Today marks the date of the 3rd year passing of a very beautiful person. Shane was my son's best friend and a very treasured family friend whose life was cut much too short in a tragic accident. I've always wanted to create a work of art in honor of Shane and symbolize his heritage, one that he was very proud of.
Shane was part Mohegan Indian; his strong facial features and sculptured outline were tell tale.
This piece is a 9 x 12, mixed media, on art board. The picture is actually a section of the painting. The image is of Uncas a Mohegan Chief, who is probably more famous as a character in James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans than as a real-life person. But; he is significant in the context of the 17th-century New England history.
Through my reading about Uncas, I've discovered that Uncas and Shane share similar traits. Just to name a few; strength, wisdom, perseverance, and being a real team player.
So; on this day of August 10th, I pay tribute to our dear friend Shane who we love and miss so much! Shane lives on, through the things we know he's loved and cared about. He loved life, mountains, Sharon, David, motorcycles, humor, and the New York Yankees!!
I see it fitting that this weekend, the NY Yankees swept the Red Sox in a 4-game series. Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This ones for you Shane! I love you! Marilyn xxoo
How about them Yankees????????????
Just wanted to let you all know my husband and I are home from our trip to Cape Ann. We had a great time and the weather fully cooperated :)
I plan on spending some time, this weekend, catching up. I look forward to seeing what everyone has been creating! I managed to take some pictures; here's one of them although I added the text to it. It really says The Blue Gate on it but this has inspired me for a future painting. There's more to the gate but I just thought the portal, there, was cool. If you click on the picture, you can probably see the sailboats through it.
Good to be home!
I've missed you all!
Love, Marilyn xxoo
Rockport, Massachusetts - USA :)
My husband and I are getting ready to leave on a little mini vacation. We're going to our favorite spot - ocean side on Cape Ann.
I will be gone from Monday, Aug. 3 and will return home on Friday., Aug. 7th.
We're looking forward to the charming harbor views and loading up on Farnham's fried clams in Essex! :)
I will miss you and visiting your Blogs but will catch up upon my return.
Thinking of you all, have a safe and happy week ahead.
I'll be back :) Much love - Marilyn xxoo
I just finished a painting for an upcoming show and it was a very emotional piece, for me, which I will share in near future.
I felt like I had to get back to some journaling.
These are pictures of what I recently created in my sketchbook journal. You'll see the whole spread, here, and then the individual pages. I love quotes and used two of my favorites for these pages.
The one quote at bottom of spread (handwritten) with the butterfly covering the woman's face is:
"Happiness is a butterfly
which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp,
but, if you will sit down quietly,
may alight upon you." Nathaniel Hawthorne
The other quote was stamped (Tim Holtz stamp) with white acrylic but it's not showing up clearly with my lack of picture taking :). But; here is the quote; I love this one:
The CREATIVE is the place where no one else has
ever been. You have to leave the CITY of your
comfort and venture in the WILDERNESS of your
intuition. you can't get there any other way, only by
taking RISKS and by not quite knowing what you're
doing. what you'll DISCOVER will be wonderful, what
you'll discover will be YOURSELF!
WOW right?
Hope you are all safe and happy; enjoying your week and getting lots of art time in for yourself. I love sharing with all of you and have been visiting your Blogs and am constantly inspired by what you are creating! Seems like you're all discovering YOU! Enjoy!
Love to all............................Marilyn xxoo
I just recently completed a fantastic online workshop that I discovered on the Creative Workshops Online website.The workshop instructor is Jodi Ohl.
Jodi offered a Faux Encaustic Workshop and it has been so much fun I was sad to see it come to an end :).
I am sharing the canvases, here, from the beginning to end. The bottom is the first layering and the top picture is the final project. The process is layers after luscious layers, of collage papers, stamping, doodling, journaling, mediums, charcoal, graphite, gesso - you name it!
The theme is seasons and we could choose our colors and images - I just had a blast!
I intend to start another series very soon! Thanks, Jodi, for a fantastic offering!
Wishing you all a wonderful, safe and artful weekend.
Love to all.....................Marilyn xxoo
I've discovered the joy of creating on art boards.
This is a picture of one of my recent works that is done on a 9 x 12 piece of maple art board. The surface is so wonderful to create on and very forgiving. The board is very acrylic, oil, watercolor and pastel friendly :) However, I do prime the surface first.
I haven't titled this piece. I'm sure it's hard for you to read but at the bottom left-hand corner there is an excerpt of a poem that was written by Carole Fults, a friend of mine, who not only writes poetry but is a fantastic photographer and painter. She honored me with some of her poems to use in my work. The excerpt here reads:
"I want to be long enough in one spot so that the trees hold memories of me within their hearts...."
I thought these words were fitting with what I created for this piece.
Wishing you all to be safe with your day and hope you are having a joyous week.
Love much - Marilyn xxoo
I love participating in giveaways even if I don't win. It's just fun to be part of them and the anticipation of who is going to win and maybe even me :)
This is a picture of my second win participating in a giveway. I won two each of these beauties!
They are the coolest postcards created by Roben-Marie Smith
Check out Roben-Marie's really neat envelopes that she makes. Click on her name, above, that is highlighted and it will lead you to her site. She has a video of her creating these unique envelopes! Way cool!
These very creative postcards will soon be offered in Roben-Marie's online shop.
Thank you, Roben-Marie, for a terrific opportunity!
I am thinking of all of you and wishing you a safe, joyous, and artful week ahead!
Much love .......................Marilyn xxoo
