Saturday life drawing sessions

At UAA here in Anchorage, art students meet for a life drawing session

Saturdays from 12noon to 3pm.  It's open to the community also.

The lighting is wonderful, models....wonderful....it's a great opportunity to draw the figure.

Cost is $5 for a session or $15 for the semester....held at the Fine Arts building, room 101.

Okay....just thought I'd let you know.  The Tuesday night sessions have come to a close, so this would be a great option!

Thanks for looking! 

Warm sun......

Okay.....it felt great to focus on this painting today.

Have I told you I'm waiting for spring? 

Have I told you I live in Alaska?... it snowed again today! 

I'm wishing I was in the painting right now.

 I can smell the coconut oil.......and I feel the warm sand  

between my toes......

Out of breath, I'm laying on my grass mat...sun beating down on me.

My bathing suit is still wet from the body surfing I just got done with,

 and my skin is already warming up enough to jump back in.

................ahhhhhhhh............

Okay....that felt good......a mini vacation.

Thanks for looking!

California Oak

"California Oak"

I painted this one a while back. 

 My old computer has been dying a slow death....I bought a new Mac Laptop Pro......*LOVE*........sigh...... So that's where I play lately.

All my older painting images are on my other computer.....so this past weekend I was bored and rooting around in my old computer files....look what I found!  I had forgotten all about this painting.

It was painted about 3 years ago, around the same time I wrote a ghost story called "The Orchard".

When I printed out my novel and put it in a binder....this painting seemed perfect for the cover!

I found the novel on the computer too....February just got a whole lot more interesting.

I always find myself daydreaming of tropical paradise in February.  Winter is long up here in Alaska...these last few months drive me crazy.  I just need to make it to the middle of March and I'm good to go again!   I need something to occupy my mind.

Now I have a story to edit!  I still need to go out to my studio and paint something sunny and warm, 

but I have some new ideas floating around in my head of other projects to take on!

I like the sound of that..."take on" ....kinda like....

"Bring it!"  love that one too :) 

Okay, that's my post for today.....

thank you for looking!  

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!

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!  

Tuesday night life drawing sessions....

This is a drawing from last night's session.  Fun evening with a nice group of artists!

Tuesday nights there is a open life drawing session downtown Anchorage, AK.

We meet at 6:30pm and draw until 8:30pm. Come and draw with us! 

AT.... International Gallery, 427 D St.  

Tuesday nights 6:30 - 8:30pm

We would love to see you there, no expertise required, all levels welcome, bring $15 and your own materials. (If more than 5 people attend, the fee goes down to $10!) (UAA students only have to pay $5!) Please try to arrive before we start. See you there!

1970's motocross boots!

Okay....I'm showing you paintings from the past year, give the blog something to look at while I experiment on paintings in my studio.

These are some seriously great boots!  Do you know what attracted me to them?  Yes....the metal shin guards and metal buckles.  Tarnished metal, paired up with old worn leather......it just doesn't get any better than this!  Kinda has a Mad Max flavor don't you think? 

I have a painting in mind for these, but this was a fun warm up for something else down the line.

"Old Flame"

"Old Flame"  

oil painting by Marianne Elson

I painted this vintage blow torch a while back.  I love old metal stuff!  I don't know why.... I just gravitate towards it....a moth to a flame.  If I was in an antique store, and on the shelf in front of me was something metallic and rusty.....and right next to it, was an intricate porcelain vase.  I would zero right in on the metal thingy.  I'd have it in my hands in no time.  Why is that?  What is it about old chrome...rusty tools....and tarnished silver that lights my heart on fire?  I have a small collection of old blow torches....I don't know why.  I just love them.  I love the smell, the touch...the sight, and they don't need to be in great shape....I actually prefer that whatever it is...is old and dented.  It needs to wear it's history.  

Secretly....if I walked into some old farmers garage or barn, my head would spin.  I'd be trying to take it all in at once.  That's an idea!  What if I took my oil paints and easel..... planted myself in some guys old garage and painted for a whole weekend...drag a bunch of canvases with me.....eat out of pizza boxes, Chinese take out and just paint any metal car part, old bike wheel, old metal springs...any treasure I laid my eyes on!  That sounds like heaven to me....

On the flip side.....I have a real thing for polished chrome too.  Old cars, motorcycles and trucks....chrome bumpers, dash gauges, door handles, light assemblies...trim.  LOVE IT.

And don't get me going on vintage toasters and kitchen appliances......  Okay, enough!  I'll stop.  

I could go on and on, but I will show some restraint.

      

Champagne.......

 

 

"Champagne" 

11" x 14"  oil on canvas

 

Ahhhh........champagne.

 

Isn't champagne wonderful?  So bubbly, my tongue fizzes with each sip.  Its too bad 2 glasses is my limit.  Perrier water has the same effect.....my new drink of choice!

First Friday Show...

 

 

 

I'm hanging 14 paintings on Snow City Cafe's sunny, yellow walls!

Artist reception will be this Friday, September 7th 

5:30 until 8:00pm

 

The paintings will be up and for sale until October 3rd.

 

 

 

 



Float plane shacks...

 

 

 

"Float Plane Shacks"  oil

8" x 10" canvas

 

There is a lake not too far from my neighborhood.  It's a take off and landing strip for float planes.  I used to take my boys there when they were young....we would eat our little sack lunches and watch the planes take off and land.  We were right there on the edge of the lake....and you could feel the engines rumble in your chest as they blew by.   Wow, nothing better than that with little boys.  I'd watch their faces while a plane would be taking off....my oldest son would talk and point the whole time, I couldn't hear a word over the engine noise, but I shared his excitedment.  My younger son would just shake with excitement and point. 

 

This painting is at Lake Hood, these adorable little shacks are at each float plane "slip" as they call it, Like a water driveway for a plane.  It's parked next to it's little shack.  People plant flowers and paint these little shacks fun colors....the lake is like a small community of tiny houses, very Hansel and Gretel.

 

I had fun painting here that day!

Thank you for looking!



Vintage cooler....

 

Coolers on a bright sunny day. 

This was an odd summer, it just seemed to fly by.  Maybe it was the late start.....maybe more rainy days than sunny ones?  Maybe I was distracted.  Anyways, this little painting puts me right back on the day it was painted...a warm, bright, long Alaskan day.....and a little sunburn on my shoulders.

It was a good day.    

 

Thank you for looking! 

Drawings....

 

 

 

 

 

There is a life drawing session each Tuesday night here in Anchorage. 

These are a few of my drawings from these sessions.

 

If you are interested in drawing the figure, it's open to anyone....

there's a  $15 drop in fee for the 2 hour session.  Go to the Upstairs Studio at

406 G Street (the door next to Phil's Deli-above Side Street Espresso).

We draw from 6:30pm until 8:30.

 

 



Bar and Lounge

"Bar and Lounge"

30" x 40"  oil

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



Midnight Call

"Midnight Call"

24" x 36"  oil

I just love these beautiful little structures!

Club 25

"Club 25"

24" x 48"  oil

I have a thing for neon signs......