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Showing posts from 2018

Eastport Cliffs

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Eastport Cliffs This drawing was inspired by the view from the outside deck of a restaurant in Eastport.  As I've mentioned before throughout this blog, my love of nature fuels my art, but often requires some adjustments to create a composition for a painting.  This scene is calm, as the sea was calm.  Still, for me the calm the cliff with the tree creates a tension.  How many more storms will the tree last?  Will it grow too large for its roots to support or will the foundation of rock tumble into the sea taking the tree with it. In this case while remaining true to the subject: I've moved the house down the hill toward the cliffs and moved the houses chimney to reduce distraction.   The islands in the distance did exist, but I've added a channel in between to add distance as a landmass across the picture would stop the eye from moving into the painting. The cliffs existed, some of the patterns of of the rocks and shadows were altered for com

New Group Exhibition - River Arts Damriscotta

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Time Together - Acrylic on Canvas Aiden LaSalle $325.00 The above canvas by Aiden LaSalle will be included in the juried group exhibition at River Arts opening Friday September 21 in Damriscotta. Aiden has been painting for decades and has paintings in numerous private collections throughout New England.  It's rare for any of his paintings to get by his family and clients but at age 82 he thought he'd try something a little different and enter a juried competition. Aiden comes from a family of artists.  His father, Edward LaSalle, was an illustrator in the 20's and 30's and he sold his paintings privately throughout the next five decades.  His Uncle, Charles LaSalle and his cousin Aiden Lassell Ripley were highly successful artists who won awards nationally and are still highly collectable artists to this day.   His mother, Vivian LaSalle was a fashion artist for Palmer's Department Store and a portraitist in pastels. Aiden has also spent a

Evans Notch, Revisited

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While readying paintings for submission to a juried competition, I decided to take a break to make some painting notes. In short, as I've painted over the years I've gradually moved from a frenetic non-process of painting on location and,thanks to haphazard storage, I seemed to spend as much time looking for my materials than I did painting, to a fairly consistent process.  I've written about the development on my preferred working method over time, if you are interested in that topic, I've included some links below. This particular notebook is a small portfolio that I've not written about before.  Each page of the portfolio is filled with index cards.  Each card has its own idea for a painting.  In some cases its just a quick phrase scribbled down (Orange Moonrise / Trees illuminated from behind).  In others there are no words and just a quick pencil sketch of a composition.  In other cases the card references other studies to utilize to complete a new su

Fishing the rapids II

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Fishing the Rapids  Acrylic 18" x 24" Sometimes an idea for a painting kicks around in my head for awhile.  Then it reaches a point where I have to get it out and onto canvas or paper and occasionally in the form of notes or poems.  More often than not I feel like a passenger on that ride rather than the pilot. In this case, the version of the picture to the left was my first pass.  I've talked before about how I will often get a painting to a point of partial completion and simply set it aside for awhile.  There was always something about this painting that hadn't set quite right with me.  Despite the fact that family, friends, and even an impartial critic who selected the painting for a juried show liked the painting as it was. Some of the differences between the two are do doubt because of different lighting.  While I made small additions and corrections throughout much of the picture - a small brush stroke and color adjustment here and there. th

Group Exhibitions and Juried Competitions

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I currently have three works on display at the Crooker Gallery in the Topsham Public Library as part of a combined show for award winners of the 10th annual Joy of Art and Joy of the Lense exhibitions.  The show runs through September 20th.  If you are interested in purchasing any of these paintings please private message me. Acrylic - 12 x 16 Cape Elizabeth Painted on Location Lisbon Farm Watercolor 8" x 10" Painted on Location Stroudwater Colonial Charcoal on Paper 12" x 16" The painting below is currently on display at River Arts Gallery in Damriscotta as part of a juried exhibition - local color.  This exhibition runs through the next two weeks. Lisbon Farm Acrylic 18" x 24" I also have submitted two paintings for a juried exhibition ArtinME in Boothbay, ME.  Fingers crossed that one will make the cut!   Am trying to live and take risks according to the motto "Go Big or Go Home!"
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This charcoal is an elaboration of an on location watercolor sketch of a farm in Bowdoin.  Haying has begun in the foreground.   One of the things that impresses me most about the farms in Maine is how farmers utilize nearly every inch of arable land, be it for Hay, Corn, or other crops.   Hay fields in various shapes and sizes are tucked away alongside roads as in this case. I may well take the view of Mt Washington from Lisbon and add it to this scene in an alternate composition.

Pembroke Stone Bridge

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Here is one of two large charcoals I've begun since my return from a trip Down East.  This is a stone bridge in my mother's hometown of Pembroke Maine.    The river is the Pennamaquan river which drains Pennamaquan Lake into Cobscook Bay.   As a child I spent many hours playing by the river.  When the tide was outgoing the river flowed rapidly through the stone arch ways.   I used to launch "Boats" that I found throughout the woods.  The river flowed so rapidly in fact, that the waves created by the flow of the river reminded me of the wake of my uncles boat on Sebago Lake.   When the tide was incoming, there were many small whirlpools formed as the saltwater and the freshwater collided forming intricate designs of flotsom and foam on the surface of the river.  On windy days, the river foam would be blown rapidly upriver, sometimes on the surface, at other times taking flight. I never fished, not sure why,  but the fishing was good as evidenced by the ba

Impressions Cape Cod

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Below is a link from my last entry, explaining why I started this process of quickly recording impressions from some of my road trips - while memories are fresh. https://robertkahlerlandscapepaintings.blogspot.com/2018/08/too-much-to-paint-too-little-time-paris.html Here is a set of rapid and small  Pen and Ink Sketches 3" by 4"  These are from my recent trip to Cape Cod with Julie and Doodle Bug.  These impressions will form the basis of future drawings and paintings.                  Gnarled Pine - Dennis MA Cape Cod              Dunes - Dennis MA  Cape Cod                                 Pen and Ink 3" x 5"                                         Pen and Ink 3" x 5"               Dune House - Dennis MA     Cape Cod                   The Harbor - Dennis MA   Cape Cod                     Pen and Ink 3" x 5"                                                   Pen and Ink 3" x 5"                       Beach - East

Too much to paint, too little time - Paris Hill

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What do you do when confronted with Artistic Overload?  When every corner hides another dozen scenes to paint? I suppose there are as many different answers to that question as there are people in the world.  For me, direct observation and sketching and painting from nature are key to my process.  However, there are simply times and circumstances where it is not possible to do either.  In those cases I will try to take a few pictures for later reference.  As soon as possible, I'll record my impressions with a sketch and sometimes a brief written description of what drew my attention to the subject - initially without even referencing the photograph. The first time I went to Paris Hill was for a wedding at the church on the green.  If you've never been, it's well worth the trip and the effort to find it.  There used to be tours around Christmas of many of the historic houses.  I'm not sure if they still do that, but once again, worth it if they do. Below are some s

Sea Glass and Sketches

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Had a wonderful time with family and friends Down East!  But those are stories for a different blog. The sketches from left to right top are Acrylic 4" x 6", Acrylic 12" x 16", Watercolor 8" x 10" and Acrylic 4" x 6" Bottom Left are two quick pencil composition sketches and bottom right is a partial sketch with notes and some small composition sketches which I will work up into larger compositions and paintings. The 4" by 6" were a first time experiment for me.  The format did make me simplify very complex subjects.  The jury is still out for me regarding this small format. The 12" by 16" inch painting is really four sketches in one.  Sky, Water, Distant shoreline and Mid ground cliffs.  I wasn't pleased with the overall composition but for study purposes it was a productive exercise.  I really want to focus more on my paint handling with Acrylics.  Need some new bushes, but more than that I just need to focus on

Local Color - Juried Exibition, River Arts Gallery

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This Acrylic painting was accepted for the Juried Art Show - Local Color at River Arts Gallery in Damriscotta.  The opening is this Friday evening.  I look forward to seeing everyone's work. https://robertkahlerlandscapepaintings.blogspot.com/2018/07/lisbon-farm-in-summer-2.html https://robertkahlerlandscapepaintings.blogspot.com/2018/07/so-much-for-waiting.html https://robertkahlerlandscapepaintings.blogspot.com/2018/06/farm-on-location-sketch.html

New Hampshire Memories - Sold

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New Hampshire Memories - Gouache over Charcoal 12" X 18" This painting is now in a private collection in Georgetown Mass.  The genesis of this painting was from a trip to New Hampshire with my family.   Here is the link below to the original post. https://robertkahlerlandscapepaintings.blogspot.com/2017/04/new-hampshire-memories.html Thank you so much for your purchase and your support!

Cape Cod

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I so enjoyed spending some time on Cape Cod with Julie and our dog Doodle Bug last week.  There was so much to see and paint.  Subjects were everywhere.  I remember hearing artists talk about going to places like Venice and having difficulty choosing what to paint due to the sheer number of possible subjects.  I felt a little like that at Cape Cod.  I'm not sure if its because it was all new to me or simply due to the beauty of the Cape.  We stayed in Dennis - and this church (@ 1838) was literally five minutes down the street from our hotel.  There was a cemetery next door, but I didn't want to take the time to dig too deeply in only one or two areas on this trip. It can often be challenging to find a place to paint a subject based on traffic and such. This morning was not one of those challenging days.  There were a number of benches throughout the church grounds and this is actually the view from one of the benches.  This small watercolor painting was completed on a block

What is your gut telling you?

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"I like what I like.  I can't tell you why, I just do."  That was my Dad's oft repeated saying about Art.  He was a huge fan of Norman Rockwell and one of his favorite books was a book of Poetry illustrated by Maxfield Parrish.  Dad liked a 3d painting of mountains and a lodge in Japan, it was given to him as a present from an inn keeper in Japan and was always up in the house.   The styles could not have been any more different but he liked them all the same. I do find that the different mediums I work with all inform one another.  For instance, I find working in pen and ink makes me think further about composition and design as the medium is so direct and unforgiving.  I know that I've barely scratched the surface of Pen and Ink. I enjoy studying the many moods of the ocean.  The power of the waves.  The color and the shapes in the rock and in the surf, the reflections of the sun and moon, the mist, sea fog and foam, and , the movement of the waves crea

So much for waiting

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Well I said I'd set this aside, and I did for less than 24 hours.  This represents a few finishing touches which I think improve the overall composition and painting.  The wildflowers on the middle ground actually reflect what was on location (albeit on a hill that would have been out of view to the right referencing this paper). Here is a side by side view.  To the right was the original pass at the subject.  It appears darker here for some reason. Below is the updated version with a few touch ups in the sky, mid ground, and foreground. Onto the next painting.

Lisbon Farm in Summer #2

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Acrylic on Canvas Board 18" x 24" This is my latest painting.  I am going to set it aside for now - I'm probably done with it, but I want to get some distance from it before making a final decision.   I work in watercolor, oil, and acrylic in addition to charcoal.  In most cases, I don't decide on what medium to paint with prior to discovering a subject.  In this case, I decided to paint an acrylic before choosing a subject.   I hadn't painted an acrylic or a larger subject in quite awhile.  I decided to pursue another interpretation of my last on location painting. I also wanted to experiment again with a toned canvas again.  The few times I've done this in the past, it definitely helped create a stronger sense of color harmony and tied the pictures together.  In the past I've tried ochre's or sienna's.  In this case I decided to utilize ultramarine blue as a base tone.  As I was covering the canvas, I added more intensity to

Exploring Harpswell

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I spent Friday morning exploring Harpswell and South Harpswell. My first stop was at the driveway entrance to the former home and studio of Stephen Etnier. The land is no longer in family hands , the house and studio are long gone (which is another story all together).  However, the area surrounding the grounds of the studio is striking.  Farmland, spruce forests, wild ponds, and working houses of lobster and fishermen with boats large and small, for working and for pleasure.  The road was serpentine and very narrow.  That, and the fact that I was an uninvited guest, I didn't stay long. Here is a photograph of "Old Cove" house and studio from the dock (uncredited - StevenEtnier.com)  I could understand why Steven Etnier chose this place to build his home and studio.  I must admit that I imagined seeing his good friend Andrew Wyeth visiting captivated by the endless subjects to paint at every turn. My second stop was a subtly marked parking area (a Maine traditio

Summertime Opening Night - River Arts

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Robert Kahler landscape paintings 5 mins  ·  Lisbon Farm, Watercolor This painting was accepted into the Juried exibition "Summertime" at River Arts Gallery in Damriscotta Maine. The opening of the show is tomorrow evening. It's going to be a busy night... Art Show then back to Lisbon for the Moxie Festival Fireworks!! https://robertkahlerlandscapepaintings.blogspot.com/2018/06/lisbon-farm-charcoal.html