lynne marie vokatis

2012-01-07T18:07:00.000-08:00

There are not too many days like today. A day of rest,peace and painting. I seem to be finally getting some relief from the ultrasound physical therapy sessions for my back. My squashy studio chair was comfortable and I was happy listening to VAST,The Breaking Dawn soundtrack and score and Ingrid Michaelson.Still experimenting with Wallis Museum sanded pastel paper and getting some good work done and loving the experimentation. Painting number one is Millions of trilliums 9x6 acrylic on wallis.This was concentrating on backlighting,keeping it light and airy and colorful,while keeping my beloved darks in there.I'm pretty happy with what happened. it looks like a waterfall of small white flowers,a happy painting for a dismally dreary day. Painting number two is Abstract reflections 9x7 acrylic on wallis. Inspired by fellow Facebook artist Theresa Rankin,I

set out in a experiment of reflections of my own. this is the way paintings go sometimes...it was very different for me.It is very free and loose and it really had a mind of its own,this one did. Talking to one of my dear friends in Maine,another facebook artist Kathleen Daughan,put me in a Pemaquid mood. Listening to a repeating music session of Chritina perri's A thousand years put me in a warm and faraway mood to my favorite place . Pemaquid Point Maine and the geometric rocks of Kresque point. I seem to do my best painting there. Good Morning pemaquid is 12x18 acrylic on Wallis museum. I painted plein air 6 in the morning this past June in this same spot..in the other direction . But the early morning light,air and sound of the water is never far way from my heart.

Feathered dream ranch

2011-10-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

It was off to Canajoharie today to drop off submissions for the 2011 Arkell Juried show.It was a dark and dreary start to the day but the sun came out and turned around nicely. I drove past Canajoharie and Fort Plain looking for the "oreo cookie cows" again and ....not finding them...again. I saw that it was only 20 miles to Mohawk and I remembered that I wanted to see Feathered Dream Ranch.....so off to Mohawk I went. 5s is gorgeous this time of year and I saw 100's of things I wanted to photograph,but I wanted to find the horses. it took some wrong turns and navigating with the GPS and a jaunt on a very gravelly road but I found Aney Hill road and the ranch. Luckily Deborah was home and took me for a ride around the ranch in her very spify,vehicle that reminded me of a quad,golfcart,manure dumper,four wheel drive all rolled into one! the ranch is utterly gorgeous on a rolling hill top.i got to meet their Gypsy Drum stallion Casper, A lovely older gentleman Clyde ,a begian ,a beautiful freisian Poseidon guarded by Moses the camel! The youngsters had a llama in their paddock! their are 20 horses on the ranch and dogs as well,including a sweet newfoundland Oliver. a beautiful lancier coloring. the stallions are so beautiful with their amazingly long manes and gentle personalities.ready for sniffing and horsey kisses! What a beautiful ride ,a sunny ,warm fall day;listening to various movie scores and Agnes obel,my new favorite singer :). Found the cows on my way home,but out of battery :( so Il post some from last year.:)

Adirondack ride

2011-10-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

Today I got bundled up like we were going snowmobiling to take a late fall ride on the motorcycle. I never know where we are going to go....I just make sure I have my camera. We started out going around Sacandaga Lake,along the north shore to the Conklinville Dam. It was a real fall day,the colors bright and the sky showing bits of sunlight but more of the message that winter is coming. Bundled up warmly and just a crack of my shield open for air,I could smell woodsmoke,and pine and the scent of water from the lake(not quite the ocean but close enough). it is nice being the passenger,I can look and breathe and relax,not too many thoughts in my head ,just taking in the scenery going by.We went up to the top of the dam and down past Sherman's Pond and past all the water plants,which are pretty cool to look at. I looked up every once and awhile,but no eagles. We rode through Hadley and out to Spiers Ffalls,someplace I've never been to and really beautiful. After a little putzing on rt 9 we got on the Northway and then Blue Ridge Rd. I found a sweet waterfall. I think it is Branch Falls or Blue ridge Falls.A good roaring of water over short but interesting falls.Blue Ridge Rd was a great ride.twisty and turning and beautiful.The sun actually came out in time for us to stop at the Adirondack Buffalo Company to take some photos of the Buffalo! I have never seen one! they are very sweet and one seemed very interested in me taking his picture.Of course after that the weather took a turn,through the high peaks. it didn't snow but it sure looked like it wanted to.We wound our way around the high peaks and somehow came out in North creek by gore mt. No snow on the mountain yet, but it will soon. back through Hadley and to the Sacandaga Lake it started to rain and then it was just riding to get home....and coffee.All in all a great ride,my longest yet 380 miles! Il probably feel it tomorrow,but it was worth it!http://www.adirondackbuffalocompany.com/

Adirondack park this time of year in incredible.

Autumn Days

2011-10-16T17:37:00.000-07:00

The other day it was so beautiful. I was lucky to catch a day off when it wasn't raining and take some beautiful photographs of the waterfall on Widow Susan Rd. The hills above Rt. 5 from Amsterdam to Scotia have some sweet little waterfalls. Some you can see,some are private and some require some bushwacking to get to. Luckily if you just ask people who own the property if I can" run around and take pictures of the water" they are really agreeable (even if they look at you a bit strangely,until I tell them I'm an artist). then they seem to understand. I love climbing rocks,hanging on to tree limbs and sometimes sliding and shimming to where I want to be. good thing it was warm because I always seem to get muddy and wet feet.there were still some wildflowers in bloom and the sunlight was incredible. it was very peaceful and for along time I just sat and soaked up the sun and listened to the water sing its own song.its times like this when I can just be...and breathe and relax.the photos will be good reference ( I took 147)later in the winter when its cold and dark.Some will become paintings and some will stand on their own as wonderful captures of a beautiful Autumn morning.

The Art of Local Food: a tasting party to benefit the Natural Resources Council of Maine

2011-09-21T19:12:00.000-07:00

The Art of Local Food: a tasting party to benefit the Natural Resources Council of Maine

I have two paintings going to the benefit.

Pemaquid day#4

2011-06-21T22:21:00.000-07:00

Morning of the last day is always rough.Getting everything packed back up and loaded,knowing soon it will be time to say goodbye again is so sad.I found my art buddies on the porch of the Hotel Pemaquid having coffee and talking about the weekend.Some of us were going to stay and paint for awhile and some were heading home. the weekend went by so fast.I miss everyone already.It is a good thing we all keep in touch on facebook!
After coffee it was back over to the Seagull one last time.And more pie was consummed!Then it was back to the Potting Shed to say goodbye to my cottage. I love that cottage so much I could live there all year! After packing up i headed over to the Pemaquid loop road with my friend Caren to paint what I call "My Rock". There is just enough room for two cars and we set up on the side of the road. it was really windy and we had a hard time holding the canvases down! But we both did a great painting there.It was windy but bright and sunny,a gorgeous day.it was a little cool but in the sun it was nice. before I knew it the time was going by quickly and it was time to say bye to Caren and head home.
One more quick trip to Shaws for a bowl of lobster stew and take yet another photograph of "Two Sons",my favorite lobster boat it was back on the road again.
I stopped for a coffee in Damariscotta at a great bookstore and grabbed some Maine magazines and the book Lighthouse Seeds for my niece.there were so many great stores.back on rt 1 i just had to stop at Mexicali Blues. I had gone to their store in Freeport,but never visited this one.I got another scarf and moonstone earrings to match my "Bella" ring. Its such a great store with so many cool items.
Then it was time to visit my"someplace i haven't been in Maine" location before going home. I chose Bailey Island and Lands End to see this year.A gorgeous ride down this penninsula that i believe is called one of the harpswell penninsulas!Lots of twsty roads,hidden harbors and marshes.When i reached the end of the road...literally,there was a parking lot and a little park and store to investigate.What a great place I found! I spent some time on the little beach looking for stones and shells,being observed by a very ornery looking seagull!I got some great photos of the lighthouse out in the harbor and lots of interesting waterfowl.The rugosa roses and lupines were in bloom here and the roses smelled beautiful!there is a very nice statue there honoring fisherman and the store was fun to poke around in. I bought a blueberry candle made in Castine and it smells incredible!Driving back up the peninsula I stopped at Cook's to eat and had a fantastic Haddock sandwich and one last Allagash. The beach around Cook's is all tiny shells and pebbles so I did some treasure hunting and took some pictures of the rapidly setting sun. It was time to really go now. back on rt 1 i stopped for gas and hoped to pick up some more allagash white...but they didn't have any. That beer is so hard to find to buy! Next time il just have to go to Portland! Now it was really time. every year its the same thing. i have the hardest time leaving,thinking I am never coming back. But I always do,and always find my friends,the things familiar and the things new.All the things about Maine that let me breathe and be "me" .

pemaquid 2011 Day #3

2011-06-19T22:17:00.000-07:00

Well insomnia reigns so the writing marathon continues.I still can't believe Pemaquid has come and gone. I have never had four days go by so fast! Of course if I just sat my butt down in one place and didn't move,maybe time would slow its beat for me!
Day three started with a early morning get up and go! Instant starbucks via and a odwalla bar and off to kresque point on the pemaquid loop road.this is my very favorite spot to paint. it was the first place I ever really plein air painted.pemaquid's rocks are amazing but the rocks here have a very long and undulating pattern that is facinating to me.Also the small rock beach always has rocks that are always this vibrant shade of green,maybe from the seaweed?i took a walk down to the beach and hopped around the rocks,looking for treasures.I took alot of photos for reference for later paintings and then scoped out a spot to paint.i switched from oils to pastel and used a sanded warm brown lacarte pastel paper.I forgot my large box of pastels at home in the studio,to my chagrin and had to make do with my emergency pack!being mostly blues,a few browns,greens and some ochers...I. Diana Johnson was out there painting too(she would do our critique later in the day).it was a gorgeous morning but we had to finish up by 9:00 as linda packard was doing her pastel demo back at the carriage house.She did a great demo using some different papers and wetting techniques.I just bought a sheet of rives BFK and can't wait to try it. We saw some of her own work,which is amazing!
break for breakfast...guess what! more pie! and bacon of course:)then it was off the little beach to paint. i left my mini box of pastels at the carriage house so i switched back to oil and decided to try it out on wallis sanded paper. It was tough...to decide what to paint...the beach or the marsh. i chose the marsh...the water looked just too tempting. So i concentrated on the marsh.The wallis really absorbed the oil fast and i got some great effects.time was speeding along and i had an ulterior motive before critique so I packed up and headed to bristol to photograph this house with the most gorgeous poppies! Snaking across to round pond i found a very cool stone bridge and waterway which needed photographing.also some lilacs and insanely yellow buttercups!At round pond i stopped at peapod jewelry and got a silver moose for my pandora bracelet :D. a quick stop at Rilies for wine,Cold River Blueberry vodka(to take home) a four pack of Allagash White(which I still can't find in NY)it was back to the carriage house for Diana's crtique which was really amazing and the work everyone did was staggering! and absolutely gorgeous!the weekend was winding down fast:( we all went to shaws for more seafood and conversation.Some of us hung out in the hotel parlour,which is really amazing. Its all very old fashioned with amazing antiques. i love the grandfather clock. the hotel pemaquid is amazing and they do such a wonderful job when we decend upon them for the Pemaquid retreat.Also special thanks to kathleen Daughan for organizing it! This was my third year and it was the very best EVER!

Pemaquid day 2

2011-06-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

Wow I'm so behind on my blog! One of those sleepless nights,so good for writing and remembering....Day two was great.It started with breakfast ...blueberry pie,eggs and bacon at The Seagull.The blueberry pie there is divine!The day looked promising and I was eager to try painting at Back Cove.I loved the quietness of the working harbor,behind New Harbor. I stayed out of the way of the guys working on the boats and painted the entry to the harbor.The sky threatened rain a bit,but i painted in between the raindrops! Once I took everything into the fish house, the sun came back out for me.I got to see a bald eagle and a photographer asked if he could photograph me painting.a few people came and went but mostly it was just me and the guys working.It was so quiet and peaceful and relaxing to breathe in the salt air and just breathe and paint.i started another painting of the rock ledge across the harbor and after the guys were done working on the boats ,I took photos on the docks and of the fish houses,boats and harbor. it was so quiet I was there all by myself.
Soon I had to pack up and get back over to the carriage house for our critique with Linda Packard.I loved the critique she gave and it was so wonderful to see where everyone in the group painted and what they painted.So many wonderful paintings were created that day.
After our critique we headed back to The Seagull for more wine,and dinner. i had the lobster roll and it was fantastic! and blueberry pie for dessert...with blueberry ice cream!
After dinner and a little walk a few of us went in the lighthouse park to paint and sketch. Another photographer took our pictures and she took a picture of me sketching,sitting on the picnic table,which is my new blog picture. Thank you Jody Clark for a great picture of me that's very cool and creative....lol...just like me :D.
then it was back to the cottage to relax and get ready for bed as we were planning to be up at the crack of dawn to paint!

my header photograph.

2011-06-08T07:26:00.001-07:00

Many thanks to photographer Jody Clark for taking my picture sketching at Pemaquid.

MCI NatureTrail,A backyard surprise

2011-05-23T11:23:00.000-07:00

I took advantage of a brief spurt of sun,and even though it was chilly,muggy&buggy;I took a walk behind the house on the MCI Nature trail. There's signs posted on trees and outdoor classroom spots!I chugged up to the second field(whew)and walked the trail there.It is a beautiful place to hike and photograph and eventually paint. It is pretty buggy though,so i will have to bring out the bugspray.Il have to make a backpack plein air pack to take ;its really gorgeous back there.here's some pics of what I

saw today! Enjoy!

signs of spring

2011-05-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

I was able to get out and talk a walk behind the house and look for some signs of spring!My Mom always says there are "May Flowers" but i've never found them. I did find some gorgeous patches of daffodils and thousands of trilliums,mostly white and a few red ones. there is a small yellow,lily like flower I found but I'm not sure what it is. After all the rain the small creek was running and gurgling over the rocks.I think it will be nice to paint down there and I can carry everything down in a backpack or a big tote.Its nice and quiet and very peaceful,a good place to paint and close by!

A hidden spring surpise

2011-04-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

Well happy spring everyone! Very chilly,high winds and some snow this morning. I took advantage of the brief sun this morning to visit the Verf Kill off rt 5 in Rotterdam Junction. Thank you to Angela Maybe for letting me wander around her property and take some beautiful pictures this morning. It was nice to take a relaxing walk and stretch my back a little. this back thing is getting me down a bit. So a small walk in the sun would do me well.Of course it didn't last long before the snow shower came! here are some of the beautiful pictures i shot this morning. This will definately be a place to come back and paint too.there were some small signs of spring though,purple violets and small yellow flowers(probably dandelions lol).and a small bunch of Lamb's ears breaking through.Spring is on its way!

Adventures on the Hudson

2011-04-12T17:24:00.000-07:00

Today i was all ready to paint at the Boscobel Resoration site in Cold Spring. 90% rain....well....you never know,the weather can change lol. Actually it was a nice,easy ride ,listening to music and sometimes nothing at all.Boscobel was easy to find and I did manage to get some beautiful,misty,moody shots.It was nice to see the daffodils blooming and tiny blue violets. There wasn't really anyplace to set up undercover,and I neglected to bring the umbrella.(another important piece in the plein air pac).I took quite a few shots of the river and the marshes.I really hope I can back on a nice sunny day or even near to sunset. I stopped when my waterproof jacket didn't feel so waterproof! I drove a bit on 9p and 9w along the winery trail(saving that information for another day!). I drove into the Esobus meadows point lighthouse park and found a beautiful lighthouse in the Hudson River! very similar to Eggmoggin reach in Maine! The river waves were coming in like a tide! and i swear it smelled salty like the ocean!I maybe crazy,but I actually don't know alot about the Hudson river. I know it does flow two ways and I was probably only 50 or so miles away from NYC so maybe there is some salt on the breeze! I may come back to paint there . its a nice place. Quiet and peaceful,nice views and picnic tables and the river at my feet.The next stop was the Hudson River Walkway bridge. This is a very cool thing to do! The rain had finally stopped and it was a little brisk up there! But it felt good and invigorating. Its a hefty walk from both sides but the view is spectacular. I almost stopped back at Olana,but my back was saying rest and I was feeling a little sleepy from all the fresh air. So it was back to home.I have lots of material for paintings and it was great to get out and find some wonderful places close to home.

Oxkill Farm

2011-03-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

Time to get back to exploring! Its been a rough winter and I finally got to get out and take some photographs and visit Oxkill Farm. I finally found Sholtes rd (glad I have traction control!)Although I did find out you can go back down Knox rd(which is paved.Oxkill Farm is home to the beautiful Shire horses that I have been waiting to see,photograph and paint. I found the farm at the top of the hill and was amazed at the horses in the pasture.Tall,elegant and very friendly.I met Gene and Vicki,the owners and Gene was nice enough to give a tour of the farm. I got to meet Isaac,their breeding stallion,who is 19 hands or so high! He looked like a fairytale horse! All white with a long flowing mane and tail,he is truly prince charmings white stallion!He came to see us and he was very gentle with me and let me pet him and give him a hug and kiss on the nose!he just didn't look real! Gene picked up one of his feet to show me how big it was! It was like a large dinner plate!With beautiful furry fetlocks. Gene said it was a perfect(if not very clear and cold day) day to see him,because he was clean!With the warmer weather all the horses will probably be getting a little grubby.I may have to go back and offer my grooming services!I really liked him.I got to meet some of the mares and a yearling who was as large as my last standardbred.One white mare and i really bonded,Ill have to back and see her too. Some of the other horses are beautiful bays with black manes and tails and a bold white blaze with white fetlocks. I have to ask them about the one I saw when I left,in a field with a big horned black bull!I stayed in the car to photograph him,although the horse was very friendly and whickered to me.i also got to meet their golden retrievers who are gorgeous and lovable.Gene also showed a print of Isaac that Jean Barrows gave him,the first print of the painting she did of him in a dress harness(Im not sure if that is the correct description,but he looked very dapper).I remember that painting! years ago,and I still have some of Equine Images a gorgeous equine art magazinewhere i first saw it. It was a great day and I can't wait to visit again! Thank you Gene and Vicki!!!

Lighthouse Ornament

2010-12-14T10:38:00.000-08:00

This is a fun little 5x5 oil on board. Experimenting with light and reflections,I picked my shiny lighthouse ornament on my tree to paint. This was very challenging!very much out of my comfort zone. I think I will try more of these.

Winter marsh

2010-12-14T10:33:00.000-08:00

Brrr. Its cold and the wind is blowing. there is a light dusting of snow on the ground.I went through photos from the other day that I took past Auriesville in Charleston. there is a beautiful winter marsh there. There was much more snow there,probably because its much higher.I did a small 5x7 oil on gessoboard.I haven't done many winter scenes,so it was fun to try something new.

Auriesville

2010-12-08T19:58:00.000-08:00

I had all the good intentions of braving the elements and going to paint plein air today.i packed up and dressed warmly and set out. I had in mind to park at the top of Auriesville shrine and paint the view of the Mohawk River.When I got there the wind was gusting pretty well. I snapped a few photos and drove around looking for a more secluded spot.It must have been divine intervention(please excuse the pun) that Isaw a sign that said "Ravine". Thinking waterfalls.....water,rocks,ect;Iparked the car and ventured down. I was greeted by a sign that told a story about missionaries who were captured,tortured and killed by Indians.As I followed the the trail,more signs continued the sad story. There are many beautiful statues and small shrines along the way.A small gurgling creek wound its way down to the grove where there is a statue of St. Rene Goupil and the small Indian boy he babtised before being killed. Another priest buried him somewhere there and the ravine water is considered holy water. Another larger creek comes through with pretty rapids(no waterfalls).it was very cold and though there wasn't any snow there was ice forming around the rocks in the creek. But the sun was shining through the trees giving the place a cheerful glow. I said some prayers and thanked God my back is ok(mri showed only arthritis),thought about life and my Dad who I miss very much. it was supposed to be a painting day but it turned out to be about life &death,history,exploring ...alot of thinking and just breathing in the clean cold air and being glad to be alive.

time for a kindle(maybe)weeding out my books

2010-12-03T07:12:00.000-08:00

I have decided to clean out my book supply(its like a library). I hope to get a kindle for christmas,so now comes the ruthless cleaning out. Just like with clothes...keep,donate,garage sale. So,this will be my book sale.In no particular order,I'm listing books as I go up to the attic. I'lle put the title and price and condition.New is new or maybe read once. Good,Ive read a few times,maybe some wear and tear on these.used...well they have been read alot,dog earred and alittle worn:). im going to ship them media mail and ill combine shipping on multiple orders. all book sales will be on a first come first serve basis and ill erase the books off the list as they go. So email me if you would like any of these books. lynnemv@gmail.com and well get in touch. i would prefer paypal. and im listed as lynne vokatis lvokatis@hotmail.com. $5.00 shipping whether one or combined
ok .....here goes. (sigh)
Rebel Angels 5.00 (hardcover w dustjacket) Libba Bray newish/good
Ancesters of Avalon 5.00 (hardcover w dustjacket) Diana Paxton Mariyin Zimmer bradley
handle with care 5.00 (hardcover with dust jacket) new Jodi Picoult

Nineteen Minutes 25.00 (autographed by the author)new w dustjacket) Jodi picoult
change of heart 5.00 (hardcover with dust jacket) new Jodi Picoult
hannibal 5.00 (hardcover w dustjacket) new/good thomas harris
Saving fish from drowning 3.00 (trade paperback) good Amy Tan
three fates 3.00 (hardcover w dust jacket) good Nora roberts
Irish Born Born in Fire, ice and Shame all in one 3.00 paperback good/used Nora Roberts
memoirs of a geisha 3.00 (trade paperback) used Arthur golden
The sweet far Thing 5.00 (hardcover w dust jacket) new/good Libba bray
The other boleyn Girl 3.009trade paperback) good/used Phillipa gregory
Ines of my soul 5.00 (hardcover w dust jacket) new isabel allende
crisis 2.00 paperback used Robin cook

Angels 2.00 (trade paperback) used Marian keyes
at home in mitford jan karon trade paperback new 3.00
a light in the window jan karon trade paperback new 3.00
the forest lover susan vreeland paperback 3.00

friday's ride.

2010-11-21T11:32:00.000-08:00

Friday we took a ride on the motorcycle. It was cold! But we bundled up right so really it was no different than going snowmobiling. We rode a lot of back roads up to Sacandaga Lake. We even went by the old Saratoga Hospital. I never knew if it was a hospital or insane asylam. my friend Diane D'Allessando takes really creepy photos of this place in black and white,that are very cool and award winning too! its a creepy place in the day time I can't imagine what it is like at night! the back roads up there are gorgeous though,even though the leaves are long gone. It was bright and sunny! Another blue sky day! We went up the road that goes to lake desolation ,looking for waterfalls.We went up to the dam and the pond where its controlled,lots of powerful water there! We stopped in Hadley so I could photograph the river from the bridge.this is the hadley/luzerne area I had heard about where people go white water rafting,maybe ill try that in the summer! I got great photos from the bridge. I love rapids and the little waterfalls they make. I did two paintingstoday(they'lle be on my daily painting blog),while the view is still in my head. the colors of the Adirondacks are similar to maine. Lots of blues and pine trees,dark cliffs there too,so I was right at home. i found more small falls on the way back home but it was too cold to stop it was time to go home!Il take a drive up ,maybe in the winter,but in the car!

Back in Maine

2010-11-17T11:16:00.000-08:00

Ah back in Maine! After visiting Plum Island, I hightailed it back to 95 and continued to Maine. The waves coming in high tide in kennebunkport beach were amazing. they were coming right over the wall! I stopped to take some pics and enjoy watching the waves. There were alot of people sitting on the wall and watching and some were in wet suits surfing! I love driving on Ocean Ave. I took a little drive around for more scenic views and ended up in Cape porpoise. I got some beautiful photos of the boats in the harbor and Goat Island light. I ate at The ramp and had an Allgash white beer(with a lemon lol) it was really great and a spicy "pete's chowder" which was delicious!!! I made friends with my server Alcia and we got talking about horses! She was great!She told me about a cute little shop down the road where I picked up some goodies for the PPOM reception(which I cant remember the name!) but the blueberry buckle was yummy!Then it was back to Kennebunkport for the show at Rivertree Arts center. My how the day flies! and i'de love to know what kind of birds they are in the watwer!

Plum Island

2010-11-17T09:52:00.001-08:00

On my way to Maine last Friday I decided to make a a little detour. I had missed the pastel painters of Maine paint out on Plum Island earlier in the year,so I decided to visit it on my way to Kennebunkport,Maine for the PPOM members show at Rivertree Arts center. Having GPS in my cell phone made for easy directions and tok me 52 miles round trip out of the way. Plum island is a beautiful place and I didn't even see all of it! I took a left and drove down by the lighthouse and walked up and down the beach there. The wind made the waves spectacular.I found some little shell treasures on the beach and bits of seaglass.The sand was soft and deep,starnge to walk in in November! the weather was warm but not warm enough for bare feet! I took 100's of photos that will give me inspiration all winter. I even took some video! it felt so nice to walk the beach even late in the year. there weren't very many people so I had it pretty much to myself. I drove up a little ways and parked the car by Jeanne's restaurant and watched the waves so more crashing over a small breakwater there. I almost got my easle and paints out only it was so windy!. I sat and watched the waves and the push and pull of the undertow...it was mesmerizing!I met some nice ladies from Massachusets too who kindly took my picture with the waves. i should have explored more ,I would have seen more of the Plum Island refuge,but i wanted to get to Maine! I took a few more pictures at the bridge of the marsh and off i went to my next adventure.

Kaaterskill Falls Conquered....with help:)

2010-10-31T20:01:00.000-07:00

Saturday my boyfriend and I took a gorgeous ride through the Catskills on the motorcycle.it was a little chilly,not bad...invigorating! We were dressed for the cold and it was a truly beautiful ride. We took mostly back roads to get to rt 23A coming into Hunter. There's a gorgeous Ukranian church up there too I'de like to check out again.It's perched on top of the hill and in the winter I imagine it has a very Dr.Zhivago look to it!We parked in the lot above Haines falls(I belive) and a very very long drop down to the ravine! We walked down to Bastion falls (which was really ripping thanks to rain the previous day).I took a big deep breath and started up. Promptly fell and lost my new Norwegian style Spyder hat,which I scooped up,while Pete scooped me up lol;nice man that he is. The bottom of that trail is truly a challenge for people with short legs! The rocks are as big as me!Once we got up the first 50 feet(its a good thing he's strong lol),I got into a better climbing rhythm. the rocks become like stairs,and then there were stairs!YAY!thank you! Time for a quick rest and pics of the lower falls. Nice rushing,frothy water splashing over the rocks!lots of energetic teens,seniors,all kinds of dogs large and teenie, and to my chagrin(smokers...sorry that's just sooooo wrong) cruising up and down the trails,made me realize I may need to take the stairs more than once a day at work!Finnaly we could see the falls!How spectacular. It gave me goosebumps,thinking about the power of that water,and what the early people,Indians,settlers,artists must have made of that!Thomas Cole's magnificant painting..how did he ever paint that!I saw an enormous painting of the falls at the Met but I'm not sure who painted it.I really want to go back and paint there in the summer.I need to get in some better shape that's for sure.We didn't go all the way up. I wanted to check out the shelf rock,but we had the way down yet too. Actually it wasn't so bad.A lot of wet leaves and the tree roots are a little tricky but I had a helping hand all the way down.he's not really a hiker...so I have to be extra nice:)(I actually made a nice dinner when we got back.)

monday in Catskill

2010-10-21T06:51:00.000-07:00

Photos from top to bottom:widow susan rd falls,thomas cole house,olana dns kaaterskill falls.
Monday was a day for exploring. And chasing waterfalls! I took a ride to catskill to Kaaterskill Falls and also took pictures right by my house on Widow Susan rd. The WSR waterfall runs down almost a third of the road. Its hard to get in and get a good look up from the bottom,so I kinda snuck in the middle.
While tooling around Catskill I saw a beautiful castle on the top of a hill while crossing the Rip Van Winkle bridge. The castle I saw was Frederick Church's Olana House. I visited the museum store and watched a film about church and how he built Olana. The views were in credible as well!
I also visited the Thomas Cole historic site which was closed,but i would like to go back and see the exhibit of the ladies of the Hudson River school.

2010-10-19T05:41:00.000-07:00

fort willam/portland head Maine

2010-08-23T10:27:00.000-07:00

fort william/Portland Head Maine

2010-08-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

Pemaquid day 4

2010-06-25T08:19:00.000-07:00

The last day is always the hardest. Its always so hard for me to leave Maine.I always feel like I will never be back,and I always am . Renee and I had a quick hug and goodbye after trying to figure out if we were going to do anything before I left,but it was pouring rain.I had a nice phone conversation with Maine artist Kathy Peters ,who I had hoped to fit in a visit too. But the weather didn't look to promising,so we planned for another day. I met up with my friend Caren from the PPOM group and headed over to the Seagull for one more breakfast of blueberry pie and lots of catching up before leaving,and then headed over to Shaws for a light lunch before heading home.
I took some misty pictures in New harbor at the Rachel Carsen pond.when Igot to route one,I just didn'T want to leave yet....and it was a torrential rain and thunderstorm,so I took a right instead of a left lol,and ended up sitting out the storm at the Farnsworth. I had never been there and it was nice and quiet to while away some time. I got to see alot of the Wyeth's work.I admire all three generations,but love Andrew the best. I'll always be sad that I never got to meet him. I did see and took a picture..I think it was ok,,,,of George Inness's work. Renee told me about him and I was lucky to see one of his works.I really enjoy the works of the Hudson River school painters.of course they gave me a flier for the Olsen House and even in the rain I stopped and snapped a few pictures of where Andrew Wyeth painted. it was an eerie feeling,being alone in the rain.The house seemed ancient and somehow forbidding ,rainsoaked and dark,full of mysteries. I snapped a few more pics and decided it was high time to hoof it home to NY.However,I got sidetracked in Pine Pt;where I got some gorgeous breaks in the weather and a sunset to die for.one more bowl of seafood chowder and off again! I was traveling on the road leading to Scarborough Marsh.I had to stop and take pictures of one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places I have ever been to in Maine. The colors of the sunset didn't even look real! The water was at very high tide and there were all kinds of birds wading and flying around! Now I know why my friends Kay and Caren paint there! its an incredible place to sit and birdwatch,paint,photograph or just sit and take it all in!I'm definatly going back!!!I know i'll be back.

Pemaquid Day 3

2010-06-17T20:08:00.000-07:00

Pemaquid day three we awoke to a misty ,foggy morning...barely awake we ran over to the carriage house for our morning with Claudette Gamache. Claudette is an award winning pastel artist and very talented in her field. she gave a riveting talk about Zen and painting,experimentation and letting go! She then proceeded to a pastel demonstration. I learned new techniques and also about pastelmat! papers are like candy to pastel artists. since the weather was questionable(and we were pretty sleepy),Renee and I stayed in the carriage house painting with Claudette,and many of my PPOM friends. it was a nice quiet day of talking and painting,and experimenting with spectrafix and layers of pastel on Ampersand pastelboard. Caren and I went over to the seagull for chowder and blueberry pie...divine!!! In the late afternoon Claudette gave us a fantastic critique. I learned a lot from the session,not only about my own critique but from others as well. The artwork produced from the weekend was incredible!Then it was off to Shaws again :). We barely made it in before it started to downpour again.We were able to take some photos in the harbor of the lobster boats. George Daughan (Kay's hubby) and I had some oysters and a beer down at the raw bar(Thank you George!!!). The oysters were unlike anything i had ever tasted before...scrumptious! Renee came down for some too! Then it was upstairs for LOBSTER!!!! Its always the best at Shaws!!!!The sun managed to break out alittle so we went back to taking photos. We were hoping to go out on a boat tour,but since it was thundering and lightning...the captain came in...much to our dismay.he said"Theres always two!!". So Renee and I had another cocktail and chatted with our nice bartender. we got another break in the weather,so we ran back over to the lighthouse park with our easles and lights for round two of the nightime painting. it was alittle darker than the night before...and i had alittle harder time...although I did an ulta fast painting of mongegan island in the far distance. My second painting suffered ,in tecnicality and composition,so i covered it up and painted in a different view and just let loose! Rennee's had a nice glow ,especially painting on the copper. I focused on the light and did a raw closeup with the lights radiating out from the prism.We also had a visit from Maine patrol lol. A young officer(probably wondering what the heck are these girls up to?? lol),actually came over to see what we were painting and i think he was very interested in Renee's paintings. We shamelessly gave him business cards too and hoped he didnt smell our nice cold river blueberry vodka we were sipping on LOL.We packed it in and headed back to the room to clean up and continue talking and talking into the night.

Pemaquid day 2 paintings

2010-06-15T17:43:00.000-07:00

Pemaquid Day 2

2010-06-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

Pemaquid day two was about painting!We all met at the carriage house across from Hotel Pemaquid .I had taken an early morning coffee walk around the lighthouse park and scope out possible painting spots!I decided to paint down on the famous long rocks of Pemaquid Point,the classic spot of the classic Pemaquid Light photo. But I aimed my sights out at what I call"my rock".To do some rock studies. I usually paint in pastels,but I decided to try out my water soluble oils. I hefted everything down to the rocks and found a fairly level spot. During the day the colors and atmosphere changed many times! Artists came and went,some stayed. I stayed in my spot all day! I had a seagull friend stay with me most of the day,I wonder what he/she made of my artwork?or just plain wondered what I was doing? We all met back up at the carriage house for critique by Nita Leger Casey (thank you Nita for a wonderful critique session!),fantastic snacks and wine. Then we cleaned up and all headed over to the Seagull to have dinner as a group. Dinner was a great time to talk and take more pictures,meet new friends and visit with old friends too! Susan Renee Lammers and I became friends and she graciously agreed to bunk with me at my cottage as my boyfriend could not make it up. she also took me out to the lighthouse later to do my first nightime painting experience.My painting was alittle raw...but it is a remarkable thing to do! Painting only with a booklight on our easels and the light from the lighthouse and quarters and a limited palette!Then back to the cottage for some girl chat :) and a nightcap. What a day! so many views! in between I took tons of photos too. Partly to paint...and to remember the trip.

pemaquid retreat day 1

2010-06-12T20:12:00.000-07:00

Finnally I have to some time to write about the trip to Pemaquid point,Maine.Its about a seven hour drive for me,so I got an early start around nine am,hoping to get to maine around 1:00.The traffic wasn't bad and a few sprinkles and alittle chilly.But I made great time going up.I stopped in freeport to see the Cold River Vodka distillery,(and bought some blueberry vodka...more on that later).it was a relief to see the turn off for Pemaquid Point! What a gorgeous ride down the penninsula! Lupines,lupines lupines...in every field,on the sides of the road,in yards,in patches...everywhere ! just absolutely breathtaking to see.Also rhodedendrons,mock orange,flocks,daisies...it was just amazing,especially as when I came up last year all there was ,was apple blossoms. Closer to the point I saw the rugosas in full bloom,when I opened the windows I could smell their perfume on the air! I pulled into the Hotel Pemaquid carriage house(where we paint in inclement weather)...and many of my PPOM (pastel painters of maine) friends were already painting. My trio of friends Kay Daughan,Caren Marie Michel and Nita Leger Casey were there with greetings and big hugs! I got to meet fellow facebook artist Susan Renee lammers too! (who became a new bff :)) after unloading my suv full of art supplies for the weekend it was off to check in to the most awesome place I have ever stayed! The Potting Shed is the most beautiful cottage attached to the Hotel Pemaquid. Its enchanting! Stained glass windows,cathedral ceiling and a cute little deck,with a fairly glen behind it with a gurgling little creek,large ferns and pines.A quick freshening up and we were off to Shaw's lobster wharf...my favorite loster place in Maine!!!not only great seafood but a working harbor and scenery to die for! An artists dream. the Hardy boat goes out to Monhegan...but not enough time to fit that in!
Caren,Renee and I had a fantastic seafood dinner and then of course it was picture taking time of the boats in the harbor. We drove past the rachel carson salt pond and took some photos as the sun was setting and then a quick run to the pemaquid point light just as the light was fading.Beautiful night,great conversation,food and a walk around the lighthouse park,taking in the sound of the waves,the smell of the sea and the taste of salt in the air...a perfect Maine night.Then back to the potting shed for a glass of wine and a book before sleeping ...dreaming about tomorrow and painting out on the rocks plein air.

my hew header picture

2010-06-10T07:11:00.000-07:00

thank you to Susan Renee Lammers for my fantastic new profile picture! Renee introduced to night painting,which was an incredible experience. she is a wonderful plein painter and i learned alot from her.

Pemaquid Paintout 2010

2010-06-10T06:47:00.000-07:00

As I sit here trying to gather my thoughts and wrap them around the weekend I have the sense of detachment and focus Claudette Gamache spoke about in her talk/demo on Saturday.I almost have a surreal sense that it didn't even happen. Why do wonderful times like this pass so fast!?On the other hand I have a ferocious need to paint it ALL. So Im taking a big cleansing breath and remembering the sights,sounds,tastes,and smells of Maine. the sights are incredible and my friend caren said "Too Much!". this year every flower was in bloom,the sun was out(sometimes:) ),the fog,the water,gulls,everything was stunning.The sound of the ocean soothes me as well as the bells and the sounds of my friends voices in laughter and sharing our mutual passion...painting! and pemaquid!tastes,well theres a blog in itself. the taste of salt on the air,lobster,raw oysters,blueberry pie...and blueberry vodka :) (thank you cold river vodka!).the smell of the rugosas is heady and I ran right out in my yard to smell mine(from northcreek farms in phippsburg) to keep the smell in my mind.
Now how to paint it?

2010-06-08T12:41:00.001-07:00

make custom gifts at Zazzle

140hours NEXT EVENT!!!!

2010-02-23T04:26:00.000-08:00

The next 140 Hours of fame Art Auction starts on Feb 26th and will last for 48 hours. http://www.140hours.com/
140 Hours of Fame is introducing Art to the cyber world via Twitter. Its easy to sign up,use and bid! Look at the creative works and read about the artists from all over the world there. Its a wonderful way to start an art collection.there's so many different styles and points of view. I'm so proud to be a part of this event and have met wonderful artists from all over the world.140 Hours is bringing us all together!These are my three pieces that will be available on the auction.Take a look! Lynne

140 Hours of Fame Valentine's Event

2010-02-10T19:22:00.000-08:00

http://140hours.com/paintings/thumbnails/lynnevokatis2.jpg
The next 140 Hours of Fame Art Auction on Twitter is the Valentine's Day event starting FEB 12th at 9 pm EST and ending FEB14th at 11:59 PM EST. It's a 48 hour auction and a great Valentine's Day Event! What a beautiful gift to give a woman or a man for that special Valentine's Day gift.My painting available for the event is called Winter Wave. It is an 18x24 " casein painting on canvas board. Winter Wave was painted from my trip to Kennebunkport ,Maine in November.I took a day trip for my PPOM Pastel painters of Maine members show. Before the reception I drove around feverishly(as I was only there for the day),looking for inspiration for painting.They had just had a storm so the ocean was really rocking! I took some great shots at the beach in Wells and Kennebunkport Beach (where Winter Wave was created from).I walked on the small,hardpacked beach with some hopeful gulls while people watched from their cars(shaking their heads at the girl with the NY plates).They skies were threatening,the air brisk and cold,but the sun was shining and I had a little bit of what I can only describe as my own private heaven,my own little bit of Maine that was my own that day. I warmed up at Bartley's with a lobster roll and coffee enjoying the view and fire,shopped at bit and grabbed a couple bottles of Cold River Vodka at the Garden Street market in Kennebunk. The reception was awesome(I recieved an honorable mention for my pastel Twilight at the Pond). Met with friends and then jumped in the car and back to NY. I hope Winter Wave conveys some of the feeling of that day. It's an icy and cold ocean with dark,wet rocks,but a joyous explosion of water rising up and ready to spill over the rocks. if you have beautiful memories of Maine too,this may be the painting for you! Sign up and bid ! Its easy ! http://140hours.com/ happy bidding,Lynne

Yellow Rose

2010-01-16T17:49:00.000-08:00

http://www.facebook.com/140hours?ref=mf
I will be donating my painting "Yellow Rose" to the 140 Hours of Fame Haitian Relief Art Auction on Twitter starting 1/29/10. Please go to www.http:/140hours.com to donate your artwork and also to bid.Help support in this humanitarian art auction.
Alittle about "Yellow Rose". Yellow Rose is 6x6 inches,casein on Ampersand gessobord.This rose is in my flower gardens and was purchased from Northcreek Farms in Phippsburg,Maine.Suzy Verrier has the most beautiful beach roses,rugosas and heirloom roses I have ever seen. This heirloom yellow rose recieved an early pruning(by my deer who like to visit :) ) and the second blooming was spectacular. I had taken some lovely photos and had every intention of painting them plein air...but somehow the time got away. I painted this on New Years Day,my first painting of 2010! A new year and a new painting! Roses to me are a symbol of love and peace and what better painting to donate to the 140 Hours of Fame Haitian relief Art Auction startin 1/29/10. When tragedy strikes its always hard to know where to help or donate.My first instinct is to just jump on a plane and go help! But that's not always realistic.But there are many many other ways we can help. there are many humanitarian events happening as we speak to donate to help the people of Haiti.The purchase of this small painting will go to help these people.Please join the 140hours of fame auction either by donating a painting or purchasing one.The proceeds go to the Haitian Relief fund.Also as an optician,I know that glasses always need to be donated. I am not part of the Luxottica family with US Vision,but Luxottica's Gift of Sight program helps many people worldwide. Please donate your glasses at any Lens Crafters,Pearle,Target or Sears Optical. Or if you are coming to BJ'S Optical drop them off to me in Albany and I will see them donated to Gift of Sight.thank you,Lynne

140hours NEXT EVENT!!!!

2009-11-13T19:49:00.000-08:00

TWITTER ART AUCTION!!!!!
join twitter and follow #140hours to bid !!!The newest,coolest,trendiest way to start your art collection. Fabulous art&international artists!!!

Upstate NY artist Lynne Vokatis has a brand-new painting in the house @#140hours nxt event 11.27 : http://bit.ly/4ek0YZ
http://www.140hours.com/
http://mashable.com/owa/votes?v=www.140hours.com&c=13
http://bit.ly/3lu9wd

casein landscapes SOLD

2009-11-13T18:38:00.001-08:00

PPOM Member show at Rivertree Arts Kennebunk Maine

2009-11-07T19:33:00.000-08:00

I am very excited to announce that I won an Honorable Mention award for my pastel painting "Twilight at the Pond"at the PPOM pastel painters of maine member show at Rivertree Arts in Kennebunk Maine. The judge, Frederick Lynch,described it as "Style reminiscent of 19th century American painters that creates an intimate sense of mood."the show is incredible,full of extremely talented artists!the show runs until Dec 11.I was lucky to be able to attend the reception last night and meet up with fellow PPOM friends from the pemaquid paint out and meet more new friends.special thanks to Claudette Gamache and Ellen Pelletier who helped me with shipping and to Kay Daughan,Caren Marie Michel ,Nita Leger Casey for your encouragement,friendship and wonderful time at pemaquid,and to Carol Santora my PPOM Facebook friend!it was wonderful meeting more new friends and I can't remember everyone's names!It was a wonderful reception and I had a great time spending the day in Kennbunkport!

140hours 1st art auction on Twitter

2009-10-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

http://ec.mashable.com/owa/img/OWA_125x125_Nominate_Me_v1.png

140hours 1st Twitter Art auction
http://www.140hours.com/ check out the awesome art&artists!!!
A great way to start your art collection.Auction starts nov 5th ,go to the website for bidding instructions. here is my painting"Monhegan Sunset" that is in the auction!This is your chance!!!!

two paintings accepted into 2009 Arkell Annual juried Art Show

2009-10-26T19:05:00.000-07:00

I'm very pleased to announce that two of my casein paintings:"In From The Cold" and "Dixie In Winter" have been accepted in the 2009 Arkell Annual Juried Art Show.Special reception Dec 4th from 5-7 pm.and will close January 31. more information about the museum www.arkellmuseum.org

sunrise at pemaquid pt WIP

2009-10-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

Back to pastels today.my allergies are easing up and I think we will have a good frost tonight.I hate to see it ,but it kills off all the ragweed and goldenrod,ect.I used a little dust mask from home depot until I get a new one .Paula Ford has a good pastel mask on her site that I am going to get.Also glove in a bottle to protect my hands. It felt great to get the sticks out and start a new painting. It felt alittle awkward at first....looking for my paintbrushes lol.I am really liking the casein painting and its good to have another medium to fall back on when the pastels don't agree with me.this is also a new size format for me as well 7"x22".It is a work in progress right now and I will post updates as it comes along. I have a good start.It is from the beautifull Pemaquid penninsula in Maine,possibly my favorite place in Maine.The original photos I am working from are from many years ago.I had to take an optician's test and decided to take it in Augusta and make a weekend out of it. We ended up having a big snowfall (it was November) and I remember racing down to the point to be there to photograph the lighthouse as the sun was coming up!We had driven most of the night with only a stop at a diner for blueberry pancakes and lots of coffee. Poor Pete stayed in the car while I went out to take the photos. it was so beautifull!And cold!Almost surreal.I had never been to Maine in winter and it was so lovely it made your heart stop.I was the only one there except for a photograher who had come all the way from New Jersey to shoot the lighthouse in the snow and sunrise.He was brave! He shot way way down on the rocks,very icy .I have many beautiful shots from that morning,but a few caught my eye recently,almost abstract in form.Just alot of lights and darks from the morning sunrise.here are the first three photos of its progress.There is a very transparent wash of casein paint,thinned to almost watercolor on sanded Wallis paper in a very interesting wheat color almost like linen.Then there are two stages of pastel applied.I stopped for today and decided to get outside and get some fresh air and clear my head. lots of painting this weekend...it was great!

casein landscape series SOLD

2009-10-10T19:36:00.000-07:00

This is a landscape series that I did yesterday and today. Each ampersand gesso panel is 6"x6". I started with a photograph of these beautifull golden fall trees at a neighbor's near my mom's house in West Galway,NY.I didn't expect to paint four paintings but each one took on a life of its own and it wasn't until the last panel that I actually painted the trees.i may frame them all together or choose a frame that will be used on each one,not sure yet. When they are framed I will put them back up.

hagaman Art Show 2009

2009-10-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

These are my two paintings from the Hagaman Art show.
Lobster Cove is pastel and honorable mention winner
It is framed under glass. price $250.00 if interested please email me @lvokatis@hotmail.com
Monhegan Light is pastel framed under glass
this painting won a 1st place ribbon overall at the SAS Moon&River cafe show(schenectady art society)
price is $450.00 if interested please email me @lvokatis@hotmail.com

Twilight At The Pond

2009-09-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

Twilight At The pond is a 5x7 pastel on ampersand pasteboard of a beautifull sunset at the pond at my Mom's.It is framed to 8x10.It will be on display at The Pastel Painters of Maine October members show at The Carver Hill Gallery in Maine.
http://www.carverhillgallery.com/

In from the cold FINISHED

2009-09-28T20:17:00.001-07:00

This is my new work in progress,In from the Cold.12x12 casein on artist panel.This is from an old black and white photgraph from our friends farm when we went to get hay on a very very cold day.The horse were really glad to come in!I'm looking to portray that bitter cold but also keep a certain warmth between the man and the horses.The first day was spent sketching and putting down the final sketch to the panel with graphite and vine charcoal.day two was spent laying in colors. The color palette is black,white,violet,light red,burnt umber.Now its time to let it breathe and myself too!!! and go in for the finishing details.10/10/09 put the finishing touches on and wrapped it up!I'm pretty happy with it and will be entering it in a juried show soon. More details to follow.

Dixie in Winter

2009-09-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

This is my newest painting WIP work in progress of my horse Dixie.He was a Standardbred racehorse we had for many years. Here he is enjoying his retirement. He always liked the snow and being out in the paddock with his companion Blisters(Blitz he's in "Curious").This is in Casein 12x12 artists panel by Ampersand.It has a great wide side that I painted blue and doesnt even need to be framed! Great new modern look.I did quite a bit of work on it today and I think I'm nearly 80% finished.it was a beautiful,quiet and peacefull day to paint.

curious WIP

2009-08-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

day #2 working on"curious". more casein washes...

this is a work in progress. 18x24 casein on wallis museum sanded pastel paper. the casein is absorbing into the paper in a very interesting way.im getting a watercolor effect.now its time to take a break away from the painting...let it dry and think about the next direction it will take....

assateaugue island ponies

2009-08-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

here is another new casein painting of the assateague island ponies,from a photo provided by one of my wet canvas artist friends.casein on illustration board 12x18

working in a new medium

2009-08-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

pastels are my favorite medium to work in...but sometimes they don't agree with me. allergies and eczema get alittle out of control.i have discovered a new painting medium that i am enjoying very much. kathi peters is an equine artist working in caseins who is my inspiration for this wonderfull medium.

saratoga paintings

2009-08-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

I've been spending some time in Saratoga and getting inspired to do some equine work. here is a watercolor from a few years back.This is one of my favorite all time paintings.The girl holding the horse is me!years ago my dad took this a photo of me and Philabuster,a horse that I groomed for Jeff Dauplaise at the Saratoga raceway.I did this painting in 1998 and it was juried into the show Win ,Place and Show in the Saratoga county arts council show by Anthony Alonso.It was probably one of my most proudest moments.After my last horse passed away at almost 31 years old I lost my heart for painting horses for awhile. But horses have always been my first inspiration for painting and I will be beginning some new work very soon.here's my paddock painting as a preview of work to come....stay tuned!
here's two new pastels. 8x10 on clourfix paper.these are from some older photos i took during the morning workouts at the saratoga racecourse.probably old enough to be called"vintage".

moose river old forge

2009-08-03T11:25:00.000-07:00

this is this morning's painting 8x10 pastel on colourfix paper of the moose river from the bridge in old forge.i shot this on a day that was just perfect....beautifull blue skys and wonderfull light. i've been wanting to paint this for weeks!

cresque point pines

2009-08-03T11:20:00.000-07:00

here is my painting of the pines at cresque point on pemaquid penninsula in maine.its 8x10 pastel on colourfix paper.i tooks hundreds of pictures while i was there in may for my paint out with the pastel painters of maine.i'm just getting some of them printed so i can work from them and not my monitor in the computer room!theres' so many beautifull spots on pemaquid to paint...but this is one of my favorites.

Seawall Acadia

2009-07-27T09:07:00.000-07:00

This is a rock study of the saeawall over on the"quiet side"of acadia park,maine. 8x10 on sand colored colorfix pastel paper.

schoodic point maine

2009-07-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

This is another view of schoodic point,with the wonderfull crashing waves that explode over the rocks.

here is another view of schoodic point.

Schoodic Point,Maine is one of the most beautifull places i've been in Maine.The crashing ,pounding surf is psectacular and I was facinated with the color and shapes of the rocks there. It was a rainy and overcast day when we visited....but i still took lots of photos,one of which I used for the painting here. 5x7 on ampersand pastelboard with mostly Girault and Sennelier pastels.I am enjoying the sanded surface of the pastelboard as well as Wallis sanded paper,and my textured surfaces.I'de have to say that is my favorite three.lynne

monhegan sunset

2009-07-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

My pastel painting"Monhegan Sunset" is now on display at the Arts center in Old Forge,New York forthe 57th annual central adirondack open show."Monhegan Sunset"is painted on a full sheet of La carte sanded pastel paper and framed by Kathleen Oakes of Oakes framing in Amsterdam,New York.heres a picture of the artwork and at the show.(the show picture is alittle blurry...my apologies...).The show is wonderfull,full of great work.It's a great time to visit Old Forge and the Arts center!

happy accident?

2009-07-18T20:26:00.000-07:00

In the midst of all my painting today, I was playing around with an experiment,and I think it went fairly well.This was originally my "snow shell"and it just wasn't working for me so I brushed off the majority of the pastel.I took my big 2" sponge brush and dipped in into the golden pastel ground and more or less painted with it....the remainig pastel came up to the surface nicely and using the plasic pallette knife brought out some interesting texture and negative shapes. It was alot of fun to do and happened very quickly!lynne

rockwood

2009-07-18T10:47:00.000-07:00

TodayI have been working on a pastel from rockwood.I took photos up there years ago and have actually painting this scene before. I didn't think I was totally successfull with it and decided to try it again. This is on 5x7 ampersand pastelboard with sennelier soft pastels.

backyard plein air"hollyhocks and lilies"

2009-07-17T09:18:00.000-07:00

Painting in the backyard"plein air" this morning.I've finnally been able to grow the beautifull black hollyhocks that i saw on Monhegan island,maine,years ago.These are the variety"the watchman" and they are mixed in with some beautifull white lilies and coneflowers are starting to make their appearance. This is 5x7 pastel on ampersand pastel board.
SOLD

textured pastels

2009-07-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

7/16/09 finished....maybe.putting it away for now.I'm pretty sure I'm finished, but may want to touch it up before framing.

7/16/09 more rock definition.building a nice pattern of darks and lights

7/15/09 building and defining the shape of the rocks.

7/14/09 pretty much done with the backround....building up the rocks now.

7/12/09 more changes.

7/12/09 additions.Layering colors and building up shapes.

This post will be about my process for pastels on textured surfaces. I'm just learning and experimenting with this new process.I'm currently using Goldens Acrylic ground for pastels. I have been putting on a layer with a sponge brush and then going back in with a plastic palette knife to draw and create texture on 300 lb watercolor paper. First I have preped a few surfaces with ideas from photos and a few just for imagination.If the acrylic ground is put on thick,it can take up to two days to dry.The next one will be the one I am working on. There's a picture of the photo and the beginning where I am laying in some color with a nice storm blue Girault pastel.In the next step dipped the sponge brush in water and dragged it across the pastel .This will be my first one with an underpainting.The previous ones I did,I just put pastel right on the prepared surface.I'll have to wait for it to dry and then proceed. So I will be back with an update soon.Lynne

sunsets and sunrises

2009-07-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

7/16/09myrtle beach sunrise on 5x13"textured paper

These paintings are on 5x7 ampersand pastelboard with nupaste,sennelier and girault pastels. I am enjoying trying the smaller size for something as big and wide open as sunsets. The first is from York,Maine in November,quite a few years back on a trip I took for work. We were lucky enough to get some snow and everything was just beautifull. The second is from a view on my Mom's deck,overlooking the pond. We get such beautifull sunsets in the Northeast!Enjoy!!!Lynne

WAVE

2009-07-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

This was an awesome painting day for me. Nice and quiet and no distractions. Here's one more.This is another pastel on textured watercolor paper. Just for fun....a wave study from memory/imagination.5 1/2x11 its one of my smaller pieces. it was just really fun to do,experimenting still....with this technique.

popham beach state park

2009-07-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

Hi.This is a new painting I started today. 18x24 on wallis museum paper with sennelier and girault pastels.I visited popham beach on the way home from my Pemaquid painting weekend in May.Its a beautifull and quiet beach,very unspoiled with wide vistas.A storm front was passing through when I was there and I was able to get some great pictures(I didn't get to stay on the beach too long).NowI have some great reference pictures to work from. I think this is my favorite beach I have been too.And i'm thinking about going back for a nice camping trip....have to check out camping possibilities here and nearby Hermit island(which gets booked very early).I also stopped at Northcreek Farms and bought another rugosa rose from Suzy Verrier(she has fabulous rugosas!).The Phippsburg penninsula is a beautifull place ans I just touched the surface!happy fourth of july to all!!!!!Lynne

Popham Beach pastel

2009-07-03T08:50:00.000-07:00

here's another pastel on a textured surface.This one is a small one on 300lb watercolor paper with one layer of golden's acrylic ground for pastels.This is from Popham Beach state park. lynne

Pemaquid Point,Maine

2009-07-03T08:28:00.000-07:00

This is a series of a work in progress from my painting trip to Pemaquid Point,Maine. This is my first studio work based on photos from the trip.I took more photos that ever from one place!I'll have alot of reference photos to work from for some time. This is a new technique I learned from my friend Kathleen Daughan,who organized the painting weekend at Pemaquid.12 1/2x15'' on foam core treated with Golden acrylic ground for pastels.I applied the first layer with a plastic palette knife and then put in another layer of harder texture with the knife.echoing the shape of the rock ledge;the place where I would like the most texture to be. This was my first attempt at this and I was a little heavy with the ground.there's alot of texture throughout the painting.It also took two days to dry. The following pictures are the progression of pastels layered in. Mostly Sennelier,with a few nupastels on the very first layer. The 80 1/2 stick plein air set for sennelier is a wonderfull plein air set,especially for marine settings. I also have the Giroult marine set,there may be a few of those in this too. It's a really fun technique.It helps to have prepared surfaces already to work on.Enjoy!!!lynne

side trips from the pemaquid maine weekend

2009-06-07T21:27:00.000-07:00

On my way home from pemaquid maine i stopped along the phippsburg pennisula to check out suzy verrier's northcreek farms.i bought two more of her beautifull rugosa roses! and some perrennials. she kindly autographed her Titus Tidewater children's book for me(well actually for my niece,but i'll share)and i went off to investigate popham beach(for possible camping/painting trip) and the surrounding area.got some great pics.would have taken more but the weather started to change and it was time to start heading back home.

pemaquid pt PPOM pastel painters of maine weekend retreat

2009-06-03T20:25:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I spent in maine with the PPOM pastel painters of maine group on beautifull pemaquid point,maine.we stayed at The Hotel Pemaquid which is a beautifull,timeless place.Across the street at the Carriage House we had access for indoor painting on Friday,when it rained. Saturday and sunday were beautifull and clear for painting at various beautifull locations around the point,including the lighthouse park and my favorite cresque point. It was a wonderfull time meeting up with other artists for a weekend of sharing,painting and a great time. Thank you Kathleen Daughan for organizing the weekend. Also thanks to Becky Shorb for her lively company on Friday and wonderfull critiques! and special thanks to Kathleen Galligan for her demonstration on saturday and for inviting us to her home and studio!these are my paintings from the weekend. soft pastel,mostly all on 11x14 wallis museum.

back to basics

2009-04-05T09:17:00.000-07:00

today i'm doing a back to basics project. this is from a photo taken of petit manan island,maine;from a whalewatching tour we took years ago. i thought the cloud formations were interesting and decided to do a painting today. this is on 22x30 watercolor paper in greyscale.heres its evolution, about 4 hours of work.

backyard plein airs

2009-03-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

adding another from the picture window plein air.one of these days it won't be raining and i can take the easel outside.

these are my first plein airs,well from my picture window!the first one is 5x7'' and the second is 10x12'',pastel on rough side canson paper.they are two different views of my backyard.both were done in 1 hour of painting. i'm getting practice for when it's warmer and i can get outside to paint!.the first was done early in the morning when the sun was coming up, but the light can and does change very fast!very challenging. the second one was done this morning and it is very cold and miserable here today ,i wouldn't be surprised to see a snowflake!.lynne

fuzzy WIP

2009-03-20T18:24:00.000-07:00

This is a study of my cat,Fuzzy. he's a pretty old man,hell be 17 in May.I started out doing a 1 hour sketch from life,of him lounging on the recliner.Then i started to work in more defintion and color,working from him and photos. it still has a way to go. This is on sanded wallis paper with a variety of hard and soft pastels.

2009-03-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

We're finnally getting some warm weather and the sun is out. Time to get out the camera and take some late afternoon pictures! I left the shell painting alone for awhile cleaned up the dust!pastel is messy.The Wreck of the DS Sheridan is still on my drawing table. I worked alittle on the rocks today,but this one is coming along very slowly. It was nice to have two days off from work to paint.and catch up on housework ect. and have some time to read. Just finished The Independance of Miss Mary Bennett by Colleen Mccoullough. and Fortunes' Rocks by Anita Shreve.Both were very good. Fortune's Rocks' is tying in with my interest in the isle of Shoals off the coast of Portsmouth new hampshire. I found out about the shoals via reading about Childe Hassam who painted there while celia thaxter was writing her poetry. I became interested in her work as well as her gardens! Ive been reading some books about them both,which lead to the Smutty nose island murders,basis for The Weight of Water by anita Shreve. Im off to the library for that tomorrow.I saw the movie and thought it was very interesting,but didn't make the connection to the shoals.i'de really like to visit the isle of shoals this summer and take some pictures. cornell University is involved in keeping Celia Thaxters gardens alive and flourishing. my goal this summer is to have my own small version of her garden in my yard. well off to enjoy the sun! lynne

snow shell

2009-03-15T09:09:00.000-07:00

heres an update on snowshell,coming along slowly.

heres alittle pastel from this morning.12 3/4x19 1/2 pastel on sanded paper. I took this original photo in january after a snowstorm and thought it would be fun to paint.

in the pool 1998

2009-03-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

this is an old one!small pencil self portrait from 1998.

the wreck of the ds sheridan on monhegan island

2009-03-08T11:38:00.000-07:00

this is a work in progress. 20x24 pastel on watercolor paper. it began with a pastel and turpenoid wash scrubbed in with a 2 inch wide watercolor brush. then the pastel layering starts. this is a an old boat wreck in lobster cove on monhegan island maine. its really cool to look at .every year more of it erodes away.probably someday there won't be anything left of it. i'll keep updateing its progress.

cathedral woods monhegan island maine

2009-03-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

This is a 10x12 1/2 pastel painting of the catheral woods on Monhegan Isalnd maine,one of my favorite places!I did this painting this morning. About 2 1/2 hours. its pretty much done....i may do alittle tweeking here and there. it was fun and came together very easily.

saratoga raceway paddock

2009-03-03T19:57:00.000-08:00

this is a watercolor of the saratoga raceway paddock,from the early 1980's.That's actually me holding the horse! I painted this in 1997 and it was juried into the Win Place and show exhibition in the Arts center gallery in saratoga,juried by equine artist Anthony Alonso.The raceway has changed over the years especially with the addition of the racino. I have fond memories of racing our horses there. this horse is named Philabuster and was owned by the Dauplaise family.it was a pleasure taking care of him as his groom. I don't know if he is still alive today,but he was a wonderfull horse to work with,and won many races.

the carrying place cove III

2009-03-01T20:13:00.000-08:00

this another piece in my carrying cove series.

this is 11x14 pastel in a very loose style.

its still alittle bit of a work in progress.

beach peas

2009-03-01T20:07:00.000-08:00

beach peas pastel 18x24 2009

this is a painting of beach peas in lobster cove on

monhegan island maine. monhegan island is one of my favorite places in maine! its so quiet and peacefull. there are so many beautifull things to look at,from the village gardens,hidden coves and majestic cliffs.

2009-01-28T17:36:00.000-08:00

the carrying place cove

quoddy state park maine

oil pastel 11x14 2006

2009-01-28T17:34:00.000-08:00

monhegan island light

watercolor

2009-01-28T17:31:00.000-08:00

biddeford 2008

biddeford maine self portrait

pastel on hot press watercolor paper 18x24

2009-01-28T17:29:00.000-08:00

monhegan island light

pastel on colorfix pastel paper 2009

2009-01-28T17:25:00.000-08:00

lobster cove wyeth house monhegan island

11x14 patelboard lobster cove revised and finished revised painting on top

2009-01-28T17:22:00.000-08:00

this is a new work in progress.pastel on watercolor paper 18x24

2009-01-25T17:16:00.000-08:00

this is a painting of the bass harbor light

painted in acrylic 2002

2009-01-25T17:14:00.001-08:00

beginning my blog

2009-01-25T16:50:00.000-08:00

This is my first post here. I'm building as I go,and have put on some of my artwork that is current on first.lynne