Artist Renee Lammers

  "Monhegan Island Lobsterboat"  4x6 Oil on Copper panel.  Given to a collector as a gift!

     I thought this was a fun painting completed at Swim Beach on Monhegan.  I was looking directly into the setting sun while I painted.  I thought it was quite a challenge to figure out how to create the feeling of sun shining in your face!  I worked on this painting at home in my studio just a little bit!  I think this is the feeling I was trying to achieve. 

  "Jamie Wyeth's House at Sunset"  4x6 Oil on copper panel.  250$ Framed and Shipped!

     I liked this painting.  I added more highlights to the windows when I returned to my house.  My photo of this moment looked magenta and not peach.  I am so glad I am not trying to make a living selling my photos!  Goodness!  That would be a complete nightmare!  

       This is a photo of my work in the tent at the Bar Harbor Art Show this weekend.  I worked very hard!  I had so much fun meeting such nice people at this event.  There were so many wonderful photographers at this event.   There were a few artists there as well.  I talked to people about my painting on copper.  This time I brought along my book, "Copper As a Canvas" by the Phoenix Museum.  People were amazed how many old medival paintings they recognized by did not know they were painted on copper.  The highlight of the show today was when a Chemist came to visit me in my tent.  She knew more than I did about oil paintings on copper!  Amazing!  She taught college in Massachusetts.  She was doing some experiments to figure out more properties of copper besides the thermal coefficent expansion being similar to oil paint.  I wish I could have understood more and had more time to speak with her!  There were several buyers looking at paintings when she was talking which really helped sales.  I sold many paintings within a half an hour!  The book and the chemist sure did increase my credibility!  Thank you! 

     Yesterday I met a lady in charge of selecting an image to make into a poster for one of the largest corporations on Mount Desert Island.  I will benefit from exposure to at least 8000 people connected to this organization!  She liked my paintings from Cadillac Mountain in particular! 

     I met a lady who wants me to meet a 104 year old woman who paints.  I will show her how I paint on copper.  I think this should be very interesting. 

     I also met a lady who wants to use a Cadillac mountain image for various commercial products like bags, quilts, and shirts.  The proceeds go to help two cities in Maine who have a large poor population.  The money will help teach single mothers to sew quilts.   I am looking for nonprofit organizations who may benefit by my art!  

     I did so well at the Bar Harbor Art Show.   Daisy and Duke will receive a raw hide bone for each painting sales.  They each received a bone tonight.  Duke walked around with the bone for a long time.  He likes to show you his bone.  Then he will hide the bone from Daisy.  If allowed outside, he will bury the bone.  Usually inside, he will place it among shoes thinking Daisy will not see the bone.  Once he ingeniously hid his bone among dumb bells!  This was so amazing!  The bone was the same size as the weight.  Pretty smart of Duke.   Daisy will steal Duke's bone if he doesn't hide the bone.  Then Duke will come to us and look very sad! 

     I am opening my Lammers Gallery tomorrow!  It is at 91 US Route 1 in Bucksport, Maine.  If you see an open sign by the Lammers Gallery sign, then we are open.  If you see the Closed, the artist is sleeping, well then you know, I am probably out painting.  I hope you get outside and paint!  Have a great night!

  "Lobster Cove Sunset" 4x6 Oil on Copper panel.  Gift to a collector.

     I was sitting at Lobster Cove on Monhegan Island about ready to paint the sunset when a bunch of photographers came down clicking away!  They were everywhere!  I tried to ignore them.  It is so difficult to paint a fast sunset that is not hoaxy!  I was using my largest flat brush!  Two photographers came up and started to watch me.  One asked if they could ask me questions.  I politely said, "After I finish my painting."  Then I told them how little time I would have to try to pull of a sunset.  One of them, a really nice lady, sat nearby and watched.  The other man sat very near me and took photos of me.  I liked them both.  They used a soft voice, watched, and were nice.  I guess I thought they might be like the crowd on Cadillac Mountain recently who were loudly narrating my painting process of the sunset!  I didn't want a rerun of this night!  UGH!  Now I can laugh at this.  One of the photographers who sat quietly on lobster cove was named Tim.  He sent me two photos to share here.





     Both are very interesting.  I liked them.  Thanks Tim for the use of your photos you took of me.  Very well done!  Unique! 

  "Monhegan Ship Wreck" 4x6 Oil on Copper panel.  Gift to a collector

    I painted this painting a little eariler in the evening at Lobster Cove.  I decided to try and make the Sheridan reck blend into the rocks to make the water the center of interest.  Each time I go to Monhegan Island, there is a little less of this reck.  Someday it may be all washed out to sea.  I have always found this wreck interesting.  I love the rusty colors of the metal.  

     I was participating at the Bar Harbor Art show today!  What fun!  Gregory Dunham and his wife Pat Dunham came to the show to meet me.  They are both my Facebooks pals.  So nice to finally meet them in person.  I love Gregs watercolors of Monhegan.  Amazing! 

     I sold half of my goal already at the show!  I came home to find another sale via my website and paypal.  Got to love this!  Daisy and Duke will have a big pile of raw hide bones!  I let them each have a bone for each sale.  They were begging for one recently.  I had not had a sale in a month!  Such a long time for a golden retriever to not have a bone!  

     I am hoping you are painting outside or at least dreaming about this!  Have a great night!

  "Monhegan Island Seagull"  5x7 Oil on Copper panel.  250$

     I hiked up to Whitehead on Monhegan Island with minimal art equipment!  My camera battery died on the third day on Monhegan.  I was sad somehow my other camera battery didn't make it into my bag. How could this happen!  I was on Monhegan with NO working camera equipment for two days.  Misery!   I had left my spare camera battery inside of my car parked in Port Clyde.  I did think of taking the Ferry back just to get my battery.  Instead I settled for two disposable cameras.  These cameras are pitiful!   It could have been worse!  I could have forgotten my brushes or paint. 

      My second Monhegan Island trip three years ago I forgot about my painting bag, left it at the Monhegan Wharf, and walked up to the Trailing Yew before I realized I had lost my painting equipment.  For an entire day I thought someone stole my equipment.  In Florida stealing is very common!  I feel guilty now that I accused someone even mentally of stealing here in Maine.  Most Mainerswould never steal and would not even THINK about doing this!  A Monhegan resident saw my painting equipment sitting at the wharf.  It was about to rain and so this man took the bag home to his house.  When the weather cleared the next day, he brought it back to the wharf!  I discovered my bag the next day and I have never been as happy or suprised.  Later I heard the story of the residence kind intentions.  I think I fell in love with Monhegan just a little more that day, if that was possible.  I just loved the good values of these people!  I needed to see people having good values so badly. 

     I saw this seagull sitting on her nest on top of Whitehead.  She had her nest in a great spot.  She watched me while I painted her.  She showed me her little chick.  She stood up and glanced down at her chick.  She was just looking at it.  She looked up at me.  Then she sat back down of the chick.  The chick was just peeping away.  The mother gull rocked side to side to safely hold down the chick.  She seemed very pleased with herself.  I thought it was very special to paint this painting. 

  "Seagulls at Fishbeach"  I decided to change the shape by cutting the copper panel to be 4x4.  Framed in light gold wood.  Look under paintings to see it now!

      I walked down to Fishbeach after breakfast at the Trailing Yew.  I always had two eggs over easy and bacon or the sausage.  I was impressed with other guests at breakfast!  Some ate donuts, cream of wheat, toast, eggs, bacon, and muffins!  Wow!  It seemed to me as if some guests were eating three breakfasts in one sitting!  Impressive to say the least.  It was about 8:30 am at Fishbeach.  By day four I was seriously tired and sore from carrying painting equipment!  I had painted 16 paintings in 4 days.  The sun was hot!  There was a class at Fishbeach for a workshop with Paul George.  I jockied for a spot out of their way.  I liked the gulls swimming, talking, sleeping, and cleaning themselves.  I loved the colors of the ocean and the island's reflections.  It was such a beautiful day.  No mosquitos!  70 degrees.  No wind!  It was a perfect plein aire day!  Many people liked this painting the best of all of the paintings completed.  It is interesting which paintings were admired over others.

  "Night Falls Over Monhegan"  4x6 Oil on Copper panel.  Gift to a collector.

     The first night I was fired up!  Nothing could get me to sleep!  I painted 6 paintings my first day.  Great weather and great views inspired me.  This is my favorite place to paint.  I did not hike much or sit around.  I went to work.  I used my book light at 8:30 sitting on the porch of the Trailing Yew.  My friend Kathleen also decided to paint.  I loved her painting.  I had to talk her twice out of wiping it off!  The great benefits of painting at night are:  the light doesn't change, it is cooler, it is quiet, and there is atmosphere!  I love the colors and the magic of Monhegan Island at night! 

  "Monhegan Island View"  8x10 Oil on Copper panel.  500$ Framed and Shipped!

     I hiked the second day with all of my equipment (60 pounds) up to the lighthouse!  I sat down and admired the view of Monhegan Island.  I rested while I tried to figure out if this view would make a great painting.  I decide to give it a try.  I painted in the sky, manana, ocean, boats, houses!  I was exhausted at the time, but I think the May Painting Marathon taught me how to push myself painting.  I had already painted most of a painting earlier at Fishbeach for four hours.   I just worked and worked all day until I finished.  I met a professional artist while I was painting.  I had seen his work at the Bayview Gallery.  We talked shop while I painted.  It is fun to meet these artists after seeing their work in galleries.  Artists from all around the world come to paint at Monhegan Island.  There were at least 30 artists in different spots painting plein aire!  What a beautiful sight to see! 

     I went to Mount Desert Island today with my friend Kathleen!  We painted today at Jordon's Pond.  I have painted here many times.  Today there were minnows in the shallow end of the water!  I painted them in.  I also painted in a pollywog.  It is interesting what inspired me today.  It was a beautiful day.  We went up to Cadillac Mountain!  It was a zoo!  We decided to go home.  Painting on top of Cadillac Mountain would have been more like performance art today!  I think I need to create some pamplets!

     Take advantage of this Summer's beautiful weather!  Get out and paint!

  "Trailing Yew's View"  8x10 Oil on Copper Panel.  450$ Framed Beautifully and Shipped!

     On day five of my Monhegan Island visit, I noticed my view from the Trailing Yew.  I liked the hidden sanctuary the second floor hotel room view provided access to.  I imagined myself looking at this painting during the Winter remembering my beautiful Summer stay on Monhegan Island.  Winters are not easy for me here in Maine.   The hardest part about Maine Winters is the early darkness each day.  By 3:30 pm the skies here in Maine are pitch black!  I have finally figured out that sweatshirts do not work to provide warmth.   Remember I moved to Maine from Florida 2007!  I now wear my polartec sweaters as sort of a uniform year round!  I have proper insulated bog boots I wear all of the time!  Ok, not while I am sleeping!  I do sleep in my polartec sweaters though.  I always wondered why my feet were so cold the first two Winters here. I was wearing tennis shoes year round.   Bogs boots are good footwear here in Maine.  I also put a wool rug under my bog boots inside of the house!   Seems like the cold air comes up through the wood floors.  I have discovered down coats keep you warm and no other insulation type work at all for coats.   Last Winter I discovered a polartec facemask.  Now I can paint outdoors in below zero.   Enough of this!  So I painted this painting to allow myself to remember how beautiful the Summers here are.  I love the little garden growing.  I pushed my bed inside of my hotel aside to give myself more room near the window to paint.  I painted here all day until my friend came looking for me.  It was dinner time at the Trailing Yew!  

     Trailing Yew is a good hotel to stay at on Monhegan Island.  Their rooms are quaint.  They provide breakfast and dinner.  People congregate on their porch listening to a dorsalhammer being played.  A waitress comes out of the kitchen and rings a big bell over her head.  Sometimes the waitress will be theatrical and do a dance!  Sometimes the waitress doesn't come out of the kitchen, but she rings the bell inside.  This seems to happen when I have my camera all ready for a photo!  Dinner is at large tables so all of the guests eat with strangers who become friends quickly.  Questions fly across the table quickly to discover occupations and names.  Artists talk shop; Teachers talk shop; Writers talk shop amongst each other.  Art Collectors are eager to discover which people sitting at the dining table are artists.  As soon as it is recognized you are an artist, the questions are asked:  Which medium?  Where are you living?  Where do you show?  Can we see your work after dinner?  It is so exciting sometimes just to sit and listen.  I usually always find myself telling a story about what happened to me that day.  People laugh and ask me for more stories!  The food is always great!   

      One funny thing happened to me towards the end of my stay.  I was sitting on Trailing Yew's porch.  I had been talking to a nice lady and her daughter.  They had an elderly pomeranian dog of 13 years old who was sleeping in the shade.  They wanted to go walk but their dog was old and tired.  The dog, "Pepper" wanted to lay in the shade and sleep.  I suggest I dog sit while they walked around.  They left me with sleeping "Pepper".  The sun changed and so I scooted "Pepper" over a few feet to keep her in the shade.  I didn't want her to get overheated and have a stroke on my watch!  Then I looked at the sweet dog and decided to paint her!  I moved my painting equipment and a plastic chair in position to paint.  I sat down on the chair.  To my suprise, the chair swung backwards and perpelled me backwards.  I did a flip and landed on my feet.  I was not hurt.   "Pepper" woke up, saw me do a flip, and had her eyes four times the size as normal.  I laughed so hard!  A lady saw this and said, "Oh, and now you are entertaining the dog as well!"  It took a few minutes for me to stop laughing.  I looked over to see if Don Stone and his class which consisted of professional artists who lived on the island, had seen this embarrassing flip of mine!  Gosh it seems as if I am always falling or doing acrobatics when I least want to!  No, Don Stone had not seen my accident and was continuing to speak to his class.  Good!  I decided not to paint "Pepper" after all.  I went inside my room and painted the painting above.  I think I needed a little peace and quiet!  The dog didn't tell his master when she came back.  It was our little secret. 

  "Little White Head"  This painting was 5x7 but I decided to cut it with the tin snips, and now it is 4x4.  Look under paintings to see it now.

     I hiked all the way up past White head on Monhegan to Little White Head.  I liked the rocks and the ocean.  It was early morning and the fog was thick.  I loved all of the colors.  It was so quiet there.  I didn't bring all of my equipment.  I was experimenting to see how little equipment I could get away to paint.  It turned out I only required a watercolor palette filled with gray palette paper with a lid.  I put my oil paint on it before I left.  I put out a generous pile of white paint .  I carried it level so the paint didn't run.  I carried a small cardboard box paint carrier filled with three copper panels.  I also chose three brushes rolled in paper towel.  I chose a 12 flat, a 6 flat which I never used, and a rigger.  I put my small 5x7 copper panel flat onto my wax palette paper and used the free area around it to mix paint.  I had to raise up the panel with my hand while I drew the drawing to make sure I was drawing right!  I kept it on the same vertical plane another words.  It was steaming hot out which allowed me to have translucent paint in the water area.  You might be able to see all of the copper shining through the oil paint.  I don't use any medium.  Maybe I might try to use some liquin medium sometime.  I usually only use medium in the Winter!  After I finished this painting, I put it carefully in the cardboard wet panel carrier.  I just closed it up, put it on top of my palette and carried it further up the cliff.  I went over to Blackhead area.  I painted three paintings before I had to hike back.  It was not bad painting without all of my equipment!  I could really travel! It wasn't as exhausting!  I was more productive. 

  "Manana Island Sunset"  5x7 Oil on Copper panel.  250$ Framed and Shipped  Sold.

     I liked doing these smaller sunsets.  The larger flat kolinsky sable brushes by Old Holland worked really well for painting quickly!  I simplified the island so the light would be the focus.  I purchased a book from the Lupine Gallery called, "A Gift to the Island".  This book contained the collection of paintings donated by Remak Ramsay.  My favorite painting was called "Coastal Sunset" circa 1905 by William Partridge Burpee.  I wish you could see this painting.  It is of the same view as this painting.  There are several old schooners with their sails up.  The islands are painted dark.  The predominant colors are purples.  The sun is covered by clouds but poking through showing bits of oranges and reds.  I was inspired by this simple painting.  I sat at the wharf one night doing two of these as the sun went down. Yesterday's blog shows the other painting. 

   What an amazing adventure to go to Monhegan Island.  I met some amazing people!  I will tell you a few more interesting stories.  Tomorrow I will share with you more Monhegan Island paintings.  Till then...go paint!

  "Sunset Over Manana"  5x7 Oil on Copper panel.  Framed and Shipped!  sold

     This is my favorite painting I completed plein aire on Monhegan Island this past five days.  I completed a total of 17 paintings!  I worked very hard.  I am pleased with this group of works.  I enjoyed using my new flat 12 kolinsky sable brushes by Old Holland.  I noticed without all of the smaller brush strokes, a painting seems to be more peaceful to look at.  I sat on the edge of the wharf on Monhegan with my legs dangling over the side.  I only brought down my palette with oil paint and my small cardboard box wet painting carrier.  I also choice three brushes.  I worked very fast as the sun was going down.  I worked on the sky first as it was changing rapidly.  Manana Island was not changing much so I save it for last.  I worked on the water last.  I made sure the water was a little darker than the sky.  This painting was a lot of fun! 

  "Seagull Nesting"  5x7 Oil on Copper Panel.  Framed and Shipped!  sold
     
     I really like this painting too.  I hiked all the way up to Whitehead on Monhegan.  There were seagulls nesting here.  I walked around painting a few of these seagulls.  This seagull was down below me on a ledge.  I was painting high on a cliff overlooking the sea. I had to sit on a very uncomfortable rock for safety.  I didn't want to stand there so close to the edge!   I first painted the nest with two eggs.  Then the gull came over and sat down on the nest!  So instead of starting another painting, I just painted her in-on top of her eggs!  You can't see the eggs anymore.  I know they are there.  I like this!  I had a seagull feather land on my painting on the right.  I think you can see this!  I decided to leave it! I think it really adds authentic quality to this plein aire painting.   I worked very hard for this little painting.  I have never seen a seagull nesting painting.  So here is one!  I had a lot of fun on Monhegan.  My camera battery died after taking photos up on the cliffs.  I was without camera for three days on Monhegan.  I guess I must go back soon!  Here are some photos of Monhegan. 

  Lupines were everywhere!

 



  This was Port Clyde in the distance as we pulled away in the Monhegan Boat Line Ferry on our way to Monhegan. 

      We were lucky to have great weather the entire trip.  I met wonderful people on Monhegan.  I stayed at the Trailing Yew.  I think I painted more paintings than ever on this Monhegan Trip.  One day I did 6 paintings.  Somedays I stayed near the Trailing Yew hotel drinking water and tea!  I waited for the sunsets before I started to paint.  Monhegan had wonderful sunsets each night.  Haaa!  I had a great time!  Tomorrow I will share many more paintings I completed!  Till then!  Please try to paint outside!

  "Pemaquid Light on a Gray Foggy Day"  5x7 Oil on Copper

     This was the first plein aire painting completed during my Pemaquid plein aire trip!  After Claudette demonstrated her pastels all day on Saturday, she told us how to paint fog.  She said fog is pretty gray.  She told us to use color to define the sky.  She said light blue greens or light lavenders work best.  She said she always throws in some lighter yellows because she wants that radiance. 

  "Foggy Night at Pemaquid"  5x7 Oil on Copper

     This is the plein aire painting completed on the second night at Pemaquid Light.  I don't normally drink any alcohol.  Lynne had great Coldwater Blueberry Vodka.  I had a few sips.  We were having a great time painting and laughing!  There really wasn't anyone else around.  Then a police car quickly came into the parking lot and parked right behind our car.  He hopped out.  He was really young...maybe 21!  He said hello.  We told him we painting plein aire.  He said he had never seen this done at the lighthouse before.  He liked our paintings.  I gave him my business card.  We showed him last nights paintings.  He was amazed!  Then he drove off.  Big exciting night at the lighthouse! 

  Here is the booklight we were using from Walmart.  It is a general electric book light.  5$. 

  Here is the booklight opened.  When it is opened the light comes on.  You can tape it to an easel or possibly clip it on.  This booklight gives so much light!  Works great!

  Here is the scene the first night without fog at Pemaquid light.  The flags were noticeable because of another light on.  See how you can not see into the actual light area?  It just reads all white?  Really there were golds, oranges, and yellows.  Painting at night is just a challenge to get an understanding of how things look.  The craftmanship of the painting is going to be raw.  There is definately feeling in these paintings though.  This is only my third night painting.  I hope to do more.  I think when there is a full moon out, then painting would be great!


  "Pemaquid Wild Roses"  5x7 Oil on Copper

     The fog came in and out during the time I painted this on location.  I decided to down play the water and background.  I wanted the roses to be the focus. 

  "Pemaquid Light View"  5x7 Oil on Copper

     I climbed down Pemaquid's rocks with painting equipment to paint this scene!  I liked the rocks lines leading to the lighthouse!  I still need to straighten a building line on the right.  I was standing on a tilted rock!  Couldn't get those lines right.  Ah well. 

  Isn't this such a cute little woodchuck?  There are at least three of these in my backyard!  Fun to watch!

     I wrote 20 watercolor painting cards to some faithful art collectors telling them about my participating in the Bar Harbor Fine Art Show on June 26 and 27 and then on September 25 and 26.  They are all original watercolors I do just for this purpose.  They seemed to be pleased to be sent one of my watercolors.  I like to make them feel special because they are!  

     I hope you had a spendid day!  Maine is beautiful now!  Lupines are everywhere and chickadees are singing!  Come to Maine!  Go paint outside!