The Calm of Blue

Posted on Sep 10, 2020

WallowaLake I've made art for many reasons over the years. Now I make art for stress relief during an extremely disturbing time. We have a corrupt government at the highest levels. We were lied to in regards to the severity of the COVID pandemic, no plan to manage it and now we're closing in on 200,000 deaths. We are in full blown wildfire season that is a direct result of climate change and again, our President has said it's because we haven't swept the forest floors. Really? This is not normal. You can make a change and it's by VOTING! You're voting, right? The painting above called "Wallowa Lake" is 6" x 5" watercolor on paper. It's available for $100 with 100% of the sale going to The Lincoln Project. This is an original piece so there is just one. First one to reply to this email saying you want it, it's yours and you are helping make change. Thank you. Mary P.S. Blue represents both the sky and the sea, and is associated with open spaces, freedom, intuition, imagination, expansiveness, inspiration, and sensitivity. Blue also represents meanings of depth, trust, loyalty, sincerity, wisdom, confidence, stability, and intelligence. The color blue has positive affects on the mind and the body. Read More

Are You Curious? Einstein Would Be Proud

Posted on Aug 13, 2020

3Values I've had several role models in my life. Two stand out above the rest - my mom and my Aunt Fern. My mom was a huge proponent of education and my aunt was all about lifelong learning. I always felt their support and encouragement. They shaped me into who I am. And guess what? I'm still following their lead. I've been taking an online watercolor class this week taught by Nancy McCarthy, an artist I greatly admire. I didn't make any art that WOW'd me or anyone else but the lessons I've learned will help me in my future art making. Take away? Look for shapes. The ink and bamboo brush work above looks simple and you're right, it is simple. But to a line freak like me it was challenging. It took me three tries to get to this degree of simplicity without falling back on line work (see below). Nothing wrong with line work but the exercise was to make shapes using only light, medium and dark values. Lesson learned! Mary I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious. — Albert Einstein   IMG_2784 Read More

Clouds Always Steal My Heart and The Show

Posted on Aug 6, 2020

AboveTheButte I painted for the first time at Pilot Butte today. It's "our" butte that is right in town. From the summit the entire city of Bend is visible as well as several major Cascade peaks. It is one of only four cities in the country that has a volcano within their city border. For the curious the other three are Portland, Oregon; Jackson, Mississippi and Honolulu, Hawaii. That's what I said, Mississippi has a volcano?! I made a couple thumbnail sketches prior to painting and it became obvious that the clouds were going to steal the show.  I wanted them to float, to interact with the butte and mesmerize the viewer as they did me. I will definitely paint at Pilot Butte again. Stay safe everyone. Read More

Mosquitos and Crashes and Sprinklers, Oh My!

Posted on Jul 30, 2020

TumaloCreek Painting outdoors is fun and rewarding. It's also exciting! First, there's the wind. I have a good setup (see below). It's very stable, but painting in 30 mph gusts is a little disconcerting. Painting with my right hand and holding the easel and palette in place with the other hand is a new skill that needs to be added to my resume. MOSQUITOS. I grew up in Michigan so I know mosquitos. They're a pain in the you know what. I've actually had to change my location because I would have been eaten alive. I'm talking about you, Tumalo Reservoir. Finding the perfect place to paint has little to do with what's under foot. It's all about the scene and keeping the canvas and palette in the shade. Moving the setup to stay in shade requires some coordination and remembering that the ground under foot is not always level. CRASH. It's amazing how fast an entire setup can end up on the ground. Twice! There are also man-made dangers that come with urban settings. SPRINKLERS! You know the sound when they're getting ready to blow. It's just a matter of time before you grab the whole setup and RUN! This passes for fun right now. How about you? Mary TumaloCreekSetup Read More

Friends Forever

Posted on Jul 16, 2020

FriendsForever Part of painting outdoors begins with walking around with a sketchbook looking for a good subject. A few times I've explained to people what I'm doing, especially if they seem a bit concerned. Ha! These two stumps stopped me in my tracks. At the time I didn't know why, maybe the circular shapes, maybe the mass, maybe that they were in the middle of an Aspen grove. About an hour into the painting I realized I was making a narrative painting. These two were snuggling. What had they been through? How long were they there? Are they still communicating through the roots somehow? I'm guessing someone knows the answer to this. Did you see a story in this?" Mary Read More

When Rule-Breaking Is Fun

Posted on Jul 9, 2020

ProudPonderosa I think you know that during this pandemic I decided to learn how to paint en plein air. French for outdoors. Like everyone else on the planet who wants to learn something new I headed to YouTube. I watched lots of videos on everything plein air. I learned about the setup including a tripod, sketch book, palette, Pochade Box (didn't even know what that was). I then discovered Plein Air magazine which has a video publishing arm with tons of free videos. There's also the fabulous Tucson Art Academy. Don't get me started. Of course, there are thousands of videos for sale. I even purchased a couple of those and am currently signed up for Plein Air LIVE (online) which begins next week. EXCITED! Like most days during this pandemic I practiced social distancing out in nature. I packed all my painting goodies into my trusty Prius and headed out. In fifteen minutes I was at Lava Island Falls painting. What? No value study, no sketch, no pre-determining a color scheme, no preconceived ideas about composition? No. No. No. Today I broke all the rules I've been so studiously learning and it worked out anyway. Rules be damned - but I'm so glad I know you. Mary Read More

A Slice of Paradise

Posted on Jul 2, 2020

TumaloReservoir This painting, A Slice of Paradise, is part of my Nature Series. It will be around for the summer. I found this location only because the location where I was going to paint was closed due to bridge construction. I was determined to paint so I hopped in my car and headed down a dirt road not more than two minutes away - Voila! This scene came into view. Looking at the beauty before me, listening to the wind in the trees and watching an Acorn Woodpecker climb up and down and all around a Ponderosa pine, I knew this was the spot. I spent three hours out here. I made a couple of quick sketches, determined where I wanted to set my easel and got to work, or should I say play. "A Slice of Paradise", 10" x 8", oil on canvas panel. I hope you and your loved ones are well. Mary Read More

Rocky Path

Posted on Jun 26, 2020

RockyPath It's nice to be a beginner at something. I put plein air painting into this category. It's fun but challenging to decide what to paint, narrow it down to something achievable, create a design, sketch in a drawing, put the values in, and lastly add color. When I headed out to Tumalo State Park, I found the perfect place to paint. I setup the easel and palette and quickly realized I didn't have my palette knife with me. I also remembered that I forgot to go buy more solvent-free medium. It was a bit clunky feeling but I quickly adapted to mixing paint with a brush. I think it's why this painting is so cohesive in it's color scheme. A little bit of paint was always on the brush from the previous mix. It's not my preferred method, but it is a method and lots of people work this way. I titled the painting "Rocky Path" because of the subject matter, but it could have just as easily been about the process. "Rocky Path", 12" x 6", oil on canvas panel. Beauty provided by Mother Nature. Do you have a slice of Mother Nature to enjoy near you? I hope so. There's nothing like it for our mental health during this challenging time. Peace and well-being to all of you. Mary Read More

Struggles

Posted on Jun 19, 2020

Struggles As a white woman I cannot even imagine what it is like to live as a black person in this country. I never had to have "the talk" about how to behave outside the house. That if I were ever pulled over by the police that I was not to move my hands without telling the officer what I was going to do so as not to get shot. To not talk back. To say yes, sir and yes, ma'am. And that even if you do everything "right", you may still be shot and killed. I also can't imagine being hated for the color of my skin. I'm pretty sure I was never denied a job interview because my name was too "black-sounding". It goes on and on. It's shameful and disgusting. In 2019 I began a series of figurative paintings. "Struggles" is of a dark-skinned woman who is standing amidst coils that are circular representing recurrence. They are also jumbled, knotted, and irregular. She stands in innocence in her white dress and Mary Janes. Her struggles are ongoing, challenging and at times life threatening. "Struggles", 49" x 18", mixed media on board has been included in an online show titled "For Mr. Floyd, Ms. Taylor… a memorial exhibition" at Works/San Jose in California. A portion of sales will go to a racial justice group. In honor of Juneteenth, may we all speak up, especially white people, to defend, support and make life better for black people in this country. Thank you, Mary P.S. A huge thank you to all of  you who took the time to write or to send good thoughts, in spirit, my way. I am grateful to have such a caring and loving community. I appreciate every single one of you. IMG_2355 Read More

My Outdoor World Studio

Posted on Jun 11, 2020

IMG_2202 How are you? I hope you and your loved ones are well during this incredibly difficult time. Since moving my studio home January 1, I'm taking this sheltering-in-place time to learn a new skill. I have watched every video I can get my hands on (You Tube and Streamline Art Videos) to learn how to paint outdoors aka en plein air. I will say right off the bat how incredibly challenging it is and how much new respect I have for those that paint en plein air. I've been at it for a couple months now and each time I go out I gain a bit more confidence, but have a ways to go. The good news is that it's always nice spending time with Mother Nature. Would love to hear how you're spending this sheltering-in-place time. Wishing you well, Mary Read More

Donation to MOTH

Posted on Mar 14, 2017

Today I donated this painting titled "We Go Together" to My Own Two Hands (MOTH). It is a benefit auction in support of music and arts programming in the Sisters, Oregon schools and community. WeGoTogether Read More

A Magic Box

Posted on Feb 2, 2017

This is the mailbox in Minnesota Market Building. It's where my studio is located. In that little box in the top right hand corner, scribed 12, I receive your thank you notes with kind words, checks and good wishes, movie tickets and gift cards, and art cards made just for me. The box doesn't look like much, but it has magical powers. It brings kindness, thoughtfulness and love from you to me.
#12, A Magic Box

#12, A Magic Box

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Rock Detail

Posted on Dec 22, 2016

On Monday I sat in my studio for two hours and stared at blank walls and face paintings. On Tuesday I did the same with the addition of making some marks on white paper with charcoal. All lines - straight and curved. Yesterday, I tried finishing a painting I began weeks ago. It didn't happen but it is progressing nicely. It's almost 7:30am and I will leave soon for my studio. I have nothing scheduled until 5:30 tonight. Here's a detail shot from a current painting I'm making of a rock wall.
Rock detail

Rock detail

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Fur and Feather Show

Posted on Aug 8, 2016

I am honored to be part of the Fur and Feather Show created by Kathy Deggendorfer at her gallery, Sisters Art Works Gallery. It is a wonderful show that benefits Furry Friends.
Me with Kathy Deggendorfer

Here I am with Kathy Deggendorfer

Furry Friends Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located in Sisters, Oregon, providing food and services to pets in need.
FiveWolves

My wolf paintings

It is their mission to help pets remain in their homes by operating a pet food bank, and providing spay/neuter sponsorships and assistance with emergency medical needs to families in financial hardship. They are dedicated to improving the welfare of pets in Sisters, Oregon.
Meandmypaintings

Me and my wolves

I am proud to be part of this show along with Kathy Deggendorfer, Kimry Jelen, Ingrid Lustig, Barbara Modey and Kit Stafford. Read More

Salem Art Fair Weekend

Posted on Jul 19, 2016

We started our weekend in Corvallis last Thursday, and then headed up to Salem for the Art Show. We were in Corvallis long enough to visit a few of my favorite people and places, namely the Corvallis Art Center, Allann Brothers Coffee, Paige at Pegasus Gallery and The Book Bin. Sam took me to Nearly Normal's Gonzo Cuisine and it was awesome! Thank you, sweetie. Check out the shot of my booth at the Salem Art Festival. It was in the beautiful Bush Pasture Park. A lovely setting for an art show. I had great neighbors and met lots of new people. This was a good show for me because of all the new contacts and because I sold several paintings. Here's what sold:
Miracle

Miracle

 
TheJay

The Jay

 
TightRope

Tight Rope

 
YellowEye

Yellow Eye

A big thank you to those that came from Bend to support me and the other artists. You surprised me, and I am grateful for your support. Lee August and her sister who lives in Salem. Vern and Judy who came to Salem for the day, just to see the show. Stephanie Roussel, who's husband was also in the show. Beverly, my half-marathon walking buddy. Can't wait to do it again!
BookBinKitty

Book Bin kitty

NearlyNormal

Nearly Normal's Gonzo Cuisine

Paige@Pegasus.Corvallis

Paige at Pegasus Gallery

TheBookBin.Corvallis

My favorite bookstore in Corvallis.

SalemArtFestivalBooth

My booth in the festival.

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Art School 101 – The Fundamentals

Posted on Jun 29, 2016

For those of you who remember me teaching Art School 101 in the Bay Area, it's back! This time it's going to be online. I have teamed up with award-winning filmmaker, RJ McMahatton of Inventive Productions.com to create this course. Art School 101 - The Fundamentals will include drawing, composition and color theory. It is for people who could only dream of going to art school. It is also for those who want to brush up on their skills. You will be able to tackle each lesson at your own pace and in the privacy of your own home. What's even cooler? It's going to be affordable! Please subscribe to this blog if you'd like to keep informed on this exciting new online course that will be available soon! Cheers. Mary   IMG_7448 Read More

Two Gourds

Posted on Oct 18, 2015

TwoGourds Sitting on the back porch listening to the chirping of lesser goldfinches, juncos, and an occasional mourning dove and a cat to silence it all. Read More

No Sorry, We’re Closed

Posted on Oct 17, 2015

NoSorryWereClosed What an unusual sign. I've never had a chance to sit in this bookstore/coffee shop long enough to sketch this until today. Of course, I had to include that sign. Makes me smile every time I see it. This is the inside of Dudley's, a locally owned bookstore on Minnesota Ave in Bend. Next time I'll have to sketch some of the shelves of books that go from floor to ceiling. It's was a great place to hang out on a rare rainy day here. Thanks RJ McHatton for planning this! Read More

Aunt Fern & Elliot

Posted on Sep 22, 2015

Oldest, Youngest Family members Read More

Aunt Fernie

Posted on Sep 22, 2015

Aunt Fernie Read More

Benito’s Pizza

Posted on Sep 18, 2015

Benito's Pizza Read More

Kemp Family Room

Posted on Sep 16, 2015

Kemp Family Room Read More

Mom & Dad’s Gravesite

Posted on Sep 15, 2015

Mom & Dad Gravesite Read More

Pure Care Dental Waiting Room

Posted on Sep 9, 2015

Pure Care Dental Wainting Room Read More

Tin Pan Alley north of Minnesota Avenue

Posted on Sep 9, 2015

Tin Pan Alley north of Minnesota Avenue, Bend, OR

Tin Pan Alley north of Minnesota Avenue, Bend, OR

A quick sketch on notebook paper. Practicing capturing light and shadow. Read More

Strictly Organic Chair

Posted on Sep 8, 2015

Strictly Organic Read More