Make my day!

Garden Girl

Original oil painting  28x22"

by Susan Roux

It was Saturday evening. Charlie called disguising his voice and asking me to guess who he was. It sounded nothing like him or like anyone else I knew, so I didn't offer a guess. I think he was disappointed I wouldn't even try. 

Whenever anyone does that, I'm always afraid to offend them if I guess the wrong person. 

Charlie is the owner of The Wright Gallery. You know, the one in Cape Porpoise, Maine. He lives upstairs from the gallery. It's a wonderful 3-story old building with an ocean view. He called to tell me that typically at 5:00 he closes his doors and is eager to scoot upstairs and be done with work for the day. But today, he said, my sister is meeting me for diner at 7:00, so I decided what the heck, I'll just leave the front door open until she arrives.

Lucky for me, because someone walked in and purchased Garden Girl! 

I don't usually post my sales, but I did like this little story. The next morning I awoke to an email from the buyer. Oh how I wish they would all contact me after a purchase. It was so refreshing to hear someone's opinion of my work. It's been years since I've done festivals and that wonderful interaction with the buyers is what I miss the most. 

These are the words I read. I was stunned by it on display. It offers to us serenity, warm springs, and bright futures... I feel like I found a gem!

If you're reading Eric, thank you for that. You made my day! I'm so happy she's found a home where she'll really be appreciated. 

I painted Garden Girl the first year I went on artists retreat at the mansion in Freeport. We go during February school vacation. I'm sure you  remember me talking about it before. It's where we host Champagne Thursday... I knew that would jar your memory.

I'm mentioning it because this year we aren't certain we'll return. The cost is high if all the rooms aren't rented out and so far we don't have occupants for a few of them. I know if I don't book it, come February vacation I'll be booting myself for not being there. It's such a productive week filled with laughter, great food and conversation, plus lots of wonderful creative energy. So if any of you would be interested in renting with us, please step forward. 

As always, thanks again for stopping by and leaving your wonderful comments. I do love hearing from you. You all make my day!

A Good Exhaustion

Moving to the Rhythm 

(panel 2)

Original oil painting  28x22"

by Susan Roux

You know those moments when you do exactly what you want to do, enjoy doing it and then feel completely drained afterwards? (no... I'm not talking about that!) Well this is how I would describe our weeklong artists retreat. Completely heavenly for lots of reasons only to return home to realize how exhausted you really are.

Prior to leaving, it's common to think of it as a vacation. A whole week with other artists. Nothing to do but paint and talk about art, eat great food, enjoy wine and champagne and sit in front of a crackling fire. What more could an artist want? It does sound like a perfect vacation.

But as it turns out, marathon painting is very draining.

Long hours in front of the easel, focused. I painted for hours at a time. The beautiful mansion we were in seemed to slip away. All that remained was my canvas, palette and reference. I was lost in colors, values and folds. Music played (yes it was Luka Bloom) and all the world faded away as time passed quickly, immersed in my work.

Stimulation was high. Each time I stopped, even for a moment, I looked out the window that illuminated my canvas. The white sunlit deck railing against the beautiful blue ocean reminded me of photos of Greece. I watched the tide come in and out of the cove. Reflections were amazing and countless birds danced and sang. The ocean was their stage and the show went on indefinitely. Each time I stopped painting, it almost caught me by surprise. How could this ever changing beautiful scene disappear when I worked?

But it did.

Interesting art conversations about every aspect of our craft, from first acknowledging you were an artist to marketing, gave a glimpse into each of our creative souls. Details of our journey, our hopes and our dreams. Our frustrations. It was all discussed. Encouraging words lifted spirits.

We continued to paint.

Champagne Thursday was well attended and such a delightful evening. The setting sun created an idyllic light for the art filled mansion. Thank you to everyone who came. The euphoria of the evening fueled us to continue painting for the remaining days.

Now I've returned to reality. All the household chores and stresses of life leap back upon me. The retreat was just that. A retreat from life. I'm exhausted, both mind and body, from the intensity of my focus. But I'm not complaining. It's definitely a Good Exhaustion.

Champagne Thursday info:

Monarda 

(detail of a work in progress)

by Susan Roux

As many of you already know, I'm getting prepared to leave for a week on an Artists Retreat. It'll be a mad week of marathon painting. We don't take phone calls. Laptops remain turned off in our bedrooms. Basically we leave all typical daily interruptions behind. The order of the day, every day, is to paint. After awhile with such intense focus, one becomes elevated to a form of a trance. It's like reaching that wonderful painting zone and remaining there full-time.

Oh, it's a wonderful feeling and I can't wait to get there.

Champagne Thursday is our only deviation, but oh what a night it is!

The roster of invites continues to grow. We may have gone a bit overboard this year, but who cares, it's just one night. I've been amazed at the confirmed list of guests. We have some wonderful prominent art figures planning to attend. If you're anywhere in the area, please don't hesitate to come join in the excitement!  A bottle of champagne and a nibbler is your only entrance fee. It's an instant party filled with stimulating art conversation among a multitude of fresh-off-the-easel art. Come tour this amazing mansion we spend the week in. You won't be disappointed you came!

CHAMPAGNE THURSDAY

February 23rd at 5:00 p.m. 

Last house on Shore Drive

Freeport, Maine

Entrance fee: Champagne and a nibbler

See you in just over a week!

The above painting is a close-up detail in an unfinished painting titled 

Monarda.

Maine Mutt Mansion, again?

Autumn Farm

Original oil painting  20x16"

by Susan Roux

Things have really been brewing here...

You can't expect to see me sitting idle for too long. My mind never stops. As soon as one thing ends, a new project begins. I'm not just talking about a painting on my easel. It's true of everything in my life. I can't ever seem to keep things running on an even slow tempo. It seems every time there's a lull, I get cranking on something else to stir things up.

In a few weeks several artists will be gathering at an oceanside mansion for a retreat. I organized it last year and it was so popular and fun, we've decided to return again. I can see this could easily become a yearly event.

We're five artists this year, with a possibility of a few daily visitors setting up their easels. We arrive with all our baggage and quickly set up our paint stations. The mansion is huge with lots of great windows bringing in ample light for everyone. We'll be painting from early in the morning, hardly sitting with our cups of coffee, until dark. The creative energy locked in winter walls will grow as the week progresses. Conversations revolve around art. Books are brought it. Our minds are opened to new ideas, new ways of looking at things. Stimulation is high. I remember having trouble sitting for a tea break in the afternoon.

I wasn't the only one with this problem. We worked to nearly exhaustion. The double jacuzzi was perfect to rejuvenate ourselves. I was surprised how locked up my muscles became. I didn't realize how much I clenched my knees as I concentrated to paint. It wasn't until I backed away from my work and found myself almost unable to move. I've dreamt about that jacuzzi many times over the past year...

It really was difficult to take a break. Our minds became so cued in to painting, that sitting for a few minutes away from our work seemed impossible. My tea kept getting cold. No sooner had I left my easel to sit quietly in the next room holding my hot cup, it would beckoned me back. Sandy laughed at me, telling me to go take a break! But in all honesty, she had the same problem.

The mansion is in Maine. This year we're very pleased and excited to have two artists join us from Scottsdale, AZ. You may already know Amy Whitehouse and her daily blog. She, along with an artist friend, will be flying in to experience our wonderful artists retreat. I'm looking forward to meeting them and discussing art together.

Evenings are spent sipping wine in front of the large fireplace. Our favorite evening is Champagne Thursday. It's when we invite lots of people to come visit. I'd like to open the invitation to all of you. It begins at 5:00 p.m. on February 23. We're the last house on Shore Dr. in Freeport Maine. Bring champagne and a nibbler. It was a great social evening last year and hopefully will be even better this year! Come and experience the creative energy that builds within the mansion walls. It's unbelievable.

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I don't often post my paintings from my classes. It isn't a demo actually, because I paint right along with my students, explaining things as we go along. My Thursday afternoon class just finished this fall scene. I love to paint wet into wet, but the restrictions of painting within class time and stopping until the following week, create quite a challenge for me. Class did really well with this, keeping the bright back trees receded and the large maple forward. The red roof needed to also be neutralized so the red branch dipping in front of it would read correctly. Great job students!

I have a new beginners class starting February 2, from 6-8 p.m. at EL High School, Auburn. If your interested or no someone who is, please call Adult Ed at 207-333-6661 to enroll. I'd like to thank all my wonderful students who work very hard at achieving great things.

You will come to Champagne Thursday, right?

But... what's in a title?

But...

Original oil painting 28x22"

by Susan Roux

This is the final painting I completed while away on my artists retreat. A week has passed since my return and that amazing carefree feeling slips away a bit more each day. Soon I suspect it will be but a memory. As I talk to the other artists who shared this wonderful experience with me, transition back to normal has not been easy.

I hesitated painting this red-skirted female after the thrashing Scarlet the tartlet gave me. Somehow my fears stepped aside because something about her pose sucked me in anyway. I approached her differently. Being keenly aware of the power of red this time around, I began by instantly adding lots of it in my background. I even kept her skin quite red to balance her skirt. Since the focus is directly on her red bottom, the color aided pulling the eye. She actually fell into place easier than I expected. I wonder, did being in the presence of all those other artists give me the nerve to attempt another red skirt? After the last, I didn't think I'd ever paint another one.

What do you think of the title? Is But... too severe? I had quite a few other titles come to mind, but somehow But... stuck. One of my other potential titles was Dry Skirt. Not nearly as catchy. I feel like I need to explain myself. (I'd go swimming) But... (I still have my clothes on). Do you think a potential buyer would cancel the sale because of a title? I wouldn't want to offend anyone. Perhaps they'd see the title as cute and sassy as my sweet model is? I'd love your opinion on this.

Do you have subjects or colors you shy away from because of past difficulties they've given you? It can feel good to face your fear head-on and keep in control to the end. It's very empowering. Why not give it a try?

And I don't want any But's for excuses...