IDEAS FOR MOTHER'S DAY 

Welcome to our Blog Post for the month of May

It is designed to help find that perfect something for that special someone

Click on the painting for information

Direct your questions or interest to our general email address: merrimackriverpainters@gmail.com

THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY!

MARILYN EIMON

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CLAUDETTE GAMMON

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DUSTAN KNIGHT

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SUSAN LEVENSON

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ANN LYNCH

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MARY RUEDIG

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ANN SAUNDERSON

KATHY TANGNEY

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 Reflections on a Year of Making Art During a Pandemic

By Janice Wittmer

How did we, the Merrimack River Painters, survive these many months of disruption, fear, loss, isolation and chaos?

We painted..at home alone and en plein air with others.

We learned to Zoom and discovered a new way to stay connected.

We shared our artwork, expressed our thoughts and feelings, explored new concepts and techniques…and when we couldn’t paint, were inspired by others.

In reflecting on a collection of our own artwork, that was produced in the same year, maybe we can discover some elements or characteristic that link the paintings in some way, giving us more insight into how and what we paint.

Below are some of the paintings I made during the last 12 months.

 

HAVING FUN WHILE EXPERIMENTING

By Terry Heinzmann

In cleaning out my studio the other day, I came across some paintings done a while ago. Each of them was an experiment using unusual patterns and bright colors to create interesting backgrounds.

The backgrounds of the two paintings with stylized sunflowers were done using stencils to create different effects behind the flowers.

The still life with a live model was an attempt to paint a background without using stencils but still incorporating some interest behind the model.

The painting of the trees used the trees themselves to create a vivid background.

And the still life of the wine bottle and grape leaves, omitted the background altogether and focused on the pattern of the cloth.

All of them were fun and challenging!

FROM POLITICS ... TO PETALS

BY MARY RUEDIG 

Kamala Harris

The past year

Amy Coney Barrett

 has been so sad,

 scary and confining.

 I spent so much time watching

 and painting newsmakers.

John Lewis

Nancy Pelosi

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Mitch McConnell

Dr. Fauci

Trump

Rudy Gullianni

Now, as the politics move toward a new beginning, a new spring,

 I am lifting my spirits by again painting flowers.

Now, as the politics move toward a new beginning, a new spring,

 I am lifting my spirits by again painting flowers.

We are still surrounded by beauty if not by family and friends.

     COMING INTO 2021

By DUSTAN KNIGHT TARBELL

Three cheers for a brand New Year! It was a challenge last year – we shared some sad times, had some health worries, it felt like running on ice. But things are looking up. Facing difficulties is part of our skill set!

Just like in the studio. It’s amazing how often difficulties appear. Running out of paper, not having the right size canvas, losing a favorite brush. Forgetting what we are doing.

Having to call the heating furnace guys, remembering the car appointment – always something.

And that is how I think of it. There is ALWAYS something.

So I try to be prepared and nod and say to myself, well that’s more like it, something had to work.

It’s a contest to see how many ruts in the road, cracks in the ice, bumps in the rug I can jump over.

Bring it on I say, well I don’t say that out loud.

Despite everything, I have been trying to be brave in my studio – trying new sizes and not judging the paintings – letting them show me the way.

It’s fun and scary.

Here are some new landscapes. They are small in actual size but humongously vast in scale.

That’s how I am going into 2021 – big ideas – with a bit of caution – IE I am wearing knee pads as I skate into this new year.

Peace and love.

Dusty