watercolors Archives - MARY BYROM FINE ART

Posted on July 22, 2020July 22, 2020 by Mary Byrom — Leave a comment

New Plein Air Painting Class ! Starts July 28th!

Are you ready for some fun, enjoyable times ?

Are you ready for some fresh air & to come out and paint? It’s summer in Maine! Would you like to have fun, enjoy this beautiful summer weather and make some great paintings? You are welcome to join us in my new Maine Plein Air Class starting July 28th!

Summer is the best time to jump into Plein Air painting !

PLEIN AIR CLASSES ~ PERFECT FOR ALL AGES
TIME: Tuesdays 10am – 1 pm.
EXPERIENCE: Beginner to Intermediate levels welcome.
LOCATION: We paint at a new location every week.
INSTRUCTION: Classes are small. Each student receives individual attention, instruction and guidance.
NEXT CLASS BEGINS JULY 28TH ! DETAILS & REGISTRATION HERE.

New plein air painting class starts soon ! July 28th, details & Info here!

Posted on April 9, 2016April 4, 2016 by Mary Byrom — Leave a comment

Spring Road Trip

I went on a road trip last week to the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts. It was a quick trip that took me into a slightly warmer zone where spring was having a head start compared to my Maine neighborhood. It was lovely to see the red tree buds on the hill sides and Magnolias in bloom in the valley gardens. I love the hills and fields of western Mass. where I grew up in a college town. I brought my water-based paints and sketchbook with me on this trip as I knew my primary objective was to visit family and I would only have little bits of time to paint. In the past I’ve found that road trips can be a mix of irregular weather (yes, this definitely happened), a packed schedule (ditto), and not enough or just enough time to get everywhere and do everything planned. So when I knew I was making this quick trip I packed my sketchbooks, markers and water-based paints.

“Roof Tops” Haiku series. Ink & watercolor. 4×7″. Photo: Mary Byrom.

We started our trip in the morning. The sky was blue on the coast and grew increasing cloudy as we headed west. While in the passenger seat, I began sketching and painting as we entered the central part of Massachusetts. There I noticed the gray trees had changed to vibrant reds, greens, and oranges. As we drove through the city of Lawrence I first saw the masses of budding trees changing the color of the landscape. It was amazing! All the tree covered hills seemed to be subtly glowing. I drew what I saw and quickly applied water colors. I had to paint fast. I really like doing this. Its a great memory exercise and its very quick. No time to linger or second guess anything. No correcting or fixing. Its painted and then its on to the next sketch.

”
Spring in the Mountains”, Haiku series, 5×7 ink & watercolor. Photo: Mary Byrom.

As Route 2 climbed into the hills near Orange, the long views of the Berkshires came into view. The colors here are so different from what I see on the coast. The skies were filled with clouds and the distant mountains turned a muted violet blue. The nearby rolling hills turned a deep wine color. The stands of hardwoods glowed in warm tree bud colors punctuated with spikes of tall green northern pines. I used my tiniest Windsor Newton watercolor set, a water brush and my multimedia Canson sketchbook to draw and sketch. All these sketches were drawn and painted with my sketchbook on my lap while riding in the car.

“Spring Buds”, Haiku series, 5×7, ink & watercolor. Photo: Mary Byrom.

THE PLEIN AIR EXPERIENCE ~ If you like to spend time in nature and are interested in painting outdoors but are not sure you will like it a good way to check it out is to attend a plein air demo. Some people like to paint or draw but feel shy about doing it in a public place. Others don’t have the equipment and want to see what it is like before investing in a lot of stuff they might not end up using. The best way to find out is to watch someone and see how it is done. Come to one of my plein air demos this summer and see for yourself.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE A DEMO OR A PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP AT YOUR LOCATION: I am visiting art groups and associations giving demos and mini-sampler classes. I’m traveling and giving plein air workshops as well. If you or your group would like a workshop please don’t hesitate to ask for details and dates. I have available dates for summer and fall.

EVENTS

PLEIN AIR DEMO –
MAY 28TH 4-6 pm
2016 SEASON OPENING FOR BETH ELLIS GALLERY
Location: BETH ELLIS GALLERY
294 SHORE ROAD
OGUNQUIT, ME
860-338-3996

PLEIN AIR DEMO & INSTRUCTION
JUNE 16TH 4-7 pm
Location : GOVERNMENT STREET, DOWNTOWN KITTERY, MAINE
$15 NON-MEMBERS
$10 MEMBERS
Hosted by : THE KITTERY ART ASSOCIATION

This is a great chance to see how I paint and how I guide you through a plein air painting. If you are thinking you’d like to paint outdoors come to this event. It’s a great sampler of plein air painting. After the demo I will answer questions and share insights.

PLEIN AIR CLASSES

SUMMER PLEIN AIR CLASSESTHE FIRST PLEIN AIR CLASS STARTS MAY 3RD.
CLASS SIZE IS LIMITED.
2016 summer classes “en plein air” begin on May 3rd. I will be teaching a new easy plein air method in a 6 week block of classes. This easy method really helps beginners get comfortable with plein air painting and it helps experienced painters improve skills dramatically. It’s a tried and true method and its great to see how fast it works.

MAINE SUMMER WORKSHOPS

JUNE 18 2016 10-5
JULY 9 10-5
AUGUST 6 10-5
SEPTEMBER 10 10-5
OCTOBER 8 10-5

All workshops are in southern Maine in the coastal towns of Kittery, York, Cape Neddick, Ogunquit, Wells, Kennebunkport and Cape Porpoise. Painting locations include quintessential Maine places including beaches, rocky coastlines, harbors, marshes, farms, historical homes and classic small villages.
These are one day plein air workshops. All workshops begin at 10am with a one hour break for lunch. The day will start with a demo and a short talk on the specific aspects/advantages/challenges of the location. Guidance will be given on choices of subject matter tailored to each student’s individual painting experience. Students can expect to complete one or more paintings.
Register for a workshop here. Price: $100.

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See reports from the field here.
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Posted on March 4, 2016March 1, 2016 by Mary Byrom — Leave a comment

How to Paint Water, Waves & Big Surf

I love painting waves and big surf. I love painting moving water. Living in the coastal plain of southern Maine, I realize I live in a world influenced by water. There is such a variety of woodlands, hills, villages, towns, farms here in New England that I didn’t realize how much water we have. When I went to paint out west in Arizona, Idaho and Wyoming it was a shock. I realized how much water was missing from the landscape and how all that moisture makes a difference and creates a wonderful atmosphere. Plus there is a feeling of history in the New England landscape. It’s an old landscape. The mountains and coast line are old. The glaciers left their mark. An old landscape has a certain feeling.

When I started to paint all the landscapes in my neighborhood I noticed I would often have a river, lake or harbor in the paintings. The summers are not overwhelmingly green (like some painters complain “too much green”). The summers here were very vibrant and blue! I was spending time in the cool comfortable places and they were often were near or along a body of water.

When I started painting waves I noticed they were a memory exercise. I realized that because I lived so close to them for so long that I would look at them often. For several years my husband and I would go for a walk along the beach after work every day. When I started painting waves, I already had the waves in my mind. I know how they are formed and what they look like. When I set up to paint I spend a lot of time just looking at them. When I sketched them and noticed that the rock formations affected the way the waves broke and created the shape of the wave . I watched and sketched lots of waves and foam patterns. I saw wave shapes that looked like the ones Winslow Homer painted in some of his paintings. It was amazing too see these during a nor’easter !

I love the challenge of capturing the feeling and motion of waves in action. I love being out on the coast in all kinds of weather experiencing the power of nature.

EVENTS

PLEIN AIR DEMO –
MAY 28TH 4-6 pm
2016 SEASON OPENING FOR BETH ELLIS GALLERY
Location: BETH ELLIS GALLERY
294 SHORE ROAD
OGUNQUIT, ME
860-338-3996

PLEIN AIR DEMO & INSTRUCTION
JUNE 16TH 4-7 pm
Location : LIL’S, DOWNTOWN KITTERY, MAINE
$15 NON-MEMBERS
$10 MEMBERS
Hosted by : THE KITTERY ART ASSOCIATION

PLEIN AIR CLASSES

SUMMER PLEIN AIR CLASSES

THE FIRST PLEIN AIR CLASS STARTS MAY 3RD.
CLASS SIZE IS LIMITED.

2016 summer classes “en plein air” begin on May 3rd. I will be teaching a new easy plein air method in a 5 week block of classes. This easy method really helps beginners get comfortable with plein air painting and it helps experienced painters improve skills dramatically. It’s a tried and true method and its great to see how fast it works.SIGN UP HERE FOR 5 WEEK SESSION.SIGN UP HERE FOR ONE SINGLE CLASS

MAINE SUMMER WORKSHOPS

JUNE 18, 2016 10-5
JULY 9, 10-5
AUGUST 6, 10-5
SEPTEMBER 10, 10-5
OCTOBER 8, 10-5

THE NEXT STUDIO CLASS SESSION BEGINS
MARCH 22ND

I have room for a couple of new students in the next session. Classes are small with lots of personal attention. Be prepared for a lot of painting and a lot of fun!
The next session begins on Tuesday, March 22nd (to April 26th)

If you work with oils, watercolors, gouache or acrylics and want to gain some solid skills, comfort in your chosen medium and rapid improvement this is the class for you.

If you would like to join this studio class please contact me.

COLOR, STYLE & BRUSHWORK

ALL LEVELS WELCOME : Beginner to Experienced

Class is ongoing in 6 week sessions. 6 Week session is $220.
There is one make up class every session for (vacation/sick/ice/snow days) if needed.
Class size is limited.

Posted on August 14, 2015August 14, 2015 by Mary Byrom — Leave a comment

Deep Summer

Jane Ramsey on the Beachmere Inn lawn drawing as she starts her watercolor painting. — Jane Ramsey and I setting up to paint on the lawn above the Marginal Way. Ogunquit, ME

My annual summer artist residency is in an awesome place . The Beachmere Inn has the most incredible views of the Marginal Way and Ogunquit Beach. I love the view of the coast from their front lawn. The skies are amazing. The sound of the surf against the rocks makes you want summer to last forever.

If you are thinking of coming out to paint this summer you are still practicing in your back yard (to make yourself comfortable) before you head out, come have some fun and do it with some like minded souls. Join the Brush & Sketch Club here.

For first dibs on everything join the email list here.

Posted on June 16, 2015June 16, 2015 by Mary Byrom — Leave a comment

Why Painting Outdoors Makes You A Better Artist

Plein air water color sketches 6x8" in my sketchbooks — Plein air. A view of my sketch book, water color sketches.

Painting outdoors has huge benefits. It is not only awesome and loads of fun , but in the end you actually are better painter, not mention a happy one too. I’m not kidding, it’s incredible! Being outdoors makes you feel great and after you have painted in every type of weather and light condition known to man you discover that after the dust settles you actually have some decent paintings to look at. Don’t just take my word for it. There are piles of studies that show the benefits of being out side.

From 2010 to 2015 I painted outdoors almost exclusively. Every day I headed out to paint under the open sky. I think this was the most important thing that guided and developed my work. By painting consistently outdoors I developed my ability to see and increased my skills. So…because I love painting outdoors… I started The Brush & Sketch Club.

What is the Brush & Sketch Club?

The Brush & Sketch Club is an ongoing plein air class practiced in a wide variety of mediums. Each class session lasts 3 hours. We meet at a different location for each class. Student may work in any medium wet or dry, painting or sketching, with a plein air easel and paint kit or with just a sketchbook, some pencils or markers, some watercolors and a folding chair.

How does the club work?

It works like your favorite yoga class. You can purchase a block of 5 classes ($180) and use them on any day a class session is scheduled. Or if you just feel like trying out a class or being spontaneous and dropping in at the last minute you can pay for a single class.($45)

When does the club meet?

Summer session is posted on my website . Most class sessions in June & July are on Mondays and Wednesdays, 3-6pm. With a few evenings sprinkled through out the summer. So we can capture those beautiful night lights! View Calendar here.

It will put a smile on your face. Not to mention how you will feel after a day of painting in nature, when you tuck in to a dinner of lobster, corn on the cob and blueberry pie at the end of a perfect day painting in Maine.

Questions? Contact me at: mbyrom@maine.rr.com

Posted on May 18, 2015May 18, 2015 by Mary Byrom — Leave a comment

Love Sketching

Fish Shacks I really love sketching. I always sketch. I love sketching with grey markers, ink, watercolor, gouache and acrylic. I sketch and paint on a medium thick paper that can handle color and water without collapsing or curling. I think the reason sketching is so special to me is because its fast and easy and doesn’t require a lot of gear. Its quick, it grabs me and takes me away to a wonderful place. When visiting a new area sketching invites me to enter into a closer intimate relationship with this location. It sets me free. Its not self conscious. I am not making a picture. I am not going to frame it. I am not making a statement. I am entering into a relationship with what is surrounding me. And what I choose to put on the page is something that captured my fancy or a whim. I am carefree when sketching. Its a record of where I am at that very minute and nothing else. Just lines, colors and freedom.

Posted on January 18, 2015January 16, 2015 by Mary Byrom — Leave a comment

Do you want to be a great painter?

5 NOCTURNE 15

For those of us who paint, who doesn’t want to be a great painter, painting something that makes us happy ? Don’t despair, there are ways to get there. It just takes practice and persistence and one day you notice that something has changed. You are no longer struggling or feeling like you are paddling up stream, and you feel a little carefree. Sometimes its the location, the day, the weather or the mood that makes all the difference. Sometimes it happens when you stop pushing to make it happen. Its called a breakthrough. And we all can use one…

Come paint in Maine this summer. Give yourself the opportunity for your own breakthrough in a beautiful place by the sea that you will never forget.

I am offering three Maine workshops this summer.

2015 SUMMER WORKSHOPS

2015 MAINE LATE SPRING WORKSHOP// JUNE : “CAPTURING THE LIGHT ~ PLEIN AIR IN MAINE ” DATES: JUNE 8 -12 FOR: EXPERIENCED BEGINNER THRU INTERMEDIATE $300 ~ Class meets from 9am-12pm each day. All levels welcomed- beginner to professional. Late Spring in Maine is beautiful with every thing in bloom and long days with lingering light. This workshop starts with a solid introduction to the fundamentals of good painting and strategies for painting outdoors in all kinds of conditions. The workshop includes lectures, hand-outs, demonstrations, personal one-on-one instruction and painting on location in beautiful classic Maine coastal settings including lighthouses, surf, rocky coast, beaches, marshes, harbors and picturesque villages. I will demonstrate my painting technique and students get the opportunity to paint in a fun, high-energy, 5 day class. Students must provide all of their own art supplies, meals and transportation to and from painting sites. To register for these workshops and for an accommodation list please Contact me.

2015 MAINE SUMMER WORKSHOP// JULY : “CAPTURING THE LIGHT ~ PLEIN AIR IN MAINE ” DATES: JULY 27- 31 FOR: EXPERIENCED BEGINNER THRU INTERMEDIATE $300 ~ Class meets from 9am-12pm each day. All levels welcomed – beginner to professional. Mid Summer in Maine is glorious with warm days and cool nights. This workshop starts with a solid introduction to the fundamentals of good painting and strategies for painting outdoors in all kinds of conditions. The workshop includes lectures, hand-outs, demonstrations, personal one-on-one instruction and painting on location in beautiful classic Maine coastal settings including lighthouses, surf, rocky coast, beaches, marshes, harbors and picturesque villages. I will demonstrate my painting technique and students get the opportunity to paint in a fun, high-energy, 5 day class. Students must provide all of their own art supplies, meals and transportation to and from painting sites. To register for these workshops and for an accommodation list please contact me.

2015 MAINE LATE SUMMER WORKSHOP// SEPTEMBER : “CAPTURING THE LIGHT ~ PLEIN AIR IN MAINE ” DATES: SEPTEMBER 14 -18 FOR: EXPERIENCED BEGINNER THRU INTERMEDIATE $300 ~ Class meets from 9am-12pm each day. All levels welcomed ~ beginner to professional. Late Summer in Maine is the best. The days are still warm, the leaves are beginning to turn and the beaches empty. This workshop starts with a solid introduction to the fundamentals of good painting and strategies for painting outdoors in all kinds of conditions. The workshop includes lectures, hand-outs, demonstrations, personal one-on-one instruction and painting on location in beautiful classic Maine coastal settings including lighthouses, surf, rocky coast, beaches, marshes, harbors and picturesque villages. I will demonstrate my painting technique and students get the opportunity to paint in a fun, high-energy, 5 day class. Students must provide all of their own art supplies, meals and transportation to and from painting sites. To register for these workshops and for an accommodation list please contact me.

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Posted on July 31, 2014 by Mary Byrom — 4 Comments

Tea Party

I love a tea party. I love everything about tea. So when I was invited to the Victorian Tea at Parsonsfield Seminary in North Parsonsfield, Maine I put it on my calendar.

I brought my small sketch book, ink pen and watercolor pencils. I knew I would be pressed for time. I walked around during the lawn concert and sketched the ladies in their fancy hats and outfits!

When we all went indoors for tea I stationed myself near the kitchens and the tea station where all the fancy food and tea were dispensed from 2 kitchens.

Servers brought tea and food to four different dinning rooms. It was impressive!

I need to go back and paint the tea pots and cups on a quiet day when I can concentrate and paint these lovely objects in oil.

I think a nice autumn day after the hustle and bustle of summer is over would be nice. Especially on one of those days when a cup of tea would be perfect!

Posted on July 11, 2014July 7, 2014 by Mary Byrom — Leave a comment

Thinking and moving fast

When I am out sketching, I am thinking and moving fast. You might think that it’s a pressurized situation, but actually its very relaxing. I have my sketchbook, a pen, ink and some water colors. It is very easy. I draw what catches my eye. Then I splash some color on.

Watercolors have a carefree feeling to them. I’m not making a painting, I’m playing. So they are light-hearted and fun!

If I don’t like what I painted I turn the page and do another one, and another and another… One of them is bound to look pretty good!

And I am relaxing and getting plenty of drawing practice; that is the best thing a painter can do. Draw!

If you would like information on the Art-venture to sketch and paint in a beautiful spot in north western York County at a Victorian Tea click here!

Posted on July 9, 2014July 7, 2014 by Mary Byrom — Leave a comment

Plein Air Art-Venture

You are invited to a plein air “art-venture” session with me this summer! An art-venture is when I am traveling light and carrying just the essentials I need for my objective. Soon I will be going to a Victorian Tea carrying my smallest watercolor painting kit.

It includes a small sketch book, a pen and a pencil, two “waterbrushes,” a mini Windsor Newton watercolor field set, a sponge and a bottle of clean water to fill my “waterbrushes”. This all fits into a small shoulder bag.

Sometime I bring the bigger Koi watercolor kit with me. It offers options of more color.

Sometimes I bring a bigger sketchbook as this fits easily into my shoulder bag and it doesn’t weigh much. It’s all about taking half the gear and traveling light!

My first plein air art-venture this summer is on Sunday July 20th! It’s at a fabulous event in the Maine countryside called; Victorian Tea.

You can find more information and sign up for the session here!

Are you ready for some fun, enjoyable times ?

Summer is the best time to jump into Plein Air painting !

New plein air painting class starts soon ! July 28th, details & Info here!

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