Joan Cobb Marsh

Cape Cod Interior Paintings

The Blue Couch by John Clayton

I find  the work of Joan Cobb Marsh, quite inspiring. She is a wonderful artist known for her landscapes and Interiors When ever I run into Joan is encouraging about painting interiors as a way to try something new for me.. I have always wanted to try paintings of interiors but never felt confident. I decided to take a friends offer and paint the inside of his wonderful home on beach. Mostly I find perspective to be challenging but even with a little knowledge you can get a nice feel for light poring into the room. 

Sash's Study by John Clayton

Interior by Joan Cobb Marsh

The very dark value of her interior on the right creates an interesting design. Very simple.

Joan was a student of Henry Hensche, when she was a young girl.

 Henry,  did a beautiful portrait of her as a young girl. in my video of Joan, it can be viewed.

Where there's Still Life there's Hope

This still life was painted in my studio. Recently I was inspired by some of Peggy Knoll Roberts still life paintings. I love the simplicity that she sets up in her stills. I tend to be classic cape school in my approach. I would like to open myself up and find new ways to express still life. (find the painter on your wavelength").  I took a section of Peggy's  painting that I liked and set something up that's similar. I also used the colors on my pallet  and painted it the way I see color.
I find this lesson tremendous for getting things simple and thinking about still life  differently.
I'm all for anything that gets me out of my shell. I enjoyed using the brush and putting down lots of paint to express the light, shade and color.
Charles Hawthorne said "where there is still life, there's hope"!

Gearing up for summer

 Early spring is a perfect time to study the tree. I had a teacher who once told me in order to learn about trees draw them in the winter, so you can get the gesture and form. The leaves hide some of these elements.
My center of interest is on the tree to the right.
One thing I try to do is not slavishly  copy the tree. I construct the tree as artistically, and rhythmically as I am capable.
Here in new england the foliage is slow in blossoming and the weather is warm enough to stand out side and paint.
It's changing rapidly around town so I won't be able to paint this scene in the same way.

Art Student's League Watercolors

While I was moving into my new studio I stumbled upon these two water colors I did In Irwin Greenberg's Class at the Art Student's League. They brought up wonderful memories. "Greenie" is what everyone called him. He was a devoted inspiring teacher. He had one eye with vision yet he did the most beautiful watercolors. We painted on illustration type paper and used an acrylic brush. The application was closer to oil painting than true water color.

Greenie would give a talk between the model breaks. Using books and pictures Greenberg gave the best artist talks. He shared insights that I return to again and again.

Greenie called them "the Artist survival kit".

"Be hungry to learn". "When you take a break, don't eat. Instead, drink a glass of water." He would always stop at number 19 "Find the Mate who really is a mate".

I could go on and on. There are 100 on the list.

Forgetting my terps, pallet knife, and only two brushes, I have a new favorite

15. Know your art equipment and take care of it.

16. Have a set of Materials ready wherever you go.

With my studio complete and spring in the air, I am able to spend more time painting out doors. I painted these two paintings on Commercial street. This time of year there are few tourist's and less distractions, so painting on Commercial street is a peaceful pleasure. I did the three paintings with a brush. As an exercise in putting the paint down I tried to make fewer brush strokes in order to keep the masses organized.

Truro a great place to paint this time of year, when the foliage hasn't bloomed yet.

It's still a little cold standing out there and painting, for me. Whenever I paint in Truro I think of Edward Hopper. He lived in the summers in Truro and painted so many iconic cape cod scenes, there.

These are the days cottages, along 6A. Very much part of the landscape of Truro. I like how the light hit's them and the shapes they create in the morning light you just know where you are looking at this scene.

We will be opening the Egeli gallery this spring.. I hung some of my paintings around the gallery today while the new Carpet is being put down. I work sometimes in the gallery, meeting people and hopefully selling my painting or some of our other artist's paintings. It gives me a little art supply money. I also get a chance to meet collectors and learn a little about them and what they love about art. I don't mind selling other artist's work because I get a commission and I don't feel so competitive with them.

I'm very much a local artist. I teach in Provincetown and I am a member of the Art Association, and sit on the committee for the Cape School of Art. Being involved in the local art community has helped me to get my name out there. I put my painting in the members open exhibits. You can learn so much by submitting your work to juried exhibits. More often than not I don't get excepted. It's painful but helps to make a professional artist, "I'll show them next time"!

Donating to local Charities, helps people and gives collectors a chance to see your work. I really enjoy getting out of town in the winter to paint other places. The studio can also be a great place to travel to for the plein air artist. This year I want to nurture and develop my paintings. The old adage "Bloom where your planted" might be the very key to making it happen.

I couldn't wait to start painting in my new studio so

I took some time out of moving to check the light out. I set up a simple still life of these two onions. Most of the work is done in the set up. Finding the right light and arraigning the still life so that you can see light and shade, and determine a good compositional design. I also wanted to study these edges that are so beautiful. I mostly painted the onions with a brush and finished the painting with a painting knife. I guess I just feel comfortable using the knife to paint with it puts the paint on thick where I want it. Now back to moving and packing.

The most interesting thing about travel is returning home with a fresh eye.

I am one of those lucky folks where Provincetown in my home base. When I was attending the Art Students League in New York, I would tell people I wanted to be an artist. People would say "It can't be done". When I came to Provincetown folks would say "Great can't wait to see what you do"! It really is a place that a landscape painter can nurture there art and develop. It's a town that loves it's artist's and supports them as long as they work hard and are willing to live on less.

The most important thing a painter can do is find a place where there is plenty of inspiration, and develop their skill in a supportive community. Coming back this winter I can say that the light here is truly beautiful even though nothing has really bloomed yet.