Lobster Cove and the Wreck of the DT Sheridan

Sun! Sun! oh back to a vibrant palette....I happen to know (because I am privy to such juicy info) that Frank is considering using one of these below as a study, to paint a much larger version. Informal poll: which one do you think would be the best choice??

Looking to Lobster Cove Beach-oil on canvas. painting by Frank Bruckmann©
The Flotsam from the DT Sheridan-oil on canvas. painting by Frank Bruckmann©

Paintings are available for purchase.

Paintings with soft light and snow

This gang of 3 paintings show such softness, peace and quiet. I loved the quiet calm in February, and remember visiting Frank while he painted the gem below. Manana from all angles, with that little shack up top always reassures. So much color in a gray, cloudy sky.

From Deadman's Cove- oil on canvas. painting by Frank Bruckmann©

Different Angle, from Deadman's Cove-oil on canvas. painting by Frank Bruckmann©
Rocks upon entering the Harbor-oil on canvas. painting by Frank Bruckmann©

Paintings are available for purchase

Spring Break Highlights...

This was the day we had the scavenger hunt. I gave the kids a list of things they had to do or collect, and the first team (of 2 teams) back with proof of all the things, including candy wrappers from candy hidden in an infamous island tree, rubbings from the cemetery gravestones, photos of fishermen, etc, was the winner, and then both teams got to search for "treasure" we'd buried on Fish Beach.

Hurry, hurry! Racing to find the buried treasure.

Proof that they found a rooster..

Using the shovel from burying treasure, the gang spent the rest of the afternoon building elaborate ways to divert the water running off from the meadow into the harbor, barefoot (!)

The next day we woke up to this! A snow covered island and here the spring flowers out in front of Carina were in shock!

So then it got cooooollldddd! Chris, Megan and Diane Bruckmann came for a visit-all the way from NJ, and smiled as they landed on Monhegan for the first time, despite the snow and cold and we still managed to get out and about, had some lovely sunny but chilly hikes, ate really good food, including the Spanish-ish dinner Chris made with all the fixin's from his favorite Latin grocery store in Bridgewater, NJ.
The day we took the kids into Cathedral Woods to do a little service work, to rake and clear up the path, I finally took a pic of this lichen on the spruce trees. It's so wonderfully crusty.

Spring Break Is......

Monhegan School has a 2 week long Spring Break, which is perfect for those going off island for a vacation, but for us, and the other mother at the school, I knew we'd need to get creative, since we were staying right here. So, we are scheduling the mornings with something to get the kids going every day....

So far, Spring Break is.....

Tree climbing...

Snake catching, or rescuing this defenseless snake from the jaws of our cat, and putting it somewhere else...

taking a break in between games...

building a "bridge" with flotsam...

discovering new cool places to explore...

beachcombing, to find treasure...

witnessing how they deliver dirt to the Rock...(there were 3 fully loaded dumptrucks that were barged in from the mainland, where they drove onto the beach across that ramp, and then when emptied up by the schoolhouse, they drove back to Fish Beach, and BACKED up the ramp and onto the boat....

and finally, Spring Break is...spending way tooooooo much time with your little sister. Now into week two, if anyone has any other suggestions of what we can do with 4 kids on Monhegan, feel free to chime in! Actually, when the weather is right, we are taking them lobstering.

Winning Awards in New Haven

Frank entered this painting in the New Haven Paint & Clay Club's 109th Juried Annual Show, and we just heard it grabbed the 2nd Place Award. For those in New Haven this weekend, the opening is this Sunday, March 21st from 2-5pm. For more information click here.

Tidal Pool -oil on canvas 36 x 48" painting by Frank Bruckmann ©

Please click on image to enlarge.

Happy Birthday Frank, presents for everyone, kids clean up Lobster Cove

It was Frank's bday on 3/16 and so we regaled him with the finest of presents and cake and bday trimmings, but then he announced presents for US, and took us down to his studio, and there they were...3 paintings (in progress) of each of us, that he's been doing in secret! They are to be mementos from our Monhegan sojourn.

Arlo painted this tee shirt for Frank, it says "the War of Art" and he drew Frank as a warrior (what else does a 9 year old boy draw?) and for his weaponry, he has a brush and palette.

Day 2 of Spring Break: the kids collected ALL this trash from Lobster Cove and carted it back in Angela's truck...

Junked lobster traps, more trash and kids loving the spring weather and riding in the back.
South of the harbor.
myself and my girl

New and revised artwork

Love this painting (which is still in progress, but i had to post it). Love the composition. Love the quiet of the wharf in winter, contrasted with the propane tanks, offering the proof of human existence.

Propane Tanks in Limbo(in progress)- 18x24" oil painting by Frank Bruckmann©

Just Frank, the propane tanks, and a chilly Westerly wind. can you hear the gulls squawking? I also love this painting because i always thought those tanks marred the beauty of the wharf...i don't think that anymore.

The cemetery painting with a new look. On a previous post, Frank felt the blue was too strong and taking away from the cemetery in the foreground.

Peering Across the Cemetery-revised, 16x20" oil painting by Frank Bruckmann ©

The light across the top of Manana, windy day with rough seas, lobster paraphernalia lining the path to Swim Beach.

Lobster Corridor- 12x16"- oil painting by Frank Bruckmann©

You can almost walk right into this painting:

Looking North, Road Outside the Bracy House-16x20" oil painting by Frank Bruckmann©

Prices for all paintings upon request. Some images enlarge when you double click on them (and for some reason, some don't)

SUGARLOAF ski trip!

We were on our way....to a 2-days of skiing, but 4 days of traveling, ski trip to Sugarloaf mountain, in Carrabassett Valley, ME. Jessie, the kids' schoolteacher and her father teach disabled skiiers how to use incredible equipment to augment their disabilities, and therefore with their years of service, we were invited to really experience Sugarloaf in royal form. Thank you Paul and Jessie for all your incredible assistance....

The Monhegan School Ski Club (ha ha) and their teacher, Jessie.

Day 1 , the kids had their skiing lessons and here i caught up with them as they were being pulled up the mountain on the "Moose Caboose", a snowmobile with a 2 sided sled to drag kids back up the bunny slope.

Up up up they go on the chairlift

Up at the tip top of the mountain with one of the middle schoolers. We had a great run down the mountain where he invented the new kind of crash, called "the frog"

helmut, check....goggles, check....blonde bangs dangling haphazardly in front of eyes, check.

post skiing slumber

For all our family and his friends, i promised Arlo i'd post this video.

"Signs of Spring," as the kids like to say

Spring is springing all around us here.....the kids and I have been going on "signs of Spring" walks, sometimes with our sketchbooks, to identify how Winter is being replaced by the lovely Spring....here are a few examples...

St Patrick's Day Bingo at the Monhegan School for instance....Take a look at us! We really cleaned up. Frank won the coveted award of March Bingo Champ, and his picture will be displayed on the wall, just 2 months away from my pic, as I was the January Bingo Champ....and look at those Shamrock earrings, headbands (thanks Lisa), and the yard ale beer glass Arlo is happily displaying.

Last weekend we spent hours at pebble beach, and no one complained about being cold or wanting to go home! The kids collected periwinkles and made up names and stories about them all, and the tide came in to wash them away. Sadly, we found a dead baby seal that wasn't any larger than a rabbit, which I threw into the surf, away from the dogs.

The harbingers of Spring themselves, a patch of snowdrops on Newt's front lawn.

Getting creative hauling beach garbage. thanks to Chaco's leash and Arlo's hood, we were able to make Pebble Beach nicer (at least until the next storm contributes its flotsam)

Warming up for the Workshop

Painting with Dan Sharkey from Ridgefield, CT, on the backside. Frank and Dan caught the afternoon light and shadows under Burnt Head, looking toward Whitehead. They started the day drinking lots of good strong coffee over breakfast, and then headed out to paint at the wharf. When the Westerly wind ended that painting session, they found refuge here, on the other side of the island, after a quick "lunch and a beer". Both were happy to get a good start on their paintings, and to return back to the house for the Monhegan fishermen's specialty.... LOBSTER!

Thanks for coming up Dan, it kind of felt like a warm-up for Frank's painting workshop, June 12-19th. Send us pics of your finished paintings!

Rocks and water, blue snow

A few more finished paintings to show .....Frank painted a ton while the kids and I were off learning to ski. I love the soft color of the snow and sky, considering it is the dead of winter. For every time I've walked up this hill, I have never "seen" this view but Frank saw the composition, and I love how he expressed it on canvas.

Blue Snow -14x18" oil on canvas-painting by Frank Bruckmann©SOLD

I wish you could see the painting below in "real life". It is large, it is dramatic, you can hear and feel the waves thrashing against the rocks.

Waves Curling in, South of the Harbor -36x48" painting by Frank Bruckmann©

Frank bidding us farewell from the dock, heading back into his studio.

Punishing Surf!

We have run to the backside of the island many times over the past few days. While most of the NE is getting hit with snowstorms, Monhegan has not a drop of snow or ice, but the most dramatic, riveting surf. Standing there, watching, you just want to harness all that power. It is, in the true sense of the word, awesome!

At Gull Pond, check out the cascading water filling up the pond!
The overlook, looking North. What a thrill to come up over the crest and see that feisty ocean
Check out that wave spraying over Gull Rock! and the water pouring into Gull Pond, where we were all safely playing the other day, during low tide. not a soul would step out there with surf like this....On the down side, it is the weather that is delaying the Monhegan School Ski Trip to Sugarloaf...we were supposed to leave this morning, but with 15foot waves and wind gusts up to 50 knots, and pelting rain, it looks like we'll wait for the next ferry off the island, tomorrow. But, being in NEngland, in 5 minutes the sun could be shining....One way or another, the next post will be about the ski trip!