CHALLENGE TO PAINT FROM PHOTO OF PEGGY'S COVE

After posting my photos from my cruise on Facebook, my friend Arthur Anderson came up with a wonderful idea. He chose one of the Peggy's Cove photos and made a deadline date (Sept. 30, 2011) for as many artists as we can get to paint it (or draw, collage, whatever medium). I posted it as an invitation to an event on Facebook. So far, some of the fans of my Fan Page (Paintings by Linda https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Paintings-by-Linda/365237511760) have accepted the challenge.
www.PaintingsbyLinda.net


First a little history of Peggy's Cove:

Peggys Cove is about 50 miles southwest of Halifax and comprises one of the numerous small fishing communities. The community is named after the a cove of the same name, a name also shared with Peggys Point, immediately to the east of the cove.

HISTORY:

The first recorded name of the cove was Eastern Point Harbor or Peggs Harbor in 1766. The village may have been named after the wife of an early settler or taken its name from St. Margaret's Bay as it marks the eastern beginning of the Bay and Peggy is a nickname for Margaret. Two versions of the popular legend claim that the name came from the sole survivor of a shipwreck  near the cove. William do Garthe, Artist and resident said she was a young woman while others claim she was a little girl too young to remember her name and the family who adopted her called her Peggy. In both versions, the young shipwreck survivor married a resident of the cove and became known as "Peggy of the Cove" attracting visitors from around the bay who eventually named the village, Peggy's Cove, after her nickname.

Many artists and photographers flocked to Peggys Cove. The first lighthouse at Peggys Cove was built in 1868. More than 400 million years ago, tectonics movement of the Earth's crust allowed molten material to bubble up from the Earth's interior. This formed the rocks we see today and are part of the Great Nova Scotia . The unique landscape of Peggys Cove and surrounding areas was  carved by the migration of glaciers and the ocean tides.

CHALLENGE:
This is the photo that we are basing the challenge on. I am looking forward to all of the different takes that I hope we see from this picture. Thank you Artie for coming up with such a brilliant idea.

As the paintings are posted on my Facebook Fan Page, I will add them to this blog, along with any titles and information the artist would like us to know.

I tend toward to see paintings in a mystical fashion. I like to look into the depth of the way the Artist paintied the picture. You will see from my comments that perspective. Of course, not knowing what the Artist aimed for, if te painting is not accompied by an explanation from the Artis of what they wanted to portray, I will lean toward a surreal interpretation.

The first one to post her rendition of the photo was Renu Kristin Kvalfors, from Norway. She used colored pencil and gel pen to create a very spiritual picture. Renu said " I was thinking this was the house where all the lost souls from the sea can come. Violet is the spiritual coloure...correct me if I'm wrong ♥" She also stated the drawing was at night.

Here is the wonderful mystical spiritual drawing created by Renu Kristin Kvalfors.


 I am the second person to complete a painting from the same photo. I used Acrylic paint on an 11X14 canvas.  I painted my rendition of the photo, the way I remember it, when I  visited Peggy's Cove, in Halifax, Canada. It was a foggy day with no shadows cast. I took some liberty with the rocks making them almost liquid in movement, creating their own lively shadows.

"Moving on the Rocks"
11 X14 Acrylic

I chose to do some of the people contained in the photo-also taking some liberties with the color choices of the outfits, sky and rocks. I enjoy adding a bit of mysticism to my paintings, giving a Surreal touch.

"Lighthouse"
16 X 20
Acrylic

How about this wonderful painting by Artist Arthur Anderson.
I see this rendition of the lighthouse as dramatic and free flowing. The lighthouse almost seems as if it is alive in it's own manner, leaning in a gentle breeze, observing the people who are observing it. The sky is very ominous, capturing the life of the lighthouse.

Sunset At Peggy's Cove
Debi Gorga
32 X 28
Acrylic

 Debi Gorga submitted this very expressive and colorful rendition of the lighthouse. I love the green that is used in the painting. There is a certain turbulance that I feel when looking at this painting. At sunset, all of the tourists are gone from Peggy's Cove. I think when I observe this painting, a unseen weather force kicks up and creates this turbulance. The weather conditions are ever changing at Peggy's Cove.

"I'll Leave the Light On"
Maria's Watercolor

This watercolor painting by Maria's Watercolor, titled, "I'll Leave the Light On" is a lovely rendition of the subject. I love the way Maria chose to put the lighthouse off to the side of the painting, giving a whole new perspective. The colors are soft and relaxing.

Wes Anglin
Photo Shop rendition of Peggy's Cove

Interesting take on the challenge. Notice the different view and colors used to express the subject. this was done with photo shop.

Rhonda Meyers
Rendition of Peggy's Cove Lighthouse



"Totally a new effort in trying watercolor pencils, which I hadn't used before. I just thought it would be fun to try. No title, name it lighthouse or whatever that lighthouse's name was. I'm no help!! LOL"

This drawing was added by Rhonda after the challenge was over- and we are very happy to have it! Beautifully drawn image!

PLEASE ADD YOUR COMMENT AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POSTING:LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU

CRUISING

POSTING BOB'S ARTICLE THAT WILL APPEAR IN THE GRAPEVINE NEWSPAPER OF OUR CRUISE

CRUISING                                        

By Bob Gilbert

After thirty-four years of marriage, my wife Linda and I finally took our first cruise.  Our nine day trip took us to five ports of call in New England and Canada.   

Having taken a cruise, I can now see why they are so popular, particularly for people in our age group, as it is the most painless way to travel.  There is no driving involved, as transportation to all destinations is provided; you have to unpack only once, so you don’t have to “live out of a suitcase”; and there is no scrambling to find a good meal, as three gourmet meals per day are provided (and more if you want them).

Prior to going on this trip, Linda expressed one concern to me – that she might be bored on days at sea.  I can certainly understand her concern.  I mean how do you entertain yourself when all you have is a 1,250 seat theater with nightly headline shows, a casino, a movie theater, a gym, spa, and outdoor walking track, two swimming pools, three hot tubs, and an ice skating rink.  And if that’s not enough, there is a shopping strip, six live musical performances per day, and eight bars.  Lots of potential for boredom there!

One thing I really enjoyed about the cruise was meeting people from so many interesting and diverse places.  We had a great time socializing with a couple from Manchester, England, and we also met nice people from Oklahoma, Georgia, Brooklyn, and from some exotic place called “New Jersey”. 

I should also mention the ports of call.  Our favorite was Bar Harbor, Maine, where we strolled along a beautiful one-mile path on the rocky coastline and later toured the Victorian homes that were used as summer retreats by wealthy industrialists and bankers years ago. 

It was also interesting to see Boston for the first time.  We saw the location of the Boston Tea Party, where the Patriots dumped tea that today would be worth 1.7 million dollars into the harbor rather than pay tax on it.  This set the stage for the Revolutionary War.

I was quite impressed with the ship itself.  The ship’s diesel engines generate a total of 108,000 horsepower (not your father’s Oldsmobile), and the ship’s fuel tank holds one million gallons of fuel.  As one person joked, filling that tank is a little more involved than pulling into a Shell station.   

Concerning the source of water for drinking, bathing, etc., the ship is capable of producing up to 600,000 gallons of fresh water per day by distilling sea water.  And on the other end, waste water is treated, filtered, sanitized, and discharged back into the ocean.

To give you an idea as to the enormity of feeding up to 3600 guests and 1200 staff members on board, the food preparers use 10,000 eggs per day (for omelets, baking, etc.).

I enjoyed the entertainment on board.  I particularly liked one comedian who told a joke about his experience of staying at a very cheap motel.  He told how a woman knocked on the door and said “I’m the maid and I’m here to clean up”.  He let her in, and she went straight to the bathroom, took a shower, and left.  (I guess you had to be there.)

We also got a taste of New England humor.  We were told that the four seasons in Maine are – almost winter, winter, still winter, and construction.

We saw two movies while on board.  “The Little Fockers” was entertaining, and “Secretariat” was one of the best movies I have seen in a long time.

And to those who reassured us in advance that the boat was so big that we would not feel the motion, I would have to disagree with that.  Although we did not experience seasickness, I definitely felt the swaying of the boat, particularly when walking.  But thanks for the encouragement anyway!

Overall, we had a great time.  And I am glad to report that while I ate a lot more than I usually do, with emphasis on desserts and double portions of mashed potatoes, I gained no weight during the trip.  I guess that relaxing and having fun burns a lot more calories than I thought. 

I find that one benefit of traveling is that you get a break from your everyday monotonous routines.  Interestingly, by the last day of the cruise, I discovered that I had developed a bunch of new monotonous routines, and I was glad to get home to my old ones!

HERE ARE SOME PHOTOGRAPHS THAT I TOOK . THOUGHT THAT THEY WOULD BE INTERESTING TO ACCOMPANY BOB'S ARTICLE. FULL PHOTO PORTFOLIO IS ON FACEBOOK AT: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2403810062871.2141167.1479711411

LEAVIING PORT LIBERTY VIEW OF MANHATTAN SKYLINE

SOME OF THE SITES WE SAW ON THE CRUISE

LIGHTHOUSE-PORTLAND,MAINE

SHORE WALK, BAR HARBOR,MAINE

SHOPPING AREA ON SHIP

PEGGY'S COVE, HALIFAX, CANADA

EARLY MORNING SUNRISE FROM BALCONY OF OUR   ROOM

Next Exhibit When Winter Comes

SNOWED IN

Next Exhibit
When Winter Comes
Meet the Artists • September 20, 6:30–8pm
The Gallery in South Brunswick Municipal Building
540 Route 522, Monmouth Junction, open 8:30–4:30pm weekdays,
evenings when meetings are scheduled.

Winter comes early to The Gallery on Tuesday, September 20 with A “Meet the Artists” reception to kickoff this juried exhibit which continues to December 26. Winter has as many aspects as each of the exhibiting artists. Whether color, black and white, snow or no snow, there’s a wide range of approach to the theme in watercolor, oil, acrylic, pastel, mixed media, collage and photography. Poetry will also be included in the exhibit, with some displayed on the wall and others featured at a poetry reading on December 5.
      WHEN WINTER is cold AND cozy, desolate AND full of life, colorless AND brightly colored, abstract AND very realistic. Which of the many various winters in this exhibition is YOUR winter?
      Juror for the exhibit is Richard Swain who received his degrees from Oberlin College and The University of Michigan. Living in Princeton, he has been teaching the history of art at Rider University in since 1978. A specialist in modern art, American art, and the history of photography, he has enjoyed giving talks at retirement communities Stone bridge, Meadow Lakes, and Monroe Village, among others.

Exhibiting artists: Ahuva Arie, Jerry Spielman, Mary Ann Weisser (West Windsor), Bob Ambrosio, Carol Funk, John Sandstedt, (Dayton), Joan Arbeiter, (Metuchen), Stephanie Barbetti, Sandy Behrend, Grace Chiarella, Michael Derer, (Kendall Park), Don Bloom, Carol Grand, Allie Skislak, (East Brunswick), Ranna Chaudry, Aparna Deshpande, Lesley Gevins, (Monmouth Junction), Idrani Choudhury (Edison), Lauren Curtis (Somerset), Carl  Frankel, Linda Gilbert, Sue K Green, Robert E Heyer, Necati Itez, Lonni Heisman Merrill, Monroe Twp), Bill Hoo, Wen Shui, Tatiana L. Sougakova (Plainsboro), Bernard Kennedy, Lynn Cheng Varga (Yardville), Kathleen Liao, Glenn Miller, (Princeton Junction), Fran Nimeck,,Maxwell Nimeck (South Brunswick), Bernice Rappoport (Old Bridge), Nancy Scott (Lawrenceville), Karen Stober, (Warren).

MEMORIES OF 9/11

As we approach the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I thought it appropiate to include an article my husband wrote for a local newspaper. Also note the included watercolor painting by Artist Arthur Anderson.

BEFORE THE FALL
Arthur Anderson
http://artistanderson.com/

MEMORIES OF 9/11

By Bob Gilbert

As we approach the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, I have vivid memories of that day.

The weather was crisp and clear, and I was at work in downtown Brooklyn.  At about 9 o’clock, a co-worker told me that there was a fire at the World Trade Center as a plane had crashed into one of the buildings.  I looked out of the window and saw dark smoke billowing from one of the towers in the distance.  Like everyone else, I felt great concern about the people inside of the burning building.

When a second plane crashed into the other tower, what we thought was an accident was revealed to be a terrorist attack.  I joined some co-workers on the building observation deck, where we could see smoke pouring out of the twin towers.

Our building administrator announced that there were no threats against our building and that it was safe to remain at work.  As things worsened, we were directed to go home, as mass transit and bridge and tunnel closures were imminent.

I was fortunate that my family members were out of harm’s way – my wife was at work in Staten Island, my daughter was at college in Philadelphia, and my mother-in-law was at home in Brooklyn.  I got in my car and headed home.  As I passed Flatbush Avenue, I witnessed an army of fire engines, police cars, and other emergency vehicles screaming north toward the twin towers with sirens and horns blasting – help was on the way.

I headed south on Fourth Avenue toward the Verrazano Bridge for my trip back to Staten Island.  It was late morning but it looked like rush hour – hundreds of people streaming out of subway stations and businesses, all rushing home as the subways and the city were shutting down.

A mile or two before the entrance to the Verrazano Bridge, traffic came to a complete halt because the bridge had been closed.  People got out of their cars and were milling around and sharing what they had heard to that point.  I borrowed a phone and called my mother-in-law, and let her know that I was headed home. 

When the bridge finally reopened, traffic crawled to the entrance, where a lone police officer waved us through one car at a time.  I crossed the bridge and was glad to be back in my own borough.

I listened to the car radio as the news reports poured in, and what I was hearing was surreal – the Twin Towers…the Pentagon… a plane brought down in Pennsylvania… 

I arrived home in the early afternoon, and, and my wife arrived about an hour later.  We watched TV as the disaster unfolded, trying to comprehend the incomprehensible.

It is amazing to think that September 11, 2001 started out so uneventfully and routinely.  Like so many of my fellow New Yorkers, I got up early, had breakfast, and headed off to work.  Who could have imagined on that clear sky morning what was about to happen?

Those are my memories of the morning and early afternoon of September 11, 2001.  On this tenth anniversary, hearts go out to those who lost loved ones on that day.

 

FASCINATION WITH THE RED BARN

A red barn appears in several of my paintings in different subject matter. The area where I currently reside has several red barns that screamed for me to photograph them! If you visit the areas where I took the photos, you may not see the barns existing in the settings I chose to paint them, as my imagination tends to take over. Several of my photos that I base my paintings on, other than that of the red barns, are used for sources .

I have viewed barns in green, many white, but red seems to be the "thing"-especially in the old restored barns here in Central new Jersey. I learned a few very interesting things about why there are so many red barns.

Centuries ago, European farmers would paint their barns with a linseed-oil mixture, often consisting of additions such as milk and lime. The combination produced a long-lasting paint that dried and hardened quickly. Wealthy farmers added blood from a recent slaughter, or rust to their paint mixture.
In historically accurate terms, "barn red" is not the bright, fire-engine red that we often see today, but more of a burnt-orange red. As to how the oil mixture became traditionally red, there are two  theories:

Regardless of how the farmer tinted his paint, having a red barn became fashionable. They were a contrast to the traditional white farmhouse.

As European settlers crossed over to America, they brought with them the tradition of red barns. In the mid to late 1800s, red paint was the most inexpensive to buy. When whitewash became cheaper, at which point white barns began to spring up.

Here are my paintings where the red barn inspired me:

1. "Observing the Pond"---This barn painting was combined with a scene I observed at a park, where a beautiful Blue Heron was "observing the Pond" hoping for a meal. The barn was from another location, but I imagined them together, and created this serene painting.

2. "Somewhere, Not Here, a Red Barn"--close by my house is a farm dating from the 1700's where stands this red barn. The mountains come from my memory of my travels from yet another place. The plants are unusual and unreal, giving this painting a surreal feeling.

3. "Taking Over"--a view from my window, that is not really there.....the table and the easel are real, but the plant is not.

4. "One Behind the Other"--During this past winter, I photographed the aftermath of the blizzard that was practically up to my waist in the early morning. I obtained the lighting of the sky and snow from that photo taken right outside my front door. The barns come from a place so very far away.

Observing the Pond

Somewhere ,Not Here, A Red Barn

Taking Over

T

One Behind the Other

Please see my full collection of art work at www.PaintingsbyLinda.net
Join my facebook fan page:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Paintings-by-Linda/365237511760

Looking forward to your responses.

Back to my Work---topic SMALL PAINTINGS

I have been posting articles  about Art Work from other people. Now, I would like to get back to posting some of my own paintings again.

These 4 paintings are recently finished pieces. All of them are small-2 being 11 X14, the other two, 8 X10. Did you ever feel that sometimes a small painting does the job in expressing what you want to say? Must state that working small does not necessarily mean you are finishing a painting sooner. If you work with details like I do, small paintings can take more time than a large painting!

"Hovering Over"

"Hovering Over" is back to my Mystical Series,(see my web site www.PaintingsbyLinda.net under "Mystical" where I like to include sprites (elves, faeries,or whatever you want to call them) in landscape situations. This particular painting was created from a Plein Air series that I belong to, where we sit outside and sketch or paint what we see. So, I sketched and photographed these two statues of the Blue Herons, and added my sprite hovering over them.

"The Grey House"

Also in the Plein Air series, the same location, stood a guest house on the property we were working at, and I sketched the structure. "The Grey House" was my result-focusing in on the side of the building, with the surrounding area placed around it. I went for less detail in this painting- a stretch for me.

"Window Reflection"

Also with minimal detail is "Window Reflection", sketched and photographed at the Plein Air series site with the other two paintings were done. Here I sketched it as seen, took the photo, and worked the colors off of the photo.

Added to my recent paintings is the Painting"Surf". Not of the Plein Air Series.

"Surf"

The above painting "Surf", is painted from a photo I took while in Newport, Rhode Island. I have done several paintings from this area, some could be seen on my web site www.PaintingsbyLinda.net   under Aqua. The ocean is always very appealing to me- just had a fun time doing this.



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Would love to hear feedback on my paintings.

Article of New Exhibit at Gourgaud Gallery

THIS ARTICLE IS POSTED ON THE  GOURGAUD GALLERY BLOG AT WWW.GOURGAUDGALLERY.BLOGSPOT.COM. IT IS WRITTEN BY MY HUSBAND BOB GILBERT, WHO INTERVIEWS THE EXHIBITING ARTISTS EXHIBITING AT THE COURGAUD GALLERY. READ AND ENJOY THE ARTICLE. WE HOPE THAT YOU JOIN THE GOURGAUD GALLERY BLOG BY BECOMING A FOLLOWER, SO YOU CAN BE POSTED OF ALL OF THE UPCOMING NEWS.

NEW EXHIBIT FOR JULY AT THE GOURGAUD GALLERY

By Bob Gilbert

Judy Buckley "French Fields'

Judy Buckley "Peru Street"

Judy Buckley "The Bay"

The new exhibit at the Gourgaud Gallery opening on July 8, 2011 features the paintings of Cranbury resident Judy Buckley. The show is entitled “Travels – Recent Paintings 2011 – Near and Far”.

I had the pleasure of previewing the exhibit, which includes a variety of landscapes. There are bodies of water, farm fields, countryside, and marshes, all with dramatic representations of the sky. In one painting, the outline of a Ferris wheel can be seen on the distant horizon line of the beach. A Ferris wheel is probably the most impressive, striking, and unique structure associated with beach resorts, and the painting really captured that.

But there are more than landscapes. One painting is a view from within a church looking out. It captures some of the interesting features inside the church and the appealing scene outside. Paintings looking out on something always catch my attention.

Judy has a BA degree in Art from Georgian Court College, Lakewood, NJ, and has studied art in New York City as well. She worked for a period in the art department of a New York City advertising agency, but now spends her time painting as well as teaching art at Princeton High School, the Middlesex Youth Center, and the West Windsor Arts Council.

Judy speaks enthusiastically about teaching art. In adult classes, there is great energy and excitement when a new person begins to paint and discovers the joy within them. It is contagious! With high school students, there is discovery, as you never know what is in a person’s mind until they express it in their art work. Each student brings their own approach to art, and witnessing this helps Judy to keep an open mind and to see things in a new way.

Judy was interested in art as a child, but really got started when, as a high school student, she took lessons from a highly regarded artist in Red Bank, NJ, whom she still remembers fondly as a great inspiration. Judy is especially grateful to her mom who drove her forty-five minutes each way to attend these lessons. This is a great example of how a caring parent and an outstanding teacher can make a difference in a person’s life!

Judy paints primarily landscapes, as she enjoys the challenge of capturing the beauty of the places she has seen, whether it be the Jersey shore or some exotic location halfway around the world. She finds that as her art evolves, she is less concerned with realism and more interested in the play and interaction of color.

In addition to her own paintings, Judy is displaying paintings by some of her students at the Middlesex Youth Shelter. These students earn high school credits in Judy’s art class, which is funded by the Cranbury Arts Council.

Additional paintings may be seen on the Gourgaud Gallery Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Gourgaud-Gallery/108657442495068?sk=info

The exhibit can be viewed at The Gourgaud Gallery, Town Hall, 3-A North Main St., Cranbury, NJ 08512. The Artist reception will be held on Friday, July 8 from 6-8 PM. The Gallery is open on the 1^st, 3^rd and last Sunday of every month and during regular business hours of Town Hall, Monday through Friday from 9AM to 5 PM. 

  www.PaintingsbyLinda.net (web site)