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Welcome to Jupiter Demos Sites. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

This past week, I had three new commissions leave the studio.  They were all so different, and I loved working on them all at the same time.  Generally, I like to keep two to three Starboard Series paintings going at one time.  I often find that if I get stuck on one painting I can move to the next one until I’ve figured out my next step for the one that stumped me.  Helps me keep that creative flow.

The first one is called Bella Vista and Sea Safari.  It was actually full chart size, however I only took an image of the painted area so it could be seen more easily.  The clients wanted their boat heading to their dock, with a view of their property and an icon to locate their home on the Sound.  Also, a special request was made to incorporate their pooch, Beau.  Love that he’s a boat dog!  The next was Kayaking to the Seals in Bar Harbor.  This one was given as a gift so they could remember the time they spent in Bar Harbor.  It turns out kayaks are quite popular and has inspired me to do more kayak paintings.  The last one is Lady Lauren.  A classic lobster boat with big waves – love painting these.  Any time I can paint big waves it’s a fun time.  All of the images were taken in the studio as preview images.

Hello Everyone!  I am getting very excited about showing at the Gifted Hand: Fine Art, Craft and Gift show in Ellsworth this Friday and Saturday!  This is one of my favorite shows of the season.  There are so many wonderful artisans that come from all over New England just to show their work at this show.  The show starts Friday, November 8th at 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and goes until Saturday, November 9th 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.  I am very please to say that I will have a few new pieces for the show and will also be selling my Lobster Trap Christmas Cards again this year.  For more information on the show, please check out the Gifted Hand website.

Thank you to everyone who came out to see me at SALT in Bar Harbor.  I enjoyed getting a chance to speak with everyone and share with you a little bit about my work.  Here is a picture Melissa snapped while I was busy sewing in some barnacles on my new Maine Man, Alan.  I am hoping to have him all finished up this week and headed back over to SALT.  Thanks again for making my first First Friday Art Walk a success!

Wow, it seems that the summer is just flying by!  I am still in the mist of creative chaos, but will be making some exciting new posts soon to catch you up on all the fun I’ve been having in and out of the studio.  But for now, I wanted to let you know that I will be the feature artist this month at SALT: A Maine Boutique, located at 2 Derby Lane in Bar Harbor.  This is an exciting new store that focuses primarily on Nautical themed art and decor inspired by Maine.  I will be there to talk with people about my work on Friday, September 6th from 6-9pm for the First Friday Art Walk wine and cheese reception.  I am very much looking forward to this event and seeing some of you out and about.  I am also excited to say that I will have some new work on display.  There is a new addition to the Maine Men Series, as well as 5 new buoys and a new painting from the Starboard Series.

For more information on SALT, you can take a look at their FB page – SALT: A Maine Boutique.   I look forward to seeing you there!

Recently, my family and I were able to set sail on the Lewis H. Story, thanks to the Mount Desert Island Historical Society.  But first, a little back story about the Lewis H. Story –

In 1762, Abraham Somes, his wife Hannah, and four young daughters, Hannah, Patty, Lucy, and Prudence, sailed from Gloucester, Mass., in a Chebacco boat. They were pioneers in the settlement of Mount Desert Island. With the support of the Essex Shipbuilding Museum in Massachusetts, the Mount Desert Island Historical Society recreated that early voyage aboard the Lewis H. Story, an authentic reproduction of a thirty-two-foot Chebacco boat, a common working vessel of the 18th and 19th centuries. The Lewis H. Story was built in 1998 at the historic Essex shipyard of Harold Burnham.

The Lewis H. Story was docked at Clifton Dock in Northeast Harbor and we set out on a 3 hour sail past Bear Island Lighthouse and Sutton Island, then circled back.  The masts were solid wood and larger round than any I’ve  ever seen.  The cabin quarters were very tight and basic.  It was amazing to think that 6 people, cows and sheep were all able to travel together in this wooden boat from Massachusetts to Maine.   Here’s a link to some other fun photos of her time in town – The Lewis H. Story – and some more information from the Essex Shipbuilding Museum.