Yellow Rose Series, #1 – acrylic painting

Posted on December 22, 2019 by Mary

Yellow roses are an expression of exuberance. Yellow roses evoke sunny feelings of joy, warmth and welcome. They are symbols of friendship and caring – http://www.theflowerexpert.com

In my research I found several different meanings/symbolism’s for the yellow rose – this particular meaning stuck with me and it voices how I feel about the friendships developed over the last 7 years through WP blog.

Yellow Rose, Series #1 (acrylic painting) was painted on canvas using mainly golden and liquitex brand paints.  I used a photograph taken of roses from my garden (before the rosette disease destroyed the bush – so sad because each year the bush was flush with very large gorgeous yellow roses).

Over the years many photographs were taken of my yellow roses that would be great painting references, so I decided to do a small series on yellow roses ~ perhaps 5 or so paintings over the course of the next 6 months.  At least that’s the plan/goal.

Thank you for visiting and hope, my blogging friends, you have a Merry Christmas ~ best wishes for a wonderful 2020.  (click onto the image for a larger view)

Please don’t take my images – my art is copyrighted.  Please don’t copy or use the image without receiving my permission first – see disclosure on the right panel.
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The Field – acrylic painting

Posted on December 7, 2019 by Mary

Life is like a landscape. You live in the midst of it but can describe it only from the vantage point of distance – by Charles Lindbergh

The Field, an acrylic painting (9″ x 6″), was done on a gesso prepared hardboard using Liquitex and Golden brand acrylics. I tried out Princeton Select “Deerfoot” brushes (sort of like mini-mop brushes) to blend the clouds.  I discovered I was also able to lay down many layers of paint that allowed a fuller body to the cloud structure giving nice depth.  These brushes stood up well to the task and in the end held their shape.  I love them.

I started this painting with a specific end in mind, but trust me when I say, the piece had a mind of its own.  What was to be a quiet brook with a figure standing at the bank, turned out to be one large expansive field leading the viewer right to a mountain range.  As the elements developed, the more satisfied I became – I had that ah-ha moment.  Sometimes you have to go with the flow and allow a painting to take you where it leads.  The final piece actually brought a calm and peaceful feel to the scene – I knew this is where I was suppose to be.

I don’t know about you, but my summer and fall months flew by – it’s time to say hello again to my wordpress friends.   I hope you are well.  Thank you for stopping by ~

Please don’t take my images – my art is copyrighted.  Please don’t copy or use the image without receiving my permission first – see disclosure on the right panel.
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Pink Azaleas – acrylic painting

Posted on June 2, 2019 by Mary

“In joy or sadness, flowers are our constant friends.” – by Okakura Kakuzo

Our flower beds are really blooming this year.  In North Texas we’ve already had ~ 19″ of rain, last year at this time 5.6″ and normally we’ll have maybe 7-8″.  So just imagine what all that rain has done for our wonderful flowers this year, they are exploding everywhere!  For me, it’s really hard to look closely at a flower and not see perfection ~

Pink Azaleas, an acrylic painting (9×12) was done on a canvas wrapped frame – first time I’ve used one of these and I liked how it performed.  My normal brands of acrylics (Liquitex and Golden – both fluid and heavy body) were used for this piece.  For brushes I used Princeton Select (chisel blender and a flat shader) and Master Touch for watercolor/acrylics.  This painting was started with a very thin underpainting using burnt umber to tint the canvas and workout a basic outline for the flowers and vase.  The darkest darks in the background was a mixture of prussian blue and raw umber, and then for harmony many of the colors that are found within the wood shelf and flowers were added to the background.

Thank you for visiting, it is always appreciated ~ click onto the image to enlarge the painting.

Please don’t take my images – my art is copyrighted.  Please don’t copy or use the image without receiving my permission first – see disclosure on the right panel.
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Tender Peony – acrylic painting

Posted on May 17, 2019 by Mary

Peonies have an ongoing love affair with ants, did you know that?  The attraction is in the opening bud of a Peony where it drips with nectar – so stand back because it’s the feast that ants wait for.  It’s no wonder there is caution about these gorgeous flowers – bringing pretty white and pink bouquets of Peonies into your home can easily invite the neighborhood ant farm too ~  who knew?

Tender Peony, an acrylic painting (8×6) was completed on canvas paper using mainly Golden and Liquitex acrylic brand paints.  I tried out some new brushes by Princeton Select (chisel blender and a flat shader) – that are soft synthetic bristles, the jury is still out on the lasting abilities.  The painting was started with an underpainting that barely tinted the support – cerulean blue mixed with a hint of light burnt umber.  A perfect backdrop for allowing the tender white peony to take center stage.

Thanks for visiting ~ click onto the image for a larger view.

Please don’t take my images – my art is copyrighted.  Please don’t copy or use the image without receiving my permission first – see disclosure on the right panel.

My first painting since I was injured some months back – to say the least I’m very happy to be painting again.  I sustained an injury several months ago to the nerves in my neck/shoulder that went straight down the arm and hand.  A long healing process, but never-the-less I’m back at it.

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Winter Light – acrylic painting

Posted on February 24, 2019 by Mary

“Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour.”  – by John Boswell

John’s words give us many reasons to enjoy the moment of the season, too soon it passes and the chores of Spring come knocking on the door.  Winter gives us a little time to sit and enjoy the quiet, or think about and plan for what’s ahead ~

Winter Light, an acrylic painting (14×11) was done on a gessoed hardboard using Liquitex and Golden acrylic brands.  Many layers of paint were layed down with this piece as I worked from deep within the background to the forefront of the scene.  I had a lot of fun developing the character of each tree with patterned bark, not to mention working out the sides of the pathway.  It was just a great painting exercise to do.  The scene reminded me of the street we lived on back in Maine – when the towering pines were all covered in snow.  Aw, now I’m homesick ~

I’ve stressed my painting arm and have to give it a rest.  Hopefully I will be able to paint again next week.  Thank you for visiting – click onto the image for a larger view.

Please don’t take my images – my art is copyrighted.  Please don’t copy or use the image without receiving my permission first – see disclosure on the right panel.

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Winter Fog – acrylic painting

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Mary

“Even in winter an isolated patch of snow has a special quality” – Andy Goldsworthy

If you look long enough a quiet beauty can be found in freshly fallen snow.  I was drawn to Andy’s quote that seemed to described the scene I was trying to convey in this painting.

Winter Fog, an acrylic painting (14×11) was done on a gessoed hardboard using Liquitex and Golden brand paints.  What attracted me to paint this scene was the warmth radiating from the sun soaked land, even though it’s winter – that juxtaposition between warm and cold was an interesting element to capture.  I am thinking that the scene is missing a little life, so I may go back in and add a few birds in flight.

Happy Valentines Day and thank you for visiting ~ click onto the image for a larger view.

Please don’t take my images – my art is copyrighted.  Please don’t copy or use the image without receiving my permission first – see disclosure on the right panel.

 

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Cottage in the Winter – acrylic painting

Posted on February 5, 2019 by Mary

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire:  it is the time for home.” – by Edith Stillwell

Several years ago a wonderful photographer at pmp, John Warren, took a beautiful photograph of a thatched-roof cottage during the summertime.  It is located in Selworthy England.  For me, this was quintessential England – perfect.  Only when I saw the image I saw the cottage surrounded by snow.  Edith Stillwell’s quote sums up my feeling about this special place ~ there is no place like the comfort of home.

Cottage in the Winter, an acrylic (11×14) painting was done on a gesso prepared hardboard using Golden and Liquitex brand acrylics.  I took some artistic license with the scene and added a few elements – snow (of course), a road, stairs for both the front and back entrances, and a distant lake.  For the most part the cottage is as John presented it to us through his lens.  This type of winter scene was a new undertaking for me, but I have to say it was a real joy to paint and express it as I saw in my mind’s eye.

Spring is almost here – enjoy the last of the wintry days.  Click onto the image to enlarge ~

Please don’t take my images – my art is copyrighted.  Please don’t copy or use the image without receiving my permission first – see disclosure on the right panel.

 

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Winter 2018 – acrylic painting

Posted on January 23, 2019 by Mary

“The beauty of winter is when mother nature blows kisses all over the earth and spreads her white blankets onto the land,” author – Mary

I don’t know about you, but 2018 and especially the month of December went by as a blur and I’m finally coming up for air.  I’m happy to be catching up with my blog, but wow we are already well into the start of a new year.  My goal was to get this painting completed to use as a Christmas card, but it took longer than expected and I missed the deadline.  Oh well, next time ~

Winter 2018, acrylic (11×9) was painted on a gessoed hardboard (I love using with acrylics) using Liquitex and Golden brands.  I’m continuing to learn the purposes of a variety of brushes, the techniques of layered coverage and how to get certain marks.

Winter can be so beautiful especially right after it snows, as the sunlight dots the undisturbed white stuff – gorgeous.  I remember some amazing scenes in Maine when we lived at the coast – pine trees would be laden with snow and roads packed with it, and then there are the ice particles that glistened off anything it formed on.  At the shore one can find huge blocks of ice that are forced there by incoming waves.  Mother Nature can turn a harsh cold winter into a real beauty.  I still don’t like the cold though ~

Happy (belated) New Years to you and yours.  Thanks for checking in ~ click onto the image for a larger view.

Please don’t take my images – my art is copyrighted.  Please don’t copy or use the image without receiving my permission first – see disclosure on the right panel.

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A Seagull and The Boat – acrylic painting

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Mary

“Overcome space, and all we have left is Here. Overcome time, and all we have left is Now.”  ― Richard Bach, Jonathan Livingston Seagull

A tribute to my friend who passed away from ALS.  A progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.  The quote from Jonathan Livingston Seagull couldn’t be more right – live in the here and now – you never know what tomorrow brings.

A Seagull and The Boat is an acrylic painting (8×10) done on canvas paper – it was painted using mainly Liquitex and Golden brands.  This painting was the final piece I did for an upcoming auction being held in FL.  I was pleased that they accepted it and is my hope that it goes home with a lucky bidder and the organization reaches their goal in raising money that will go toward caring for women and children.

Thank you for visiting ~ click onto the image for a larger view.

Please don’t take my images – my art is copyrighted.  Please don’t copy or use the image without receiving my permission first – see disclosure on the right panel.
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A Pair of Puffins – acrylic painting

Posted on September 30, 2018 by Mary

“In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence.”
― Robert Lynd

A Pair of Puffins, an acrylic painting (8×10) was done on canvas paper using mainly Golden and Liquitex brands.  This piece was painted as a possible candidate for a women’s/children’s benefit auction.

Puffins have the most sweet / cute personalities of all bird species – actually pretty comical to watch.  In the U.S. they are found mainly along the coast of Northern Maine.  On the internet there are live cam’s that have been placed on Sea Island, Maine that let you watch in prime time.  I found several exceptional photographs on pmp that I used as a reference to paint these little guys.   Another different subject for me to paint, but one that I thoroughly enjoyed working on.

Thanks for visiting – click onto the image for a larger view.

Please don’t take my images – my art is copyrighted.  Please don’t copy or use the image without receiving my permission first – see disclosure on the right panel.

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