ALEXANDRA TYNG: MAINE coming soon to the Fischbach Gallery

Rocks II, Indian Island, oil on board, 9" x 12"

A little bit of Maine will be coming to NYC soon, in the form of my new solo show at the Fischbach Gallery. This will be purely a landscape show. If you are curious about my work process, this exhibition will give you some idea of how I work, because you will see small plein air oil sketches right on up to very large studio paintings including some aerial panoramas. For those of you who missed seeing Right Here in Maine last August, this will be a good opportunity to see at least some of that work, and if you did make it up to Rockland, there will be some new work in this show.

The Errand, oil on linen, 40" x 50"

Hope you can make it to the opening! Lots of Chelsea galleries are open on the third Thursday of every month, so you can visit several, go out to dinner, and make an evening of it.

ALEXANDRA TYNG: MAINE

Reception: Thursday, March 22, 5-7 p.m.

The Fischbach Gallery

210 11th Ave., at 25th Street, NY, NY 10001

212-759-2345

info@fischbachgallery.com

www.fischbachgallery.com

Painting at Beaver Farm

A few days after returning from Maine, I was off to Beaver Farm in Pennsylvania for a day of painting outdoors with a group of artists from all over the area. My friend and fellow artist Nancy Bea Miller organized the event. Her son Henry attends the Camphill Special School, and Beaver Farm was recently purchased by the school. Upon visiting the farm, Nancy Bea was struck by its particular beauty and thought it would be a great place to paint. I drove out there with her early in the summer and agreed wholeheartedly. The idea of holding a fundraising event for the school began to take shape, and evolved into "Plein Air Day at Beaver Farm," with around 30 artists participating.

I was one of the first to arrive, and I got down to work painting the barnyard and side of the huge red barn. On my way to lunch I saw a green tractor parked in the doorway of the barn and whipped out another painting before the tractor had to be driven out to do the haying. Then on to a delicious lunch. My afternoon painting was not as fruitful but I had time to take a bunch of photos. The day ended with an incredible dinner of organic food straight from the farm! Many, many thanks to Guy and Ani who run the program at Beaver Farm and hosted the event.

Our day at Beaver Farm was mentioned in several national publications including the October Issue of American Artist Magazine!

To see a selection of paintings by participating artists and photos of the day, check out the online gallery on the Camphill website.

Week-long Workshop

I wanted to share some photos from my workshop on Mount Desert Island, Maine, that ended last weekend.

This summer in Maine has been WET! It has rained almost continuously since June-- a worrisome sign of climatic change. The ponds and lakes of Mount Desert were full to the brim, so full that the water level is just under the trees, and hardly a rock is visible along the shore from a distance.

Apart from being concerned about the implications of this weather, I had more immediate concerns that the workshop week would be one long rainstorm--but luckily there was enough sun to give some variety to the weather. One completely sunny day allowed us to paint in two prime locations, Ocean Drive and Cadillac Mountain. On cloudy, foggy, damp days we painted at the Beaver Pond across from the north end of Eagle Lake, and Somes Landing. We painted at many of the key locations on MDI.The talented and dedicated participants worked hard and we all had a lot of fun.

I'm so glad I was able to work with my painting partner and long-time friend Diana Cobb Ansley in planning the workshop.We stayed in her historic home in Somesville, and she provided hospitality and made sure things ran smoothly. Every day for lunch she ordered delicious gourmet sandwiches from Mother's Kitchen which we brought along for picnics on location. She also knew the best restaurants on MDI for dinner. By the time I got home, I actually felt that I had had my fill of popovers!

We're looking forward to doing this again next year. There are so many themes for plein air landscape workshop, and so many more painting locations on MDI.

PLEIN AIR PAINTING WORKSHOP on Mount Desert Island, Maine

PLEIN AIR PAINTING WITH ALEXANDRA TYNG
MOUNT DESERT, MAINE, JULY 26th to AUGUST 1st, 2009

Thomas Cole and Frederic Church First popularized Mount Desert in the mid-1800s. Their works inspired families from New York and Philadelphia to make the journey by steamer to "rusticate" and enjoy the untouched beauty of Mount Desert Island. Artists will be painting outside in a group for approximately 3-5 hours a day. Sites will vary from the spectacular summit of Cadillac Mountain to the rugged shores and quiet lakes and ponds of Acadia National Park. The group will focus on plein air painting techniques and strategies. Participants will stay in the Abraham Somes III house built in 1800. Daily critiques, individual instruction, and demonstrations will be provided. Alexandra Tyng and Diana Ansley will lead the group.

Tuition is $500.
Lodging and lunch is $575.

For further information on the lodging, travel arrangements, and the daily schedule, or to enroll, contact organizer Diana Ansley at 703-960-0612 or at DianaAnsley@aol.com.

Painting in the Brandywine Valley

Well, we weren't exactly in the valley. More like on top of a hill overlooking the valley. It was a very warm spring day, and no shade was nearby, so we broiled a bit. I went with my friends and fellow artists Nancy Bea Miller and Garth Herrick. Here we are in the middle of setting up. Nancy Bea has spotted a bird and is taking a photo of it, Garth is unloading his equipment, and the horses are looking on.

And here's a closeup of the view I was painting. It's great to get outside, stand in the middle of a landscape, and try to replicate the real colors and the excitement of exeriencing the moment.