one another go.
 Barn Windham, ME 6" x 6" Oil on Panel I've always loved this barn and as my time to paint was quickly running thought I would drive to Wyndham and give this a try. i had one hour before sunset when I arrived, I just quickly began painting got 30 mins into it and realized my barn had grown and it really was not the painting I had envisioned, I wiped it off and began again. The colors and shadows had changed so quickly. I really just worked at getting the barn in and the light and shadows. I need to revisit and finish. Deciding if I want to leave the road in or take it out altogether. And also if I want to put in the architectural details on the barn, windows, doors...
 Farmhouse Scarborough, ME 6" x 6" Oil on Panel I actually painted this painting the same day as the Two Lights painting. I knew I wasn't going to have time the next day and it was such a gorgeous day I had two panels prepped for the afternoon. After leaving Two Lights I had a few ideas of where I might paint, but car painting really does limit your possibilities. Where there is available parking is not always where the best vantage for a painting is. Drove around for an hour and 30 mins before the sun set I gave it one last shot at Scarborough Marsh. Unfortunately the same issue of parking and something to paint. I had pretty much thrown in the towel for the day and as I was pulling out of parking lot right in front of me was this farmhouse with the days last light on it surrounded by areas in shadow. Got my things out and worked really quickly. I do love the general feel of this painting. Thinking I may want to darken some of the shaded areas to make the house pop more, that is what drew me to the scene.
 Winter Sun Two Lights State park Cape Elizabeth, ME 6" x 6" Oil on Panel This was an incredible day. I was able to find a spot out of the wind and although it was only in the 30's the sun is starting to have some warmth to it, sitting on a bench facing the suit was perfect. I very rarely paint into the sun. Backlit scenes are a challenge, I never seem to get enough contrast. And this was more difficult with the suns glare on the water. I do feel this was successful in portraying the day's light.
  Lobster Boat Portland, ME 6" x 6" Oil on Panel I started this painting on day 7. The boat went into shadow within 30 mins so I brought it home to finish. The next two days were spent cleaning out my office space so that I can now have a designated space to paint at home. In the process I threw out my back so I took off two days from painting. I went back to it yesterday to finish up this painting and I'm just not feeling like I'm finished. I found myself really tired from the 37 days straight of doing back to back challenges, and it felt good to give myself permission to take a couple of days off. These are all self imposed challenges and it is not life and death if I don't paint, it is just a way to develop commitment and skill. I'm realizing that it is just as important to take a break to recharge as it is to paint. Cleaning out my office is something I have talked about for months so although it isn't finished it is begun and doesn't seem so daunting. It freed up a lot of energy to begin painting again.
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SARA GRAYAfter spending over 20 years photographing professionally I thought it was time to explore something new and experience my world with paint and a brush. Archives
March 2019
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