Save the Date: 

Plein Air Painting Quincy 400 Clelbrations

Marina Bay, Sqyantum, Quincy 

Save the Date: 

Better Beaches with the Department of Conservation & Recreation presents: 

Squantum Yacht Club & Wollaston Yacht Club

Next Date: Sunday June 22, 2025 2p - 4p 

Maureen Vezina demonstrating 

STORIES FROM THE FIELD:

Fenno Street Field

For this plein air session I wanted to capture the golden light of autumn that falls upon the field in late afternoon.

I packed all my plein air supplies and arrived on site. Upon setting my paints, I discovered that I had forgotten my titanium white! … How could I complete this painting in the light high key tones of this light with no titanium white? I had only two choices; return home and retrieve my titanium white OR … proceed with the painting without the titanium white. I chose the latter. The way around this, was to treat the bare white of the canvas as if it were the white paint; painting much in the same technique as watercolor in which, the bare white of the paper is left to convey the lights and highlights of the subject. This required me to work with my turps much more that I would normally choose, by lifting out the lights to convey those light values, but no titanium white, I had to do this in order to complete this painting.

After posting on social media, a friend commented: you pulled it off.

Fenno Street Field

5x7 alla prima plein air oil on panel

STORIES FROM THE FIELD:

SQUANTUM CAUSEWAY, QUINCY, MA. 

SOLD ON SITE! 

On the rise of Golden Hour, late Thursday afternoon August 22, 2024, 

I scoped out the spot & subject I wanted to paint at the salt marshes just across the street from my home. The conditions, however, were not conducive to creating the ideal depiction of a placid salt marsh pond reflecting the reeds and Honey Locust trees in the stillness just before sundown. The wind destroyed all possibility of any reflections in those ponds. So I returned to my car where I had parked in a lot just adjacent to the salt marsh. Upon returning to my car, just directly at the front of my vehicle, I noticed there was a very large puddle of water which had collected from the prior nights rainfall. There, reflected in the stillness of this small pool, I found the salt marsh reeds highlighted by the late afternoon sun. This painting is the product of that session painting en plein air that evening. 

Serendipitously, a wonderful woman passing by, stopped to take a closer look. The closer she looked, the more interested in the piece she became and asked for my card. Since I had no cards on me at that time, I lead her to my website. She emailed me inquiring about the completion of this piece and expressed she wanted to purchase it. We met back at the painting location site and made the exchange just this past Saturday morning. She seemed thrilled at having this little painting to hang in her home. It is a small oil sketch painted and completed entirely on site. I think it will make a wonderful large studio glaze.. 

The Puddle 6x8 alla prima plein air oil sketch on linen panel

STORIES FROM THE FIELD:

Monday June 2, 2025:

Tuesday June 3, 2025

The season kick-off for summer 2025:

The First Hill at Caddy Park.

I arrived at my chosen painting site and unpacked all my supplies when at the end, I discovered I had forgotten my panels.

No way to salvage a painting session without panels, so back home I went to retrieve my painting panels so I would not to face total defeat.

I returned and studied the view and decided that what was directly in front of me what the motif I was going to work on since it was so breathtakingly inspiring in golden atmospheric light. There were rabbits and many area birds, but as usual, the best part is when I see the Egrets with their pristine pearlescent plumage dotting the velvet emerald green salt marsh grasses.

I spent a couple of minutes just imagining the scene before me already completed on the panel, and then I made my first strokes.

Initially I had planned to finish this painting alla prima, but it didnt turn out that way today. Two women decided to sit down on the bench right behind my head and begin their two-hour long private conversation about their housing difficulties and what they were going to do about them. Evidently, not caring who could hear what they were saying, they continued on their cell phones also talking with their lawyers yatta yatta yatta ….

It proved to be one of the ultimate tests of a plein air painters patience, devotion and perseverance. Well, these are the challenges of plein air painting. Over two hours later when I packed up and left the site, I could see from across the road, that they were still engaged conversing about their ongoing saga.

The next day I returned to the site and continued by adding in more of the elements that inspired me initially.

After returning home, I realized that the painting needed the most important element. The Egrets.

I completed this painting entirely en plein air, but only added the Egrets later in the studio, because I wanted them to be placed just right with no mess-up.

Salt Marsh Egrets 9x12 plein air oil on linen panel

STORIES FROM THE FIELD:

Wednesday June 11, 2025

Thursday June 12, 2025

Friday June 13, 2025

Nut Island, Quincy, Ma.

This little piece was not alla prima  but  it was painted completely en plein air on site.

I already had a good idea of where I wanted to paint. My only concern was that the winds were a little higher than usual in this area. Nevertheless, I decided to set up and begin painting there in spite of my misgivings. The more the afternoon progressed, the more those warm northwesterly winds kept increasing and gusting. It was pretty obvious that I was not going to be able to complete this little piece in one session, so I returned the next day. Since this whole process was becoming a battle between myself and the wind, I decided that I would not leave that site defeated. The more the wind blew, the more determined I became and I stuck it out no matter what! … The winds were so high, that I had to hold down my box & tripod (and my tripod is a Bogun  now known as Manfrotto heavy-duty), so there was no way my gear was not stable enough.

Later when I looked online to see what the wind gusts were, I found that they had reached 40 mph. … a first for me painting en plein air in those conditions. In the past, Id even painted in the pouring rain, but never in such high winds. So, as expected, I could not finish this painting that day either. I returned to the site the 3^rd day, Friday the 13###sup (yea,  I know … what else was going to happen on this particular date?) Fortunately, though, the winds  had really tamed down and as the day wore on, the sun shown into this park, upon the field and distant waters. I was finally able to concentrate much better and focus on painting all those final touches that I had planned from the beginning.

I still do not consider this piece finished but I can call it so for now. I think it has potential to work up into a nice studio glaze. .. What do you think?

Through the Birches  from The Nut 9x12 oil on linen

SOLD!! 

"Osprey Patrol, Caddy Park", 9x12" alla prima plein air oil sketch

Recently sold to a Quincy resident of near-by Caddy Park & Sailor's Home Pond. So glad this little gem of a painting found a loving home where it will hang and provide the joy that art is meant to do. 

Thank you to my new collector for this purchase. 

Enjoy this lovely painting for many years in good health.

I just finished reading this wonderful article titled "Have You Forfotten these Two Life Enhancements?" by author, painter John P. Weiss. Check it out and enjoy by clicking the link below:

https://johnpweiss.com/blog/14...

Thank you South Shore Living magazine for this great article:

some photos of the painting process of 

"Pine Tree Path, Caddy Park" out en plein air Sunday 9/30/18:

                     

                    

                  

                

Open Studio was a great success! ... 

Many thanks and appreciation to all who visited the Studio and shared the joy and fulfillment that painting can bring both creating it - and viewing it. It was a pleasure to have you there to "talk stories" about how art enhances and enriches our lives .... in ways we never imagined possible. May art live on through us all. 

Hope to see you all again in November for the next Open Studio. 'Till then, have a safe and fabulous spring and summer.  

First News for 2018: Finally! ... I was able to upload the video remake 2 of Vineyard Sound on this website. It looks really great. I hope everyone enjoys. ... Also ... our 4th Floor Annual Spring Open Studios will be Saturday 4/14 and Sunday 4/15 from 12 noon to 5:00p both days. I'm looking forward to having some great visits. See you then

"Vineyard Sound" 18x46" oil on panel has been professionally photographed by David Spencer of Spencer Photography and is posted here on the website. Click "landscapes" to view. 

The plein air painting season has begun. 

Two plein air paintings, "At the Bar" 9x12"oil on panel and "View from the Top" 9x12" oil on panel, are displayed at South Street Gallery, Hingham for the World's End Plein Air Paint Out event held on Thursday June 8th and Friday June 9th. The reception Gala and Silent Auction were held on Saturday June 10th with successful showing by both artists and collectors. Partial proceeds of all art sales will benefit The Trustees of the World's End Reservation in preserving this treasured Hingham peninsula. The exhibition will be on display until Friday June 30th when the final details of the Silent Auction will be finalized

I had an idea to use some special elements in a 9 x 12 study that Im working on … when tonight, I stepped out my back door just around sunset, looked up and saw that mother nature had been reading my mind all along and provided me with my dream scene all ready to grab my camera, shoot and use in the painting … sure hope it works out the way I want

have brought the lights home preparing to photograph "Vineyard Sound" ... will try to set up tomorrow and see what happens

Day 2 of Open Studios was another great day meeting many art enthusiasts. Thanks to all who stopped by to experience some wonderful creations and support local artists. Have a very Healthy, Happy Thanksgiving and holiday season to come.

4th Floor Artists' Annual Open Studios at the E.T. Wright Building 379 Liberty Street & 83 Water Street, Rockland Ma.

Over 70 artists and artisans celebrate their creativity by opening their studios and welcoming friends, visitors and patrons over two days Saturday 11/19/16 and Sunday 11/20/16 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. both days. Experience a fun-filled and entertaining afternoon with food, music and best of all ... art!!.... The more the merrier!

Visit me in studio 207C 2nd floor