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Posts from the ‘acrylic’ Category

Jun 23

New Exhibition in Portsmouth NH

Hello summer! This spring I’ve been working on a new series of Village paintings titled ‘Freedom to Be’. These are always popular with fans of my art as I have fun with rearranging reality as I weave familiar imagery together to form new views of life by the waterfront. Portsmouth and Provincetown Massachusetts were the first places I worked with to pull imagery together to form my own view of village life. I’ve created over 40 paintings each with different arrangements of details and overall design. I hope you’ll consider stopping by the Opening Reception on Friday July 11th to view my newest work at KennedyGalleryandCustomFraming located at 41 Market Street, Portsmouth, NH 603-436-7007.

NEW! ‘Demo & Chat’ during the ‘Local Love’ Portsmouth business event at the gallery on Thursday, July 17th, 5-8pm. I’ll have my sketchbooks for you to peruse, demonstrate techniques I use in my work, and of course answer any questions you have about my life as an artist. It’s always my pleasure to speak with my fans–no matter if you’ve purchased my work or are considering a purchase. I’d love to meet you. Please bring a friend and enjoy talking art. Thank you, Ann Contact me at anntrainordomingue.com

Lesson learned: Keep painting.

Oct 17

Art Opening for AnnTrainorDomingue

art exhibition announcement
Opening reception Friday, November 1st, 5-8pm. Exhibit of over 20 new works will be on display through November. I regularly have an extensive selection of original art, prints, and notecards at Kennedy Gallery year-round. Stop in anytime.

Oct 7

2 Comments

Right to Left Side Changes Everything

‘Close By’, acrylic on canvas, 36×36, available now at Portland Art Gallery, Portland, Maine.

While recovering from right shoulder surgery I decided to continue working on my art…with my left hand. An awkward thing to do after primarily using my dominant right hand my whole life but I considered it a challenge as I worked to ‘loosen up’ my artmaking. I’ve tended to use clean edges with obvious texture in my work, crisp edges arrived at by frequently using a palette knife to lay down sharp edges. Now with use of only left arm for 6 plus weeks, and limited use of right arm for the past two months, I pushed my way through the awkwardness of left handedness to find ways to still make art but with a new sense of freedom. The piece above, ‘Close By’ was created with various mark-making tools and techniques that I could accomplish with my left–stamping, scratching through semi-wet layers, not worrying about accuracy but simply the gist of shapes with refreshed color palette. All in all a good experiment and now that I am on the mend with more use of right arm, I’ll still be using my left to be sure I stay loose with my upcoming works.

Lesson learned: Right and left are equally valuable. Click image below to be taken to my website.

Jul 23

A New Way

Working in a different way than I have been accustomed to is not as easy as you might think. Well-tuned moves and ideas can be difficult to adjust or change completely. In my case not using a drawing tool to rough out an idea is a dramatic change as I explore working without a plan. Using intuition rather than a set plan, even a rough one, is a change my mind is working to find its way around. The 8×8 collage shown here is a practice of pulling paper images together, selecting from them shapes, values and line to piece together something that I have never pre-thought out. My brain is still making the adjustment as it is easy to fall back on tried and true. Loving the idea of working in a more abstract way despite the stutter steps. See my recent work now at Portland Art Gallery in Portland Maine or Kennedy Gallery and framing in Portsmouth NH.

In the last couple of months I have been recuperating from rotator cuff surgery (going well so far). It has made it impossible to paint in large format until the tendon is fully repaired. I am working in a smaller format to explore ways that I might not have done before my surgery. All good things to come.

Lesson learned: Interruptions can be blessings in disguise.

Mar 2

Another Good Day

‘Another Good Day’, acrylic on canvas, 40″ x 60″, available now at Portland Art Gallery, Maine

A new studio has inspired me to create in a new way, a bit different from my recent work. My new space is much larger, with great lighting and plenty of space to breathe. Although I miss my small quaint studio space I have had since 2013, it will always be where I allowed myself to begin to make the art I’ve wanted to make. And now I’ll continue on that journey with more elbow room and excitement. NEW: I have an exhibition of new works coming up in April 2024! Opening reception is on Thursday, April 4th, 5-7pm. Please stop by and say hello, I’d love to meet you and speak with you about what you love about my work. Thank you, Ann

Lesson learned: Big light-filled dreams are possible.

Oct 16

2 Comments

Artmaking Anew

I’ve recently been shifting my artmaking to incorporate a way of making my art in a less planned way. This includes allowing a painting to unfold as I add color, line, solids and texture. Which is contrary to how I have frequently begun my work where I draw at least a thumbnail sketch of a design and then work with color and other marks. There was a bit of freedom in starting this way, as well as feeling unsure with not knowing where it was heading. This felt more like a freefall than freedom. In the end I did like how it evolved and will continue to explore this approach in the future.

#anntrainordomingue New Hampshire artist; messy, uncommon, friendly, contemporary art

Lesson learned: Try new things even if it feels wrong.

Sep 8

The Art of Conversation

All Our Tomorrows, acrylic and paper on wood panel, 36×36. Available at Portland Art Gallery, Portland Maine.

‘All Our Tomorrows’ evolved during the late spring early summer 2021 as I was preparing for an upcoming feature show at Portland Art Gallery. I experimented with developing a painting in a different way by cutting tissue paper shapes of some main design elements in a collage-style approach and then layering fast drying acrylic to build color and depth. This work is a continuation of my recent coastal-inspired relationship series.

Now after the confusing and difficult year of 2020, problems have been brought forward into 2021 with even more divisive issues. We all hoped things would settle down for a while. But not so fast.

This painting evolved into this image that amid the chaos of life some sense of connection, love and caring can still be found. Two people. A simple hand held. A most powerful relationship when each finds what is most important in one other. Good things begin this way.

This is an image of hope for the future that people will value each other’s differing opinions instead of forcing the other to submit to an ideology that is not in line with their own understandings, sensibilities and life experiences. What ever happened to having an opinion about a topic and having a conversation with another human being? Wasn’t this how we resolved differences or let ‘bygones be bygones’? Or simply allow another person to maintain their point of view while still being friends? Is this really a lost art? I hope not.

Lesson learned: Kindness matters.

Aug 24

Fish Moon Light Days Reflections

Fish Moon Days, 24×48 on canvas, 2021. Available at Portland Art Gallery, Portland, Maine

The moon has a pull that I don’t understand in its entirety, but I still find it a fascinating detail to place in my work. Even adding another where it doesn’t make sense. Am I to use my creativity to reiterate and repeat reality? Or is it to reinvent/rework/recreate/renew a common image by imbuing it with fresh ways of looking, bringing another point of view for others to ponder? As in life, encouraging new ideas and new ways of looking at things can make all the difference. Hopefully shedding light and new joy.

Lesson learned: Keep making images that bring joy and hope.

Feb 22

2 Comments

Different Yet Similar

Bridging the Gap, 12×12 acrylic and graphite on panel

Are you sensing something similar to what I’ve presented in this artwork? A very large gap between differences and similarities? A space between two people that seems permanent? An inability to reach across time and space to reconnect with someone who was special to us? A sense that the space is getting wider? An idea that life as we knew it is not likely to return in a familiar way? During this pandemic I believe we’ve all been forced to adjust and accept certain changes. And I believe we’ve also tried to retain and keep close to our hearts people, things, and experiences that we are not willing to let go of–ever. They hold too much meaning and are part of our souls. To let go would mean failure and giving up on something that matters most.

This painting is my thought of what it may look like to build a simple bridge. Even though it may seem too delicate or hard to see, its a start. A way to reconnect with another soul who’d like to be touched by an honest peaceful gesture of friendship. Especially when differences are known to both individuals. We should reach out to one another because we believe in individuals being just that. Individually absorbing life and times, choosing a point of view and forming opinions. I hope despite core differences, we can each find our core similarities. And use these to make our way back to civility and respect of all people.

Lesson learned: If a friendship is formed on foundation of respect, holding different viewpoints should not matter.

Oct 7

Calendar by Ann Trainor Domingue!

This is my first calendar and I am excited to let you see it just before it is ready for sale! I am distributing it through one venue only– Kennedy Gallery and Custom Framing located at 41 Market Street in Portsmouth, NH. Please call to reserve yours at 603-436-7007 or send email to art@kennedygalleryandframing.com

The calendar is quite different from standard art calendars in that I have included a story and inspiration behind each artwork to let you in on the behind the scenes work and thought process of each of 12 frameable images. Several images are also available as blank notecards and prints also only available at Kennedy Gallery. Just ask, they will be happy to help. See sample page below.

Thank you for your interest in the calendar. the image above shows the 12 different artworks included in the 2021 calender. This will make a great gift for someone who loves art and the thinking behind an art work.

Lesson learned: Take a risk and the rest will work itself out in due time.

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