Painted last year after David and I enjoyed a long weekend in a beloved spot on Little Cranberry Island, Maine, this view is a slightly fanciful version of the real thing–looking from Islesford across the Eastern Way toward Mt. Desert Island and Acadia National Park. The rounded profiles of the Bubbles, perhaps slightly exaggerated (who can resist?!), occupy the center of the painting.  

Given the slow drying time of oils and the challenges of transporting wet oil paintings, I often do small sketches of landscapes “on location” and later paint from the sketch, or at least with the sketch and my remembered experience as inspiration. Among my favorite sketching tools are a very fine felt-tip drawing pen and watercolor pencils (colored pencils that blend easily when wet). They are extremely easy to transport!