"Uprooted".................

16 x 20

Acrylic/Mixed Media

This is an abstract piece I am working on. I still have some line work to add, to it, but I have been experimenting with these Dr. Ph Martin Bombay India Inks and think they're really terrific. They come in little bottles with eye-dropper lids and the ink is wonderful for dropping into water! It creates wonderful and spontaneous surprises.

I call this piece "Uprooted" because the initial inks created a vision of a huge tree (the thick blue area there on the left) that has been uprooted due to a storm. We've been getting lots of storms, lately; another one tonight. We did have a neighbor's tree fall on our house about a month ago. That was quite scary! Thankfully, no one was hurt but, perhaps, this painting was subconsciously in my vision because of that experience. I always say art is a path.

I added some Japanese papers to this piece, for texture, and also collaged Asian script paper throughout in areas as well as around the whole canvas.

Hope you are all having an artful weekend!

Much love - Marilyn

Wylde Women Award :)

I have been nominated for the Wylde Women Award by Heather Robinson (http://creativesolace.blogspot.com/) Please visit Heather's Blog, when you can, it is jam-packed with her beautiful art and words!

Thank you Sweet Heather! I so appreciate this.

I am, in return, nominating all of my favorite Blogs, here that I have linked on my Blog. I cannot express, with the right words, the inspiration I get from all of you! You are my morning "cup of joe"!!!!! Thank you!

I was also asked, with receiving this award, that I link Tammy Vitale's Blog here http://:www.tammyvitale.com/ so she can visit all of the Blogs that I have linked here. She will really love her visits.

Thanks, again, Heather and I am wishing you all a safe, happy, joyous and artful weekend ahead.

Much love, Marilyn xxoo

Texture, texture and more texture...............

This is a picture of two canvases I recently completed. These are those odd-sized canvases (4 x 12) that I really enjoy working on.

The reason I photographed these, like this, is I'm going to hang one on top of the other with eye screws. I want this to be a wall-hanging of sorts and there will be about a 2" space between them.

I haven't titled these pieces, yet, I'm still thinking on it. It was very difficult to get a good, clear shot of these as there are so many textures in these pieces as well as metallic paints and bright colors. I started out with a very thick layer of gel medium, stamping into it, making texture marks with different tools, writing in it, etc. I let that dry and then started painting.

Have a happy day everyone! Love - Marilyn xxoo

"Madame Pleurunsou".................

8 x 10

Beeswax Collage

I completed this collage over the weekend. Beeswax is one of my favorite mediums; I haven't worked with it in awhile and it seems to instantly relax me when I begin working with it. It might be the wonderful aroma that comes from my little crock pot filled with this magical potion :)

I thought this piece reminded me of a French Cinderella story of sorts :)

I hope you all had a good weekend; and wishing you a safe and happy week ahead. Thank you for taking the time to visit.

Love to you all.......................Marilyn xxoo

"Tout a la Ligne!"....................

I named this piece "Tout a la Ligne", which in French means something close to "everything is in line". You probably cannot see at the top of this piece there are the title words I collaged there. I've had that tiny words piece, torn out of some book, for the longest time; probably years! It finally made its way to one of my art pieces :) I always find that amazing; what a path art is. It kind of guides us doesn't it?

Anyway; this piece is an acrylic/mixed media piece that is on a very odd-sized canvas. It measures 4" x 12" and is very thick which I love. I guess you'd call this one of those framed canvases. I felt I wanted to turn it, this way, for a different challenge rather than the landscape way.

The figure, there, is actually a rubber stamp image that I stamped onto print paper with Black Stazon, increased the size then used it as a negative stencil on this canvas. I painted in areas with acrylics and Textile paints. I kind of like the way it turned out; I wanted the script paper to show underneath.

Thanks for visiting, your supportive comments mean so much to me and I am so appreciative of your friendships and inspiration.

I hope your day is a happy one! Love, Marilyn xxoo

"Harmony".....................

9 x 12, Acrylic/Mixed Media

This is a piece I just finished today. It's a mixture of acrylic painting with collage. All the papers I used, for this piece, I made myself using Spectra art tissue paper, fluid acrylics, matte/gloss medium and different texture inclusions.

The colors from the digi pic didn't come out true to form but this will give you an idea of the outcome.

I'm wishing you all a safe and happy week ahead!

Love, Marilyn xxoo

"Studio Design" and "Funny Farm"......................

I've been working on these two paintings, this week, and just completed today.

These are on 8 x 10 stretched canvas.

The first painting is called: "Studio Design". The image is a paint over that I found in a bridal magazine.

The second picture is called "Funny Farm" and remember the stash of "family photos" my mother gave me that I mentioned in previous post? Well; this image is one of the photos that was in the stash. These three "dudes" are from left: my Uncle Bill, my father, and a neighborhood friend of theirs. They are all since passed now. Weren't they a threesome? My mother said as a child, my father grew up on a small farm and I guess they used to love to play with the chickens :) ........... whatever!

Admittedly, it's a little wierd for me to be using these family photos; particularly because I really didn't know that photos even existed. I guess it's all meant to be and art is a path I always say and perhaps as I was growing up, the timing wasn't right and I just wasn't meant to have these until now. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

Love to all of you and wishing you a terrific weekend ahead! Marilyn xxoo

Blog Awards..............................:)

I recently have been nominated for two Blog awards in the same week and was absolutely thrilled! The Blog awards were given, to me, by Gillian http://scrappydoo-gillian.blogspot.com/ and Melanie http://creativejourney07.blogspot.com/

Thank you both for the nominations; I was very moved and touched by this. As a recipient of these awards, we are supposed to nominate 7 other Blogs for the award. I just cannot choose 7 Blogs to nominate because each and every Blog that I have linked, here, is my favorite! So; with these awards, I would like to pass these along to all the Blogs that I have linked here.

Every morning, with my first cup of coffee, while my husband is reading the paper, I visit your Blogs, here, with delight and awe at the beautiful artwork that I see! I love keeping up with what everyone is doing and writing about.

So; thank you Gillian and Melanie! Again; I so appreciate the awards and congrats to all of you for contributing so much to our world of art! You all inspire me each and every day!!

I wish you all a happy and artful day! Much love - Marilyn xxoo

Nineteen Fifty Two!!

The wonders of Photoshop!

Recently, my mother presented me with a huge canvas bag of what she called "family photos". Now; I never really knew there were family photos in my mother's possession over the years. She said I could go through them and use them for whatever I'd like.

The interesting thing is, when I got the bag home and went through them, most of the pictures were of people I never knew. Some were pictures of my mother with friends of hers from different occasions. The pictures weren't very organized so I decided to wade through them, some more, and much to my amazement, I found this one picture of me when I was a little girl. The picture was in pretty rough shape but with the wonders of Photoshop, I felt I could save it.

I was 3, in this picture, according to my mother, which means it was taken in 1952! YIKES! I'll let you all do the math - lol!

I thought I would do something bright with this picture in Photoshop to kind of celebrate the fact that there was a picture of me that did exist somewhere in the archives :) I used a textured background from some scrapbook paper that I have and filtered it. I added the dove to the picture as it offered me peace that I came across this picture in an old canvas bag that was filled with mostly strangers.

I think I might even work on a painting with this picture. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm...........

Now; this leads me to an idea!!!! How about an art exchange? It could be a one-for-one; say 8 x 10 canvas board collage and we have to use a childhood picture of ourselves!!! What do you think?

Whoever is interested, please email me Artbeliever@gmail.com . Deadline for signing up is:

Friday, July 11th. (More details will follow once I get sign ups. :)

I hope you are all having a safe and happy weekend! Love to all - Marilyn xxoo

"Come Walk With Me..."

Acrylic/Mixed Media

8 x 10 Canvas Board

This is an acrylic/mixed media piece I just finished working on today. The image is another paint over and I am just thrilled with this technique; it just works for me and I feel is my comfort zone when adding images to my paintings.

The flowers in the painting are actual real Queen Anne's lace that have been dried and I cut little pieces of the delicate flowers. I adhered them with matte medium and sealed them with same after adding light touches of white gesso on them.

I added the title of the painting, here, with Photoshop. :)

I wish everyone a happy day! Love, Marilyn xxoo