Mary B Spires Watercolor & Art Stuff

8x10 Paper/Mixed Media This was a fun Christmas Gift....I haven't played with collage for quite a while....We made it back to Ohio last night.....It's Cold.

8x10 Oil on Canvas Board I've worked on this one for a couple of weeks....of course it was a wipe off a couple of times....the medium I used is very shiny. I like the way it looks in real life, but it's very hard to photograph. I also have been working on Christmas gifts.......We will be leaving for Ohio Saturday, so I hope I will have a little time to paint.

8x10 Oil on Canvas Board I started a couple of paintings last week while I was at the Art Market in St Petersburg, Florida. It was a real challange painting from the photograph, it's hard to remember the wonder reflections, especially in the shadows.

8x10 On Canvas Board This was a fun one to paint...I experimented with a different technique....I did a value underpainting (black, white and gray) with acrylics.....Helen Van Wyk (we have her weekly on our PBS station in St. Pete) does this quite often.....it's a great way to paint. Get those values right and everything falls into place. I've also been working on a new design for my web site.....it's been a busy week. I hope to get a few more paintings with this technique.

5x7 Oil on Gesso Board I started this one last Spring, just didn't get around to finishing it.....I think this ended up being a favorite.

11x14 Oil on Canvas Board This was given to St. Paul's School for their annual fund raiser.....happy to say it SOLD!

11x14 Watercolor on Watercolor Paper I've had 3 wipers (What Carol Marine calls her paintings that were trashed or wiped off). So I decided to post my class project for the next two weeks. I'm scheduled to be at the Art in the Park in St. Petersburg today, but the rain is moving in......so maybe I'll just get to paint all day.

6x6 Oil on Canvas Board During the Carol Marine Workshop the girls from Georgia had these wonderful turnips....mine are not quite as pretty, but I did enjoy painting them.

6x6 Oil on Gesso Board As you can see I did change a few things, added a little more white on the dish, plus cropped off the top right corner, plus add a little more color on the oranges slices.

At this point I walk away for a while....just to get a fresh view I take it onto the porch where I have north light.......

Adding on more paint and starting the background.

I seem to get a better end product if I put on a first layer. I first toned the board with Cadmium Yellow Medium. Next I painted the shadows, then a layer on the oranges. Since the dish is white, I mixed several colors of Gray, then added white as I was putting in the "white colors" of the dish.

I began painting about 6 am!!!! Early Bird that I am....this is my best time.

I love doing Oranges....in fact I think they are my favorite. I took the time this morning to do a step by step.....this is the photo, remember when you set up your still life get those wonderful shadows, they help create the tension in the painting......plus you can feel the sunshine!

6x6 Oil on Gesso Board It's been a very full weekend...I was at the Saturday Art Market in St. Pete.....a little traffic, but they have moved the Farmers Market to another location a couple of blocks away......Hopefully they are going to move us too! I painted this one on Friday....I'm having trouble with those colors of "Red" ........I finally got the right color for the background using Phthalo Blue with a little Ultramarine Blue plus White.....a great color but that Phthalo is hard to work with....it gets into everything!

11" x 14 1/2" Watercolor on Watercolor Paper This was painted from a photo I took a few years ago while attending a workshop with Craig Nelson.....the hardest part was the shadow shapes.....nice challenge.

What a fun group! Carol's photo of the group is much better, so take a look on her blog.

This is one of Carol's class demo and I got to take it home! I love it!

6x6 Oil on Gesso Board Again, another left over tomato from the workshop....it's looking really ripe! After Carol went over the way she shoots her painting, I finally am getting a good photograph to work from!!!!! I start back teaching watercolors at the art center tomorrow...it will be good to see all my students.

6x6 Watercolor on Watercolor Paper I did this one this morning, but not quite sure if it's finished......will take another look this afternoon....I think I need some soft edges on the petal, so the flower becomes part of the background!!!!

6" x 6" Oil on Gesso Board I forgot to photograph this yesterday.....after Carol Marine's workshop at the Beach Art Center, I took home all the left over still live stuff.....these peppers were painted by Carol on Tuesday....they were wonderful, but I didn't get to buy them!!!! I'm having a hard time getting back into the groove, but it's fun trying!!!

6" x 6" Watercolor Watercolor Paper We're settle back at the condo....my new studio is ready & waiting for me to paint! It's been a very busy 2 weeks, had to do the "Spring Cleaning" thing...we're having construction in the complex....dusty dusty!!! My friend Brenda (3 doors down the hall) was giving away a couple of cabinets....so of course I moved them to my studio....what a big difference.....I have more room and a place for everything...if you didn't know I'm a little ADD (I want to play with all the crafts)...now maybe when I have a few extra hours I can find my beads, printmaking supplies, sewing, etc. I painted this little daisy this morning.....I'm plan on painting 3 watercolors per week, and 3 small oils....I've been so bad about doing watercolors....the oils have swept me away....but I still love the watercolors, just committing to doing little 6 x 6 it's really fun. I plan on showing at the "Art in the Pa...

It's that time of year!!!! can't believe it!!! but we're leaving Friday, Oct. 10 th .....have to stop a couple of places to see the grand kids......I packed all the art stuff today...so I'm hoping by the first of November I will be back to painting daily.....where does the time go?

Left to Right. Brittney Stassi , Mary Spires, Kimberly Kocak ,Mallory Sweigart and front and center My Mother Martha Sloan and of course the Star of the Show "Miss Haddie Stasi ". Brittney is the mother of the star, I'm the Great Grandmother, Kimberly is the Grandmother, Mallory is the Aunt, and Martha Sloan, my mother is the great great grandmother.

This is Mark's first demo........what more can I say?

I attend a workshop in West Jefferson, Ohio this past week with Mark Gingerich , it was a wonderful workshop, I learned a lot. But, of course, I didn't get anything I wanted to post. But I decided to post the picture of our model.........I have about 500 photographs from this week. I could paint for a long time. Mark paints in the style of the turn of the century artist, such as Frank W. Benson, Guy Rose and Frederick Frieseke , he is represented by Bryan Roberts Gallery in Bexley , Ohio........

Miss Hattie Stasi .......... sooooo cute! She came to visit her great grandmother last night........she's sure is a happy baby..... As you can see my three grand kids are making fun of their Nana.........I'll show them......they are having so much fun together, it's been a long time since they've been together......I love watching them together.....of course they took out the baby pictures last night......we decided that Hattie looks like her daddy (Luke).........but she does have Brittney's personality!!!!! Love you guys! It's been a very busy time, plus I had a little overnight visit at the hospital a couple of days ago.....my heart was doing funny things. I took a stress test yesterday, will know the results in a few days......I leave on Tuesday for Tahoe with the girls....we all turned 60 this year!!!! urg!!!! I'm hoping my vacation with the girls will get me back on track and back to painting........I think I've been in an artist block for a...

I'm having a little problem with posting more than one paragraph. To continue with Artid Gallery; it's a great "on line Gallery" plus the monthly fee includes your listing on eBay for 30 days. If the item is sold youpay a small commission. This works for me, plus it's less work! I hope to have the Gallery up and running this week. So be sure to check back!

10"x 8" Oil on Canvas Board Convention is over, classes went great, plus I got to meet new students and visited with old friends. I can't believe it's been so long since I painted and had something I could post. I have been working on landscapes, but it's isn't going well! It's about practice! urg ! I have made a few changes, I joined an on line gallery Artid Gallery. It's a great gallery with wonderful artist in all media. For a small monthly fee you can put your paintings in their eBay store for 30 days. If the painting sells you pay a small commission. I hope to get it up and running this week. I haven't posted anything in my Etsy store, but hope to get caught up this week.

I'm sure you think I've fallen off the end of the earth!!!! It's been a very busy time. I just returned from Canada with a week of fun in the sun and painting. As most of you know I'm not the greatest landscape painter......after a week of painting I'm still haven't painted anything I want to post. (sorry) Next week is the Heart of Ohio Tole convention in Columbus, I'm busy getting ready to teach a couple of classes. Hope to be back to a regular schedule in a week or so!

It's been a crazy couple of weeks.........not a good time for painting....I've been framing, matting and general business stuff to get ready for the Lancaster Art Walk...I will have 33 Oil paintng at ADAMAH and 22 Watercolors at Main Street Gallery....hope to see you Friday Night! All the "art" will be up for the following week....check with the various location for times the business are open.

Click Here to Place Your Bid 6" x 6" oil on canvas board Painted this one at class on Tuesday......what a fun class!!! I'm getting ready for the "Lancaster Art Walk" Friday, July 18th.......hope to see a few of you there!!!!

Click Here to Bid 10" x 8" Oil on Canvas Board Susan Carlin wanted me to talk about the "glow" around the objects in my recent still lives. I've been studying Gregg Kreutz book Problem Solving for oil Painters, he says: To keep a picture from looking static there must be a sense of the light increasing and decreasing in intensity throughout. The light area of each object must contain a lighter and a darker part, and the picture as a whole should have a sense of orchestration from either dark to light or light to dark. As in this painting, I've added a lighter value (white, yellow or orange) into the background mix going around the objects in the painting. If you look at artist that work in the "Chiaroscuro Style" such as David A. Leffel or J Legg they always have a glow around their subject matter. I've always loved "Chiaroscuro Style", but never tried to paint that way, but the last few paintings have been so much fun I think I...

8" x 10" Oil on Canvas Board I worked on this one for a couple of days....I like working with the "Chiaroscuro Style" it's truly a big challenge to get the light traveling across the painting. My lighting is still not quite up to par....but when you live in the woods the north light is hard to find!

14"x10" Oil On Masonite I'm not completely happy with this one, but I like the reflections on the table.....I have to keep reminding myself these are the exercises for learning!

5"x7" Oil on Board I love painting these Habanero Peppers, reproducing the shapes with the shadows were a challenge. I moved things around in the studio to get a better light for my still lives. I've been studying Gregg Kreutz book Problem Solving for the Oil Painter.....I just love that "Chiaroscuro Style" of the light traveling across your still live.

11" x 14" Oil on Board I took another picture of this one......the image is must better, but somehow I lose my comment.....but I think I may have a better place for shooting the paintings....

6 x 6 oil on Gesso Board I did this one a couple of days ago.....I like the way the red and orange looks on the apple....I'm still having trouble getting a place outside to shoot the paintings......

Click Here to Place Your Bid 6 x 6 oil on Gesso Board Of course I had to do these guys again......just love the way they look when they are wet, but as they dry, they get a dull frosted look.....think I may have to do them again tomorrow.

Click Here to Place Your Bid 6 x 6 oil on Gesso Boar Started this one in Tuesday Morning class with Donna Noice.........I had to do a couple of wipe outs before I got a composition I liked......dud! that's what thumbnails are for!!!! I know that!!! I still have trouble with the "red" family.......that's why I need more practice.

6" x 6" Oil on Gesso Board This was a challenge to get the shape of the vase correct....... it's still isn't quite right.....Oh, my!

6" x 6" Oil on Gesso Board Well, I have my verizon up and running.......it's almost as good as Florida. These were placed on a shiney surface, but I didn't quite get the reflections I wanted. I can't believe how rusty I feel after not painting for in oils for about 3 weeks. Daily Painting is more important than ever!

We talked to Verizon Wireless today...they have a new card. Ours is in the mail on Monday....Yea! Yea! Have been painting, so I will have a few new ones to post........it's a struggle to get back in the "groove"............still don't have the studio back in shape.....but I'm doing a little each day..........plus I've had to "do lunch" with a few friends........

11" x 14" Watercolor on Paper This was a demo during my Durham workshop. Beckey was having trouble with skin tone, so I started to show her a few things.......well, one thing let to another. I've been working on posting to this blogs since 5:30 am......2 hours later I'm still having a problem with verizon. Living in the woods is wonderful, but it's bad for wireless. I will try to get a better service connection over the weekend.........

Debra Dawson is a wonderful Plein Aire Painter........she did the demo at the Collage Meeting on Wednesday, June 18th.......Thanks Deb!

We made it back to Ohio!!! This is my great grand daughter with her mother taking her first swim. She is such a cutie ........we had great fun. The workshop in Durham was great, what a great bunch of students......I will post a couple of pic's of the little boy portrait I did as a demo piece later today. I forgot how slow my i nternet is here! I'm still trying to get all my paint stuff out of the boxes....plus unpack clothes, etc. I also attended the "Collage" meeting and took pic's of Debra Dawson "demo" painting in plein aire . I will post a couple of the steps......it was like magic watching her paint, I still have a hard time seeing the "great outdoor" and breaking it down into a painting!

We will be going back to Ohio for the summer.......we're leaving Florida on the 9th of June, stopping over in Charlotte to see that "baby"......my new great grand daughter!!!! I know, I know I'm not that old!!!! I will be teaching a 3 day workshop in Durham, N.C.(June 12, 13 & 14). Hopefully we will arrive in Ohio on Father's Day. So I will not be painting much in the next couple of weeks......stop back by toward the 18-20th.....hope to see you soon!

Watercolor 11" x 14" I really enjoyed teaching this..... the class worked very hard and I think they had "aha" moments.....remember it's about value, shape and hue. If you're having trouble seeing the shape (when painting from a photograph), turn it undside down! Thanks for a great class! Hope to hear from all of you!!! Keep Painting!