Tag Archives: series

Marie Marfia, Neverending Love Story, soft pastel, 12x16.375

Nicolette and Aucassin progress

Thought I’d share some progress on the the latest skeleton Old (Dead) Masters painting. It’s coming along. I’m doing some refining right now, and that’s going to take a bit. I like doing these because they’re like a real intense workshop on the style of the artist whose work I’m copying. That’s definitely the case with this one.

grid and sketch of Nicolette and Aucassin
Grid and sketch of Nicolette and Aucassin
initial block in
Initial block in
Easel shot
Easel shot
Work in progress…
As of April 3, 2021.
Here’s a video tour of where I’m at with this one. (Can you tell I’m listening to NPR?)

Here’s the final!

Marie Marfia, Aucassin and Nicolette, soft pastel on sanded paper, 12x16.375
Neverending Love Story (Aucassin and Nicolette parody), soft pastel on sanded paper, 12×16.375″.

Finally! These parodies always take forever to finish. I have so much respect for the original creators of the pieces I copy. And I learn a ton while I’m working.

So, no official title for this one yet. If you have a suggestion, please send it along. Of course, puns are given first priority and if I pick your title to use, I’ll happily send you a print as a thank you. Email me, marie@mariemarfia.com, and tell me your idea!

As soon as I have a title for this one I’ll be adding it to my Etsy downloads and my Fine Art America shop, so I’ll keep you posted.

UPDATE! I have decided on a title. It’s going to be Neverending Love Story. It’s because it’s all about the story that never ends. Also, this particular couple is based on a story–Nicolette and Aucassin–which is also referenced in one of my favorite series of books ever.

Thanks to everyone who submitted ideas for the title. They really helped me a lot to come up with something that I liked and seemed fitting. You’re the best fans ever!

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No. 9, 100 Portraits in 100 Days

This is from Erin, a painting of her lovely sister. Thanks, Erin, for sending it to me! I hope your mom loves it.

pastel portrait of a young woman

No. 9, 100 Portraits in 100 Days, 9×6″ pastel on mat board with pumice ground, by Marie Marfia. This painting is available $100 plus $12 shipping. Contact me to purchase.

Here are the progress pictures:

Read more about my 100 Portraits in 100 Days project, and follow along on Facebook or Instagramor Twitter. Sign up for my newsletter and be the first to see my portraits as I finish them!

 

 

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Pastel portrait of a pretty young woman with pink hair

No. 3, 100 Portraits in 100 Days

So Melissa sent me this beautiful selfie for my 100 Portraits in 100 Days series, asked me to roll the dice and this is the result! Such a pretty face! And pink hair! It was like drowning in cotton candy.

Melissa Hill, No. 3, 100 Portraits in 100 Days, 6×9″ pastel on mat board with pumice ground by Marie Marfia. This pastel is available, $100 + $12 shipping. Contact me for more info.

Here are the progress pictures:

 

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No. 2, 100 Portraits in 100 Days

Here’s Kennah, my second portrait in this series. As usual, these are more fun the more I do them. I liked her pale hair and the tender expression on her face.

Kennah, No. 2, 100 Portraits in 100 Days series, 6×9″ pastel on mat board with pumice ground. Available $100 plus $12 shipping. Contact me to purchase.

Here are the progress shots:

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No. 1, 100 Portraits in 100 Days

First, I’d like to thank Rae Crowley, who sent me a selfie and told me to roll the dice. I rolled a 5, so I skullitized her portrait. How cool to start the series off that way!

No. 1, 100 Portraits in 100 Days, 6×9″ pastel on mat board with pumice ground, by Marie Marfia. Available $100 plus $12 shipping. Contact me to purchase.

The first one is always the hardest, isn’t it? I didn’t have my stuff ready to go, had to find mat board, the pumice mixture, find a cup to mix it in, a brush, a rag, my pastels. Oh blah, but in spite of all that, I had fun when it got right down to it, and I think it turned out well, don’t you? Onward!

Here are the progress photos:

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Stormy Weather

This study is based on another picture looking out at the end of US-10 in Ludington, probably late fall. That’s the time of year when the sunsets are spectacular and the clouds fly low and dark at the end of the day. I’m really looking forward to being up there again, doing more clouds. This series has been an eye opener for me in a lot of ways.

First, I’ve discovered that I really like painting clouds, and the moodier they are the better I like them. Second, it’s good practice to be looking up all the time instead of down. Just gives you a better outlook on life, I think.

pastel painting of a sunset with low clouds

Stormy Weather, 5×8″ pastel on paper by Marie Marfia. $75, unframed. Contact me to purchase.

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pastel study of dark clouds over the ocean

Dark Horizon

This painting is number 5 in the Paint the Sky challenge given by Karen Margulis, and it is based on a photo I took while on the beach at Mickler’s Landing, in Ponte Vedra, Florida.

While I’m not fond of hanging out when storms are coming in (all that lightning makes me kind of nervous), I couldn’t resist taking a picture before leaving. I especially like the reflected light in the ocean under the clouds. Cool!

pastel study of dark clouds over the ocean

Dark Horizon, 5×8″ pastel on Canson mi teintes paper by Marie Marfia. $75, unframed. Contact me to purchase.

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pastel painting of a morning at the preserve

Gold and Lavender

This is another in the Sky paintings series, from a challenge issued by Karen Margulis after her mini workshop, Paint the Sky.

This is based on a photo that I took while out walking in the Julington Durbin Preserve. The clouds were blanketing the sky to the east but there was sun peeking out along the horizon and the light was frosting the tops of the clouds further up in the sky. It was really gorgeous. And this was fun to paint.

I used tertiary color in the clouds to get the grays I wanted, pale yellow, lavender and a cool aqua. Awesome way to get to gray! I probably knew this on some level, but it’s always nice to get the info straight from the expert’s mouth.

pastel painting of a morning at the preserve

Gold and Lavender, 4×6″ pastel on UArt paper by Marie Marfia. $60, unframed. Contact me to purchase

 

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