PAINTINGS by COOPER DRAGONETTE

Storm Surge

Storm Surge, 6" x 8", Oil on Panel, 2013

"Water, Water Everywhere!"

Spent a lovely morning at Pond Cove here in Cape Elizabeth working on this small study. The storm that sat off the coast over the weekend and brought big rain and big waves has passed, and the seas have calmed enough to be able to get out and paint--I don't know if I could have painted the big waves. They were just too big. I came back to the house to find the basement flooded, which doused any ideas I had about spending an afternoon in the studio.

Studio in the snowstorm

Untitled, 10" x 10, Oil on Panel, 2013

On Sunday there was a snowstorm on the outside. But inside the studio I had scenes from summer on the easel and Glenn Hansard rocking out on the speakers.

Snowstorm from the Bridge

Snowstorm from the Bridge, 8" x 8", Oil on Panel, 2013

I was stopped on the Casco Bay Bridge waiting for a ship to pass underneath and had a little bit of time to get out of the car with my camera. I loved how the snow capped surfaces faded into the distance, into the clouds enveloping the city.

Winter Sunrise, 10" x 10", Oil on Panel, 2013

A surprisingly steady string of gorgeous sunrises here on the Maine coast this month. I often take our dog out for a walk or a run first thing in the morning (before everybody else gets up) and get a chance to enjoy these with a little peace and quiet (which is the best way to enjoy sunrises).

February Surf

February Surf, 10" x 10", Oil on Panel, 2013

The big snowstorm has come and gone and if I had tried to paint the waves that rolled in with it, I would have been swept out to sea. Fortunately we had a classic New England "wintry mix" storm here on Monday and the seas were a bit more tame. Spent the morning painting down at Two Lights again. There's usually a building or structure to hide behind if it's too nasty.

Beach Day

Beach Day, 12" x 16", Oil on Panel, 2013

The sun sets on another gorgeous day in Maine.

Snow Field Plein Air

Untitled, 10" x 10", Oil on Panel, 2013

I started this one before the snow melted, and finished it up in the studio today. With the next big nor'easter on its way, this field on the edge of town will look like this again before long.

Portland Head Light in the Snow

Portland Head Light in the Snow, 16" x 16", Oil on Panel, 2013 (SOLD)

We woke to new snow covering the ground again on Tuesday morning, but with temperatures fast on the rise it wouldn't last for long. I got out in the morning to Fort Williams before it melted again. I love this view overlooking Portland Head Light, but am always reluctant to paint the lighthouse as it is a.) been immortalized by Edward Hopper and b.) the most photographed lighthouse in the world. But Tuesday, covered in snow, I seemed to have it all to myself.

Higgins Beach, January

Higgins Beach, January, 12" x 16", Oil on Panel, SOLD

We had a spectacularly warm day here earlier in the week and I had a chance to get outside and paint for part of the day. At sunset, we took the dog and the boys down to Higgins Beach for a quick walk and enjoy the last of the day. It was a fantastic sky and sunset that night and I tried to capture some of those elusive qualities in this painting back in the studio the next day.

Two Lights Painting

View from Julie's, 18" x 18", Oil on Panel, 2013

I'm working on a series of paintings from locations all within a stone's throw from our house. In part, with both boys in school and daycare I don't really want to venture too far away in case I'm needed. But I can't complain one bit. Cape Elizabeth is full of great places and great people who are willing to lend me their view, such as this one from a home at Two Lights just down the road.

First Paintings of 2013 (in progress)

Happy New Year!

My first day back in the studio since before Christmas.

Here's a quick snapshot of my first two paintings for 2013. Both are nearly completed, but I need to let the paint dry to go back in and noodle with some details. I'm happy with the way both look so far and will try to keep from tightening them up too much.

Two Lights Rooftops

I’ve been working on lots of studies of Two Lights here in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. I have had the very good fortune to be able to "borrow" this view from a very generous homeowner and have been able to make several paintings from different vantage points of the houses down by the water's edge. It’s been great working with the same shapes and colors of the rooftops, and the ever changing sea and sky. This piece measures 14" x 18".

It’s been awhile since I posted, and apologize if you've been looking for something new here for some time. I'm much better at posting on my Facebook page, so if you haven't found me on Facebook yet, please do!

But I promise I'll try to be better at posting here as well. Thanks for reading!

DIY Field Box and Easel

People often ask me where I got my Plein Air/Field Easel and I say, "the dump." And I'm not lying. Everything in this photo is from the dump. Albeit, a great dump and it took a bit of time.

I'm very proud of it, if only for the fact that it didn't cost me anything!

The box was initially sold as an Art Supply box. It sat in the corner of my studio, empty, for about a year. Then I took it out, cut the top in half, glued and screwed support brackets to the back, added hinges to the sides and voila!

The largest portion of the box is 12" x 16" and holds a store-bought disposal palette pad. The pad is held in place with a small slat of wood for transporting (so the pad full of good paint won't fall inside the box). The side lids of the box hold brushes, medium, and usually an iPod or cell phone. The paper towel roll is underneath them where the wind doesn't affect it as much.

I try to keep it neat and simple, and like how it doesn't keep me at a distance from the painting.

At the end of the day, it all folds away nicely. The easel gets strapped to the side of my small backpack and the box goes inside.

Bold Brush Art Competition!

Here is a screenshot from my entry (my very first entry ever) into an online painting competition.

It's something I've been meaning to do for a long time and I'm excited to finally be giving it a go! I hope I made a good choice using this painting, "Glare."

Click on this link for the Bold Brush Art Competition to see how it's doing and to Like it on Facebook. Thanks!

Treading Lightly on Edward Hopper's Turf

I know I said I was enamored of Two Lights State Park in yesterday's post, but I couldn't resist the allure of this lighthouse and its reflection at the end of the road where the "Two Lights" are. In fact, there wasn't a cloud in the sky which turned my attention back to the ground. It was another gorgeous day and a lot of fun to have time to chat with a wide variety of people passing by.

I know, I know...

Plein Air set up (always a work in progress)

Halfway there. Working on a black panel, I end up blocking in the highlights first.

....I know I've been horrible, lazy, lackluster, absolutely undisciplined, etc., etc. about keeping up my blog, but I swear I've been busy. (Okay, so most of that busy-ness involves changing diapers, mashing peas, and doing endless loads of laundry) Yesterday however I had a lovely time working just around the corner from home at Two Lights State Park--a real gem of a place. Most people pass it by to go stand on line at the Lobster Shack at the end of the road, but this is the real deal. In fact, I may end up back here again today. I am working on a series of paintings all within a stone's throw from the house. I don't want to limit it to just Cape Elizabeth, but I won't be far from the town line either. Stay tuned, and I'll try to do a better job of keeping the blog up-to-date!

Paint for Preservation!

I am very excited to be participating again this year in the

Cape Elizabeth Land Trust's

annual

"Paint for Preservation Wet Paint Auction"

on

Sunday, July 22nd

Find me painting for most of the day at Two Lights State Park.

For more information about the event, including purchasing tickets, click the link below:

http://www.capelandtrust.org/paintforpreservation /2012/index.html

June 21st at Elizabeth Moss Galleries!

Burnt Island, 16" x 20", Oil on Panel

Please join me for the

opening of "Casco Bay to Machias Bay"

at

Elizabeth Moss Galleries

Falmouth, Maine

Back at the Easel!

Lots of new (and big!) paintings on the easel for an upcoming show at Elizabeth Moss Galleries later this month. Very excited to share them with you soon. Stay tuned for images!

I'm Going to be on TV!

My good friends at Terrat Elms Interior Design just finished working with the crew of the PBS program, "This Old House" on the Bedford House project in Bedford, MA. For the project, they used several of my Cape Cod landscapes to help with the interior look of the 300 year-old home. (You can see one of them hiding on the mantel piece above) I'm thrilled to have my work be a part of it and excited to see myself on tv!