A Look Back and Looking Ahead

By Dustan Knight

I love writing the first of the New Year blog for the Fabulous Merrimack River Painters. It’s like a new notebook the first day of classes, full of potential for great things. Plus it is a chance for a quick recap.

We did a lot last year as a group. We had a couple of new art workshops, we exhibited as a group successfully at new venues, and we had some lovely ‘field trip painting outings’. Particularly memorable were the visits to Marilyn’s in Ogunquit.

"Sacred Spaces - Maine"

We did our first run through for a Facebook sale, and we had some press. That is pretty darn good work, especially considering we all have very busy non art lives.

I have enjoyed seeing the artistic progress we have all made: Jan is mastering various mediums. Claudette is painting with looseness and confidence. Ann is blowing me away with her range – improving in all her trajectories (I have been loving the small landscape I bought on Facebook). Betsy sweeps us to exotic places with her travel sketches. Bonnie continues to carry the banner of creative fearlessness ahead urging us ever forward. Mary has created two or three strong themes that we have been watching evolve for years. Kathy has hit her stride and her personal style has really solidified into a ‘look’. Annie has set up a Facebook page, and both of us are taking on the NHAA for this fall. Indomitable Terry pushes her artistic boundaries, and helps the rest of us keep focused on who we are as a remarkable group of artists. Marilyn is working on a book of her fabulous Ogunquit observations, and Susan’s work is becoming stronger and more singularly focused, (which is funny because we all feel MORE scattered, but her art is getting more centered, there is hope for us all).

"Two Sisters"

Our sense of who we are as a group is becoming clearer and the big thing we realized is that developing a family and friends ‘fan’ base is a way of marketing that we all feel comfortable about.

2016 has been a great year and 2017 is going to be just as productive. I have lots of big plans for the year ahead, more workshops, and more art play.

I am thinking we might want to add a couple of hours of art play to the end of our monthly meetings, since we are all together, I think we could have a lot of fun.

I also want to say, and forgive me for being – briefly – mushy, I really appreciate the artistic support and friendship I find with MRP. Thanks you guys!

 

I DRAW,

I PAINT,

I DO PRINTMAKING

BY Ann Saunderson

I was born and raised in Lexington Mass. and now live in NH with my husband of nearly 50 years.

Our two sons are well on their way with wives and children, and we are settled in a new house on our 110 acre farm that we’ve been banging away at for 45 years.

After 35 years of teaching art, to everyone and all ages, mostly high school students, I now make art pretty much full time.

I work in oils, charcoal, ink, mixed media and collage and I’m a printmaker too!

I have been really lucky to work with Sigmund Abeles, Dorothy Caldwell, Bill Flynn, Harry Callahan, Michael Mazur, and

Leonard Raguzeous.

These artists have influenced me in surprising ways.

I also love Richard Diebenkorn, Henri Matisse, George Bellows, John Constable’s clouds, Dorothy Caldwell’s stitches, Ai Weiwei’s courage and Eric Aho (OMG…for being Eric Aho!) I am influenced by them all and so many more.

I graduated from RISD with a BFA in Painting. It was a long time ago, but I learned so much that I carry with me.

Since the 1980’s I have exhibited in solo, and group shows, as well as juried exhibitions in galleries and museums in New England.

My work is full of contradictions.

I love color but often work in black and white…maybe with a hint of pink or lime green.

I live in rural NH but often my work references urban landscapes.

I love painting outside but most of my finished work comes out of my studio.

I think LARGE but often work small.

Images come out of the ether…or maybe it’s dreams.

I am very curious. About everything…really!

That’s my excuse for being all over the map.

 

SUSAN LEVENSON,

Artist Statement

After careers in several art disciplines, my retirement has enabled me to explore plein

air painting with watercolors. I love the

magical world I escape too when I am

painting.

I love the fluidity of the paint that allows me to manipulate the medium, requiring intuition, to control the  unpredictable.

This gives heart and feeling to my work.

Watercolor has an overwhelming array of techniques to explore and conquer which takes painting to higher levels. I never stop learning.

Painting close to nature has been most joyful. It has made me conscious of my love of life and the way I see the world. 

From

Quilting

to

Painting Watercolors

Dr. Watson's Cosmos

By Marilyn Eimon

After my love of choosing fabulous fabrics, designing and making quilts for many years, tackling the unstructured and free expression of watercolors has been challenging and daunting.

"Sunken Ledges"

Fortunately, the terror of trying to express my idea on blank pieces of paper has diminished some over time.

"Simplicity #2"

I now have more moments of pleasure and satisfaction with this wonderful medium.

"Open the Bridge"

Part of the fun has been painting weekly with plein air adventures in Southern New England settings, that inspire and stretch the creative mind.

"Ogunquit Beach Day"

"Passing the day at Ogunquit Beach"

"Ogunquit Summer Traffic"

As a new member of the Merrimack River Painters, I am very appreciative of the opportunity to learn and grow with such dedicated inspirational artists.

"Bald Head at Cliff House"

"Rossi Lobster Picnic"

 THE HISTORY OF THIS ARTIST

By

Claudette Gammon

I believe there are many reasons we become artists, perhaps to feed our inner soul, to satisfy some idea that we can make a difference, or perhaps to connect with the beauty of our environment.

I am not sure where I fit in, I was pretty lucky when I started out in 1980, taking classes with my friend Jeanne Lachance at Studio 216, in Manchester, NH

Jeanne and I had known each other as neighbors growing up on Morgan Street in Manchester. She used to babysit for my sister and I, as she is 12 years older.

 The one thing that Jeanne and I did a lot

of was trying new mediums.

There wasn't an art supply we didn't like.

We surely did have a lot of fun.

Then when my daughter Sarah came along in 1984, I was working full time, married, raising a child.

Where did the art fit in? Interestingly enough we

(Jeanne and I) had been using prismacolor pencils,

so easy, if you had ten minutes....

 I was juried into the NH Art Association, got into the

Currier Show three times, as well as the Catherine

Lorillard Wolfe Club in New York City.

Managed to get published in three books, and even

exhibited at a cultural collaborative with the Franco-

American Society in Andrezieux-Boutheon, France.

 I studied with Jeanne for many years. We would spend a week

at our lake house every summer, painting, drinking and eating.

Even my daughter Sarah ended up graduating from Endicott

College with an Interior Design degree, I am sure, because

of the art we created during those wonderful summer days.

Also, a friend of mine's granddaughter, who spent a couple of 

weeks a year with us on the lake, graduated from Dartmouth

with an art degree, and is now a designer in California.

Ah, those rainy summer days spent painting!  

Jeanne eventually taught oil painting. I was retired then so
I tried that. Had a blast using a palate knife. After years
painting in oils, I found my true passion WATERCOLORS. I
didn't realize how bored I had become with oils, and even
though I had tried watercolors in the past, it took an epiphany
called breast cancer, to show me that watercolors are my true passion.

Now in my 70s, I am still having a great ride.

But the biggest thing I have learned is "if you aren't

having fun, it isn't for you."

Perhaps the will to be on the top, or even near, isn't

quite as important for me as I thought it

once was, but I still have had many great opportunities,

and will relish them forever.

   Why DO I Paint?

By Betsy Janeway

 What a good question! I paint partly because I'm a record-keeper, a journal writer. A journal with sketches is livelier than one without.

 I paint only with watercolor just because it's risky: I can't predict how it will turn out; watercolor has a mind of its own, and is very backpackable.

 I paint to record a place or an event and I love to mix colors. I am happiest outdoors, I never paint in my studio.

 Having written a monthly nature column for decades, for my town paper, keeps me looking, studying, and recording local wildlife.

 Right now I'm studying the miniature world of mosses, through a magnifier. I think I'll never run out of topics!

Some of my paintings:

   

      Our swimming hole in the Blackwater River runs through my little town of Webster, NH, and is where I swim every day all summer, rain or shine. Today I saw a beaver and the brilliant cardinal flowers are in bloom on the river bank. 

      A Maine coast island is where I often paint: landing at the dock, here's our view.

 

    Our son is sailing to the mooring at the island, with the Camden Hills in the background. 

 

A study of blue jays out of the kitchen window in winter.

"Fishnets"

Watercolor

"Dreamy House"

Watercolor

 Works

By

KATHY

TANGNEY

"Owl Eyes"

Watercolor

"Queen of the Mills"

Watercolor

"The Aria 1"

Watercolor

"Wonder Woman"