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Posts from the ‘art’ Category

Nov 23

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Grateful for Thanksgiving

Village Lighting the Way, 30×30, acrylic on canvas.
Available at Kennedy Gallery in Portsmouth, NH.

We all would love to celebrate Thanksgiving in the way we each have enjoyed over many years. The Covid19 virus has been forcing us all to not only change but completely stop doing so many ordinary things while causing great divides in families, and among friends and coworkers. The local and national political atmosphere is also pressuring regular Americans to submit to behaviors that cause even more stress.

Not only are we dealing with maintaining the health of our families while Covid rages on, we are also concerned for the viability of family-owned and friend-owned local small businesses. And how they will survive during this disruptive pandemic including the period of time after a vaccine has been distributed. So many aspects of living have been infiltrated by Covid19. But sadly many lives have also been infiltrated by pressure to evaluate one another in ugly, personal, political, demeaning points of view. It hurts my heart and soul.

I’ll not be one who maligns or dismisses or denigrates or belittles someone because they believe differently than me. I respect other’s opinions and will expect the same in return. I love the interwoven aspects of my community and I’ll continue to be a respectful part of it no matter which political party is in the White House or state house. The ebb and flow of change is a healthy thing so we each have the opportunity to experience different ways of thinking and living. Honesty and truth at the highest levels need to be held as precious things. Without them, we only have opinions of fallible human beings.

I wish you a grateful Thanksgiving and hope you celebrate in a way that is safe, healthy and hopeful for you and those you love.
Peace and Blessings to you.

Lesson learned: Thanksgiving cannot be cancelled due to a virus.

Oct 29

Peaceful Transitions Matter

In this new painting, ‘Village Under the Sun’, the imagery is filled with all kinds of transitions— from line to gradient, warm to cool colors, curves to angles, light to dark values, textured to smooth surface, not to mention the imagined overlapping and off-kilter architecture. And the changing unreal scale of buildings and people. Yet if handled well, all these juxtapostions can live peacefully together. Creating a kind of balance that despite its quirkiness and unusual views, still does create a recognizable world where we live well in the peacefulness of a place we call home. Contact Kennedy Gallery in Portsmouth NH for more information. Visit Ann Trainor Domingue website for more info.

Lesson learned: Living together in peace despite differences matters most. Let’s hope the upcoming election results in a peaceful transition or continuation for America’s sake.

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.

Aug 29

2 Comments

Peace Still Matters

Amid the chaos in our lives due to the pandemic and all the daily events it has affected, it is still important to find a way to peace. To try to take each day as a gift to be opened and shared especially with someone who is finding it difficult to find peace. This detail of my artwork demonstrates a bit of chaos with spots of warm orange notes or peace. Hope you find yours.

Lesson learned: Just be still for a while.

Apr 9

2 Comments

Staying Ready and Able

201115 Village Down to the Sea acryl canv 36x36 sm

Village Down to the Sea, acrylic on canvas, 36×36

While the USA and world are getting their act together on this Covid19 virus and its effect on our health and economy, I have been focusing on being ready when our previously strong economy is again unleashed to get Americans doing what they do best. Work. And at the same time solve the mystery of this virus. We need to work and make the world go round again. Its time to be with our family and friends, safely and smartly. Peace and good health to all. We are smart enough to do this well.

Nov 8

Starting After Stopping

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Trixie love.

Last month my 8 year-old granddaughter visited a small farm to do some horse stall chores and ride our friend’s pony. A brave little beginner with a fascination for horses is proving to herself that she can do just about anything. Even on two occasions when she slid down and off the pony onto the ground– the second time scraping her elbow. A little tear or two and a gentle talk with the pony-loving friend encouraged her to wipe herself off, put her foot into the owner’s hand and climb back on the painted pony’s back.

And off they went slowly allowing time for getting a feel for the sway of the pony and regular heartbeat to return. There’ll be more riding I’m sure of it.

And so it is for me after spending the better part of a month preparing for my Open Studio art event–ordering, packaging, sorting, cleaning, placing, making signs, replacing, tagging, titling, taping, and on and on… After 7 years of working full-time on my art career, I need a rest to savor the blessings of being an artist. And there are so many. Freedom to set my own schedule, time to take granddaughter to ride the pony, time to walk in the Halloween parade here in town, time to visit family who live near or across the country, taking advantage of unusual opportunities such as sailing on a schooner, saying yes to family and friends by being available for coffee and a chat, and being there for my lovely husband when the convertible is ready to go for a ride.

November and December are a winding down time as I take a breath to slow down and have no plan in particular other than to count my blessings. And begin thinking about how to climb back on the pony.

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Ideas for post relaxing. 

Cheers to all.

Lesson Learned: Work harder at relaxing in 2020.

 

Sep 19

1 Comment

Softening the Edges of New England

 

 

I hear people say that New Englanders tend to be unfriendly and closed-minded, set in their ways, or unwelcoming. Not sure where they live or may be from, but I find the opposite to be true. Maybe its because as a lifelong New Englander I am willing to say hello, smile a bit, or offer help when I see it may be needed. Granted I am not one to seek the spotlight and cringe a bit when it happens in my life as an artist. I am also ok with people and strangers needing their space, needing time to adjust to a situation that is unfamiliar, or unexpected. And this may be what is taken as unfriendly behavior.

As a visitor to Provincetown MA over the last few years I’m consistently finding a friendly helpful vibe when I am there doing a return artist residency. It is a laid back place that is awash with strangers and visitors from June through September and beyond. I am able to wander around and watch a whole lot of life happening from tourists being tourists, to locals being locals.

But mostly its a friendly New England experience when you walk slightly beyond the wild and lively heart of Commercial Street. Take a side road toward the water to experience a view not often taken in by fast moving on-the-surface visitors. You’ll find a bit of peace and quiet among the seagulls and the locals who go there to recharge.

The quiet side

Lesson learned: Take the side roads. 

 

Aug 2

2 Comments

Art Journey and Red Power Boots

Chalk drawing on dry painting to indicate rework to improve the figures.
Color added to new shapes.
Final painting, 36×36 acrylic on canvas.

I began this painting several years ago and after being seen and exhibited it found its way back to me. I looked at it again with a new point of view gathered along the way on my art journey. The overall design of the piece I still liked but some of the details especially in the figures were not defined enough. The colors were more muted than I felt the piece now needed. So, next step was to hang it on the studio wall and rethink my previous effort. The earlier work is not a wasted effort though, its just that my point of view and my ability to ‘see’ how all the parts relate to each other has improved.

One way I make renovations/changes/improvements is by testing my rework idea by drawing with chalk first to envision the new shapes on top of the dry paint. When I see better shapes and interactions I then begin to reevaluate color and layer over the old paint. I have more confidence in this approach now because I use Golden Open slow dry acrylic to layer paint knowing I can easily wipe off the change if needed. This ability to make changes and edit on the fly is really a game changer for me.

‘Forever Arm in Arm in Power Boots’ 36×36 on canvas is now one of my favorites. My charismatic neighbor saw it and noticed I had put her red gardening boots on the woman figure–she called them ‘power boots’ so I adopted the idea and lengthened the title of the piece. She so embodies the power boots idea. Thank you Friede!

Lessons learned: Pay attention to your neighbor’s gardening boots. And renewing older work puts my newest learning into action.

 

Jun 14

New Gallery Representation

opening postcard web 5x5 Portsmouth2019

I’m happy to begin a relationship with Powers Gallery located in Acton, MA. They are about one hour drive from my home in Goffstown NH making it a reasonable commute to swap work, and my work compliments the group of artists they represent. I look forward to working with them and meeting other artists of the gallery. This summer show opening reception is Saturday, June 22, 4-7. Stop by if you can I’d love to meet you and find out what you like in art. Thanks for your support, Ann.

Jun 10

Socializing — a nice thing to do

191031 A Welcome Visit acryl canv 18x18

A Welcome Visit, acrylic on canvas, 20×20, available at anntrainordomingue.com

A thought as the week unfolds.

Online ‘Social Media’ seems to have developed into an ugly hateful thing today. At the outset what appeared to be a way for people to communicate freely has also become a way for people to dis, disparage, hurt, embarrass, troll, stalk; to cruelly and intentionally harm another with relentless effort. And worse yet do physical or mental harm. Unfortunately online words and actions of bullying in all its ugly forms stay in the universe of digital communications forever. Horrible for those being bullied and disrespected and horrible for the bully when they realize someday how wrong they were to treat another human being as though they had no heart or soul.

As Americans we have the freedom to speak out in the ether or face to face. We cannot force someone else to listen to, read, or believe our words. We should be allowed to come to our own conclusions without fear of retribution, or harm or worse. And after a frank unresolved discussion still be able to be in one another’s company. And be nice to each other. Be polite.

Here’s to proper socializing making a comeback where kindness and respect for another’s different opinion matters. Here’s to keeping friendships alive despite  differences. Here’s to being brave enough to accept challenges to an opinion. Here’s to having friendships matter more than anything. Here’s to being nice.

Lesson learned: Niceness matters.

 

 

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Messy, uncommon, friendly contemporary landscape paintings inspired by the New England landscape

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