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.

Line up.....

"Line up"

16" x 40"  oil 

I need to do another semi-truck painting.  I really love the huge grill and all the chrome.  There are a bunch of trucks in town with that old fifties, turquoise color for the cab.  I'd love to paint one of those.

I see them driving by a lot, but I need to find out where they park and rest at the end of the work day.

I work at an antique shop, during the day, we're gearing up for the holidays.....I've been working 

a lot of hours at "Ozarks" and when things settle down, I'm going to get back into my studio!

I spend a lot of time daydreaming about paintings I'd like to paint lately, I need some time to try a few of these ideas out.  

Soon.......

Thank you for looking!

Sunset

"Sunset"

11" x 14"  oil

Bar and Lounge

"Bar and Lounge"

30" x 40"  oil

I reworked a painting from last year.

I like this version much...much...better.

The painting hidden underneath was the same sign, but during daylight hours...

hmm......what's the point.  I really only enjoy neon when it's glowing at night,

so this feels like a big improvement.

Thank you for looking.

Sunset Downtown

"Sunset Downtown" 

24" x 24"  oil

No Parking

"No Parking"

24" x 24" oil

I'm painting a few new paintings for an upcoming show at a neat place in 

Anchorage called Modern Dweller's.....it's a chocolate lounge!

Yuuummmmy.

I'm enjoying painting some city stuff!

Thank you for looking!

A Quiet Alley

"A Quiet Alley"

10" x 20"  oil

I had a nice time playing with the colors on this one....

and I've been trying a slightly different approach

with this piece and few other paintings.

I'm experimenting....I'd like a more emotional feel to my work, so.....

I'm just feeling my way in the dark I suppose.

I'm happy with how this little one turned out.

Thank you for looking!

Neon sign paintings

"Tavern"  

16" x 20" oil

"Club 25"  

48" x 24"  oil

"Bar and Lounge"

40" x 30"  oil

Aggregate towers

On my way to work, I drive by this structure. 

 It always catches my eye, maybe because there is so much snow and this thing 

stands out with all it's bright orange, shooting into the sky.

We had a beautiful sunny day and it was just sitting there glowing.

So I grabbed my "stuff" and painted it from the parking lot across the street.

I like it.  I could see doing it again, but bigger.  Maybe when the snow melts.

  

Night painting

Again..... I was sitting in the parking lot, at the gas station, 

painting this one a few nights ago.

Lighting my pallet and painting at night was my challenge.

More abstract looking.....loose.  I like it.  

Maybe a bright head lamp would do the trick next time.

Thank you for looking!

Plein air....kinda....

Plein air?  okay....does it count if I sat in my car?

I was comfy parked in the parking lot with my set-up in my lap, and supplies in the 

passenger seat :)

I'm still getting used to hauling my stuff around, but it was fun not painting in my

studio.  Kinda like a pic-nic.... food tastes better when you're outside.

I bet this painting on location thing is going to be a new favorite.  

And if you would have told me this a year ago, 

I would not have believed it!  

Funny how things change when you least expect it.

Tavern

"Tavern"

16" x 20"  oil

I think it would be fun to drive across America, looking for old signs, abandoned

gas stations, roadside attractions, diners.....and paint along the way.  

I love old signs...neon the most!  Every town has a few great Motel signs.

Along the California coast......Highway 1, there's so much along that road to paint,  it would be a fun start.  The colors....that 50's aqua color is everywhere.  Old motels, sun-bleached signs and flowers crawling up everything!  The history in small towns is fun too...buildings...cars...the occasional vintage city bus... too cool.  I always enjoy looking at city paintings done by artists that live in San Francisco.  

Trolley cars, hills and ocean....I'm on vacation just day dreaming about it.

The sign in this painting is in Langley, Washington....I think......or was it Coupeville, Washington....hmmmm.  A trip to the area for a painting workshop about 3 years ago, that's when I feel like my paintings really started to take a new direction.  That first workshop, what a big step outside my comfort zone that was.  Painting with other people around...painting faster than I normally paint......painting people.......all very uncomfortable.  But... I'm so glad I had faith in myself and the courage to try something new.  I'm so happy with the progress I've made over the past 3 years.....my daydream from the past has become my life now.  It's powerful to allow yourself to dream....to mentally visualize the future you wish for.  I believe what we think about and daydream about will come true some day.

Think of things you love.....imagine yourself in your perfect world...then start

 walking in that direction, it will happen. 

"You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step"

 Martin Luther King Jr

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. 

Sheltered

"Sheltered"

8" x 24"  oil 

A parked train down at the ship yard, downtown Anchorage.

The abandoned buildings, parked trains, big old trucks... they are so cool down there!

This will be a great place for plein air painting this spring.  

This train and it's huge black tanks, was gorgeous. 

I'm learning the art of not explaining so much and letting the viewer finish the details.

I have a real habit of trying to say and show everything....

In art and in life.... less is more.  

Thank you for looking!

Line Up

"Line Up" 

16" x 40"  oil

I love city paintings.  I like the idea of trying to create a beautiful painting from the ordinary.....maybe finding a visual eyesore around town, and using it as my subject.  What if I could create something beautiful from something not so wonderful?

 This is a first of what I hope to be a new series of paintings.   

I do love rusty metal things...I have seen some beautiful con-ex containers around town....faded, sun damaged colors...rusty hinges and seams.  Ahhh....kinda amazing really.  A little graffiti and I'm in heaven.  So there, now you know my new mission!

Thank you for looking!  

Bar and Lounge

"Bar and Lounge"

30" x 40"  oil

Another neon sign.......even in daylight, they still fascinate me.