New painting: Sunrise Journey begins

 Facebook is full of many photos that can be used as subjects for paintings. Usually I ask permission to use is as I did in this case it was on the Laura Zamfirescu page. I like doing sunrises and sunsets and this was a massively orange picture. The photo image copies very different colorwise as toned  down. It was vertical and I like doing horizontal so had to enlarge it a bit. As ususal, you can get items with this image on it via pixels

Here's my painting. I m calling it Sunrise Journey Begins

and this is the photo I used

New painting - Stormy Ocean

 I'm still working on my ocean wave painting. This is from a combination of pictures from Facebook and other sources. As usual you can buy items with this image here from Pixels 

New Painting - Waves at Sunset

 In an effort to expand my artistic talents, I have been watching other artist's reels on Facebook showing how to paint waves, auroras and other subjects that I have not tried yet. This is my first attempt at doing waves. I think it's a good first attempt. I will attempting more in the future  Pixels

 

Beach at Sunset

 Love  sunsets and beaches. Bit together are a great thing. As usual you can buy items with image on them from zazzle 

New Painting: Maine Fishing Shack

 One of my favorite subjects to paint is fishing scenes, with or without fishermen, This one I came across on Facebook. I lost the attribution. No people, just a shed and a fishing boat. As usual is you would like a product with this image go to pixels here

New Painting: Newfoundland Lobster Shed

 One of my sources of painting pictures is from a woman photographer in Newfoundland named Catherine Rose. She posts many pictures of harbor scenes and other places around Newfoundland. This is a lobster shack waiting to push off for a day of lobstering. As usual items with this image can be found at pixels

                   

New painting: Sussex County Barn

 This is from a photo I took while traveling around Sussex County New Jersey, which is a very rural section of the state. Love the fence along the road. As usual, check out pixels for merchandise based on this image

 

New painting: Cardinals on a Snowy Sled

 I found this a close in picture of 2 Cardinals on a snowy sled and expanded it

here's my painting

and here's the image I used

as usual you can purchase items with this image om it via pixels

New Painting: Vermont Covered Bridge in Winter

 I love covered bridges. Ive painted so many of them. This is a Vermont Covered Bridge that Ive lost the attribution for. I have problems getting in all the snow covered  branches painted properly. As usual go to  pixels to  get items with this image on them 

 

New Painting: West Chop Sunset

 This is taken from a photo on a website called Vineyard Colors. There was a man on Martha's Vineyard who picked had a commercial paper route and picked them up from the ferry at 3am. While distributing the to various establishments, he would take pictures all over the island and post them on his website. He gave blanket permission to anyone who wanted to use the pictures. I have done a number of paintings of his pictures and he want to see them.

This is a sunset on the West side of Marth's Vineyard between the island and West Chop Mass. As usual, you get purchase items with this image via Pixels website

New painting: Lancaster Barn Sunrise

I love going to Amish Country in central Pennsylvania. Lots of great barns and other scenes. This is not from one of my photographs. It's a a sunrise by an old barn. I hope is there's a lot of depth to it.

As usual check out and buy  items with this image in the pixels

   

new painting - Ocean Grove Book Boat - Pavillion Entrance

As always, Ocean grove is my favorite place on the Jersey Shore. At many of the entrances to the beach, there is propped against the railing a small boat with books for beach goers to relax with. This day there were skateboards, scooters and a bicycle surrounding it. Active and quiet fun for those who want it. As usual I loaded this painting into pixels so you can buy stuff with this image on it

another sale of Sanktay Lighthouse postcards

 Every 6 months or so, some shopkeeper in Cape Cod buys a set of 20 greeting cards showing my painting of the Sanktay Lighthouse at Sunrise on Nantucket. This is their third time. The shop keeper is profiting but i"m getting exposure. So be it

new painting - Thompson Covered Bridge - New Hampshire

 I love covered bridges as a subject. This summer I stayed at a Christian family camp in New Hamphire with a group of friends for a week, One day I organized tour of four of the local covered bridges, one being the Thompson Covered bridge in West Swayze. Beautiful structure. I got a lot of good pictures. I will be doing paintings of 2 of the others since i could not get a good picture of the the last one.

As usual you can go to pixels to purchase items based on this image.

New Painting - Brant Point Lighthouse with Sailboats

 I miss my bike trips on Natucket. For about 10 years we would go  the 3rd weekend in September and stay at the Hostel near Surfside Beach and bike the island and enjoyit. The pandemic came and the hostel was closed. It's a historic landmark so can't be torn down. Ive done many paintings of this lighthouse.

This picture is from someone else and i love this yellow and blue sailboat. As usual you can buy items with tis image on it at Pixels. It's not one of my best but enjoy it anyway

 

Art Memes - more inspiration and humor

 

New Painting - Newfoundland Fishing Shed

 Love fishing shed pictures. This one in from Newfoundland This picture is off of Facebook but I've lost the attribution. This is 11x14 oil on canvas board. This is the painting

and this is the picture I used

New painting - Nantucket: Fishing At Sunset.

 Nantucket is a favorite place with my bike riding friends as long as the surfside hostel was open. The rest of the island is way too expensive. The pandemic closed the hostel and it got sold. End of story for the bike trips, but I did get a lot of great pictures to do paintings of. 

I decided to keep a log of the time put in in producing this. F I usually paint from a photo and put it on top of my easel for a few days just looking at it and praying over it since art is a gift from god and and each painting is an act of worship. Then without any sketching I put painters tape across the panel where the horizon should be and I work that until mostly done. Then I paint below that horizon.

I kept account of how much time I was actually painting  and this one came in at 4 hours plus thinking about it between sessions as I visualized what should come next. As usual a few mishapa along the way, but it worked out. I am also constantly photgraphing the painting to see how it will look on-line, which leads to several attempts to adjust it.

This one is for the 2016 trip and it was a special event. While the sun was setting, the full moon was rising from the ocean. I've enchanced the picture with some wave action. The sand was hard to get painted since it was so dark. As usual you can get Merchandise from Pixels by clicking the link

here's the painting

here's my reference photo

And here's the moon rise going on at the same time

Bergefield Library - meet and greet of Visual Vacation

 I don't like these receptions. I have artist friends who feel the same way. A lot of effort with minimal response. But my friends wanted to see my paintings, but Bergenfield Library is not easy to get to. The only time I could do it was on Sunday the 22nd of September. The place is open 1 - 5 so instead  of a formal reception with a lot of paperwork, I decided on an informal meet and greet. I had classical violin music playing and  had a vase of pink carnations to had out to the ladies. Had about 12 people show up and then went out to dinner them.

Display at Bergenfield NJ library

 I had been thinking doing more displays of my paintings in local libraries. 10 year s ago i went thru most of the libraries in bergen County. I did one in Paramus 2 years ago and I'm scheduled for there again in Februrary. A Friend who works in the Bergenfield NJ library texted  me this sign from her library

So I called and a woman named Maria was in charge and I scheduled it for September. I titled it Jack Mckenzie Art - A Visual Vacation. My business card have that title. One of the librarians called it a Feel Good exhibit. There were three walls and I had to set up the hangers and then the 48 paintings that I had room to put up.  I had my Bob Ross doll in the main display, but the librarian wanted to protect it, so Bob got put in protective custody in one of the cabinets I had a few visitors during September.

I collect many art memes and printed out some to go under the paintings. I've Included a few.