"Concord Afternoon" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas
This is Concord Massachusetts late on a weekday afternoon. I enjoyed a nice lunch at the Main Street Cafe and walked outside to browse in the small shops. I was immediately captivated by the scene in front of me -- a strong band of light that illuminated a strip of the street. That simple band of light was the inspiration for this painting.
As with many of my paintings, I started with a pink undertone. I generally work from background to the foreground so I started with the sky, next came the distant trees and steeples, then the buildings and road, and finally the cars followed by the small details.
Pears are probably my favorite fruit to paint. Because of their shape, they have great personality and attitude. I always laugh at myself when I buy fruit since I'm constantly evaluating each piece as a potential model for a future painting...shape, color, does it sit nicely, etc. Yes, it can complicate the shopping process immensely!
In this painting, I really let loose on the color. My main goal was to show the bright sunlight illuminating the pears as they sat on the windowsill. I laid down broad strokes of color and didn't fuss with it much at all. So, what do you think? Did I go too funky or do you like it? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
This painting is available for $60. If you are interested in purchasing it, you can do so in several ways:
1. Art on Main: For those who live in the Westford, MA area, visit Art on Main, 40 Main St, Westford, MA01886. We accept credit cards, checks and cash.
2. PayPal: For those who live far away, click the "Buy Now" button below to pay by Paypal/credit card. I will carefully pack and then ship the painting directly to your door.
3. Personal check or money order: If you're not a fan of paying online, I accept personal checks and money orders. Just send me an email (LaurieGMiller@gmail.com) and we'll work out the details.
Fall is definitely my favorite time of year. The weather is cool. I can wear my favorite sweatshirts. I can comfortably paint outside with fewer bugs and no fear of heat stroke :)
We've had a really nice stretch of fall weather so I grabbed my painting gear and headed over to Great Brook Farm, a state park in Carlisle, MA. I spotted this barn across a field and decided it would make a great subject to paint. There was a gap in the treeline so I pulled my car off the road to the side of the field and happily painted away until a park ranger approached me. He was very nice and complimented my painting before he told me to move my car. Oh well. I was nearly finished painting (and my hands were pretty cold as I was standing in the shade) so I wasn't too unhappy to pack up and move along.
As you can probably tell, I started this painting using a bright pink canvas. I used a rubber tipped tool to scrape off the paint in various spots to let the pink shine through. I just love how that looks.
My parents were avid sailors and I spent many weekends of my childhood sailing with my family on Lake Ontario. When simply going out for a "Sunday sail" got too boring for my father, he started racing and our family soon became known as "Ken Miller and His All-Girl Crew." A passionate man, Dad learned all he could about racing and eventually had great success winning many races over the years.
When sailing became too rigorous for my folks, they eventually gave up sailing and gave their boat to my sister Julie who docks it at the Sodus Bay Yacht Club just outside of Rochester, New York. This past summer, I saw Dad's boat for the first time in many years. It was bittersweet to see something that he loved so much when he is no longer with us.
Last weekend, during an October snowstorm, I lost my power on Saturday evening. On Sunday, in an effort to get warm (and pass the time), I headed off in my car to paint plein air and spent a really lovely afternoon painting at Forge Pond. It was breezy outside so I painted in the passenger seat while the sun kept the car toasty warm.
I was fortunate to get my power back on Monday evening but most folks in Westford were in the dark for several more days. Spending a few days without electricity is really a jolt to the system. I am fortunate to have good friends that offered up hot meals and a warm place to sleep. For the most part, I enjoyed my break from my computer (and all things electric) and was happy to pass the time with people that I love spending time with.
Congratulations to Natalie Sandore who won a copy of my 2012 Desk Calendar by signing up for my mailing list. Each month I randomly select one winner and send them a gift!
To sign up, enter your email address in the box on the right and click the "subscribe button"
I don't think I could ever get tired of painting the ocean. I stood among these rocks and happily painted for a couple hours. On this particular day, the sky was overcast and there was little or no wind. All the colors were subdued, shadows were subtle and the ocean water was quite calm. I was kept company by a flock of Yellow-Rumped Warblers that stopped to graze in some bushes behind me.
This may be the first plein-air painting that I finished completely on location and didn't make any changes or corrections when I got back to my studio. I think the overcast lighting is probably the best explanation for this.
This 6 inch square painting is available for $60. Click the Buy Now button below or click here for other payment options.
"Afternoon Snack" - 16 x 16 inches - oil on canvas
Sometimes the simplest moments in life are the most poignant. My son was eating his after school snack while his dog Cooper patiently waited under the table. This daily ritual will be forever ingrained in my memory.
I really pushed the colors in the painting with a bold orange wall color and aqua blue in his t-shirt. I outlined the shaped in bright pink and allowed bits of it to show through here and there. I added the rug to help anchor the table and give some balance to the composition by adding a dark space towards the bottom of the canvas.
I'm pleased to announce my third annual Desk Calendar for 2012!
Each month features a different painting and the calendar comes packaged in a CD-like case that opens to display each month:
The 2012 Desk Calendar is $18 (plus $3 shipping) and it can be purchased in a couple of different ways:
1. Art on Main: For those who live in the Westford, MA area, visit Art on Main, 40 Main St, Westford, MA 01886. We accept credit cards, checks and cash.
2. PayPal: For those who don't live near Westford, MA, click the "Buy Now" button below to pay by Paypal/credit card. I will ship the calendar directly to your door.
3. Personal check or money order: If you're not a fan of paying online, I accept personal checks and money orders. Just send me an email (LaurieGMiller@gmail.com) and we'll get the process started.
I started with a bright pink ground and allowed the pink color to shine through in various spots. I love that effect and have used it in many paintings. I was able to keep my brushstrokes very loose and expressive.
About the Cat:
His name was Vito. He was tough as nails. He was rescued from a research lab at the Cornell Veterinary School just prior to being euthanized. The insides of his ears were tattooed with his “lab number” as proof of his inauspicious beginning. After being passed through a couple households (for various reasons), he ended up as part of my family.
Like a dog, Vito would greet you at the front door, usually meowing for food. He was a voracious eater and never missed a meal.
Vito loved dogs and was more than happy to spend his senior years curled in front of the wood stove with his buddy Rain.
I always get excited when I see the Citgo sign as I'm driving through Boston. I don't know, somehow is just makes me happy. I started this painting on a bright green canvas. You can see areas where I let the green bits shine through...so cool. The painting was purchased by someone who now lives in Virginia but graduated from Boston University and worked in this neighborhood for several years.
Free Stuff! - I'm trying to build my mailing list to get the word out about my artwork. As an incentive, I'm doing one free give-away each month. It could be a pack of greeting cards, a print, a copy of my book, Paint the Town!, or, even an original painting! Each month I'll randomly select someone from my list so good luck! So, if you are visiting this site and are not on my mailing list, be sure to type it into the box on the upper right corner of the screen and the click "Subscribe" button.
This sweet little kitty is named Ana. I knew Ana when she was a wee, bitty kitten -- she was constantly in motion always chasing bugs and yarn and anything else that wiggled across the floor. Ana has since moved to Florida and is enjoying a more mature, peaceful existence. I'm told that she still acts like a kitten sometimes but now spends most of her time enjoying a good cat nap.
If you are interested in a pet or house portrait, contact me at LaurieGMiller@gmail.com for more information.
"La Tourelle Gazebo" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas
Last weekend I was off to Ithaca, NY to reunite with a group of college friends. The Finger Lakes area of New York state is beautiful with rolling hills, wineries and dramatic gorges with waterfalls. We stayed at "La Tourelle" - a lovely spot that included several gazebos and a koi pond on the grounds. I wanted to paint this particular gazebo because of the large, colorful flowers. Below is a picture of just one of the many waterfalls in Ithaca.
I'm pleased to announce the publication of my book:
Paint the Town!
An Artist's Perspective on Westford, Massachusetts
A collection of my Westford, MA paintings, each image is accompanied by interesting historical tidbits and personal observations. This softcover book is 6.5 x 6.5 inches, 58 pages, and contains full color images. To preview the book, click here
You can purchase the book at Art on Main, or, for those who don't live locally, you can purchase it by clicking on the "Buy Now" button below and I will ship it to your door. The cost is $14.95 (plus $3 shipping).
Contact me at LaurieGMiller@gmail.com if you have any questions or prefer to pay by check or money order.
This is a 2nd version of my "Ocean Dip" painting. In this version, I decided to widen the view and include much more of the background. This yellow lab was sooo happy to be swimming after a stick that his (her?) owner kept throwing. This scene is from Kennebunkport, Maine where I vacationed last summer.
This 16 inch square painting is available. Click the Buy Now button below or click here for other payment options.
Last week I was completely unprepared and didn't have anything to paint during my shift at Art on Main. What's a girl to do? Paint the building, of course! The entrance was very colorful with the "Open" flag and some shirts hanging out front. I like the little splashes of red and orange that "pop" throughout the painting.
"Cherry Line Dance" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas
It's that time of year again when cherries are in season. I had a hard time saving a few cherries for my still life and couldn't resist eating them after the painting was finished ... I usually avoid eating my models if they've been hanging out with oil paints. So delicious!
His name was Vito. He was tough as nails. He was rescued from a research lab at the Cornell Veterinary School just prior to being euthanized. The insides of his ears were tattooed with his “lab number” as proof of his inauspicious beginning. After being passed through a couple households (for various reasons), he ended up as part of my family.
