Consider the Lobster!

Toast to Lobsters, oil on linen, 22" x 30"

Maine and lobsters. An obvious connection, maybe too obvious, but Ron Watson, owner/director of the gWatson Gallery in Stonington, Maine had the brilliant idea of putting a new creative spin on this universally recognized connection. He asked a group of artists, including some well-known ones, to participate in a show all about lobsters. Anything goes, as long as the Maine lobster is the theme. The response from the artists--and the public--has been overwhelming!

The exhibit will open June 26th and run until July 11th. There will be an informal reception on Friday, July 3rd, 4-7 p.m., along with First Friday Night event at the Stonington Galleries.

Another great thing about this show is that it has become a benefit for the local lobster hatchery! There will be an event connected with the benefit, tentatively scheduled for July 10th. Check with the gallery for updates.

Special Delivery

Last week, my artist friend Nancy Bea Miller and I managed to carve out a time to make a trip to Maine. Not a vacation, but a business trip! We delivered paintings to a total of three galleries and then headed home. The weather was not exactly cooperative. It varied between blue skies and torrential downpours, but we made it without mishap.

Highlights of the trip included walking and driving around Portland, where we visited galleries and saw the wonderful old brick buildings in the downtown area. We went to Stonington where Ron Watson, owner/director of the gWatson Gallery, treated us to a delicious lunch, ice cream, and coffee for the trip. Then we headed to Rockland and the Dowling Walsh Gallery where we enjoyed the artwork in the expansive new gallery space. The food was great, too. We found a Thai restaurant in Brunswick whose ingredients come straight from an organic farm--an artistic and culinary delight. On the way home we stayed overnight with Nancy Bea's relatives who run a restaurant, Bella Luna, in Jamaica Plain, MA. Her brother-in-law made us a gourmet breakfast that could only have come from a man who knows food.

Even though it would have been nice to stay longer in Maine, it was not so bad for a business trip!

"Monhegan" Show at Dowling Walsh Gallery

For the second year in a row my work will be included in the summer group show, "Monhegan," at Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland, Maine. Starting this year I'll also be one of the artists represented by the gallery.

This can't help but be a good show. The island of Monhegan is a microcosm, a jewel of a place. It offers rugged and varied terrain, and a fascinating combination of architecture and natural beauty. No wonder so many excellent and accomplished artists have painted there in the past, and are still painting there. I can't wait to go back there in September to paint for a week with my fellow Maine Landscape Guild-ers.

The Dowling Walsh Gallery is located on the main street of Rockland, just across from the Farnsworth Museum.

There will be an opening reception on Wednesday, July 15th, 5 - 8 p.m. Please come if you can!

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 at Valley Green

Valley Green is a spot on the Wissahickon Creek in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. The creek flows through a steep wooded gorge, and Valley Green Inn is an old, historic inn where travelers stopped to refresh themselves while traveling the dirt road along the creek. Now this road has become a popular trail for walking, riding bicycles and horses.

A few weeks ago, I went there to paint with my artist friends Alyce Grunt and Garth Herrick. It was a spectacular mornng. I have rarely seen the sky such a deep blue. Spring had not yet sprung, but the tips of the maple trees were slightly reddish. I love the winter color of the woods in Pennsylvania so I was glad of the chance to try and capture the subtle colors. We had a great couple of hours in which I produced this oil sketch of the creek valley and stone bridge, then we went out for lunch in Manayunk.

Portrait Painting Class at Wayne Art Center

My portrait painting class is starting up again at the end of April, and it will run for five weeks. Here is the class description and information:

PORTRAIT PAINTING IN OIL

Students will be painting portraits with a consistent color framework using complementary colors. We will study the relationship between light, atmosphere, and shadow; and work on creating the feeling of "air" and depth around the figure. We will also focus on value relationships, edge quality, and composition. All work will be from the live model. Drawing experience recommended; experience with oils helpful.

MONDAYS, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
$130. for 5-week session
Class runs from April 27 to June 1
No class on May 25 (Memorial Day)

To register for the class, or to obtain more information, please contact the Wayne Art Center in Wayne, PA

email: info@wayneart.org
Website: http://www.wayneart.org

Tyng Portraits in The Artist's Magazine

In the April ("Portrait") issue ofThe Artist's Magazine is a feature article on my portraits entitled "In Their Element."
The writer, Christine Proskow, interviewed me a few months ago, and I was impressed with her intelligent and thoughtful questions and insights. I was even more impressed with the article she wrote, and with the editors Maureen Bloomfield and Chris McHugh. Working with these three women was an experience of cooperation, respect, and creativity. It was very exciting to see the article. The reproductions are excellent, too.

Above you can see the cover of the issue, which features the work of David Wells.

To read an online excerpt from the article (about a work in progress), click here.