1st in a Daily Painting series

 

Family Time

6"x 6" oil painting on board

 #1 

Well, here we go! 

I figure, if I announce to my corner of the world that I'm trying to create a habit,  I'll hold myself accountable... and I'll try my best to stay with it! I'm hoping to paint small, frequent paintings. I'd love to give myself permission to paint loosely... quickly and jump from subject to subject, and this feels like a fun way to do just that.. and a fun experiment to try!

I've known about the Dailey Painting movement, but I haven't felt the pull until recently.  There are so many incredible artists out there painting on the daily.  They report that they're learning so much, enjoying  the creating process again, and creating new opportunities around what they love to do... Yes, Yes,  and Yes! Sign me up!

As of now...I feel like the list of paintings I'd love to create is so long, that it kinda stifles me.  Which one to do first? Do I have time to create the image I have in my mind? Will it be a part of a group theme? Where do I store all these paintings.  I can get overwhelmed by the ideas and what to do next.  So painting  a small painting a day (or close to daily) gives me more room to experiment and get back to playing with paint.. not take things too serious and intimidate myself with each project.  So, that's my new goal.

Thank you for checking in and looking!  I appreciate your company.

Wish me luck :)

 

The light at the end of the tunnel.

12" x 12"  oil on wood panel

I did it!  I got through February.   

It's the hardest part of living in Alaska for me...the month of February.  

Keep my head down and stay busy, try not to notice how cold or dark it is.  

Mentally, I start day dreaming about adventures away.

While I run on a treadmill at the gym, I crank the music and imagine....

body surfing in the ocean somewhere, trail running through the green woods,  

walking barefoot in grass, warm breeze brushing past the bare skin on my arms and legs.

I'm ready to walk out the door in a t-shirt again. 

Now it's March, and when I head home from my studio...it's still daylight!

When the sun is out...I can feel it! Sunshine is warm again!!

Here's something I painted a couple weeks ago, in the mist of my toughest month.

I guess I should be grateful for February... 

it's the month that I dream up adventures to go on for the rest of the year.  

Get myself out into the big, wonderful world.

What was planned this February? 

So far...I'll be plein air painting in Utah, visiting my sister in Colorado

 and hanging out in New York City.  

Thank you February 2017...

it was challenging as always, but interesting.

Thank you for looking!

and reading

Late Afternoon Glow

"Late Afternoon Glow"

24"x 24" oil on canvas

The Alaskan winter days have beautiful lighting.  It's either looking like sunrise or sunset most of the day, unless it's plain 'ol darkness...then it's just dark.

This painting was done from a reference photo taken at 3:30 pm.  The sun just rides along the horizon in December.  This glass building was glowing.  If I turned around, I wouldn't be able to see the sun from my vantage point....but this building was reflecting everything from the southern skyline.

Traffic....if your a night lights junkie like me, traffic in the winter up here is pretty beautiful.  

And if I'm not wearing my glasses... all those lights have a large halo effect.  

Cool...

Of course, this painting and the colors are filtered through my heart and mind...

a little bit amped up...... cause that's what I see.

Artists, don't be a journalist with your art......be a poet.  

Show the world your heart.  Don't be scared... show us what you're made of. 

I love that about art.

Thanks for looking!!

 and reading.

First painting of 2017

Tangerines and an Apple

12" x 12" oil on canvas

It's wonderful to be smearing oil paint again.

It's winter wonderland here in Anchorage, Alaska...so all seems to be white, blue and different shades of grey.  This is a great way to infuse my brain with color.....saturate my view with warm, vibrant colors. 

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope 2017 blesses you with love, good health and happiness!

December First Friday at Pink Raven Studio

Abstract 

12"x 12", oil on canvas

December First Friday is tomorrow night at Pink Raven Studio!

From 5pm until 7pm, there will be refreshments and fresh art by myself and artist

Stephanie Zuck!  Come visit us, we would love to see you!

Downtown  Anchorage, Alaska

135 Christensen Dr., suite 1B

on the corner at 2nd Ave

Pink Raven Studio Facebook page...

Pink Raven Studio

Charming

"Charming"

12"x 12", oil on canvas

I love a good skull painting now and then!

This guy's still working it....some men don't know when to stop ;)

Enjoy your day out there!!

Thank you for looking!

Fierce

"Fierce" 

11" x 14", oil on canvas

I love to see others owning their individuality....cultivating it, creating it, nurturing it and last but not least....Enjoying their uniqueness. 

This young lady is beautiful....and embracing who she is.  It's a big part of her charm.

 I loved painting this one....focusing for a moment... only on her.

Thank you for looking!

Make sure to let "You" shine today! 

Warm winter day

Oil on canvas …size 16" x 20"

The temperatures have been so mild lately, the snow has melted and old dry grass is everywhere.

This time of year, that yellow, dry grass looks like gold to me.  Its so dark and grey at times in the winter, that my sensitivity to colors gets intensified…what I need to see comes to life.

I'm not sure if the day was quite this brilliant when I went out to paint, but to me it was…

that's what painting is all about…painting what we see, filtered through our eyes, heart and mind.

I used a new plein air painting box, well, its an old one, but new to me.  It's quick to set up and I can paint bigger now, outside.  Its called a yarka, and so far…I'm loving it!

Too fun!!  Thank you for looking!!

Flower #12

"Flower  #12"

24" x 24", oil on canvas

Sold

"Flower #12", 24" x 24" oil on canvas…. okay, I've done this bouquet about 4 times, time to move on to another.

Thank you for looking!

A Yellow Rose

"A Yellow Rose"

12" x 16", acrylic on canvas

My fifth floral day!! :)  This is an acrylic painting.  I normally paint with oils, but I've been teaching someone who wants to paint with acrylics, so I've been painting with acrylics also.  It's easier to show someone how I did something when we're both working with the same medium.  We both use the "Stay Wet" palette …and that's a life saver!!  The paints stay open and wet on the palette, even though they dry fast on the canvas.  I bought some Golden Open acrylics to experiment with, they stay wet longer on the canvas.

This painting was with those paints.  I'm trying to get the acrylics to act like oils.  It was fun, but acrylics just aren't soft and buttery like oil paints, still fun to paint with though!

Thank you for looking and reading!  :)

Flowers….three days in a row!

"Flowers 3"

16" x 20" , oil on canvas

Sold

Okay…somehow I've managed to paint flowers three days in a row.  I was walking my dog this morning and was thinking ….what if I challenged myself to paint flowers everyday for a month?

Of course, just saying that is almost a jinx for me.  I'm really great at convincing myself of things I should do daily….then conveniently forgetting all about it by day three or four….7 tops!  

But maybe….painting flowers each day would be cool.  I love looking at them.  I'd love to experiment with painting them different ways.  I'd love to get better at painting them.  They make me feel great in the dead of winter during Alaska's darkest months….  

hmmm…… maybe I'll paint flowers everyday ...until who knows when.  :)

Thank you for looking and reading!!

I talk to myself a lot….it's nice thinking I'm talking to someone else on these blog posts! :)

Little pink vase..

"Little Pink Vase" 

8" x 10", oil on canvas

More Flowers!  Yay!!

Flowers...

"Flowers" 18"x 24", oil on canvas 

sold

There was a time when I thought that I never wanted to be a "flower painter".  For some unknown reason in my mind, it just seemed like a cliche that I didn't want any part of.   Be careful of the things you pronounce with strong emotion.  Because it means you have strong feelings about them….which means... they mean something to you, deep down.  Kinda like the kid on the playground that is accused of liking someone….and they protest loudly how much they DON'T like that other person!  

Well, there you go.   

So now I daydream about florals…heavy clumps of luscious petals,  dripping with color…alive with beauty.  I know I'm excited about something when I want to paint it on the biggest canvas I can find! 

I just went thrift store hunting for different vases, cups and containers for beautiful flowers to nestle into…. for me to enjoy looking at for hours, while I paint.  It seems like the best of both worlds…. having flowers to enjoy and exploring how to paint them in a way that brings a painting to life in front of me.   

Thank you for looking!  ….and thank you for reading!!

Italy.....sigh.....

My trip was wonderful...2 weeks in Italy painting and playing.........and eating.

I'm ready to look for property for sale over there...haha...that's what happens when I really enjoy myself..... I start looking at the real estate market and imagining myself in a whole new setting.

I'd have a Vespa, that's for sure......one of the oldies, painted in a pale bluish green color.  I'd make pasta and use fresh vegetables from my garden, with olive oil on top.....and I'd eat warm, fresh picked plums everyday......sigh.....

Okay, I had a great time.  The other artists I went with were sweet and funny, their spouses...sweet and fun....the artist that was teaching the workshop, great!! (Darrell Anderson....amazing artist....you should check him out)

I had a dream the night before we started painting....I was struggling with an animal......it was trying to bite me....it wanted to harm me. At the end of the struggle and dream....I escaped.  The next day, I began painting in a way that I've always wanted to paint.....loose...juicy.....with my heart, not my mind.

I love all the paintings I came home with!!  I love them!! 

I needed to go halfway across the world, be with new people in a new place to find this.

And to think, it all started this January with a daily picture calendar about Italy....too cool!!  

This was painted on the side of a small road, in Montisi, Italy......in all fairness, most of the roads are small over there.... 

I'll post some more Italy paintings soon.

Thank you for reading and looking!

Painting, learning and playing in... Montisi, Italy!!

I'm signed up for a painting workshop with an amazing artist....Darrell Anderson.

The workshop is going to be August 30th through September 6 .... 

in Montisi, Italy!!

I'm excited.....to say the least.  I haven't been to Italy in 20 years and I have been daydreaming about going for months now.  So when this opportunity presented itself....well, it was a no brainer.

I've been following Darrell's beautiful paintings ever since I wanted to learn to paint plein air and landscapes.  He does a little bit of everything...but I love his outdoor paintings and how he sees color....and how he paints the color he sees....he paints it boldly... I love that.  

That's the road I'm on with my own paintings.

Would you like to go to Italy?  Paint in hilltop town in Tuscany, Italy?  

Goof around with other artists....have great food...drink cappuccinos ?

Of course you do!  Do something wonderful for yourself, feed your heart and live the life of your dreams....

THAT....is the reason you are here....

If not this....then find something else that makes your heart beat faster and makes you feel scared and giddy at the same time!!

We are only here a short time.....what are you waiting for? A sign?

This is it!!  Whatever it is you love....go for it!

Click here for information on the 

Painting Workshop in Italy

A Pear...

"Pear" 

12" x 12"  oil

I like how loose and colorful this one turned out.  

I absolutely love the color red.  I almost have to try to avoid using it as often as I would like.  Every time I set up a still  life....the urge to use red as my back ground is always there.   That 50's aqua color speaks to me too.  I'll have to dream up a painting with those two colors dominating the canvas and

I'll be in my own special heaven....

Thank you for looking!

New Website!

I'm excited....I have a new website!

Take a look .......... tell me what you think ...

or just take a look.

www.MarianneElson.com

Green Light

12" x 12"  oil

Winter......cold......slush.......traffic......

Right about now,  I'm looking forward to spring, and this painting 

gives me no comfort. I can hold onto that bit of sunshine on the side of the semi, 

mentally soak it in and feel the warmth....or not.

Just trying some new ways of putting color down, and keeping myself 

from zeroing in on little details. 

Look to the sky.....

Just before sunset...

Pullman, WA at sunset

I've had clouds and sky on my mind these past few months.  I seem to be engaged in a totally different task when I look up and see some incredible sky hovering above me........just flaunting itself in front of my eyes, while I carry in the groceries or check the mailbox.  As if to let me know a beautiful painting is always waiting for me to paint....every day....any minute, I'm just not making time for it. 

The two paintings above were done on a hilltop in Pullman, WA.  The sun was setting and we grabbed all our gear and raced to catch the last of the light and color of that evening sky.  Fun!  I loved the speed and immediacy of these paintings.....color only!  My last lesson of the trip and I had no idea it was going to be taught. Thank you Henry for teaching me these past few years, I have appreciated all you have taught me.