Pretend Beach Days

Yesterday was another one of those hot and humid days where trying to anything outside was almost impossible. So I happily spent some time in my studio "pretending" I was at the beach with these two gals.

"So, What are you Wearing Tonight?"

8 x 10 

Contact the artist at saltydogstudio@comcast.net 

Our June Challenge

This month, our Girls Just Wanna Paint challenge topic is "summer desserts". Growing up, I spent my summers on the Jersey Shore (LBI)  and going out for ice cream after dinner was our "dessert". I always got one scoop of chocolate on a sugar cone. I could taste it while I was painted this!  

Chocolate Sugar Cone 

6 x 8 

Beach People

You can tell from my website, www.nancycolella.com that I am leaning more toward doing "beach people" than any other subject these days. Some one asked me the other day if I will be doing interiors any time soon and I told her, probably not. It's summer time in New England! I tend to save interiors for the long winter. Although, I'll admit. I did this in my air conditioned studio today. It was too humid out there and I needed a little comfy time with no "issues".
    

 To the Dump! 

8 x 10 

New Paintings at the Munson Gallery

Tomorrow I'm heading down to Chatham on the Cape to drop off eight new paintings at the Munson Gallery. If you are in the area, it's worth a stop. It's the oldest gallery on the Cape and is in an old horse barn right off of Rt. 28. (Just South of the A&P) There are some terrific contemporary artists showing there!

880 Main Street

Chatham, MA 

First Day of Summer

Wow!  Today was the perfect beach day. My husband calls days like this"laboratory conditions" for fun. (No humidity, no bugs, no high winds, no clouds.) I headed over to Humarock Beach and set up under the deck.

I find painting this beach vistas difficult because: 

a. there is no clear light and dark pattern 

b. high noon light at the beach bleaches everything out 

c. Where is the focal point?  

However, I tried this view on a 12 x 12 panel. I had trouble with the values right from the beginning (such glare!) so when the whole thing started to get muddy I wiped it and changed to an 8 x 10 panel. I used my view finder to focus on one of my favorite subjects; flags in the wind. 

First Day of Summer 2010

8 x 10 

  

There is an "unwritten rule" about flags in front of beach cottages at Humarock Beach. 

Every one has one.  

Dana Farber Cancer Center

My husband and I attended a reception last week at the new Dana Farber Cancer Center at the South Shore Hospital for an international traveling art exhibition honoring cancer survivors, in celebration of National Cancer Survivors Month. We were invited because thirteen of my paintings are hanging in some of the new chemotherapy and examination rooms. It was the first time I actually got to see them in their new homes!

It is such an honor to know that my paintings, in some small way, may be making a difference for cancer patients. 

One Hour Painting

I gave my workshop at the SSAC center today and it went really well, I think! There were six in the class of all levels, including a gal who had never painted before. My idea was to teach them how to get paint on the canvas in an orderly, yet intuitive procedure in one hour. Timing yourself forces you be more spontaneous and fearless! And it's fun.

 I did a demo for them in the first hour 

(not easy when you are talking!)

Then I set the timer and off they went. 

The end results! 

                                            

I'm sorry I didn't get individual shots of each one. They were amazing! 

  

Reserved

I spent the morning over at the beach painting with my friend Mary Sheehan Winn. We were both drawn to an old tumble down shed that had wild beach roses around it. (I'm pretty sure hers will show up on her blog.) I wiped off my attempt as I couldn't get a decent composition to save my life, so I turned my easel around and did this old picnic table sitting in the sand. Pretty soon that table will be surrounded by happy vacationers. It was a picture perfect summer day at the beach!

"Reserved"

8 x 10 

Hours of Fun

Is there anything more fun than a tire swing? Painting this reminded me of the endless hours my brother and I would spend on the one we had in our backyard. Our imaginations ran wild and we got a great workout. Better than anything technology has come up with,  I'd say.

The One Hour Painting

I'll be teaching a morning workshop next Thursday from 9:30 - 12:30 at the South Shore Art Center called "The One Hour Painting".  The class will focus on teaching you to think more spontaneously and producing more lively and intuitive work. I find that in most cases, the less time I spend on a painting, the more expressive it is. I will do a quick demo and then we will time ourselves while painting a simple set up. It'll be fun. $55 Members, $75 Non-Members.

Settling In 

16 x 20 

Reception this coming Thursday

If anyone is in the Duxbury area this Thursday (June 3) from 11 - 2 pm, stop by the new Duxbury Gallery at Halls Corner for a reception featuring a lot of my new work! It should be fun.

Garden Club Gift 

11 x 14 

SOLD!