About Me

My photo
Paramus, New Jersey, United States
No, this in not a blog about gardening in any way, but a journal of my journey to become a professional landscape painting artist. For years, I’ve given my paintings as wedding gifts without thinking of profiting in some way from it. I worked for 18 years at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC as a computer programmer. I have been a painter since 1990, coincidentally, when I started working at the Met. I watched Bob Ross do his thing on Channel 13 in New York and decided I could do this, too. I have no formal training. I incorporate Bob's wet-on-wet technique for sky and water. My subject matter is covered bridges, lighthouses, fishing village scenes, barns, etc. Maine, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, Nova Scotia and Spain are some of the places I have painted. My style is detailed and sometimes people think a photo of the painting is an actual photo of the scene. I hope to continue and grow in this medium. I also like to cook & dance. I am also a committed Christian. I am taking commissions - painting your landscapes style photos or your vacation home. Prices on request. contact me - Jackmck@juno.com my website is www.artofjackmckenzie.com

Thursday, August 30, 2012

My September Show At Montclair Library is finally up

After a false start yesterday, I went to Blick Art Supply, got the picture hangers and  got the pictures up today!
First about the town of Montclair. Its a very artsy, student oriented town with Montclair State University nearby. There are many art galleries and restaurants. The Section the library is in is called Montclair Center. on Bloomfield Avenue with the Montclair Art Museum nearby.
The  Montclair Public Library reflects the attitude.
As you go in, turn to the left and you come to the Terra at the Isabel Rose Cafe (fair trade of course) and then next right is a long hallway where the paintings go. Theres an events dining room right next to it, so there.s a lot a traffic, not like some libraries that put it in a "Community Room" in the back. Again, Linda Welch was most helpful in setting this up. She did not have a display table available at the time, so I left my painters cards, comments book and bio with her to set up. We will see what happens. Check the museum's website for their hours. So make a day of it!
Check out the LIbrary,head for nearby Church Street and get a cappuccino, check out a gallery or have lunch or dinner.
 



and the ever helpful Linda Welch

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Getting into Montclair Library early - well almost

So I get this email from Linda Welch at the Montclair Library that their August artist left early for some reason and would I want to come in early? Nice idea, but my struff is still in Washington Twshp. I check with them and it seems besides closing for Labor Day Sat - Mon, they are closing on Friday for carpet cleaning. It all dovetails nicely. I leave a messsage that I'm coming early and go   get the the paintings.
Ms Welch calls back and we talk about all the publicity they are doing, even putting it in the events calendar of the Montclair Patch. I just have to put it in the Paramus Patch and some on-line sites and I'm done.

I get there and find they don't have a hanging system like most libraries, I have to bring my own hooks. It seems it is the emails they sent but I misinterpreted what they meant. I didn have much money on me so I go back home and use my Blick Art Supply gift cards to buy some. Linda was most helpful in trying to find the hardware in the library, but there was none.

A few missteps, but I go back tomorrow and put them up and suggest to Monclair that they get a hanging system like the other libraries have. Montclair has a beautiful library, its a very artsy town and maybe something good will happen here!

Friday, August 24, 2012

New Painting - Rondout Lighthouse - Kingston, NY

My church took a trip up to Kingston NY to take a Hudson River Cruise. The boat sails out of Rondout Creek into the Hudson and this is the lighthouse that stands at the confluence of the two. This is the first of my Hudson River Lighthouse series.  Here's the link describing it - Rondout Lighthouse . You may also want to check out a mug from Zazzle with this image on it - Mug

Quote:
Art is a microscope which the artist fixes on the secrets of his soul, and shows to people these secrets which are common to all. Leo Tolstoy




Monday, August 13, 2012

September Library Art Show - Montclair Public Library

The Monclair (NJ) show is another library show I set up a while ago, but did not forget about. Last week, I got a request from the library for the basic information and a few painting images to be used in publicity. Here's the library's webite Montclair

Meanwhile, the Washington Township Library show has generated little interest that Ive heard of. As I've written here, I've had a reception or two at these library shows and get little interest except from a few friends and family, so I'm don't bother with them any more.

quote : For the mystic what is how.  For the craftsman how is what.  For the artist what and how are one.  ~William McElcheran

Friday, August 10, 2012

When you buy from an independent artist.....






Came across this on Lori McNee's FB Fine Art Tips FB page. Soooo true! Would you please consider my offerings (see merchandising section on top of this blog)  and a few or my friends -

Sharon Gross - website  FB
Ann Babbit Piombino - website FB
Denise Keegan Frawley - website blog
John Dunic - FB
Rachael Picone FB



Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Gotta celebrate this one - National Lighthouse Day 2012

Since lighthouses are one of my main painting genres, It is only natural that I help celebrate National Lighthouse Day. I'm not sure what is is about them that draws me to them.  Being a Christian, we talk about Jesus being our lighthouse, ocean captains have long depended on them to steer them from dangerous rocks, they just look so majestic in their oceanside settings, men attempting to pierce the stormy darkeness to guide others home to name just a few reasons.
Here are a few of my lighthouse paintings - Enjoy!








And here's one of the links concerning this day - article/national-lighthouse-day-2012-events-celebrating-america-s-iconic-guiding-light

Thursday, August 2, 2012

The Washington Township Library show is up!

Well, I got the paintings into the library's community/program room. Nice space and the staff could not have been more helpful. Nice people. The only usage for the room this month is a weekly movie, so at least some exposure will come from that. They let me put a painting in the front entrance with a sign and there's a sign in front of the room, so hopefully that will draw some traffic. I also added the show to the Patch's (in both Paramus and Westwood-Hillsdale) events page. We shall see what happens
http://westwood-hillsdale.patch.com/events/the-art-of-jack-mckenzie-at-washington-township-library

Here are a few pictures








Quote : When I work, I work very fast, but preparing to work can take any length of time.
Cy Twombly