anntrainordomingueart | Ann Trainor Domingue art

Feb 27

Inspired by the Wetland

How many options are there with a photo reference such as this? So many I still haven’t exhausted the possibilities and I have done at least 12 paintings of all sizes to try to capture the essence of this scene. So much to work with. So much to leave out. The trick is which is which. And that is the most fun and challenging. Some landscape images thrill me, others do not. I use my sketchbook to work on figuring this out. Lots and lots of pages. Each one getting closer to what my sensibilities say is right. Yours, and any artist’s will be different. Isn’t that great? Visit my website to see more www.anntrainordomingue.com or email me at domingue@comcast.net to receive my newsletter.

Feb 25

Painting About More Than Reflections

It seems to be endlessly interesting for art viewers to learn the story behind a painting. And to tell you the truth I like to dig in and find out this information too when I am gallery hopping. I like to make the link from inspiration to interpretation and put myself in an artist’s shoes/sandals/barefeet and see what they saw, feel what they felt, and hear the little thing that became so powerful it had to become an artwork. It’s these translations that are as varied as there are artists in the world. So enjoy the view and let me know your thoughts on my visual story above. Find me and click the “Like” button to follow me on Facebook at www.Facebook/anntrainordomingueart or www.anntrainordomingue.com

Feb 22

Coexist: Plein Air and Studio Air

We artists have so many options open to us as we design a new piece of art. This one is less real and more abstract or is it more real and less abstract. Let me explain. I love working with the landscape–New England, Caribbean and beyond– and that does not always mean working directly in front of it–plein air–as it is commonly known. I enjoy the process of interpreting the things that have inspired me and reworking into artworks that speak the language of the landscape but also let my personal interpretations in as well. I appreciate the time and efforts–and suffering–many of my painter friends put in for the sake of their art. For me I do plein air for other reasons, not to produce a final piece of art but to learn from the landscape of that day–to practice mixing colors, to see subtle tones, to work despite less than ideal conditions, to sketch quickly my impressions, to get out of the studio and get some fresh air–and perspective. My personal art process uses both the plein air experience and the studio experience to create art unique to me. If anything, I admit I am a fairweather plein air painter.

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Feb 21

Hazy, Hot and Humid Art

Who would have thought a stroll after a nice dinner at the Lobster Pot would have captivated my artistic eye for so long. A quick snapshot taken one hot afternoon in Provincetown, MA has been the catalyst of many of my recent artworks. As with many other photos I have taken, as soon as one painting is completed I have another idea to improve/change/renovate the next one. On this one, with the advice of Mary Harding curator of the George Marshall Store Gallery in York, Maine, to “paint bigger” here is the results. Raking Light Across at 36×36 gave me the space and opportunity to really dig in and work on the layering of color and texture. It was a blast. More to come.

Feb 21

Thankful for Second Chances

(Note: I am bringing over some posts from an earlier blog I was writing–Interpreting Sight. These posts focus on the how-to of some of my artworks as well as showing my sketches and inspirations for new works.)

Here is one good reason why I like working with acrylic paints–they are forgiving. Especially when one idea seemed like a good one until a night’s sleep refocused my aesthetic and I wonder just who thought that color combo was a good idea. I am thankful that I get a second chance–with every single piece of artwork I do. I am never afraid to scrub out, gesso over, tear up, use for collage, cut up for use as mini paintings, or plain just get rid of bad painting. Sounds crazy to some of you but if you are an artist, I recommend you give this a try. You never know what you’ll find the second time around.

Jan 30

One Sun, Two Loves

This is the final day of the 30 paintings 30 days challenge from artist/blogger Leslie Saeta. Although I didn’t get all thirty paintings posted, the challenge has jump started my year and I am happy for that little push. I have posted more on my blog than usual finding that I could actually write faster and show a work in progress or final piece. I tend to wait til it is totally finished before letting it out in the world. But there is something to be said for letting people see the “struggle” of a piece too. This piece was conceived while sitting in an airport waiting for a flight back to cold NH. I thought how lovely the warm air had been in Florida visiting my gallery Galerie du Soleil in Naples. So this snowbird idea came to me–how could I show both FL and NH landscapes in one painting. And here is my first effort at doing just that. Let me now your thoughts! 24×48, acrylic on canvas, One Sun, Two Loves.

Jan 29

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Schooner Backlit

Schooner Backlit is an 8×10 study based on sketches I completed while on a whale watch boat in Provincetown Harbor, Cape Cod, MA. The whale boat was positioned so several artists could get a close up look at a schooner race from Gloucester, MA to Provincetown in September 2014. I loved seeing the beautiful curves of the sails, and subtle and various whites as they they glided by. Lucky for us the wind was light so we had a good amount of time to stare and record what interested us. Not sure I will go larger with this one but I enjoyed using more subtle colors than I might usually select.

This post is day 29, part of the 30 paintings/30 days challenge presented by Leslie Saeta on her blog,http://www.lesliesaeta.blogspot.com I didn’t post all 30 but I have done many new small works as a result of this challenge.

Jan 28

Follow the Fall Line

Done as an exercise exploring how to use bold lines to replicate directional lines found in the landscape near my home. The curved line indicates mountains known as the Uncanoonucs. Really just large hills but are what we view from our front yard. Verticals are suggestive of very tall white pines and the foreground verticals are grasses. I am playing with these elements as I consider a series of works that incorporate this kind of abstract line quality. Pencil on paper. 5×7. This is part of the 30 paintings/30 days challenge presented by Leslie Saeta on her blog,http://www.lesliesaeta.blogspot.com

Jan 16

Afloat at the End

Definitely in boat mode in the studio today. I have so much reference material from my residency on Cape Cod this past summer. I felt compelled today to dig into my sketchbooks and select imagery to push further along. I started several small format works on various media–panels, canvas and paper. Just one of those high energy, high result days in the studio. Looking forward to seeing where all these starts lead. This piece is titled, “Afloat at the End”, obviously a boat at the end of a pier but suggests that maybe it is getting ready to go somewhere–or maybe just came back. Either way it is still seaworthy and ready for another day. 5×7, acrylic on paper, Afloat at the End.

Jan 14

Waiting for Tomorrow

Working on a motif I had begun while at my artist residency in Provincetown, MA this past summer. The working waterfront area there is rich with image possibilities and this is a bit of an abstracted view of the piers. It may well become a larger painting with emphasis on the verticals of the piers in contrast to the boats. “Waiting for Tomorrow” was done on paper with ArtGraf carbon and colored pencils. Completed as part of the 30 paintings in 30 days project of the blog http://www.lesliesaeta.blogspot.com/

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

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