Collector's Pics

Christmas updates from my collectors:

It ALWAYS makes my day when I receive Collectors Pics of my paintings in their new home.
This year a couple of people sent in these pics of the paintings under their Christmas trees. I see it as a great honour being included and getting a glimpse where my paintings find their home.
I was so busy tending to commissioned paintings that I didn't have a lot of time to post on my blog in December, so I hope to thread in in the next few weeks what has happened last month in my 'studio' (actually my easel is pitched in my living room by the warm fire, haha).

If you have been following my blog, you have seen above painting before. You can read the story behind this painting in the blog post by clicking here.
And the painting below was purchased by a sweet husband who wanted to surprise his darling wife. I had painted the Winnebago Cabover Painting as part of my 'camper a day' project this past September. He called me up mid December and I got the painting on its way right in time for Christmas. I am smiling as I see how lovingly it is placed! You collectors of mine are theee best, thank you! I appreciate each one of you so very much! You keep me painting and pushing my limits to become better at what I love to do! Thank you!!!

Cold Snap

Have I mentioned it was cold here in the Maritimes the last couple of weeks? Below are some photos from the St. Andrews wharf I took just a few days ago. The sea smoke on the water is a sure fire indication that it is a verrrryyy cold day. 

My painting day today

We are expecting a 'snow bomb' to explode here in the Maritimes tomorrow. Markus and the people of St. Andrews have been busy getting their houses ready. I hope people will stay home and stay away from the roads. Here this was the view from the wharf this afternoon. Isn't it beautiful? I started a painting, but couldn't quite finish due to frozen cold fingers. Will post about that in the next few days sometime. Hope to finish some last touches, maybe tomorrow. 
Thanks for taking time to visit, and stay in touch again tomorrow.

Canadian Boler in White

Canadian Boler, watercolor, comes matted to fit 16x20 frame, info and purchase click here.

Today's feature painting is this cute 1980's Canadian Boler. I dropped off our daughter at her summer camp and did a quick drive to the nearby campground which has become almost a routine for me now to scout out possible vintage camper sightings. My kids they just roll their eye when mother gets the long neck looking for campground signage.

Little story around the painting

Anyhow, it was a beautiful day and the small island campground is built right by the ocean front. There is a lighthouse at the grounds, too. The US is right across a small strip of ocean, maybe a couple hundred yards away. The lighthouse is really needed as the tides are very high around here, actually, we have the world's highest tides. Furthermore, these masses of water pushing in and out of the Bay of Fundy create a nutrient rich feeding ground for whales and wildlife. But with these enormous amounts of water being in constant movement, result in strong currents, too. This current is the strongest in the Western Hemisphere by the campground on Deer Island is called Old Sow. One can see the swirling movements even from shore.

OK, finally, now to come back to today's painting... almost got carried away, haha! As I am doing my drive-around on the campground, I see this little fiberglass Canadian Boler. It was all by itself in the hight of summer at this little oceanfront campground! Of course I stopped the car and walked to the owners and asked if I would be allowed to take a couple of photographs. We had a nice chat, they were from New Brunswick, and they even showed me the inside. It has carpet on the walls inside and was very, very well kept. I could see how much love and care has been given to this little gem. I met the owners later at the PEI camper meet again- surely a small (camper) world in this neck of our woods!

Blueberry Fields Forever Commission Painting

Blueberry Fields Forever #3

commission, sold

I hope this post finds you all well after a wonderful Christmas celebration and/or some relaxing days! 

Before Christmas I have been contacted by a person who fell in love with my paintings, Blueberry Fields Forever. After some email conversations, he ordered a similar painting to the ones he saw online- as a commission Christmas surprise for his wife. I hope she liked it, he really wanted to get her something personal and from the heart. They live close to the area portrayed in the paintings.

The local wild blueberry fields really do turn a bright red once the fall frosts hit them. This creates a stunning contrast with the dark blue ever-green trees in the distance.

Blueberry Fields Forever #5

orig. watercolour, 6x8in approx.

more info and purchase: click here

As part of the commission, I have painted a total of three paintings! I wanted to make sure he found just the right one for his space. The two others are available now via my webshop.

Blueberry Fields Forever #4

orig. watercolour 6x8in approx., matted to 11x14in

more info and purchase: click here

This one above I painted on hot press paper which yields a more fluid look and the colours are a touch brighter. Different materials yield different results as you can see!

On a private note, we had a great celebration with the kids. On the 25th we had the restaurant open again and our darling daughter helped even serve and be the host for the evening. I myself helped Markus in the kitchen a bit. It has become a tradition and our Europa team is so gracious to come and serve on Christmas Day! Thank you all for making this possible!

Stay in touch with more recent paintings I have created but had no time to post!

If you like, please friend me on FB or Instagram: SimoneRitterArt

Long Eddy Lighthouse

'Long Eddy Lighthouse', Grand Manan, NB

orig. watercolour 5x7in approx

On Display May 6-20, Sunbury Shores, St. Andrews, Canada

'Inspirations- Man Made and Human'

Today's Lighthouse is the Long Eddy Lighthouse on Grand Manan.

If you love nature and still pretty undiscovered coastline, visiting this island is for you!

Located in the Bay of Fundy, a 1.5 hour ferry ride from the main land, Grand Manan Island is still dominated by the fishing industry. You see lots of wharfs, fishing huts, windy roads, fishermen working, rustic clapboard houses, undisturbed nature and wild coast lines.

View from our cottage, the moon rising

Grand Harbour Light (Ross Island LIght) has since collapsed, so sad..

You can see many working wharfs

Some days are foggy but warm, making for moody scenery

long, undiscovered beaches

in the distance you can see the fog rolling in-and-out 

I have enjoyed painting the scenery during every visit I made- smelling the salt air, listening to the fog horns in the distance, buoys with bells that warn of shallow waters, purple wildflowers swaying in the breeze and the simple pleasure of staying right by the water in a small, rustic cottage, roasting marsh mallows in a fire right by the beach- what could be more calming and beautiful to the heart!? Plein air artists have enjoyed the wild romantic setting and come year after year to soak in, create and capture its beauty on canvas to share with the world.

My dad and kids enjoying fire by the beach

The summers are short here on the Canadian East Coast, and even shorter on the Islands around it. But man, do they put on a show! If you get a chance, take time to discover them! Bring your camper or rent a cottage (and with the US dollar so strong, Americans really get a steal of a deal this year travelling to Canada).

I've included some photos of my trips to the island to whet your appetite;-) thanks for stopping by!

Simone

Day at the Beach

Playing Sand at the Beach

orig. watercolour 5x6in approx.

more info and purchase: click here

Playing Ball at the Beach

orig. watercolour 5x6in approx. 

more info and purchase: click here

As I already knew yesterday, there wouldn't really be time to paint a campie today, boo.

But as I already knew yesterday, there was time at one of the most beautiful beaches in New Brunswick: New River Beach! Yey!

And there were many kids, wonderful late summer sunshine combined with mid summer temperatures, making for a most memorable day- perfect for some beach sketches.

Here are some photos of the beach and two moments of today captured in these two watercolour studies.

PS: Just finished pickling some of our family's favourite: Lady Ashburnham pickles, the whole house smells good!

New River Beach- see how only one person is there???? Best kept secret!

Wie ich gestern schon vermutet hatte, war heute leider nicht genug Zeit einen Camper zu malen, boo.

Aber wie ich gestern schon wusste, wuerde heute ein Tag am Meer sein, genauer: an einem der schoensten Straende New Brunswicks:New River Beach! Yay!

Und da waren viele Kinder, wunderschoener Altweibersommersonnenschein (ich und meine langen Worte) kombiniert mit Hochsommer Temperaturen, perfekt fuer einen unvergesslichen Tag und malen am Strand.

Heute Abend habe ich noch Gurken eingelegt, die hier beliebten Lady Ashburnham, unsere Kinder finden die super.

Hier sind ein paar Fotos und zwei Glimpse festgehalten in diesen Aquarellbildern.

Day #10: Sunny Afternoon Boat

Sunny Afternoon Boat, palette knife oil, 6x6 x 2 3/8in, sold

Today's painting I took off to the St. Andrews wharf again. It's home territory for me and the kids love collecting treasures- so, it's a win/win.
The sun was glistening on the water surface and bathing the surroundings in radiant light.
I wanted to dig right in and opted for the palette knife. The brush was only used to tint the canvas yellow, all other paint was applied with the knife. I'm tired now, the wind and sun combo wears me out- in a good way;-)  Thanks for stopping by! Blessings,                              Simone

2 3/8" deep canvas

Das heutige Bild ist vom St. Andrews' Wharf aus. Es ist sowas wie meine zweite Heimat. Die Kinder lieben dort Schaetze am Strand zu suchen.
Die Sonne war heute so strahlend weiss und verwandelte die Wasseroberflaeche in ein Diamantenmeer. Ich wollte dann gleich rangehen und waehlte auch gleich das Malmesser aus. 
Den Pinsel hab ich nur hergenommen fuer die Grundierung der Leinwand in gelb, alle andere Farbe wurde mit dem Palettmesser aufgetragen. Jetzt bin ich müde, Sonne und Wind Kombination zieht mir immer die Fuesse weg- auf  'ne gute Art;-)  
Vergelt's Gott fuer's Vorbeischau'n!                                                Simone

St. Andrews Cottage

St. Andrews Cottage, oil, 6x6in. plein air, 50$

Today's painting I just finished! After we finished schooling (happy weekend all;-), the kids wanted to go to the playground. They had fun running and climbing and I started today's painting. After I had blocked in and just gained ground I heard that noise which made me crinch... I knew what was coming: a lawn tractor! I was all set-up in the middle of the green space and knew I had to move.
My kids were kind and helped re-locate, but by moving the easel, the painting tipped and fell into the palette- yikes! So, this was a good exercise in 'keeping focus', after all I could finish it from a distance where there was a nice shady spot. I'm off not to cook dinner for the 'gang', while Markus is busy, busy in the restaurant.   Thanks for stopping by!                              Simone

PS: My big 'Pool Painting' will be going to the brand new Algonquin Resort Pool- will post pic's once installed..

Pool Painting, on display at the Algonquin Resort St. Andrews, $7800.-

Jetzt habe ich gerade das heutige Bild fertig! Nachdem wir mit Schule fertig waren (frohes Wochenende;-), wollten die Kinder hoch zum Spielplatz. Während sie Spass hatten mit rennen und turnen fing ich mein heutiges Bild an. Nach einem zügigen Start hörte ich ein gewisses Geräusch das mich zusammenzucken liess: Rasentraktor! Ich hatte mich genau mittig auf der Grünfläche positioniert und wusste dass ich umziehen musste. Meine Kids waren echt suess und halfen mein Gebündel wegzutragen, aber als ich meine Pochade Staffelei wegtrug, fiel mein Bild geradewegs auf die Farbpalette- hiilllffeee! So, was ich heute gelernt habe: Fokus beibehalten und tief durchatmen auch wenn's mal nicht ganz glatt geht (ich muss gestehen, ich hatte ein paar böse Gedanken). Trotz allem war's OK denn ich fand ein schattiges Plätzchen etwas weiter weg wovon ich dann ganz gut fertigmalen konnte. Jetzt bin ich auf'm Weg in die Kueche: Abendessen kochen fuer die Kinder- Markus kocht noch auf Hochbetrieb im Restaurant. 
Vielen Dank fuer's vorbeischau'n!                                                              Simone

PS: Mein grosses Poolgemaelde wird fuer's Marriott Algonquin Resort abgeholt- in ihren neuen Poolbereich

New Paintings, New Challenge

Island Quest Whale Watch Hut, watercolour, 22x25, 695$ 

It has been a while, but I've been busy painting, painting, painting this summer (thanks to my dad who flew in from Germany to help with the kids and around the house). Here are some of my this summer's efforts, mostly plein air, some studio pieces.
I just signed up for 30-paintings-in-30-days challenge, so you'll see my progress report starting September 1st;-)
We have been very busy with our Inn, Europa Inn & Restaurant and still very busy for another month and a half. Thanks for stopping by and God bless! Simone

Busy by the Wharf, plein air, 22x30, sold

St. Andrews Waterfront, 110x180cm, ...byDesign Gallery Bangor

Cottage Craft, plein air, 8x10, sold

Dive Shop, plein air, 5x7approx., sold

Two Chartreuse Chairs, plein air, 22x30, sold

Lupins at the Blockhouse, 11x14approx. sold

Fishing Boat, plein air, 11x14in. approx. 325$

Summer Cottage, 11x14in, plein air, 325$

St. Andrews lighthouse, 11x14, sold

Box of pencils, oil 9x9in, 200$

Cottage Craft, 5x7in, plein air, sold

Small Boat, plein air, 5x7, sold

Little boat, plein air 5x7, 95$

Katy's Cove Beach, plein air, sold

Cottage Craft, plein air, sold

Nun ist's doch schon wieder 'ne Weile her, seit meinem letzten Eintrag. Diesen Sommer war ich viel am malen, dank Babysitting Service von meinem Papa, der fuer 3 Monate auf Besuch rübergeflogen ist. Die meisten Gemälde sind von den letzen Wochen, plein air, ein Paar Studiobilder. Ich hab mich eingetragen fuer 30-paintings-in-30-days, so werde im September einiges malen;-)

St. Andrews Waterfront, oil, 30x40in, sold

Wir hatten einen guten Sommer im Europa Inn & Restaurant und sind noch die nächsten 6 Wochen oder so. Danke fuer's vorbeischauen und Gottes Segen! Simone

A short trip to Grand Manan Island

Grand Manan fishing boats, watercolour 14x22in approx. $400 framed

a few days ago, I packed up the kidlets and my dad and we headed to Grand Manan Island.
Grand Manan is in the Bay of Fundy, about 1.5 hours on the ferry from Black's Harbour; mostly fishing and some tourism provide income, it is not 'discovered', so many quiet spots still, many working wharfs, lots of untouched scenery.
The weather was great, and we were lucky that Seaside Haven Cottages just happened to have a couple nights vacancy. So we headed out, leaving Markus home 'minding the Inn', I wished he could have come along... but we met two couples that had stayed at Europa Inn a few days before!
Here are the paintings I came up with...
Thank you for stopping by;-)

Swallowtail from Pette's Cove, watercolour 14x22in approx.

vor ein paar Tagen, packte ich meine Kids und meinen Papa ins Auto und wir besuchten die Insel Grand Manan. Grand Manan liegt in der Fundy Bucht, ca 1.5 Stunden mit der Fähre von Black's Harbor. Die Infrastruktur ist Fischfang und Tourismus, jedoch würde ich die Insel noch als Geheimtip bezeichnen, viele ruhige Plätzchen, viele private Anlegestellen der Fischer; etwas traurig schauen einige Häuser aus, da viele Junge Arbeiter 'gen Westen ziehen, da der Fischfang nicht mehr genug Einkommen bringt (die Meere sind leer)...
Das Wetter war toll, und wir hatten Glück dass die Seaside Haven Cottages gerade 2 Nächte frei hatten! So brachen wir auf und liessen Markus zuhaus' beim Geschäft (Hochsaison im Europa Inn), schade dass er nicht dabei war... doch zur Überraschung trafen wir 2 Pärchen, die erst ein paar Tage zuvor im Europa übernachtet und gegessen hatten! Dies sind die Bilder die ich auf Grand Manan gemalt habe...
Danke fuers vorbeischauen;-)

 old smoke houses on Seal Cove, watercolour, 

 Clam diggers near Ross Island Light, watercolour

 Little Wharf on Ingall's Head, watercolour