Sunday, January 25, 2015

"Appeal To The Great Spirit!"


Acrylic Canvas Board 14" x 20"
I so love the statue of "The Appeal To The Great Spirit" in front of Boston's Museum Of Fine Arts!  I finally decided to paint it!  


i Pad
Thanks to Linda Roth I tried the i pad's app ArtRage to do a quick plein air of "The Appeal To The Great Spirit!"  Much fun! I so need to learn how to use all the wonderful painting tools!

Middleboro, MA, USA,  Nemasket River Winter 2015
First real snow of the season!  Only five inches of the beautiful white stuff!  Still enough to create an awesome winter wonderland.
(Huge North Easter predicted for later this week!  Maybe 0ne to two feet of snow!  Yippee!)

Middleboro, MA, USA, Nemasket River Fall 2014
I thought it might be fun and interesting to see the same scene but during a different season!  I feel so lucky to leave in New England where we have four beautiful seasons!



15 comments:

  1. Ooh, Michael, you have done my favourite American statue proud! I LOVE both versions! I'm hugely impressed at what you created on your i-pad. The colours are fabulous and you've captured so much movement and pathos!
    I love seeing the winter version of your autumn scene. Both are beautiful! Snow makes everything look so magical. Maybe you will have to do a snowy version of your statue sometime too. I'm so pleased that you've had some nice snowy weather as I know you had been looking forward to it!
    Your art cobber,
    Wendy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good morning Wendy! I am so happy you are pleased with this painting. I know how much you like the statue! The i pad work was a bit frustrating! So many tools and I didn't and still don't know how to use them! But still more fun than frustration.
      I am also glad you enjoyed the early fall and winter versions of the same scene! I have lived in Massachusetts all my life! I have seen many seasons change and I am still amazed! Fascination and beauty at the same time!
      I agree with you about the magic of snow!
      Thanks for visiting Mate!
      Michael

      Delete
  2. Hi Michael, I love your Great Spirit painting, beautiful vibrant colors and textures! I would have never known you painted the second painting with your I-pad, it is incredible how it looks like it was done by hand.
    You live in a very picturesque part of the country. Beautiful in all the seasons! I miss the colder winters especially the snow (I know it might sound like a weird thing to say). Maybe this week you will have your big snow fall...have fun and stay warm!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ciao Celia! Thanks for visiting my friend! I am glad you like this painting. I am happy you noticed the textures. I am not sure why but I so love paintings with plenty of texture! ( I also love them without texture! Not many paintings I don't love!)
      The i pad art tool is so amazing! I am glad you like it! I did this one using my finger! Now I am using a stylus also! Both I like for different reasons! Using my finger is almost magical!
      You missing the snow certainly doesn't sound weird to me Celia! I love the snow! However there are many people who don't care for it!
      Take care!
      Michael

      Delete
  3. LOVE, LOVE LOVE this painting, Michael. Congratulations on a beautiful piece!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hilda! I love, love, love that you love, love, love this painting! Thank you for your very kind comment! "Beautiful piece!" is such a nice thing to write! Thanks again Hilda!
      Take care!
      Michael

      Delete
  4. Fantastic painting of the great spirit. You caught all the emotion of the statue. In both the painting and in the iPad drawing. That's very impressive for a first try. Keep at it. There's a learning curve. I agree that it's awesome to live in a spot where there's four distinct seasons., all of which have their own distinct beauty. I have yet to see Boston, the birthplace of our country. It's number one on my bucket list---if I could only get Ellis to give up the beach. Happy painting friend. You are a joy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Linda! This is my second attempt at replying to your wonderful comment!
      I hope it gets through!
      Thank you so much for all your support! Your comments always make my day! This one is certainly no exception! I am glad you mentioned the emotion in this piece. I am always aware of emotion in my art! I am not even sure I am consciously making an effort to display emotion but I am always sure it is there! Thank you for turning me onto the ipad art experience. I am learning more about the tools! I am really like the paint brush too lately! I so hope you get to visit Boston! I am sure you will love it! I know I am partial but it is a grand city! I don't blame Ellis for not wanting to leave the beach! However we certainly have great beaches not too far from Boston in our beloved Cape Cod! Need to visit in the summer! Enjoy the winter and keep on making and posting great art buddy!
      Michael

      Delete
  5. I like both versions of the statue!!! I can understand why you wanted to paint it.

    The Blizzard of 2015 seems to be almost over here. We had about 16 inches. Since I am stuck inside until the plow clears the driveway I only got to sketch the snowy view out my bedroom window. I wish our apartment had windows that faced the parking lot too. It would be fun to sketch some of the people cleaning off their cars (mine is safely in my garage). lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Joan! I am glad you like both versions of the statue buddy! Both were fun to do for many different reasons! The i pad is certainly compact and easy to take to paint on the go! I wonder if you would like it while you are out doing all your wonderful plein air art?
      Blizzard of 2015 is over now! We got over two feet of snow and higher snow drifts! A historic storm for Massachusetts! Snowing now! And another twelve inches predicted for Monday!
      I am sorry you weren't able to do snow sketches of people cleaning their cars! I know they would have come out great!
      Thanks again Joan!
      Take care.
      Michael

      Delete
  6. Love the color and love the concept of painting that noble statue! In fact, I am working on a painting of a statue - great minds think alike! And I so envy you that beautiful snow. We had had only an inch or two right before Christmas and nothing since. I have turned green with envy!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hello My Portland Maine Art Single Person Art Show Buddy! So happy you are having a "Ballerina Painting Show!" Nice!
    Thank you for dropping by Susan! I am glad you like the color of the statue! I also enjoyed making the colors for this piece! The statue itself is bronze and over the years many varied and beautiful greens developed! Imagine the two of us on the same wave length! I am honored! Looking forward to your statue painting! I am sure it will be wicked awesome! So sorry about your lack of snow this season! We also didn't get much up until last week! Certainly made up for it with more than two feet of snow!!!! I wish I could pack some up and send it over to you my dear art friend! (Now they are predicting another foot of the white stuff for this Monday!)
    Hoping Susan Gets Some Snow Art Buddy!
    Michael

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hey Michael!,
    So glad you have entered the digital paint world. It is a lot of fun. I have not yet tried ArtRage (Brushes and SketchbookXpress so far) but it has been on my radar for some time. 2015 I will have to give it a go. And yes, both fun and a bit frustrating learning how to use a new tool.
    So glad you showed us both traditional and digital versions of the same subject. Really great! Keep at it!
    It looks like another year of no winter for us again, only a couple days of rain and we really need it! I feel sorry for the local So Cal Ski resorts. They really need the snow for their livelihood, aren't getting it and what they had has almost completely melted.

    Congrats on your Pats winning the Super Bowl! It was a heck of a game wasn't it!?

    Keep painting (digital too!)...

    Your All-Too-Dry West Coaster

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hey David! As always so very, very good to hear from you buddy!
    I am glad I started to try ArtRage! Much fun!!! I am learning how to use the tools! Just posted and abstract ocean work! Fun!
    I am glad you like the digital and the painting versions of the same subject!
    I am so sorry about your lack of rain! Hope things change for you soon! Weather can be so very odd! I watch the weather daily and think of you!
    We are getting record amounts of snow in the Northeast! Last week alone almost four feet! This weekend another one to two feet predicted. Snowing heavy now while I am typing! Wish we could send some to you!!!
    You are certainly right about Pats and Sea Hawks game! Exciting and nerve wracking at same time! So happy Patriots won! Also feel badly for Sea Hawks fans. So tough to lose a championship game! Especially last few seconds on an interception! I have a good friend from Seattle, she is one of my art teachers at MFA, I felt so sorry for her! A very tough loss!
    So take care David! Keep on painting buddy! Hoping you soon are not an all too dry west coaster!!!
    Your Off The Charts Amount Of Snow East Coast Buddies!
    Michael

    ReplyDelete
  10. Man on the horse in gorgeous! Great and spiritual painting! As for me the first version is super cool! Wonderful colors and posture.

    ReplyDelete