Engagement Signs

My husband's cousin, Bobby, got engaged to Annaliese this past July and she asked me to paint signs on vintage pallet boards that they were to use in their engagement pictures. Since Bobby proposed in Maine while on a boat ride, they recreated the proposal with a sign saying "I Said Yes!" She also wanted a sign painted with their upcoming wedding date. Below are just a few pictures from their engagement photo shoot. Thank you, Annaliese, for sharing these beautiful pictures!

Please click on the photographs for an enlarged view

Photos courtesy of Walter E. Homan Photography

For more information on commissions, please click here

Memories of Maine

Here is my latest painting, Memories of Maine. Last year while we vacationed in Lincoln, Maine I took a picture of the first sunset from our dock. This painting is my rendition of that breathtaking moment. It turned out to be one of the most challenging paintings that I have completed. It was my first attempt to paint a sunset and water with ripples. Although I struggled along the way to find the correct color palette (I repainted the water 4 times!) I feel accomplished with this painting and welcome the challenge of another sunset or water scene in the future.

Memories of Maine - 7" x 5" - Acrylic of Paper

Works in Progress: Ebeemee,Maine & Joanie's Wild Flowers

A week has flown by already and I thought I'd share some in progress photographs of the two paintings I am currently working on.

The first painting is a commission based on a 4"x6" vacation photograph from Ebeemee, Maine. I realized while beginning work that I found it difficult to connect with the painting because I had never experienced the place that I was depicting. All of the paintings that I have created are locations of significance to me and where I visit often. However, I was very determined to understand this landscape with what information I had.

I had the amazing opportunity to visit Ebeemee while I was on vacation in Maine this July. I took many reference pictures to gain a better understanding of Maine's landscape as it drastically differs from the farm fields of Southern New Jersey! After vacation, I began working with a new found inspiration. From this painting I have come to realize how important it is to fully experience a landscape to gain a better comprehension of the specific characteristics it has to offer.

Ebeemee, Maine - Acrylics on Canvas - 8" x 12"

I am still working the clouds in the sky and their respective reflections in the lake.

The second painting is based on a picture that I took of wild flowers on Watson's Mill Road. In the two pictures I have shown the progress I have made in the last two sessions. In the first picture, I painted the sky and location of the stems. In the second picture, I blocked out some of the flowers and most importantly started the daunting task of adding more values and textures in the grass. In this painting I want to focus upon the beauty nature offers within chaos.

Joanie's Wild Flowers - Acrylics on Paper - 9"x12" 

I am still working to create depth and texture in the grass as well as forming the flowers

If you have any comments, please feel free to share!