We've Moved!

A Painter's Year has moved to my new site! Now all of my blogs and galleries, news and information are under one roof at the new www.susanabbott.com. Please click here to go to my new website--and at the bottom of the blog page, you can sign up for new postings. While you're there, take a look at all the new galleries and information on my site!

Many thanks to all of my google followers on this blog. I'd hate to lose you--so please go to my new Connect page and sign up for my mailing list, so I can keep in touch with new paintings and events.

I'll be posting frequent Journal Paintings for sale in my new site store, which you can see first on my new A Painter's Year blog--plus "Sunday Sketchbook", and a new feature of weekly "Painting Notes" on process and technique. Please come and take a look!

Last of the Storm, Hope Town

The last storm cloud lifting over one of the last hand wound, kerosene lighthouses left in the world.

Big Palms, Breezy Day

A majestic old palm swaying in the wind reminded me of a dancer bending to music only she could hear.

January Sunset, Hope Town

Looking out at the grey fields here on a rainy Vermont afternoon, it's hard to believe I was outside painting this harbor just a few weeks ago. Tomorrow I'm heading south to teach in Washington, where I'll post the rest of my Bahamas plein air landscapes, and probably find enough spring to paint outside again.

Socked In, Hope Town

Painted during rain and wind under shelter of the ferry dock, while barely holding on to my easel, palette, brushes, hat and composure.

High Noon, Dockside

One of my favorite places to paint in Hope Town is standing on the "Queen's Highway" sidewalk, with views either to the harbor or this screen-porched cottage, depending which way I feel like facing.

By Vernon's, Hope Town

Vernon's is one of two little stores on this part of the island, and since my cottage was close by I stopped by frequently for their freshly baked bread--giving me plenty of time to admire these shadow shapes on my way to and fro before I finally set up to paint them.

Windy On the Bay Side, Elbow Cay

This is one of those "I only have a half hour, so I'm just not going to give a damn" watercolors--which I find, if filed away to age in the "mess" drawer for awhile, sometimes don't look so bad when pulled out again a few weeks later--especially during a snowy day back home in Vermont.

Big Clouds over the Harbor, Hope Town

Another afternoon of quickly changing weather, with sharp contrasts between a luminous distance and dark foreground.

White House and Yellow Shed, Hope Town

The strong shapes of the prussian blue shadows and the rhythm of the violet fence bridging the verticals of house and shed made this a fine motif--even without the wonderful orange-panted figure in the foreground, bent over and wielding a scythe to cut the grass, whom I thought was going to be the whole point of the painting.

Quiet Water, Hope Town

Looking down an inlet at the edge of the village one morning last week--though it seems, from back here in Vermont, like another year and season.

Lifting Storm, Hope Town

I'm flying home to Vermont today, but will continue to post paintings from my three weeks in the Bahamas--which will help me remember the pleasures, once back in my studio, of working outdoors in a tee shirt in the middle of winter.

Boat House and Big Palm, Hope Town

A quiet inlet on the north tip of Elbow Cay, on a warm and brilliant afternoon.

My focus has switched from painting to teaching this week, and I'm enjoying showing my students the wealth of motifs here in Hope Town--though we haven't yet indulged in a round of Kalik beers and sketching on the Harbor Edge bar's deck.

Annie's Deck, Hope Town

One of those "looking through" views that seems to compose itself...

Pink House by the Harbor, Hope Town

Late afternoon light on a charming pink cottage, with those tropical white shutters that make such great shadow shapes.

By the Ball Park, Hope Town

That cool light green of the front bungalow in the sun is distinctively Bahamian.

Red Shutters, Hope Town

A  morning of brilliant weather, happily spent looking at colors and shapes--especially an equilateral triangle of cerulean ocean.

Behind the Fence, Hope Town

A bungalow the edge of the town cemetery, in late afternoon light. (I took artistic liberties with the shutter color and tombstones.) Below is a watercolor of the same motif, with a different point of view.

Walk to the Dunes, Hope Town

I thought this one was going to be about a bike on a sidewalk on a cloudy day, and then the sun came out. One of the things I've learned in my years of painting is the need to let go of preconceptions, and be ready to follow any leads that come your way.

Blue Boat, Gray Day

Yesterday was cloudy and windy here in Hope Town, which made for boats that, though anchored, never stopped rotating--and therefore an interesting painting challenge...

Hope Town Sunrise

The view facing east from my beach chair at 6:30 am Sunday, the start of what proved to be a lovely day for painting here on Elbow Cay.

Sunday Sketchbook: Bahamas

Yesterday I painted an oil and watercolor, drew in my sketchbook, and had lunch in a restaurant with a dock that overlooks the Hope Town harbour. No matter how middling the food, being able to sip a cold Kalik beer and draw boats will no doubt lure me back there again many times.

Pink Walls by the Harbor

My first morning of painting here in Hope Town, where I'm finding no shortage of motifs with unexpected and unusual colors and compositions (plus it's warm...)

Model in Strong Light

Another figure study, and its warm light has me looking forward to my trip to the Bahamas tomorrow (especially since it will be twenty below zero here in Vermont tonight!) I be posting what I'm painting every day in Hope Town, so keep tuned...

Model on a Victorian Sofa

A piece of furniture that can definitely hold it's own against a figure.

Sunday Sketchbook: Figure

I'm always ready to move off the figure, and into a composition that includes a wall, chair, floor, or foreground.

Journal 1/14/13

The view from my studio window, on a morning of warmer breezes and changeable light.

Journal 1/10/13

Another studio shelf, this time with pottery from Provence.

Journal 1/9/13

A studio shelf in cold January light.