Where has Jo M. Orise been?

As I sit here, late in the evening, I wonder where time has flown?

Summer 0f 2025 I created the largest water color I’ve ever painted. A commissioned work.

A lady walked into my studio and said she had purchased a painting from me a few years back.

“Where was that?”

“At Aldermere Farm’s Art Show.”

I said, “Out to Pasture.” One of many framed artworks I had hung and sold at the Aldermere Art Show over the years.

She looked surprised and said, “Yes.”

In turn, I surprised myself to have correctly pointed out which one she purchased. But I do things like that and don’t have a clue when or why it happens.

“I like your colors,” she said. “And I want to commission you to paint my back yard. I live on an island not far from here. My back yard is the ocean.”

I hesitated, then decided it would be fun and a challenge, for she wanted a very large painting. A planned secret gift for Husband at Christmas!

They lived in MA and spent summer days in ME. He occasionally returned to MA to work. One such occasion was comming up for him to leave the day after she left. The plan: I go to their summer home and paint the scenery from her back porch while they were gone.

I asked if there were cameras, alarms or neighbors who would notify authorities or her husband of a trespasser. “Not to worry. There are no cameras and the neighbors won’t say anything.”

So, on a beautiful summer day, I went with hubby.

In their drive, I spotted a suspicious light fixture—a camera, I was sure. I drove closer to the garage, stepped out, found the back porch of a beautiful summer home and sketched, snapped photos, examined the terrain, the water, rocks, birds, ships and boats going by. Beautiful!

The next day’s e-mail reported Husband had, without her knowing, installed a security camera, and a neighbor kept watch for them. He excitedly called Husband announcing an older lady with bags arrived at the home. Then she left later with her bags. (I had a bag for my paints and a sketch board with sketch taped to it.)

“Older lady?” Hmm-m. That was me. (My hubby was not captured in the footage.)

Wife removed the footage, and said she didn’t know what he was talking about. To stop asking the same question.

A highly prominant rock formation, I felt, had to be part of the painting…the focal point where all they admired and did was anchored to that monument of very white rock…Quartz? I’ve forgotten what it was called. But it is a point of great interst to their Geologist neighbor.

Here is the painting. Photo did not do justice to the blue. Sorry.

The painting took weeks to complete…first I created a rough draft which I painted, then I prepared the paper and created a background for it to be tacked to. That took a while. I had to change the background to homasote board. That worked best.

I struggled with the placement of so many objects wife wished to include…Husband in his boat, their kiyaks, her decorations.

Here’s Husband happy with his Christmas present. Only showing eyball and his smile’s dimple… to preserve his privacy.