Spring on the Sandy

Here is a painting from several years back of one of the many beautiful Sandy River views as it meanders along thru Farmington.  I love the soft colors of the spring sky reflecting in the opening water of the Sandy River, the trees warmed by the sun and the deep blue of the distant mountains. This is a watercolor on paper which I traded with a fellow artist for a wood sculpture. This would make a great oil painting. If you are interested in a similar one, (I don't do prints) please email me. melanie.farmer@gmail.com
All Melanie Farmer paintings are internationally copyrighted and may not be reproduced by any means without written permission from the artist. 
 

Diane

My good friend Diane was my favorite model in years gone by when I was doing portrait studies She would come over to my studio sometimes and sit for me while we visited. She is an attractive woman with great bone structure. Diane always encouraged my painting portraits from life and never complained if it didn't look exactly like her. This is a 11 x 14 watercolor on paper. I also paint portraits in oil.  Not for sale.
All Melanie Farmer paintings are internationally copyrighted and may not be reproduced by any means without written permission from the artist. 

Crooked Tree at Jim's Head

Here is another painting from that day that was so freezing on Jim's Head and the rest of New England was just dying in the heat and humidity. 

The early sunlight was dancing across the grass beneath the evergreen trees on the point at Jim's Head. I hovered near the trees on the smaller shore rocks, trying to stay in the sun and still get the best view surrounding the funny crooked tree at the point of land. The day was hot and misty beyond the jut of land, making the more distant colors soft and muted. It was a wonderful day to be on the coast of Maine, but then, what day isn't? This painting is gouache on paper, 11 x 3 1/2, with archival double matting. If you are interested in purchasing this painting for only $100, please email me. melanie.farmer@gmail.com.
All Melanie Farmer paintings are internationally copyrighted and may not be reproduced by any means without written permission from the artist. 
 

Portraits ~ Janice Scott

   

  Years ago my artist friends used to come over and pose for me. They didn't mind if I finished it or not or even if it didn't look exactly like them, but were happy to spend an afternoon modeling for me. I think they like being asked. Several of us got together quite regularly and painted.

  Here is one of Janice Scott (God rest her soul!) painted in 1993.  She had great facial bone structure and I loved to paint her. She was a fun, colorful lady who had a very interesting life and told great stories about her experiences.  She and her husband sold their house and moved to the Southwest and unfortunately, I never saw her again. This is a 10 X 15 watercolor on paper. Not for sale.

All Melanie Farmer paintings are internationally copyrighted and may not be reproduced by any means without written permission from the artist. 

Western Head Island

   Linda had scouted out a nice trail around Western Head Preserve in Cutler with a lot of scenic places to paint. We hiked out there one afternoon and near the point, I looked back and saw this island with the rocks warm in the afternoon sun and lovely puffy clouds. An eagle was perched in one of the pine trees. I set up on a rock with my watercolors to paint. Linda went on down below a bit looking more out to sea. Both of us were pestered unmercifully with those black 'stingy' flies. We covered our bare legs and arms with our packs and everything we could fashion into a cover. 

   I painted quickly and moved on down the trail and it was no relief. We soon left the area. 

   If you are interested in purchasing this 11x6 watercolor on paper with double archival mats and backing for $100,  please email me. melanie.farmer@gmail.com.

All Melanie Farmer paintings are internationally copyrighted and may not be reproduced by any means without written permission from the artist.

Jim's Head Triplets 

 

This is a painting of Wallace Cove from Jim's Head in Lubec. On this day, it was very cold there and Linda and I sat wrapped in hooded sweatshirts and jackets, shivering as we painted. Most ironically, and unbeknownst to us at the time, the rest of Maine was very, very  hot and humid; people were sweltering everywhere in 100+ degrees! So we considered ourselves fortunate to have escaped the heat of the day.
  If you are interested in purchasing this 8 X 6 gouache on panel, unframed, please contact me via email. melanie.farmer@gmail.com. $100 plus tax for Maine residents. 
  
All Melanie Farmer paintings are internationally copyrighted and may not be reproduced by any means without written permission from the artist.

Mink Island Looking West

It was a warm, sunny morning when Linda and I checked the tide and walked out to Mink Island to paint. We climbed over slippery seaweed and rocks until we each found our spot, set up and painted. It was a short but rugged hike up around the other side but I had to see what the view was from there, while Linda stuck to her canvas. We had our lunch, relocated time and again. Hated to leave but did not want to chance having to wade back to shore. This watercolor on paper is 10 X 3.25, double matted to 14 X 6.25 and shrink-wrapped.  If you are interested in purchasing this lovely watercolor for $100, please contact me via email. melanie.farmer@gmail.com. 

All Melanie Farmer paintings are internationally copyrighted and may not be reproduced by any means without written permission from the artist.

Morning Mist at Bailey's Mistake

Early mornings are so lovely downeast! This painting was done on location at Bailey's Mistake last summer. The tides ebbing and flowing are constantantly offering an artist a different scene to capture on canvas, islands appear and disappear from view. This painting is oil on mounted canvas, 8 X 8 and is framed in a 2" gold frame. If you are interested in purchasing it, please email me. melanie.farmer@gmail.com. The price is $169 plus Maine tax.

All Melanie Farmer paintings are internationally copyrighted and may not be reproduced for any reason without written permission from the artist.

Clouds Over Cutler

When I am out driving around looking for a place that speaks to me, I am always hesitant to set up at places that say 'No Trespassing" This is just such a place. I wanted so much to stay and paint but it was so uninviting with numerous signs, that I merely stayed for a few minutes to take photos before I got back into my jeep and sadly drove back down the hill.
Consequently I had to paint this one in my studio back home. But I have been to this spot so many times that I could practically paint it from memory anyway.
It was an especially lovely day with tamerack trees swaying in the wind, the fireweed brilliant, and topped off by big white puffy clouds; therefore I named it "Clouds Over Cutler". It is a 10x10, oil on mounted canvas, framed in a 2" gold frame. If you are interested in purchasing this 'artist's favorite', please email me at melanie.farmer@gmail.com. It is $199 plus Maine tax.

All Melanie Farmer paintings are internationally copyrighted and may not be reproduced for any reason without written permission from the artist.

Cove Road, Cutler

This painting was done from my trip downeast last summer. I was trying to find a way to get to some hiking trails on the coast and on my return, this amazing view was in front of me. It was a very narrow road with no place to stop and paint. So I pulled over for a few minutes and took some photos. But I love that place so much, I think that will be my very first stop when I go down there again this summer. And I will look around a bit more to find a spot to set up and paint plein aire!

This piece is a 10 X 8 oil on mounted canvas framed in a 2" gold frame. If you are interested in purchasing it, please email me. melanie.farmer@gmail.com. The price is $179 plus Maine tax.

All Melanie Farmer paintings are internationally copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the artist.

Sugarloaf and the Carrabassett River

This is an awesome scene of Sugarloaf Mountain, but one has to hike down thru the puckerbrush to get to the frozen Carrabassett River to view it. In the winter, I take a photo and paint in my studio. If you don't want to make the hike, you can enjoy this view in the comfort of your home. It is an oil on canvas, sized 10 X 10 and framed in a 2" gold frame. This is for sale for $199 plus Maine tax.

Email me at melanie.farmer@gmail.com if you are interested in purchasing this painting.

All Melanie Farmer paintings are internationally copyrighted and may not be reproduced for any reason without written approval from the artist.

A Sugarloaf Evening

As you drive north on Route 27, from Farmington, you round a corner and suddenly appearing in front of you is Sugarloaf Mountain! She stands there majestically,boldly inviting. And you may exclaim "O My Gosh!", hence the name of the corner. It is very impressive and if you are a skiier; you can't wait to get up on those trails.

I have painted this in summer and winter, this is a late season period, when the snow still clings to the mountain for those last ski runs and has mostly melted from the fields. A reminder of good times and another winter in Maine.

This painting is an oil on canvas, 11 X 8, and is framed in a 2" gold frame. It is for sale for $199 plus Maine tax. If you are interested in purchasing it from me, please email me at melanie.farmer@gmail.com.

All Melanie Farmer paintings are internationally copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the artist.

Last week I packed up my oil paints and drove up Route 17 to Oquossoc. Along the way is the most charming little fishing spot, Beaver Pond. After driving to the Height of Land, which is a panoramic view of the Richardson Lakes, I turned around and headed south towards Byron to situate myself on the east shore of this little pond as dusk settled in. I met a friendly teen who was fishing with her father there. They were among many who caught their limit of trout after a hard day at work. I just love this spot and probably will return to paint other times of day and seasons.

Maple Sunrise. This is my little sap house where many happy, and often anxious, hours were spent boiling down sap to make sweet maple syrup. There were many state laws to follow, many traditions in methods and many ideas on how to best accomplish the task. The sap house was in operation from about 1980-1986. The building still sits cosily awaiting the bustling of steam rising out of the center vents in the darkness of the crisp, cool night, the heat from the arch keeping a distance, the night lights glowing while the full bulk tank of sap gravitates to the heat. Wondering its fate as the maple orchard is crowded out by softwoods.

Dusk Settling Behind Sugarloaf

This is a view from Ira Mountain. We arrived at the top just about as the sun had settled behind the distant peaks. There was Sugarloaf, distinct and majestic that it is, basking in the soft evening light of late summer. What a wonderful drive up Ira Mountain on a steep, winding road with deep drop-offs. I wouldn't want to do it in the winter, but if I did, I'll bet it would be worth it!

If you are interested in this 16 X 16 oil painting, please email me. melanie.farmer@gmail.com. The price is $289 plus tax for Maine residents.

All Melanie Farmer paintings are internationally copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the artist.

Blueberry Barrens

On the other side of the highway along the road to Starbird was this blueberry field looming up in front of me. It was magnificient, just the field I had been hankering in my mind to paint. When we get there in August, there is not generally much color, perhaps a slight blue hue across the field by the second week, so this is typical. The vehicles were coming and going all day along a road near the woods. Old rattley farm trucks with wood sideboards loaded with blueberry crates, beat up old cars and pickup trucks filled with pickers to once again hunch over their work in the hot sun. I cannot wait to return there next year and see it in July. And I do so want to go in September some time when the fields turn red and paint that too.

If you are interested in purchasing this 24 X 16 oil on board, please email me. melanie.farmer@gmail.com The price is $349 plus tax for Maine residents.

All Melanie Farmer paintings are internationally copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any form without written permisson from the artist.

Hamilton Cove and Grand Manan

This is the other Hamilton Cove painting. I stayed pretty much in the same place as the other one but looked to my left where the boys were playing, throwing rocks, jumping back and forth across the stream. It is a rather small painting as it was getting rather damp and I was tired after standing at my easel all day long. I still had a bit of a hike to get out with all my gear and two wet paintings. Then the fog started coming in, it was beautiful. I love painting fog! But I couldn't stay. So I packed up and started to leave. A woman and her son, who was about 12 or 13, came along and offered to help carry my stuff out. He slung my packed easel over his shoulder, she took my paint box and I carried the wet paintings. It was a nice gesture that I gratefully accepted.
If you are interested in purchasing this 12 X 6 oil painting on board, please email me. melanie.farmer@gmail.com

The price is $179 plus tax for Maine residents.

All Melanie Farmer paintings are internationally copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the artist.

Mt Blue from Mosher Hiil, Farmington, Maine

This painting was started on location in a class with Ronal Parlin. I finished it in my studio much later. Mt. Blue is always one of my favorite mountains to paint. I grew up in the morning shadow of Mt. Spec, second highest mountain in Maine, so I suppose, subconsciously, I still search the landscape for beautiful, majestic mountains to paint. Mt. Blue is one I see often in my daily comings and goings and climb whenever I can. It is a fabulous mountain, one that deserves admiration and respect.

If you would like to purchase this 10x8 oil on panel, please email me. melanie.farmer@gmail.com

The price is $179 plus tax for Maine residents.

All Melanie Farmer paintings are internationally copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the artist.

Overlooking Machias River

This is my favorite painting from my painting week at Tide Mill Farm this summer. At Kay's recommendation, I was on my way to check out the little coastal town of Starbird and saw this breathtaking overlook showing a bit Machias River, a lovely farm on the distant hill and blueberries in the foreground. I propped up my hatch for shade and my sunbrella and spent most of the day right there. The next day I went back with a friend. She painted this side while I painted the blueberry barrens on the other side, which I'll post later.
If you are interested in purchasing this 16x16 oil painting on panel, please contact me at melanie.farmer@gmail.com. The price is $399 plus tax for Maine residents.
All Melanie Farmer paintings are internationally copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the artist.

Hamilton Beach, Maine

Hamilton Cove is a lovely cove, just a short hike off the highway near Cutler. There are nature trails that lead along the coastline to the east. But I was content to plunk myself there, backing up to the bank in the back to get a bit of shade from the burning sun. It was a lovely day but the weather on the sea was unsettled. I watched the fog gradually move across the island in the distance, managing to capture about half of it before it was totally lost in fog. A couple of pre-teen boys were playing near the brook around the beach to my left. Although I could hear their voices, and except for a word or two here and there, I could not make out what they were saying. I was fascinated that two young boys could spend all day just throwing rocks into a brook. What fabulous summer memories they will have of Hamilton Cove in their adult years!
If you are interested in purchasing this framed 12x9 oil painting on board, please email me. melanie.farmer@gmail.com. The price is $189 plus 5% tax for Maine residents.
All Melanie Farmer paintings are internationally copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the artist.