This year I'll be participating in the yearly celebration - Marina Day at the Branford Yacht Club. I be displaying a few of my new pieces and painting the event live. Stop in free to the public

Kid's Games,, touch the Branford Fire and Police boats, meet a real mermaid, face painting, salt water fly fishing demo, fly making demo, craft and art vendors, boating vendors, cooking demonstrations, Sound School touch tank, Take a Vet fishing,vintage wooden boats, food trucks and more -

Date: Saturday June 8, 2019
Time: 10am-4pm
Location: Branford Yacht Club, 39 Goodsell Point Road Branford CT
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Location: 183 Montowese St, Suite G, Branford, CT
Open Studio Days: Saturday June 1- Sunday June 2, 2019

Time: Saturday 10am-4pm, Sunday 12pm -4pm

Open Studio this week: Sunday 12-4pm! Stop in to see the new work and studio-- sign up for a class in acrylics, drawing, or plein air.

Class sizes are small so each student will receive plenty of one-on-one assistance.. You'll love the friendly and warm environment of your peers while working on fun and easy to do exercises that you can practice at home.

Once all the basics lessons are complete, you'll have the opportunity to put your new skills and knowledge to work on your own piece. Whether you want to create a still life, landscape, seascape, or portrait,  each lesson will help you gain an understanding of the painting process so that you can apply it to the  subject matter of your choice.

 Even if you have never painted before, in a short period of time you can learn the basic concepts of painting and techniques needed to create convincing paintings.

With plenty of guidance and individual attention, you'll be surprised at how much you'll learn to build your painting confidence.

What are you waiting for? Sign up today so that you can be creating beautiful paintings. ​

For more information on purchasing this painting go to Available Paintings Page

Back at it a second day in a row. I'm down at Wooster Square in New Haven CT. I find this place incredibly magically especially during the springtime. The cherry blossoms line the streets, kids are playing in the park. Lots of people walking their dogs. The annual Cherry Blossom Festival is happening in a few days and you can just feel the excitement in the air. Pink Rain - full of joy and wonder!

It was a little cooler today than yesterday and the spot I selected was tucked away in the shade of a large tree. I love the colors of this beautifully crafted brownstone home. The teal color trim, red brick and burnt red-orange transom over the front door and first floor windows gave a nice backdrop to the pink blooms. There was so much architectural details that I had to leave out but what I hope I conveyed was the essence of this picturesque scene. 

As you can see in the photo below, the petals would float right through the air and stick to my canvas or palette! At first I thought ... oh no... I've got to get this off... it's going to ruin the painting.. but second thought... let me leave it there, it's great for matching colors!

The last photo in the group below is from inside the Famous Pepe's Pizza! My friend Patty and I finished our painting session by splitting a small sausage pizza.... what a fantastic day!

Do you want to join me for Plein Air Painting lessons? I just finished posting the Summer Schedule of 4 week classes. We'll meet every Thursday in the Branford, Guilford and Madison area. Click here for more information... this class is great for beginners and those who want to brush up on their skills. 

To purchase this painting go to Available Paintings Page

At the end of April I was with a small group of painters from the Madison Art Society, we met up in New Haven at Wooster Square.

There are dozens of Cherry Blossom trees that line the square.

It's so incredibly beautiful there.... almost magical! The finely crafted architecture of the old brownstone homes are along the parameter of the park where folks are walking their dogs, children are playing and everyone seems to enjoy a leisurely stroll.  Every Saturday in the summertime there's a farmers market. It's just the friendliest neighborhood.

People come from all over the state to walk around, take photos, and enough a delicious authentic  Italian meal in the heart of Little Italy of New Haven. I've been here numerous times to paint and I'm always so in awe over how beautiful and enchanting the Square looks with the unique architecture of each building and the soft pink cascade of the cherry blossoms. 

I met so many interesting people, a photographer name Jason, who took the coolest  photo of me while painting. I'll share it in an upcoming e-book titled 10 of my Best Tips for Painting Outside.  I met two lovely ladies who were good friends, they even dressed alike!

I met an art student who took a photo of my easel and painting for her final project and a fellow artist (tattoo artist) who was working for the City of New Haven planting trees.

​I hope I encourage a really nice gentleman to join our Madison Art Society Plein Air group ... he said he would love to get back into painting again....

This is exactly what I love about plein air painting... it's not just painting outside... it's meeting new people, sharing stories, learning about new places, making friends...

I just set up my Summer Plein Air Painting Class schedule, go here for more info. If you'd like to start painting outdoors but don't know where to begin... join me.!

A few photos while painting at Wooster Square - April 24, 2109

Harbor Street View, Branford, CT , acrylics, 24 x 36", gallery-wrapped, available

We finally made the move! We are now officially Branford residents! Just a few short weeks ago we were packing and toting boxes, wrapping and donating lots and lots of stuff. We made the leap over the Hwy 91 headed just a slight southeast on the CT map and landed in Branford, CT. 

I really could have said "I told you so" back a few years ago because Branford has been one of my favorite places to paint and meet up with friends for hmmmmm.... 6 years! As the calendar year turned the corner from end of winter to early spring I could feel the itch to head down to Branford. Soon the town green will be cascading pink from the dozens of cherry blossom trees that run up and down Main Street. The boats will appear back in the harbor and their white plastic covers will cast aside. 

This painting is of  Harbor Street in Branford, CT. It went through a few stages and modifications but I have to say, I'm thrilled with the end results. The first time Dean drove down this road a few years ago, I knew someday I would paint this scene. It's been in my mind for a while. A few times Dean would park the car just off to the left side of the road and fish. I would stroll down Harbor Street snapping photos for reference. I loved the charming old New England homes with friendly porches or decorative architectural details from an era past.

I took a few artistic liberties in this piece, added the cars, changed the color of the houses and added a porch... that's the beauty of painting... as I continually remind my students... and myself. 

My vision was to capture Branford's charm and coastal feel with vibrant colors and an all around feeling of a welcoming shoreline neighborhood. Although Harbor Street appears to be a direct and fairly straight route from Maple Street when you look at a map, the drive is quite different. It has just enough curve in the road to offer a welcoming surprise as you round the bend. You could even miss the water if you had your head down looking at your phone ( that was me). So I had to catch it on the way back.. and that's the view that one would see as they make their way back to town from Branford Point.

For us, it's only a mile away from our new place.. so excited to be such close proximity to so many beautiful places to paint! 

So happy to share with you my vision of our new hometown - Branford!

Today I want to share with you a painting and an excerpt from a current project I'm working on. I'm gathering the paintings, sketches and notes from my trip to Italy this year. At the end of April, I flew over to see my son Ray and his girlfriend Ria while they were spending a semester in Rome on a study abroad program. If you want to see more artwork and sketches head on over to the Italy Paintings page here.  

Italy Trip April 2018 - Excerpt:
Day 2 -4/25/2018
Today is  Liberation Day in Italy. A national holiday celebrated annually on April 25. It marks the fall of Mussolini’s Italian Social Republic and the end of the Nazi occupation in Italy in 1945. The streets were filled with both tourists and natives soaking in the sunshine, enjoying the sights, shopping, listening to music -  like one big street party.  The temperature peaked around  65 to 70 degrees. The blue sky gave way to just a few white fluffy clouds.


First stop on the agenda, the Vatican. Ray and Ria have become so familiar with the streets in Rome. Since they arrived a few months ago for their study abroad program at JCU they have called Rome their home. As for me,  I had to put a little pep in my step to keep up with them. I did the best I could to capture the  scenes with my iPhone. A photo here, a short video clip there.  I don’t think they realized I needed to do double time to keep up with their longer strides by their longer legs. But that’s ok, they would move ahead through the crowds and then instinctively know to turn around to see where I was at. Allowing me time to shot a few photos here and a few videos there and then scurry up to them. They patiently waited for me... what lovely tourguides they made. They also didn’t realize how in shape they were from their daily walking routines and how out of shape I was. (puff - puff)

Every street we turned down there was either a trattoria, ristorante or cafe or sometimes all three! Each one set and ready to serve. The vibrant overhead awnings  stretched out just a  little past the dining tables  offering a comfortable shady spot from the bright sunlight. The tables set with  rolled up white napkins and sparkling wine glasses, sometimes a tiny bouquet of flowers in a glass vase graced the table. The string of lights were definitely for ambiance and character, and I must say they played their part well. As we strolled past each establishment we could hear a friendly voice call out "Buongiorno" - "Good Day".  From the savory aromas, to the  abundant visual scenery and the romantic sounds of the Italian language  - a stroll down the streets of  Rome is sheer bliss.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog - I'll be sharing more of my Italy adventures in upcoming posts. 

Ciao! From the streets of Rome
Linda

Side note: A funny little story to share. The stretched canvas that this painting was painted on I gave to my son for Christmas. I wrapped a blank canvas with a note attached  "Future home of a Linda S. Marino Original Oil Painting" - and 5 months later I gave this painting to him for his birthday.

This original painting was created in 2012, it's been in and out of a few art shows and exhibits but has remained a loyal companion in my studio. Last week I decided to give it a fresh coat of paint, pop the colors and glaze the background color to lean more toward an orangey coral.  Why you ask?  and I'll answer.... why not? (I hope that didn't sound too snarky?) 

I've learned over the years that as we grow in our art journey we see things differently, we're evolving and hopefully, learning, developing and building. With each painting we create we learn a little about ourselves, we develop our skills and build our confidence. And sometimes as we reflect on a piece created a few years ago we can see where some improvements could be made. There is a risk involved, especially if you've become attached to the piece and like I said earlier it's become a friendly companion. But never the less, when the desire for making a change outweighs the familiar, it's time to put the brush in motion.

I think a lot had to do with the announcement of the Pantone Color of the Year. In early December the international color company Pantone announces their pick for 2019. Living Coral.

As I was sitting in my studio, contemplating the Pantone press release article that read, "how colors can embody our collective experience and reflect what is taking place in our global culture at a moment in time" and "Living Coral, is an animated shade of orange with a golden undertone, which reflects the warmth, nourishment, and shelter of coral reefs to sea life." Pantone states that this year's selection symbolizes an "innate need for optimism and joyful pursuits".

ohhhh...  I like that. Definitely worth repeating a few times... an innate need for optimism and joyful pursuits. Couldn't we all use a fresh coat of optimism and a pop of joyful pursuits as we look to open the book to a new chapter, new year. I know I could.

Thanks for reading my post. Let me know what you think about the Color of the Year - Living Coral. How does it make you feel? What images come to mind when you see this color. And believe me you're going to see it pop up everywhere. In graphic design, packaging, clothing, make-up, fashion design, interiors and decor and yes..... ART.  If you continue to read this blog I'm sure you'll see a few more posts about this blushing, pinky-orange hue as we joyfully leap into 2019! I'm quit certain it will be a "regular" on my palette.

Cordially.... or should I say "Coral-dially" yours,
Linda

This painting was created during a three-day workshop on the Thimble Islands with Bob Noreika. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. Sunny with a slight breeze. On the third day, we were at the tail end of Governor's Island. I love to paint and sketch my fellow artists as they work. For the most part, they stay still and they're concentrating so much on their own work, they have no idea I'm painting them.

This piece has gone through the editing and refining process twice! And I'm happy to say it's finished... I think... :)

 12 x 16" oil on canvas 
framed in a silver/gold champagne finish frame 
for purchasing information  click here

I love painting interiors! What I often do is flip through design magazines and when a photo has the right light effect I use that as my starting point. I love the way the light streams through the windows and casts a warm glow across the counters and wood floor. From there I like to put my imagination to work and re-decorate the room. I'll add my own elements, change the light fixtures, add different accent pieces. Change the fabric or window treatments. It's like redecorating but without the fees or the mess! Just a little paint  a brush and my imagination.

For more information on purchasing this painting click here

Soup Prep - Chef Dean
oil on board, 6 x 8" framed in silver and gold tone frame
for purchase info click here

Often times I tell my art students to "trust in the process" and not to judge their painting too soon, especially while they are in the midst of creating it. I’ve said in the past it’s like baking a cake and trying to eat it when it’s half baked - it doesn’t taste good.

It’s easier for us to understand the cooking process when it comes to creating a meal. Planning the menu, buy the ingredients, prep the food, cook or bake, waiting time and then knowing when it’s done. And then.... yes enjoy eating it!
 
There are many similar steps and stages when it comes to creating a painting with the exception of one. The "Cook Time" or the "Create Time". For instance, you do have to plan and purchase materials. Find a place to create, whether a studio or a kitchen table. You'll also need some instruction, even the basics like mixing and applying paints. And surely what would be helpful, like in a recipe you are given the time it takes to prep and the time it takes to cook or bake. But that's not the case  when it comes to creating art.

"Create Time" is the one mystery element. It's the one ingredient that is truly different for every artist. How can I tell my students that an exercise will take exactly one hour.  Sometimes I'll try to set time limits and on occasion it will work but for the most part, I've come to the conclusion - a painting will get done on it's own time.  We truly don't know how long it’s going to take to create a piece of art. For some it could be thrown together in minutes and called finished for others the "cook time" could take  hours, days maybe even years. 

But what if we savored and embraced that "time of simmer" - the "process time". What if,  with patience and with a listening heart, we lean more into the method than the end result. I mean we aren't planning to eat our painting like we would a meal, so why can't we just take the time to listen to our heart not a grumbling stomach. What if we apply the phrase "Trust the process" to mean both trusting you will be satisfied with the end result AND  enjoyment while in the midst of creating it. 

So perhaps the next time you are in the middle of painting a painting whisper to yourself “ embrace the simmer” .....and I will do the same.

Keep Creating!
Linda

Happy to say this painting: "Soup Prep- Chef Dean" was accepted into the  "Deck the Walls - Holiday Show and Sale" at Lyme Art Association in Lyme, CT - The show will run until January 4th, 2019.
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