YOUR ART HERE

Our latest Your Art Here submission is from Heidi Mayo. “I keep my rowing shell at Billington Sea Kayak, and row often in the summer,” she writes. “This pastel painting called ‘Seymour’s Steps’ is of a favorite stopping off place where the light is always inviting – Seymour’s Island in the Billington Sea.”

What this section all about: Arts are an essential part of the Plymouth community. That’s why we offer this forum for local visual artists to display their work on our site. We welcome images of paintings, illustrations, anime, photographs, and any other art form that translates to online display. It’s our way of offering exposure to some of Plymouth’s many creative types.

To participate, send your file to art@plymouthindependent.org. Please include your name, email, and a phone number. We encourage you to accompany your submission with a brief description of the image, or an explanation of how it came to be. We don’t guarantee publication and reserve to act like a cranky curator and reject any submission outright. You can opt to have your email address published if you are interested in selling a work. We can’t wait to see what you’ve been up to.

Bob Warner, who seems to be dominating the Your Art Here section of late – is “back with another submission for your consideration.” We’re not complaining.

“On a recent trip down to Ellisville it was my intention to try to capture some cardinals with my camera, but on the way back to the car, with the light fading, I took in this scene,” he writes. “The winds were calm, and the marsh was full at high tide, causing this reflection from the trees on the opposite side. I converted this to black and white, then inverted the tones in my photo editor. I’ve had a few folks comment that this looks like a feather.”

This submission is a seasonal one from Steve Garfield. “The photo was taken at the end of the first performance of ‘A Christmas Carol’ outside the Hedge House [on Dec. 12]… where the actors were mingling with the guests,” he writes.

Here’s another Your Art Here submission from regular contributor Bob Warner. “When the leaves were still on my dogwood tree, this male bluebird landed late one afternoon,” he writes. “The tree is often frequented by various birds on their way to the nearby feeder or birdbath. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, and the color of the leaves in the tree provided a nice frame for the bird. I used a shallow depth of field to blur the background and set off the bird. I’ve since turned this photo into note cards, and it will no doubt make an appearance on my next calendar project. Readers interested in my work, including prints, note cards and calendars are invited to visit my site.”

This submission is from regular contributor Bob Warner, who writes: “I took this shot in mid-January on a messy morning. We’d had a bit of snow and from my deck I’m often able to get shots of birds in their natural setting. In this case I found a female Pine Warbler seeking shelter in a large pine tree in the backyard. These tiny creatures visit my yard for a few months when the weather turns colder, as I put out food for them (homemade “bark butter” and dried mealworms) and provide water via a heated bird bath. They are frequent visitors throughout the day, and it affords me a wealth of photo opportunities. I recently turned this shot into note cards to sell during the holidays. Folks interested in my work can find it here.”

This Your Art Here offering is a photograph taken by Ed Nute. While recently shooting artifacts for Pilgrim Hall Museum, he was granted access to the downtown building’s roof. “Not as scary as the Spire scaffold photoshoot,” Nute says. “Still, a great view. I’m becoming quite the scaffold photographer.”

This submission is a photograph from Sam Cotter that he took on a morning walk. “I thought the reflection of the foliage on the water was quite nice,” he wrote.

This Your Art Here submission is from regular contributor Bob Warner. “When I can’t get away from the house to shoot, my backyard often provides plenty of opportunities to capture shots of the birds who frequent my feeders,” he writes. “Here’s a male House Finch in the Dogwood tree before it lost its leaves. I shot this late in the afternoon and loved how the background became blurred. To see more of Warner’s work – besides on the PI site, go here.

This submission to Your Art Here is a painting by Dan Garte, who offers this advice for these tenuous times:
“If you want to be anxious and stressed watch the news or surf the web, but if you want to restore your spirit, take a walk in nature.”

This submission is from Karen Gabriel. “I recreate interesting trees from around the world using natural jute and other fibers as well,” she writes. “This is my rendition of a tree commonly known as the Bottle Tree. Its scientific name is Pachypodium Lealii and it can be found growing in Namibia and southern Angola in semi-desert regions. This particular piece measures 36 inches wide and 77 inches high.”

This submission is from regular contributor Bob Warner. (If you haven’t watched Christopher Harting’s short video on Bob’s work, check it out here.)

Warner says he recently took a trip to Maui and Kaui, “where I took hundreds of photos, including this one at the magnificent Maui Garden of Eden along the Road to Hana. It’s a beautiful botanical garden with an abundance of tropical shrubs, trees and flowers. Highly recommended for anyone while on a trip to Maui. Readers interested in seeing more of my shots from Maui and Kauai can view them in a gallery on my SmugMug site: Bob Warner Photography.”

This Your Art Here submission is a plein air acrylic painting by Margaret Rosenbaum titled “Long Point Road.” She says it “was created for an upcoming special exhibit of local fall scenery” at the True Grit Gallery in Middleborough. 

Do you know a local visual artist who might want to display an image on the Plymouth Independent site (reaching thousands of viewers)? Let them know about our virtual gallery.

This Your Art Here submission comes from regular contributor Bob Warner. “I was up early [on a recent morning] and took a ride down to Whip’s Farm in Chiltonville to take some photos,” he writes. “Mist had settled over the landscape, and I had the lane all to myself as I meandered from one end to the other taking shots as the light improved.”

You can see more of Bob’s working by scrolling through the Your Art Here section, and by going here: Bob Warner Photography.

This submission is from Alyssa Whelan. “On a recent Saturday night, I took this photo from atop the big grassy hill by Plymouth Rock,” she writes. “A waning moon and its sparkling pathway of light.”

This submission is a hand-crocheted piece from Betsy Bailey “using scraps of yarn that I had on hand.” She says her husband Scott “did the leather handles and attached them for me.”

This submission is from Ed Russell, who writes: “This mushroom was seen next to a pathway at Plimoth Patuxet Museums. The museum’s kitchen staff kindly provided the mushroom’s extra dressings and it was all left in place for museum passersby as a bit of whimsy for its short mushroom life.”

Do you know a local visual artist who might want to display an image on the Plymouth Independent site (reaching thousands of viewers)? Let them know about our virtual gallery.

By now you’ve probably seen dozens – if not hundreds – of Northern Lights photos taken on Thursday evening (Oct. 10), but we thought we’d share at least one with you, taken by Matthew Sheehan.

“I was walking near the waterfront around 9:30 p.m. and saw a shooting star, so I stopped to simply just look at the stars and sky,” he writes. “I had zero clue there was supposed to be any Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis. I didn’t hear anything about it, and it wasn’t really visible to the naked eye (if you weren’t specifically looking for it). I took out my iPhone to try and snap a pic and it allowed me to actually see the true vibrant colors. I snapped a few shots showcasing the Mayflower II in the foreground, as well as another shot up on the hill looking down on Plymouth Rock in the foreground.”

This Your Art Here submission is from regular contributor Bob Warner. “As we move towards mid-Autumn, I thought you might enjoy this shot from Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary, taken in mid-November from the boardwalk,” he writes. “As we get later in the year, the sun lights up this area of the stream in the late afternoon. I’ve shot this scene many times, and this image in particular now hangs on my wall, printed on acrylic. I love how this landscape changes through the seasons.”

You can see more of Bob’s photographs on his website, Bob Warner Photography. You can get a behind-the-scenes look at how he works in this Plymouth Independent video by Christopher Harting.

This submission is a watercolor called “Morning at the Basilica, by Janice Barney. “I have been taking watercolor lessons at [the] Plymouth Center for Active Living for the past couple of years,” she writes. “This painting is of a side door at St. Theresa’s Basilica in Barcelona. I liked the way the light played off of the surfaces.”

This submission is from Aaron Keaton. “This is trametes versicolor, commonly known as turkey tail,” he writes. “It’s a polypore mushroom that often grows on fallen branches or logs on the forest floor. This is my favorite mushroom for its stunning array of vibrant colors. I photographed this specimen on a trail in the Center Hill Preserve.”

This submission is a photograph form Kathy Southern that she took on Long Beach. “Gray days can be beautiful, too,” she writes.

This submission comes from Ed Russell – a photo “captured on an iPhone.” He says it shows “one last celebratory and very youthful jump as summer ends.”

See the “about” section on the Your Art Here page to find out how to submit an image of your work for consideration.

This submission is from regulator contributor Bob Warner, who specializes in photographs of birds. “I thought your readers might enjoy this closeup shot of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird as it pulls away from the feeder that hangs off my deck,” Warner writes. “This time of year, the hummingbirds are feeding more frequently at the feeder, ahead of their migration in mid to late September. I managed to catch this image from about 15 feet away using a very high shutter speed in the early afternoon as I sat on the porch enjoying my coffee. I was shooting against a backdrop of evergreens with a low aperture but added a slight bit of texture to the background to help set off the bird in mid-air. Readers can find my portfolio here if they’re interested in seeing more of my work.”

And if you haven’t seen it, please watch video journalist Christopher Harting’s 80-second video profile of Bob. It’s fascinating.

This submission is a photograph from Linda Howes. “My photos are all natural,” she writes. “I don’t alter them other than adding a tint of color occasionally. I use my own creativity to creative unique photos. The other thing I do that is unique is light painting, using colored light, I do that naturally too, and with crystal balls.”

“I took this at Sampson’s Pond in Carver. The view through the crystal ball is upside down, so you see the sun shining at the bottom of the balls. I think nature and crystal balls go nicely together, one complimenting the other.” Howes’s website is here.

This Your Art Here submission is from Joan Patterson. “I mostly draw animals but I wanted to try a reflective piece and this glass was in my cabinet, so I decided to draw it,” she writes.

This submission is a photograph from Phoebe Flynn. “On July 22, 2022, I took this photo of Bug Light with my cell phone,” she writes. “It was a foggy morning, and we were on our way out to fish off Manomet Point. It continues to be one of my favorite photos since it reminds me both of growing up here in Plymouth and what turned out to be a fantastic day of striper fishing that summer. A friend recommended I share it, so others can enjoy it, too.”

This submission is a mixed media collage entitled “Blue Wilbur,” from Laura Fait Harvey.

This submission is a photograph from regular Your Art Here contributor Bob Warner. “I thought you might be interested in this shot of a Snowberry Clearwing Moth (aka hummingbird moth),” he writes. “I took this from about 20 feet away as it fed on the butterfly bush in my garden. These tiny creatures are great pollinators and it’s always fun to catch them with my camera.” To see more of his work, go here. 

This submission is a photograph of a 16″-x-20” acrylic from Darlene Baker. “Daylilies add a little brightness as you can find them all over this time of year,” she writes. “But, alas, their bloom is short-lived. I painted this from my photo so I could enjoy them a little longer. “

This submission is a photograph from Ed Nute. “I love wandering around Plymouth with my camera,” he writes. “I borrowed a fish-eye lens from a friend. Wasn’t getting anything I liked. Till I turned the corner in Town Square. And there it was. So much art right in front of us, I will keep wandering.” Nute adds that his new work can be viewed on Instagram at enutephoto.

This submission is a photograph from Kathy Southern. “As usual, I find beautiful views during my runs,” she writes. “This shot was taken with my iPhone SE out on Long Beach. There isn’t enough ‘film’ to capture them all.”

This submission is a pastel painting of Plymouth’s Long Beach by Sharlene Cirillo.

This submission is a photograph from Bob Healy that he describes simply as “my wife’s roses.” His wife is Susan Healy.

This submission is a photograph from Bob Warner. “I have a nesting pair of Eastern Bluebirds in my yard. This is one of the recently fledged bluebirds being fed by its father on my deck,” he writes. “I have a nice telephoto lens and they don’t mind if I shoot from the other end of the deck. This was taken on a rainy afternoon on May 16th. I have a series of these, including some mid-air shots. My work can be seen here.”

This submission is titled “Billows,” a 12-by-18-inch pastel from Heidi Mayo. “I see such beauty every day on my run, I have to paint it,” she says. This painting captures “a moment on High Cliff in North Plymouth.”

This contribution is from Tim Downie, who took this photo on Burial Hill in 2021. He used a Photoshop filter called Color Pop to enhance the image. “I find Burial Hill is my sanctuary and very relaxing,” Downie says.

This submission is from Melissa Pulis Wakeman. “I create large impermanent beach rock mosaics on my studio floor, wherever that may be at the moment,” she says. “The creations are often life sized. They are then extensively photographed and then the rocks are cleared away to create new stories.” This image – with Wakeman in it – is called “The Phoenix.”

She also wrote an accompanying poem:

More of Wakeman’s work can be seen here. 

This submission is “Jaravko Star,” an origami work from Andrea Plate. She describes it as being “folded by me from a single octagon of light pink Mulberry Tissue Paper, no glue, no cuts.” The design is by Natailia Guzowska and Jorge Jaramillo. 

Plate said she offers free origami workshops at the Manomet Library on the third Saturday of each month, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. You can sign up through the library’s events calendar here. Plate also teaches a more advanced workshop online on the first Tuesday of the month, from 4 to 6 p.m. For more information on that class, email her at aspcare2@gmail.com.

This submission is from Greg Saschuk, who says he took this photograph on April 11 as the Mayflower II was being towed from Mystic Seaport in Connecticut back to its berth at State Pier Plymouth. “It was @7:30ish in the morning and the fog was just breaking at the Sagamore Bridge,” he writes. For you photo nerds, he provided this technical information: shutter speed 1/800sec, F2.8, and ISO 100.

This submission is a pastel painting from Heidi Mayo titled “Beautiful Oysters.” “I went to Wood’s [Seafood] and asked them for a dozen of their juiciest most beautiful oysters,” she writes. “They posed while I made a couple of quick value sketches and took some reference photos. Then we ate them.”

This submission is a painting by Bryan Ebbs, submitted by his proud girlfriend, Becky Simoes. “Bryan is a wildly talented watercolor line and wash artist who enjoys sketching and painting local historic sites,” she writes. “This one is his rendition of Town Square in Plymouth. As a relatively new resident of Plymouth, he is in the process of creating a collection of paintings from the many historic sites around town.”

This submission is a photograph from Janice Drew that she took nearly 10 years ago. “’The Sun and the Fog’ still remains one of [my] favorite photographs,” she says. “It was taken on the morning of August 20, 2014, as the sun came out and the fog rolled in quickly. It was one of those few times that both shallops were docked by the historic Mayflower II at State Pier.”

This submission is a photograph of a harbor sunrise in Rockland, Maine, by Peter J. Matlon. He says he took it from his sailboat, Iona, using “my old Samsung cell phone without a filter.” 

This submission is from Kathy Southern, who took this photo at Plymouth Marina while on a run to “clear” her head. “It seems to work every time I take the journey around my hometown,” she says.

This submission is a watercolor titled “Immature Gull in Early Spring,” by Peter Arenstam. “I painted [it] based on a photo I took at Plymouth beach in early March,” he says.

This submission is a 16-by-20-inch acrylic by Darlene Baker, which she painted from a friend’s photograph. “While walking the waterfront last fall, I was there at the right time and was taken by the reflections on the inlet behind the ticket booths,” she says. “I’ve seen many paintings and photos of the front of the booths but on this day, the back was much more interesting.”

This submission is a photograph by John Rodgers of the fourth hole at the Jones golf course in the Pinehills development. The photo hangs in the Pinehills clubhouse.

This submission is from Beth Gragg, who writes, “I’m sure you’ve had lots of submissions from last week’s rainbow. Here is mine, taken from Manomet Bluffs. A truly lovely and amazing sight.”

This submission is from Daniel Garte. “It’s a painting I did of some boats docked along the Jones River in Kingston on a quiet morning last summer,” he says.  “It is an acrylic painting, which is my favorite medium. In my work I try to take the time to absorb the beauty of the natural world around me and then express that in my paintings.”

This submission is a photograph from Paul Stanish. “Once a year at sunrise one can capture the sun passing between the Cape Cod Canal railroad bridge and the Bourne Bridge,” he says. “I was able to capture this picture from Mass. Maritime Academy. I particularly like the fisherman standing on the bank of the canal.”

This submission is a painting from Patty Dysart. “I’ve been drawn to these small shacks across from Long Beach for years, watching their slow deterioration and wondering if they are next on a demolition list,” she says. “What is their history? Who used them? What stories do they hold? I’ve heard many consider them an eyesore.  I do not. I’m hoping this small painting invokes in the viewer a curiosity as to these small hard-working shacks and their important part in Plymouth’s simpler times.”

This submission is from Connie Melahoures (whose November submission was the first one for Your Art Here). This image, taken last summer on Plymouth’s Long Beach, is part of the Plymouth Center for the Arts iPhonography show.