The Dior
This is a 18″x14″ mixed media painting on paper covered canvas. The sides are 1.5″ deep and are painted tangerine.
This painting is $400 and is available directly from the artist maria@mariapacewynters.com
Inspired by a Dior hat.
The Masked Harlequin
This is a 4″x5″ mixed media painting on paper covered canvas. The sides are .5″ deep and are painted red. This painting is $57 and is available HERE.
Having some Harlequin fun in the studio today.
The Butterfly Hat
This is a 20″x24″ mixed media painting on wood. The sides are 1.5″ deep and are painted coral. This painting will be part of an upcoming show in November. SOLD
This painting pays homage to Alexander McQueen. It is inspired by a Philip Treacy hat that was used in an Alexander McQueen show that, ironically, was paying homage to his muse, Isabella Blow, who loved to wear hats.
God, I loved this man’s clothes/art. When he died earlier this year I was so saddened by the loss of a true genius in our own time. Somehow, it was all too much for him to bare and even though he was loved immensely, I guess, it just wasn’t enough. It just couldn’t out weigh the pain he must have been feeling. So sad and such a waste. Suicide always is.
I hope Mr McQueen would like this painting. I tried not to make it high fashion. Just a girl, wearing a butterfly hat, what could be more ordinary?
Can you imagine if we all wore hats like the Royals or the fashionistas ? What could be better.
It makes me think about the young fifteen year old that gets a drive to school with Imogen everyday. Scarlett and I wait at the window to catch a glimpse of her ensamble as she gets in our car. Today she was wearing a day glow tutu, striped socks, kitty ears AND the tail. I laughed because last week Chris told me that she was all excited about the upcoming school events in celebration of Halloween. (ALREADY!?)
He looked at me, kind of amazed and said that he just couldn’t help wondering what the heck she was going to dress up like.
“A normal kid, perhaps?” he quipped.
(This from a man who once had black hair on one side of his head and white on the other – doesn’t batman have a nemesis like that? Just saying).
ANYWAY, I look forward to finding out what she is going to dress up like but, I have to be honest, it makes me appreciate the fact that I am still putting Imogen’s clothes out the night before. I know, that it is not going to last long!
ON THE OTHER HAND…
I am pretty sure that Scarlett is thinking; ” Hmmm, I love the way her ears match her tail.” She’ll be picking out her own clothes in grade two, no doubt, and I am fairly sure that the fashion show she is getting five days a week will prove to be extremely inspirational.
Monthly Give Away
I have decided to have a monthly give away of one of my fine art reproductions.
Here is the first one:
It is a 6″x8″ fine art reproduction on bamboo paper on a canvas stretcher. These are OOAK (one of a kind) as I work back into them. All you have to do is leave a comment on this blog entry and at the end of the month I will have draw.
Yeah! This sounds like fun!
The Ring Master’s Hat
This is a 6″x8″ mixed media painting on wood. The sides are 1.5″ and are painted red.
This painting is available HERE.
She always wanted to try on the Ring Master’s hat
But now that she had
She wished
she hadn’t
Celebrate Alberta Art Days
This is photo of Imogen CELEBRATING ART at MOMA in NEW YORK….
I will be here today, celebrating Alberta Art Days in Edmonton.
You should come celebrate too!
The Leopard Helmet
This is a 6″x6″ mix media painting on wood. The sides are 1″ and are painted coral.
I love the hats that Katie Burley creates AND I love leopard print.
Pretty much a no brainer
Paint what you love ….right ….
What Do You See?
This is a 18″x 24″ mixed media painting on wood.
The sides are 1.5″ deep and are painted red/coral
This painting is $600 and is available HERE.
I sit here with my morning tea
The steam tickles my nostrils
It wakes me
It wakes my senses
Adventures awaken with in me
Anything is possible
Everything is possible
It is a new day
But just one more sip
Sometimes
The possibility of a dream is as sweet as the realization of one
So let me linger here
Just a little longer
Tattoos and Lace
This is a mixed media painting on paper covered canvas. The sides are 1.5″ deep and are painted red. This painting is SOLD
Having a little fun in the studio today. I was thinking yesterday about fun and play and how perhaps I am OVER thinking everything. Deadlines can do that to you. So ***raspberry*** to deadlines and guidelines. This one is just for fun!
Red sky for Courage …
THE NIGHT TOTEM
This is a 6″x36″ mixed media painting on paper covered canvas. The sides are 1.5″ and are painted red.
This painting is SOLD
Mug Shots
This a 4″x6″ mixed media painting on paper covered canvas. The sides are red and are.75″ deep. Available HERE
I stumbled across this website documenting mug shots of unknown people of New Orleans during the early 20th century and I was intrigued. The faces that looked out at me were haunting. Ghosts form the past saying
‘Hey, I was here before you. Look at me’.
It was really moving and I wondered who these people were. I always think these thoughts when I look at old photos but these really struck me because they were not taken of these people in their finest hour. You can see that in their eyes. It is like they are saying
‘See me, remember me, but not like this, not now, not here, not for this. Remember me for who I really am but do remember me.
So I painted one. She is nameless and her offense is unrecorded. Most likely petty. Reasons for arrest were often vague even if they were written down. ‘Immoral purposes’, ‘huckstering’, ‘flim-flam’ even.
Perhaps my way of honoring her. I am not sure yet. I am torn about leaving the number painting on the left hand corner. For some reason I feel that this is disrespectful to her, something that she would rather forget.
Feeling Grown Up
This is a 6″x8″ mixed media painting on paper covered canvas. This sides are .75″ and are painted tangerine. This painting is $73 and is available HERE.
I wrote this yesterday, Scarlett’s first day taking the school bus to school:
She is excited for the adventure but nervous too.
Is this normal mama?
‘Yes, my darling’, I try to answer but she is already moving up the stairs of the enormous school bus.
‘Hey’, I think,’ I am not ready yet.’
But she is.
This morning as she put her clothes on for school, she announced ‘I feel grown up today’ and then later, waiting for the bus, she said proudly ‘ I am four’.
I have tried to say ‘I am forty two’ with as much pride but I think I need a little more practice.
What Big Eyes You Have …
This is a 4″x6″ mixed media painting on paper covered canvas. This sides are .75″ and are pained red.
This painting is is $60 and is available HERE.
Red pushes the hood back, off of her head. Was it blocking her light or did Grandma look odd today? Was here nose larger than normal? No. Her eyes perhaps? No.
Her teeth?
Yes!
Her teeth were definitely bigger!
Poor Red.
My Path…
What Do You See? 18″x24″ work in progress (mixed media painting on wood)
This is my path …
I was recently dropping off some art to Kaleido, a local festival and was struck by the amount of really good art. Like, REALLY good. I haven’t been working for awhile -boy summer DOES get in the way- and I had grabbed the few painting that I have left so, I wasn’t really feeling GREAT about my offering.
(YOU KNOW WHERE THIS IS HEADING, DON’T YOU?)
ENTER MY FRIEND … the ego …
When I look at some artist’s work I feel kind of envious because their art is ‘cool’, ‘hip’ or ‘modern’. I think, ‘ I wish I did THAT’. I am sure that we all feel that some time or another, it is a sucky feeling isn’t? I hate feeling envious of someone ‘s life or art. I really try not to, but sometimes it is hard.
So I went home and I was feeling kind of icky in my belly. Bothered. Uneasy. I am sure that some of these feelings were coming from other things as well. I have a show in November that I have to paint …entirely … yikes …and I have several festival shows to get ready for … a lot of work … lucky I have so much spare time …ha, ha, ha!
But you know, I am getting good at kicking that ego out the door. I started thinking about the art I was liking and about my art and I realized that I couldn’t paint those paintings because they weren’t on my path. I am on my own path. Maybe my path isn’t as cool as a twenty somethings path but you know what is even less cool? Painting something that isn’t authentically you. Staying on coarse and painting honestly is always the right choice.
Today, as I work up in the loft for the first time in what seems like absolute ages, I feel really happy. I have all my textures and patterns, ripped up papers and images around me and I feel that even though I didn’t know I was filling the well while I was away, maybe the well was being filled. I have images of the west coast in my head, childhood memories and smells are a little closer to the surface and Emily Carr keeps stopping by. So this is good. This is very good.
I just want to express my gratitude at this turn in my life two years ago when I decided that I was an artist and I better start proving it. As I sit in my studio, I really have accomplished my dreams. How lucky am I? I get to be an artist. Life is good. I can’t tell you all how much I appreciate your support. You allow me to realize my dream to be an artist. Thanks.
I better get back on that path now …
