Tag Archives: Sonoma County

Painting Over a Painting

As some of you know, after living with a painting for a while, I may think it needs a little touch up or perhaps I see what I would call an error that just doesn’t work. I can always remove an element from a painting, paint over a section or change the look. That is the beauty of painting with acrylic.

This week I took a painting on birch panel that had been bothering me for some time. I felt that it was not very imaginative. I didn’t need to spend much time with it before I decided it had to go and I wanted to keep the expensive panel.

As I mentioned in my last post, sometimes when I look at a painting that I did months ago, I know my style has changed and I find the old work lacking in some way.

First let me show you my new painting. I am very pleased with the way it turned out. And I don’t think that I will be touching it in the future.

Ann Hart Marquis-painting over a painting

Ridge Oaks, acrylic on birch panel, 20 x 20 x 1.5 inches.

I took the old painting, turned it sideways because I liked some of the colors on the side of the painting, drew a horizon line, painted the sky and just started painting over the bottom half.

I layered the bottom half with mixtures of blue, turquoise and green and dabbed on some contrasting color here and there. It was all rather done by intuition.

It was fun and rather exciting to do because I had an exact image in my mind of what I wanted the finished painting to look like. And it was easy, although in some spots I had to do several new layers to cover a dark color.

Ann Hart Marquis-Chalk Hill Oak-painting a river

Chalk Hill Oak, acrylic on birch panel, 20 x 20 inches, 2015. ©Ann Hart marquis

Here is the original painting which I thought was rather mundane. I am happy that it is still part of my new painting. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Sonoma County Paintings

While I was in California, it was difficult to not be inspired by almost everything I saw, especially when I was out of a city. I spent time letting memories from my childhood wash over me. I loved how Sonoma County felt. It was a pleasure to soak up the familiar fragrances, light and feel of the air.

Chalk Hill Ridge, acrylic and charcoal on birch panel, 20 x 20 x 1.5 inches, 2015. ©Ann Hart Marquis

I was particularly reminded of California poppies and brown rolling hills. I was drawn to the various shades of green and the reflections on the small lakes on the property. I had never painted a vineyard before and I enjoyed capturing the grape vines in their first stages of bearing fruit. Also importantly, I had never painted in California before. It was a wonderful opportunity for me.

Ann Hart Marquis-Chalk Hill Lake South, sonoma county paintings

Chalk Hill Lake, South, acrylic and charcoal on birch panel, 20 x 20 x 1.5 inches, 2015. ©Ann Hart Marquis

I am not sure when I will be back in California, but it was a “going home” experience for me and I have many memories from my time there as well as some new paintings. I did enjoy creating Sonoma County paintings for the first time.

Have you had the opportunity to go home after being gone for a very long time?

Artist Residency Completed

Ann Hart Marquis-Chalk Hill Russian River-artist residency

Chalk Hill Russian River, acrylic on birch panel, 20 x 20 inches, 2015. ©Ann Hart Marquis

I spent the last three weeks at an artist residency in Healdsburg, CA. The Chalk Hill Artist Residency is located in the rolling hills of Sonoma County on 250 acres of vineyard. It was a beautiful location and what made it especially lovely for me was that it is about 12 miles from where I grew up.

I stayed in an old 5-bedroom farm house complete with a covered front porch with spectacular views. I also had a large studio that looked out over a nearby pond. Since I was there alone, I had nothing to do but create, walk along the Russian River, read art books look for wildlife and meditate.

My only responsibility was to paint whatever I wanted. I choose to paint the landscape that surrounded me. I had never painted grape vines before or California Oaks. It was enjoyable for me to try to capture them both.

Ann Hart Marquis-Chalk Hill Oak-artist residency

Chalk Hill Oak, acrylic on birch panel, 20 x 20 inches, 2015. ©Ann Hart Marquis

There are many artist residency programs available both nationally and internationally. If you ever decide to pursue one, I hope that yours is as meaningful as mine.

Upcoming Artist Residency

In three days I will be leaving for my artist’s residency at Chalk Hill Artist Residency in Healdsburg, CA. The residency is housed on a 250 acre ranch and winery in Sonoma County, 15 miles from where I grew up.

Sonoma County

Sonoma County is in a beautiful part of the state. It is grape growing country with rolling hills and miles of vineyards. I have very fond memories about the landscape, the feel of the atmosphere and the fragrance of the air.

Chalk Hill

My only obligation during the three-week residency is to paint what I want, when I want. I am taking eight medium-sized birch panels and four small canvases. I may finish all of those.

I am already starting to fantasize about what I will be seeing. In this recent painting, I was thinking about what the area may hold for me. I was envisioning green hills, manicured fields and golden poppies.

Ann Hart Marquis-California Deaming-artist residency

California Dreaming, acrylic on canvas, 14x18x.34 inches, 2015. ©Ann Hart Marquis

It will be interesting to see what I will paint first when I get there.

Home from France

Tuesday, I returned home from France after two months. When I am gone from New Mexico for such a long time, re-entry can be a little daunting.

Looking back on those two months brings me insight and questions about my art. During the last two weeks in France, I began to realize that my work is again going through an evolution. Everything is in limbo. I am not sure in which direction the change will take me but I believe in process and waiting to see what develops.

This is my last unfinished painting that I did in Soréze. I just ran out of time.

Last painting in France-unfinished

When I came home, I learned that I was accepted for an artist residency in 2015 in Sonoma County, California, the area in which I grew up. Sonoma County inhabits a large part of my psyche. My love of the natural world and my inspiration to paint it comes from living there for the first twenty years of my life. That area left a profound imprint on my imagination, and It shaped my idea of beauty and my desire to see that beauty preserved.

Sonoma County Artist Residency

So, already in my state of limbo, I seem to have a future creative focus. I will be exploring why my paintings still reverberate with my heartfelt ties to part of northern California.

But what to do between now and then? I will be waiting for direction.

My Portuguese Father in Northern California

Kim Bruce was the topic of my last three posts. During the process of having someone ask her questions about her art and business, she was reminded of her father’s influence on her life and her art. Her post touched me and I now want to write about my father’s influence on my love of nature and how it relates to my love of painting the natural world.

My father was 100% Portuguese. His mother Mary, along with his grandmother Reza, came to the United States in 1901 from the Azore Islands. They did not stop on the east coast but went directly to family in San Francisco. A husband was imported from Lisbon for Mary when the time was appropriate and the couple moved to Sonoma County, California.

Wilbur Joseph Hart

My father was the first of 10 children. He had little money but he had a strong work ethic and a love of a certain piece of land in Bennett Valley, about 20 miles from where he grew up. There he built our house and there I grew up. Here is what the valley looks like even now.

annhartmarquis,Bennett Peak, photo ©Tim Anderson, 2013

I was surrounded by the splendor of the natural environment and I loved gazing at Bennett Peak, which looked so majestic to me as a child. I could always see it when I wandered from home.

In other words, I grew up in one of the loveliest areas of the country because my father loved visiting San Francisco, but he wanted to live in Bennett Valley.

Sonoma County looks a like rural France, which may be one reason that I love to paint the countryside of southern France. Here is a painting that I did in Sorèze, France that reminds me of home.

It is interesting to think about how an individual’s personal history affects their identity, behaviors, and actions. My history in Bennett Valley contributed to help make me an artist.

How about you?