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The Final Week Of My Exclusive Holiday Painting Sale!




It's The Final Week Of My Exclusive Holiday Painting Sale on ebay! This is the closest I've ever come to a Black Friday type of exclusive art sale for my small study paintings. The bidding has been furious and exciting and now as it draws to a close in this final week it's about to get even better for those who have not yet pulled the trigger and bid on their favorite works. I have seven new works now listed on ebay and these will be the last paintings that I plan to list this year. So bid often, bid high in this terrific sale! Thank you for such a thrilling painting sale in the last few weeks and being such awesome bidders! In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am putting up for auction the painting I did last Saturday with the plein Air Connection at Jordan Pond Stream! Enjoy!


"The Bubbles From Jordan Pond, Acadia National Park, Maine" an oil on oak board 8 x 10 inches by Michael E. Vermette. CLICK HERE to bid on this painting on ebay.

Last Saturday the Plein Air connection group meet in Ellsworth and car pooled to the Jordan Pond Tea House to paint in the field below with spectacular views of the Bubbles in Acadia National Park. The painters in the group were Kay Carter, Anne Spencer, Becky Whight, and myself. Amazingly as we pulled into the parking lot of the Tea house and standing on the well manicured lawn stood a young 8 point buck that could have doubled for a bronze Forest Hart sculpture. We were all close enough to be pleasantly surprised and delighted. this time of year the Jordan Pond Tea House is closed as well as access to Cadillac Mountain. There were a handful of hikers and runners as well as walkers out with their dogs who remarked how they admired what we were doing.  But for the most part, the people left us to our work, but the wind was an entirely different element to contend with.

The wind chill was in the high 20's but we were all ready with our layers of clothing to brave the elements. The sky was eye-achingly clear with bright blue skies and a cool crispness in the air. The rolling field offered multiple zigzagging pathways that led down to the pond. There was also a zig-zag angular look to the very muted mountains called "The Bubbles" which had exquisite cool and warm grays, greens and peach tones. The fields were rich with bushes and grasses of challenging red, Naples yellow and green ochre. The pond was dark as the waters usually are in October and November and broken up into 4 or 5 bright blue shapes that were absolutely jewel like in between the trees and brush. Then the field's granite rocks that protruded  up from the grassy field and even the paths provided a surprising balance of neutral accent color.  

"Glistening Waters of Katahdin Lake, Baxter State Park, Maine" an oil on oak panel 8 x 10 inches by Michael E. Vermette. CLICK HERE to make a bid on this painting on ebay.

The wind blew out of the Northwest most of the day with very few clouds seen on the horizon. The tall trees that lined the main path down to the pond buffeted the wind most of the day and it was really quite pleasant. But the wind shifted around noon and the field became a corridor for gusts to blow directly into us as if we were in a wind tunnel. I still have this vision of Becky Whight taking her time to apply lip balm at the beginning of her painting only to later set her face like flint into the wind holding her easel with her left hand while painting with the other. I had to do the same, even though our easels were weighed down with rocks. By  one o'clock we were all starting to get chilled, placing the finishing touches to our paintings. So we hiked back to the parking lot where we rendezvoused.


"Stony Beach, Deer Isle, Maine" an oil on board 8 x 10 inches by Michael E. Vermette.CLICK HERE if you would like to place a bid
on ebay!

After our painting experience that proved to be a perfect battle in the making, we packed up and went downtown to Bar Harbor and chose to eat together at "Geddy's". They are located on 19 Maine Street in Bar Harbor and serve the most fantastic thin crust pizza. We pooled our money and bought 4 pizza's to go with our appetizer and water, plenty of water! Each of us got a different combination pizza and shared by taking two slices out of each other's pizza. I have to admit I ate the most the food and the atmosphere was excellent. As the afternoon extended on the manager and waiters generously allowed us extra table space to have a group critique of our work in the restaurant.  


"Downeast Cottage, Deer Isle, Maine" an oil on panel 8 x 10 inches by Michael E. Vermette. CLICK HERE to bid on this painting on ebay. 

In the group critique we all shared what we had learned from our workshops we had taken since we had last seen each other over the summer. We talked about how we incorporated these methods into our paintings. I talked about using fewer colors and a palette by Andres Zorn. Becky shared what she learned from a workshop she had taken in New Hampshire by an artist who trained in the Hudson River School style. Becky, Kay and I have all new easel boxes now and we seem to be a lot more organized.  The paintings too had a greater sense of depth and focus than paintings before. Anne made three drawings using colored markers and sharpies that were filled with life and interesting line passages. All in all it proved to be an excellent start in getting back together and painting once again as a group. 


"Gibbs Fall, Crawford's Trail, Crawford's Notch, NH" an oil on oak panel 8 x 10 inches by Michael E. Vermette. CLICK HERE to place a bid on this painting on ebay.

We have decided to begin to meet every Tuesday throughout the winter months and into the Spring starting December 3rd, 2013. We have currently planned a paint-out at Petit Manan. We will be leaving Bangor at 7:30 am in the old Aubuchon Hardware parking Lot of Penobscot Plaza. From there we will meet up with others at Ellsworth by 8 am. It will be a long day, but we hope to get one more look at the reddish blueberry barrens and surf on the rocks using the different access roads and trails available to us including those of Petit Manan's National Wildlife refuge. everyone is welcome to join us.


  "Mount Avalon and Mount Willard, Crawford Notch, New Hampshire" an oil on oak board 8 x 10 inches by Michael E. Vermette. CLICK HERE if you would like to bid on this painting on ebay.

This Saturday we will be meeting once again at Grace Church in their coffee shop to continue with our book discussion based on Robert Henri's book "The Art Spirit." We will be meeting on Saturday, November 30th between 10 am and 12 noon. We will be covering pages 49-76 and soup will be provided. Please feel free to bring a friend. There is no cost and it is open to everyone.


"Orono Bog Boardwalk, Orono, Maine" an oil on oak board 8 x 10 inches by Michael E. Vermette. CLICK HERE if you would like to place a bid on this painting on ebay.

Last Sunday I was reminded by my pastor of the power of preemptive thanksgiving! He refered to the Bible story of the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus tested his disciples when he asked them to give these people something to eat. Even though there were five thousand people present the disciples were only able to gather 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. never-the-less, Jesus lifted the loaves of bread and fish to heaven and gave thanks to God. Then after the miracle happened and everyone ate their fill, there were enough bread pieces left over to fill 12 baskets. Weather the people were hoarding their food in fear because they wouldn't have enough for themselves and their families or God simply supernaturally multiplied the loaves, we may never know. But one thing struck me. Could it be that the only one who was willing to share what he had, was a small boy with childlike faith? Children of his age usually live in the moment and can be very generous. Could the true nature of God be in this simple act of faith. Jesus offered thanks to God before he saw the evidence of the abundance of food not after like we do just before we eat at a full Thanksgiving table. This reminded me of the 4 pizzas we shared at Geddy's and how there was enough left over pieces for another person. It further reminded me of how this group has operated in the past when deciding to paint en plein air no matter what the weather looked like. In the past when we would make a decision to go painting, we go no matter what our fears may be in the negative circumstances that presented themselves to us. We operated in a faith that focused not on our own personal needs but on the seed of what we can offer and bring to the landscape painting experience. That seed of faith I believe is the ability to not just have faith in faith but to have a relationship with God who is good and wants to abundantly supply all our needs! Could it be as simple as coming with what we have, showing up to the canvas, and offer what we have as this child did? When we do this we give God something to work with. What follows is amazing abundance! Many successful painters practice this power in preëmptive thanksgiving. This allows the painter to get out in front of the miracle that will follow them and in their painting. I believe this is what is meant when painters say "the painting is half-finished before I even started." Long before the painter's eyes feast on the abundant beauty before them, they must have a child like faith that generously lives in the moment instead of holding onto the fear of losing what little they actually have.  As painters in this Thanksgiving season, lets give God who is good something to work with; who wants to give us amazing paintings.  In this Thanksgiving season, let's take this wisdom and apply it to our painting routine. Let's preëmpt our painting with thanksgiving in this season!

I wish you all a preëmptive Thanksgiving painting Holiday,

Michael E. Vermette
Coordinator of the Plein Air Connection