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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.

Nov 10

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Precious Time

Choosing wisely is a skill to be learned over and over again.

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Nov 10

2022 Calendar available only through Kennedy Gallery, Portsmouth NH

Messy, uncommon, friendly contemporary art

The 2022 calendar is now available exclusively through Kennedy Gallery and Framing in Portsmouth NH. Stop in, or call to order and ship anywhere in the US.

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.

Jul 22

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Village in the Pursuit of Happiness

“… home was not just a cabin in a deep woods that overlooked a placid cove. Home was a state of mind, the peace that came from being who you were and living an honest life.” ― Kristin Hannah, The Great Alone

Detail of ‘Village in the Pursuit of Happiness 2’, acrylic on canvas

We all have such different ideas of what home is. The quote above was one I found while doing a bit of searching for a quote by an author that resonated with me and reflected the small family vignette of one of my large paintings I have selected for this post.

This image is part of a 40″x60″ acrylic painting titled ‘Village in the Pursuit of Happiness’. In this ‘village’ series I have incorporated several different visual ideas of what living in a village feels like for me. I am careful to not be too precious with shapes and color and detail rather letting all the vignettes live together peacefully as a painting. View a full image of ‘Village in the Pursuit of Happiness’ with this link.https://anntrainordomingue.com/Art/Detail.php?artid=1211296

Lesson Learned: Home is not only the shelter we live in, but also how we create a life together in the shelter of home.

May 19

Better Tomorrows

After the Day, 36×24, acrylic on canvas. Available at Portland Art Gallery

Sometimes I think it would be nice if life were as simple as walking along the shoreline pulling food from the waves. Flying over the everchanging landscape on a breeze that is constantly blowing. Sleeping quietly in the beach grass or on the pier with one eye open hoping for a fishermen to toss a mackeral or two. Here’s to familiar life moments coming back to stay.

Lesson learned: Patience is still an important virtue.

Apr 6

Everyday Change

Everyday Catch, acrylic on canvas, 12×12, available at Kennedy Gallery Portsmouth NH

Just like a seagull’s never-ending quest for food, we know many patterns of behavior are constantly changing and evolving. Some seem fair and manageable, others seem unfair and difficult to adjust to. Post 2020, thankfully we don’t have to change everything according to what others are asking or pressuring us to do. If a change makes sense according to my ideas, beliefs and understanding then I would consider it and likely adopt it. If it doesn’t make sense I won’t.

I’ll continue to review the changing atmosphere we are living in and make my own evaluations based on credible varied sources of information. Not easy to decipher these days with the increasing power of tech media companies who seemed at their inception to be providing a world-changing opportunity to make all information accessible to all. Now it seems they are actually a center for censorship appointing themselves as the arbiter of what ‘they’ think I/we can handle. I thought the ‘world wide web’ was a free and open universe to access contrary information and educate ourselves about anything in our world.

As an artist, change is welcome yet so is consistency.

Lesson learned: Be discerning of the biases of information sources before adopting change.

Dec 10

If a Painting Could Speak

It’s Good to be Home, 36×36 acrylic on canvas;
available now at Powers Gallery, Acton, MA

I’ve often heard people say they love the titles of my work. Thankfully they love the work too, but they also make it a point to mention how much they love the title. It happened so often I needed to understand why it was happening with such frequency. I wish I could remember at what point my titles went beyond describing what was in the painting–to the idea of what it could say if it could speak. As though I am divulging a secret of some kind.

As I recall comments about my titles happened when I gave my fisherman a girl in 2014 or so. I began to think of the people in my work and what situation I had positioned them in. I developed a little story between them and thought it would be interesting to look at the work in light of the title. Sometimes the title would be a bit philosophical, hint at a religious sense, or be playful or hopeful. Or even what the painting might say about itself.

It’s not easy to choose one to six words as a title (my personal preference for word count). It’s similar to designing a brandmark or logo that I have done for many years as a graphic designer. There is something both difficult and satisfying about winnowing down multiple options to just some key shapes and letterforms. I think finding thoughtful words that work as titles is a similar process–before, during or after the painting is completed. For sure though, by the time the painting is wrapped and shipped off to a client or gallery.

Lesson learned: Be creative in everything.

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