Saturday, December 10, 2016

Happy Birthday



Happy 100th Birthday.....to our National Parks!



Hope you can join me on Monday at 
the Lafayette Library for a reception.


Julia Parker's painting will be there!




 BASA's collaborative piece "John Muir, Starry Range of Light 
is a beautiful focal piece for our National Park Series.



Suzun Almquist, Joanne Taeuffer, Marcy Wheeler, Sharon Tama, Jeanette Baird

Bay Area Studio Artists will be there to greet you too!

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Fall Paintings

Port de Honfleur

Honfleur is a beautiful little French village in Normandy where the Seine River meets the English Channel.  Saint Catherine's church is in the background. People are shopping and dining along the Quai and it thrills me a little to know that Claude Monet used to paint here!


As the weather turns cooler, I tend to refocus my painting on subjects that align with my mood.  The painting above was done over a months time as I grew restless working on all of the detail.  So in between breaks, I would paint something that was loose and less exacting - like the cows below.


Big Shoes to Fill


Gone are the paintings of children playing on the beach or dogs swimming in the backyard pool. Right now it is cows in a Autumn pasture and moody days in a French harbor.

Hope you are enjoying this time of year?

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Homer, Stanley & Elmer

All Ears

I had begun painting these three charming cows about two months ago and after getting it two-thirds done, I had to set it aside due to a wedding, home remodel and vacation. When I picked it up again this week, I was surprised by my hesitancy in not diving right in! I found I had other things to do even when I had be missing painting so very much.

Elmer was the last cow that needed to be done but I felt like I didn't remember how, or that I was painting on someone else's artwork. I soon realized that I just needed to get back in the flow of painting.  I put on some music and began by painting the background and sides.  Before I knew it, I couldn't stop as I was having too much fun!

I just love these three characters!!! The looks on their faces is one of curiosity and interest.

Do you happen to know what that skin fold hanging down from their neck is called? I looked it up online after painting two of them.  It's not a wattle but a dewlap.  Just excess skin with no known purpose.

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Unplugged Reception

Sunday was my reception for my Solo show "Unplugged".


If you have been following my art blog for a while, then you know that I have been working around the clock to get in my One Hundred Faces finished for the show!

I did it - even though it involved me bringing 6 on my family trip to Montana & Idaho.



Don't feel too sorry for me as this was my little painting area - a gazebo on the cabin grounds right on the Snake River!




And here all all One Hundred Faces hung on a special system that my husband designed so that the panels would hang flat and individual panels could be sold and replaced by a new panel. 





A few shots from the rest of the show and the reception.











I was most happy to have my mom come to support me - she even brought a basket of homemade Biscotti cookies that disappeared in no time!

Ahh....now I can relax.....ooops.....no I can't!  We are having a wedding in our backyard in one month!  So I am off to plant some flowers.


And I couldn't be happier!


Sunday, August 7, 2016

Reminder

Just a friendly reminder that there will be an art reception today - Sunday, August 7th from 3-5!



 UNPLUGGED

August 2 - September 6
2016
Opening Reception
Sunday, August 7th from 3-5
Open to all
Marilyn Citron O'Rourke Art Gallery
Benicia Public Library
150 East L Street, Benicia, CA 94510
Mon - Thurs 10am-9pm and Fri - Sun  noon-6pm


Come on by and meet......



GRAYSON






PARKER





NUTS



 
 JULIA



TRUE BLUE





AND TUG.

Tug is especially excited to meet you!

 

Monday, July 11, 2016

Artist Reception August 7th


August 2 - September 6
2016

Opening Reception
Sunday, August 7th from 3-5
Open to all

Marilyn Citron O'Rourke Art Gallery
Benicia Public Library
150 East L Street, Benicia, CA 94510
Mon - Thurs 10am-9pm and Fri - Sun  noon-6pm

 I look forward to seeing you at the reception!

Monday, June 27, 2016

Glee



This is such a happy painting showing my glee (through this doggie) about finishing #75 for my upcoming show featuring 100 Faces with Character in August.  I will keep you posted closer to the date!


Top to bottom - l to r - Oscar, Bobby, Tug, Harley, Billy, Annie, Muddy Waters, Julia & Nuts


Above is a sampling of nine 6 x 6 inch paintings that I have done for this show. I am having so much fun painting these small paintings that I can't wait to get started each day!!!


Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Junie

#68 - Junie

David, my older brother's birthday would of been today - Flag Day.  So while thinking about my precious moments growing up with him, I painted the above painting of his granddaughter - June blowing out her birthday candle several years ago.  He would of had a blast with Junie Maroony!




Sunday, June 12, 2016

Road Trip

"Road Trip"

Over Memorial Day weekend my husband and I took a little road trip through the back roads to the sleepy little town of Crockett.  There was an abstract figurative show at the Epperson Gallery that I had been wanting to see. While the show was amazing, just around the corner there was a little bonus for me.  Luckily I had brought my camera and caught this vintage Airstream & ancient truck parked a few blocks away!

I loved painting all of the reflective surfaces on both vehicles. The painting just flew out of my brushes. It's so much fun when that happens!



#66 - Mika and Max


I also recently finished painting #66 in my series of 100 Faces - my two Westie's - Mika and Max.

Thursday, June 9, 2016

#65 But Who's Counting?

#65 - Comeonmomandplaywithme

Can't you just feel the joy in this little guy's face while trying to get his mama to play with him?

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Lil' Harley

#64 - Harley

This is a painting of my nephew Sean holding his nephew Harley.....don't you just love those rubber band wrists?

PS - This one is for you Mom!

Sunday, May 29, 2016

New Numbers

#60 - American Kestrel



I darkened the background on the American Kestrel painting and he seems more at home.  I also discovered that I missed a few paintings in my "counting" to one hundred, so I have 30 paintings that I did for "30 paintings in 30 days" and I now have 33 paintings as of Sunday that I have been working one little by little!

So only 37 left to go to get to my goal of one hundred!!!



#62 - Laguiole Belle

The sweet cow in the above painting was from a photo I took in the countryside in France.  My husband and I were looking for the tiny town of Laguiole which is famous for their knives which have a hallmark bee design on the handle.



#63  - Mama and baby swan - in need of a name!

I have also been trying to design a hanging system for the 100 little paintings.  I am planning on separating them into groups of 25 so that I have options when hanging them in a gallery.  I will be able to hang them in a large square of 10 by 10 panels or in a long line of 20 by 5 panels high or even randomly sprinkled around in groups of 25.

Friday, May 27, 2016

Three Faces

#57 - Julia

 The woman in the painting above is a beautiful woman who spends a lot of time in Yosemite weaving baskets.  Now she isn't just your everyday basket weaver, she is a National Treasure!  Julia Parker is a Coast Miwok-Kashaya Pomo basket weaver and has baskets at the Smithsonian and one of her patrons happens to be Queen Elizabeth II.  The reference photo for this painting was taken while I attempted weaving a basket in one of Julia's workshops in Yosemite!




#58 - American Kestrel


 I love this little bright eyed hawk!  I am thinking of darkening the background so he pops a little more. I had one just like this guy hanging out on the pergola outside my office window watching for a song bird to come along to eat at one of my feeders.




#59 - Jeanette

I still have so much to learn when painting. Once again, my darks in my face are not quite dark enough..... I won't redo this painting but will try to learn from it!  This is so me though, a camera is always in my hands or nearby in my purse.  I never know when the perfect shot might show up!



Monday, May 16, 2016

Fifty-five and Fifty-six



I spent the last four days in Lake Tahoe.  It was tranquil bliss......




I painted under the pines overlooking Lake Tahoe. 


#55 - Cowgirl in the Lake



#56 - Sweet Sheep

Thursday, May 12, 2016

52, 53 and 54

Annie



I have two large paintings that I am working on and in between I enjoy these little 6 x 6 inch paintings of faces.  This little girl makes it 54 out of my goal of 100.



#53 - Speedy


 When the boys were young, we had a turtle and they named him "Speedy".  While this isn't the same turtle, it reminded me of the fun we had watching him lumber across the backyard.




#52

Haven't come up with a name for this distraught little person - and I'm not too sure if he/she is a boy or girl (see the long curl on the far left?).  I just loved how exasperated she/he seems to be!

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Over the Hump!

Muddy Waters


Meet Muddy Waters!  Doesn't he just make you want to smile?  


Mr. Yee


And Mr. Yee dressed in his beautiful blue silk gown!



Buster



Buster Posey brought my count up to 50 paintings of Faces with Character out of 100!



Chester

And this beautiful cat Chester brought me over the hump with #51....only 49 left to go!



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