daily paintings

Island Joy

Island Cheer • 6×6 • oil on canvas • SOLD 

I sat in the on some warm rocks yesterday morning and painted one of my favorite Lane’s Island views. I just love the pine trees and the brush field on this hill and the way it meets the ocean. And the light sparkling across the water was intoxicating. Just trying to soak it all up. It was fun to watch the lobster boats go in and out of the channel as I painted too–and Pebbles the dog soaked up the magic as well.

Sunrise Over Isle au Haut

Sunrise Over Isle au Haut • 6×6 • oil on wood • SOLD

I walked out the the end of the beach this morning to admire the brisk October sunrise. It did not disappoint. This is a view looking over towards Isle au Haut with the trees of Bob Meadow Point silhouetted. It was beautiful and the air felt so crisp and good on my cheeks. 🙂

Autumn Cove

Autumn Cove • 6×6 • oil on cradled wood panel • SOLD

For our sibling set this week we’ve got pieces inspired by a trail walk I did the other day that dropped me at the end of a cove with these huge granite rocks. I just can’t get over all of the granite ledges everywhere. They really are magical! And the lower the tide, the more that gets exposed. This particular scene happens to be closer to high tide. It’s really amazing to watch all that gets uncovered with each tide cycle. And the gorgeous trees were a bonus. 🙂

E. Fraser • 6×6 • oil on wood
M. Fraser • oil on wood • 6×6

October Sunset

October Sunset • oil on wood • SOLD

I can just feel the daylight being squeezed out of these gorgeous October days, but that’s ok, because the sunsets have been magic. I caught this one on the bridge to Lane’s Island the other day and it filled me right up. Just look at the glow! I’m trying to take in as many of these moments as I can to carry me into the shorter days to come. xo

Colorful Autumn Shore

Colorful Autumn Shore • 6×6 • oil on cradled wood panel • SOLD

Every painting tells a story and I’m going to tell you the behind the scenes story to this one. I headed out on a morning painting adventure yesterday, determined to find a little trail I had heard about. It was somewhat hidden, but I propped my bike up against a tree and followed a narrow path out to a lovely creek at low, low tide.

I scouted around for a minute and decided to rock hop over to the perfect painting ledge. The sun was beating down and the rocks looked dry, but as I stepped from one rock to another my feet slipped out from under me and I threw my water bottle 50 feet behind me and found myself on the ground with my paint bag, nestled between 2 rocks and some seaweed. Ouch! I brushed my scrapes off, retrieved my water bottle and my pride and set up a few rocks closer to shore. The autumn shoreline across from me was calling … so many gorgeous colors popping in the morning light.

When I was finished painting and roasting in the sun, I wrapped up my supplies and walked the path back to my bike and hopped on. As I pedaled a dirt road, I felt my painting shift in my bag … when I got home I found that the painting had flipped and 1/4 of it had been rubbing against my back the whole ride home. What a mess. 🙂 I almost scrapped the whole thing, but in the end, I couldn’t resist finishing the colorful autumn shore. 🙂

Autumn Island Summit

Autumn Summit View • 6×6 • oil on cradled wood panel • SOLD

I took a late afternoon hike the other day on a trail that I had never been on before and there were so many wonderful elements of surprise–including this spectacular view looking down Long Cove. The trees have really started to turn on the island and the glow of the afternoon sun combined with the crunching of the leaves underfoot and the smell of pine trees in the air made for a heavenly walk with my pup. So many unexpected joys and so much beauty. I’m so grateful. I shared this picture with my brother for our sibling Sunday painting. We used the exact same composition this time, so these 2 paintings really do look similar, with each of our styles coming through. So fun!

E. Fraser • 6×6 • oil on wood • SOLD
M. Fraser • 6×6 • oil on wood • SOLD

Teal Dory

Teal Dory • 6×6 • oil on cradled wood panel • SOLD

This morning I walked down the street to sit near a dock. There were lobster traps piled high everywhere I looked and this teal dory just called to me. I was about halfway through the painting when 2 guys and dog walked down this dock and hopped in the boat and took off. I was glad that didn’t happen right away. 🙂 Such a gorgeous morning to sit quietly by the water and see the comings and goings of the lobster boats.

Golden Hour

Golden Hour • 6×6 • oil on cradled wood • SOLD

I sat on the beach shore of Lane’s Island yesterday afternoon and painted as the sun quickly lowered. It was low tide and the pine trees, sea grasses and seaweed started to glow, and the water sparkled even more. What a magical time of day. I painted quickly trying to capture the golden autumn light and then ran out of paint and decided to wrap it up at home. So pretty!

Maine Coast Drizzle I & II

Drizzle at the Basin I • 6×6 • oil on wood • SOLD
Drizzle at the Basin II • 6×6 • oil on 1/8 inch birch panel • SOLD

It was a gray and drizzly day yesterday … and beautiful! I decided to head out for a morning paddle at high tide and as I got to the Basin, a gentle rain started to fall. I decided to head out anyway and it was so worth it. The water was so still and there were these gorgeous lines of light and dark running through it … currents, rain, reflections … so serene. And the icing on the cake was that I had some seals follow me on and off the whole time. So fun! Later in the afternoon, my partner and I headed out with one of our pups for a trail walk along the edge of the basin at low tide. Just a gorgeous rainy day.

Sunrise at Bob Meadow Point

Sunrise at Bob Meadow Point • 6×6 • oil on cradled wood panel • SOLD
E. Fraser • 6×6 • oil on cradled wood
M. Fraser • 6×6 • oil on cradled wood

This week my brother and I decided to paint a panoramic scene from one of my photos on Vinalhaven. I took the left side of the image and he took the right, and together they make up the spectacular sunrise I witnessed earlier this week. It’s so funny to see how we interpret information, isn’t it?

About this scene: My partner and I headed to Geary’s Beach for the sunrise the other day and decided to walk out to the tip of Bob Meadow Point, and it did not disappoint. So much eye candy between the light, the sky, the water and the shore. Magic!