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Posts tagged ‘coastal’

Apr 13

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When will it end?

As Time Goes By, acrylic on canvas, 40×60. Available at Portland Art Gallery, Maine

After an eventful winter and spring this new painting holds a different kind of sentiment now. The small circular shapes were like an image of days passing by, suns or moons, your choosing. Then the light coming in from behind the shelter building felt like a new day dawning with endless possibilities. That was before the attack on Ukraine by Putin. How horrible an experience for the Ukrainians to have to endure. And to see that no other country or group of allies can or will do anything to immediately stop the human destruction of little children, elderly, and families who just a few weeks ago were enjoying all the things we enjoy here in USA. Really? Nothing more can be done to stop the unbelievable murderous, callous evil of Putin? I pray for intervention of any kind to bring peace to those poor brave people. And I pray that God, in whatever form you believe or not, will stop Putin’s heart.

Lesson learned: Evil exists unless good people do something to stop it.

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.

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.

Jul 1

A Painter’s Holiday

IMG_7304You missed a spot. Not what I want to hear when I thought the job was finished. But as a fine art painter, missing a spot can turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

At times in my thoroughness to completely finish a work I find I want to rework areas no matter if they are small or large. Just want to go in and tweak or wholesale change that line or edge or shift a color and modify a shape. It is a very tricky thing to do near the end of a painting process. So many aspects have already found a balance–not perfection–just a balance of color, shapes, textures, line and form. To ‘fix’ something after the major phase of developing a painting has passed can invite some real questions–can I match that color, what brush did I use to get that texture, why didn’t I see that earlier, why did I think that bold line looked good yesterday and not today? And many more.

IMG_7314If a painting has a problem ‘holiday’ of some sort, I take a holiday too, and wait a few days before ‘fixing/correcting/adjusting/leaving-it-alone’. My mind has so many things whirring around while painting–so many decisions being made at once–that getting back into that mindset I had while doing the original work is almost impossible. If I could it would help me make the right decisions to push this painting toward the finish line.

So taking a break to reevaluate the piece is my answer. Sometimes its as long as a lunch break or as long as a year. My sort of ‘time out’ for a piece as I determine whether it is ready for prime time or not. Or as in a few cases it has been returned to me unsold from a gallery  and I have a new chance to work out the holidays or paint it over if I believe it is just not good enough.

IMG_7561Lesson learned: Take your time when deciding how to improve your work. Sometimes a holiday is actually the uniqueness of a piece and doesn’t need fixing at all. Time will tell.

The finished painting is now available at Gallery Antonia in Chatham on Cape Cod. www.galleryantonia.com Working Days End, acrylic on canvas, 36×36.

May 25

Last week for ‘Along the Waterfront’

 

16493 Meeting Up acryl canv 18x18 sm

Meeting Up, 18×18, acrylic on canvas.

Last week to see ‘Along the Waterfront’ exhibition at the NH Art Association Levy Gallery at 138 State Street in Portsmouth, NH. See www.nhartassociation.org  If interested in a particular artwork contact NHAA or contact me through my website at www.anntrainordomingue.com where you will find complete contact information.

Mar 2

One snapshot = a boatload of paintings

Provincetown Compare 2a

From snapshot, to sketch, to final painting–here’s a sample of how I create my paintings. Not all happen this way but this is a process I find captures an inspiration, allows me to mull over the possibilities, and then sketch options and try out with various media. I generally do not know the color palette I will use when I begin to paint. I will have one key idea about the focal area that I want to retain and then I let the process of painting take over. I’ll make many decisions on the fly. some good. Some not so good. Exploring without knowing my end goal is my idea of great fun while creating each artwork. Visit my website to see more www.anntrainordomingue.com or email me at domingue@comcast.net to receive my newsletter.

Feb 21

Hazy, Hot and Humid Art

July comparison 2013

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.

Dec 22

Gravity of Grays

P1130888

I love grays–they are very important colors–foggy, charcoal, steel, cool, warm, and Cape Cod grays. But what I really like in this snapshot is how gray creates background tones that contrast beautifully with all kinds of colors. From turquoise to soft peach to warm orange as in this photo. The various tones of grays of the shingles, boats, sand and misty air all combined to form an unusual color combination and one that I will be exploring in my paintings this winter.

Oct 9

Copley Society Artist Residency at Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, MA

Using golden Open acrylics--longer time to dry that traditional acrylics. Work quite well.

Plein air painting as the tide gets closer to my feet.

As I catch up with my necessary duties as an artist (marketing, organizing, packing, shipping, emailing, inventorying, etc.), I am itching to get back in the studio to explore and play with the exciting new approaches to my art I discovered during my month-long residency at FAWC in Provincetown on Cape Cod. From toying with more abstract thinking to working without references, from meeting new faces to meeting famous faces–Paul Resika, Berta Walker, Constantine Manos–I have so much to internalize about my experience. Good thing the winter hibernation season is coming soon. Not that I hibernate of course. But those nice quiet snowfalls will be perfect backdrop as I dig deep into my thoughts.

Mar 4

Details Inspire Large Work

High key colors in body ofwater with small sailboat imagery

Playing with heavy textures in my customary coastal theme.

Last summer I did a painting titled, Raking Light, a 36×36 that described a late afternoon low tide at a sandy beach in Provincetown. One small area of the painting approx. 5×5  inspired this enlargement at 24×24. I loved how the coarseness of the under-texture allowed the acrylic paint to sit up on top of the raised areas. And adding other color layers allowed those underneath to still peek through. Having fun creating new works this endless winter using this idea. No title as of yet. Ideas?

Detail that inspired new work

Detail that inspired new work

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