“Shall We Dance?” my pastel painting of a sweet skeleton couple dancing on the beach is available as prints, cards and printed novelties in my Fine Art America Shop, as a downloadable print in my Etsy shop, or as a signed card in my Signed Cards shop (links in the menu)! They’re so romantic!
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Today’s sky painting is the 4th in a series of 21 that I’m doing as a result of a wonderful mini workshop with Karen Margulis.
I remember being on the beach in the late afternoon when I took the picture that this painting is based on. I was there with a few friends and we just didn’t want to leave yet. The sun went down behind us and then the real fireworks started. All the contrails came into high relief against the blue and pink and aqua in the sky. The sand glowed orange. It was wonderful.
I’m looking forward to being back in Michigan, hanging out at the beach for sunsets and then painting them, every one that I can.
Pink Gloaming, 5×8″ pastel on Canson mi tents paper by Marie Marfia. $75, unframed. Contact me to purchase.
Today’s sky painting is the 3rd in a series of 21 that I’m doing as a result of a wonderful mini workshop with Karen Margulis.
Clouds Roll In is taken from a photo from an afternoon at the beach, probably at Mickler’s Landing but it might also be from a bit farther south at Guana Beach. Both places are fairly close by and Steve and I like to get out to walk along the surf as often as we can. On this day, I got lucky because there were big clouds on the horizon. Looks like there was a little rain coming down out over the water.
I am enjoying the process of creating my own grays using tertiary and secondary colors layered on top of each other. This painting was done on Canson mi teintes paper.
Clouds Roll In, 5×8″ pastel on Canson paper by Marie Marfia. $75, unframed. Contact me to purchase.
Ground Skel, 16×20″ pastel on gator board with pumice ground, by Marie Marfia.
I thought about Ground Skelly, but then I went with Ground Skel because I love puns.
This piece was a joy to build, from start to finish, but I think I’m definitely going need more blue pastels soon! I love the swoop of the sloop and the way all the angles work within the composition. The clouds make this cunning dotted line across the sky and the waves roll forward like folds in a blanket. Steve asked me what was holding the sailors’ pants up and I said it was the same magic that allowed them to sail a boat!
I have to tell you, this Old (Dead) Masters series has given me so much pleasure, just in the few that I’ve done. I can’t wait to get on to the next one and see what I’ll learn from it.
Here are a couple work in progress pics for your viewing pleasure.
The charcoal sketch.
Skeleton crew.
Here’s the link to the original in my shop, and here is the greeting card. I’ll have prints available at The Starving Artist and The Attic soon.
I need regular pep talks. Since I work at home, that means I have to go find them, because when I give myself a pep talk, it doesn’t always work. Trust issues, clearly.
Sometimes I read books about inspiring subjects. Sometimes I go looking on the internet for uplifting stories. I find that without something funny or wise or encouraging every day, I slip into downer mode and it’s hard to do anything at all, much less make a painting.
Here are some places I go in no particular order:
Today’s wave portrait was inspired by the work of Drew Brophy, whose work I found on Maria Brophy’s blog. She’s inspiring in all kinds of ways from a business standpoint and Drew’s work is pure awesomeness.
Wave Portrait No. 132, 5×7″ pastel on UArt paper by Marie Marfia, $70.
I just drew a line and filled it in with lots of luscious colors. The sky reminds me of orange sherbet and the white cap looks like whipped cream. I think I must have to eat something.
Love it?
You can purchase the ORIGINAL painting on Etsy.
You can purchase PRINTS on Fine Art America.
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