Mary B Spires Watercolor & Art Stuff

10 x 8 Oil on Board I love painting the complementary palette......the orange just pops in this one. This is one of the times when you need to paint from life as the elispe is very important to get correct.  Of course I got to eat the orange after I finished, but it was a little dried out!

7" x 7" Collage on Paper What a fun projcet!  I can't remember the last time I had sooooo much fun with tearing paper and glue!!!!!  As most of you guys know I have been playing around with collage for a few years......Like the one of Georgia O'keefe that I did in Sante Fe about 10 years ago......WOW....how time flies!

8" x 10" Oil on Board This painting proves you need to paint from life! I sat this still life up in the Pumfrey's afternoon class....I love all the reflections in  the silver bowl.....I've been studying a DVD by Patricia Moran. She doesn't draw the subject on the surface, she blocks in masses of color......as soft as you can for as long as you can. I've learned sooooo much, about getting a good start that will create a great finish.......the ampersand gessoed board that I have been using makes the brush strokes show without using a great amount of paint.

10" x 8 " oil on Board I put this up in the studio just because I didn't like something about it....it didn't feel right!  Guess What! The sides were off, so in class Wednesday afternoon I corrected the pitcher and now I know it's finished!

8" x 10" Oil on Panel I set this still life up in the Pumfrey's oil class at the Beach Art Center.  The past couple of weeks I have been painting on canvas, but the texture of the canvas make the brush drag and I don't get those loose impressionist strokes.  The gesso panels are wonderful, they let you lay down one stroke and the brush hairs show.  I use a soft synthetic flat brush.  The small detail is done with a small round synthetic brush.

12" x 12" Oil on Canvas This was a challenge to get the whites without being chalky.....I need to let it rest for a few days .....I have been using Jerry's painting book to study his palette, plus his value range using the high key side of the value scale.

Fall Pear Oil 8" x 10" Class Project Dan Edmondson This painting for me was all about mixing those fall colors of yellows, reds and oranges.  I had to add a couple of layers of paint to get the bright colors.  I still haven't got the lighting worked out in the studio....but it felt great being back in the class.  Looking forward to painting with Judy & Larry on Wednesday....Life is Good Happiness flourishes in the secret garden of our Soul... George Eliot (aka Mary Anne Evans)

11" x 14" Collage This is one of my all time favorite pieces.....Dick & I were out in Santa Fe, NM, staying at our favorite camp ground.....I had just finished a painting of the "Dough Boy" a sepia painting from an old photograph that was published in the Hertiage Magazine in Lancaster, Ohio.  When I finished the piece it didn't tell the story I really want it to tell.  That particular morning the Sante Fe Newspaper had an article about a lost exhibit of Georgia O'Keefe  at a collage on the east coast.  This was a story ready to be told using a collage technique.....Just think of your family story....pictures of your grand parents, memorabilia from school, the list can go on forever. This painting has had a life of it's own....from being in a couple of magazines to Royal &Langnickel Brush Company using  it on the packaging for a beginning watercolor kit.   I've always had the desire to have my painting to tell a story.  W...

8x10 Batik on Rice paper Quote for the Day by President Bill Clinton: "Nothing big ever came from being small." This was a fun project......Kathie George is the owner of the design.....she is a not only a wonderful teacher but a great friend.  I have always wanted to play around with her batik style but never took the time....so over the holidays I took the time....what fun!....but way too much work.  I now really appreciate what she does.... I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday Season....mine was wonderful all of my grandkids and great grandkids were home.....we are now back in Florida.  Yea!  Yea!  Warm sunny days....I'm getting ready to teach starting next week, Wednesday, January 11th.....plus I will have a make it take it on Friday, January 20th.

Oranges & Grapes This is my first project in the still life workshop of Daniel Edmondson....I sent it off for critique this morning.....I'm not real happy with the leaves, but we will see! 

This months focus in the newsletter is all about drawing with a "Sight Size Method"....it's the old world masters technique.  It really gives you an acurate drawing.  The photographs are the steps for setting up, placement of the easel, actual looking at the sight size, and the markings.  If you want a copy of the newsletter.....let me know!

In Full Bloom 11" x 11" Step by Step Instructions available on my web site http://www.maryspires.com/ My Landscape Workshop #2 I received my critique over the week end.....I just can't believe how fast he does the critique.  He like the snow painting and only had one suggestion, add a little more light on the right bank of the water.  I'm really looking forward to starting the Still Life Workshop next week.  I hope to do this workshop along with the landscape workshop.  I made it to the dentist yesterday (morning and afternoon).  We are planning on getting everything finished in 3 weeks so we can go to Ohio for Thanksgiving.  My granddson is here until Saturday, spending a lot of time at the beach.  He going to move to Jacksonville this weekend, starting school the first of January.  Soooooo nice having him in the state!

Watercolor on 140# watercolor paper. The Daily Paintworks Challenge this week was to paint a gift bag. I've been making and painting actual gift bags for a very long time.....it's a fun project ! I show my students how to make one with those old paintings that did not make the big time! For free instructions, layout and folding of the bag, please go to my web site http://www.maryspires.com/ Look under the "Free Stuff "! Have fun......let me know if you have any questions!

6" x 6" Oil on Board I posted this yesterday, but for some reason it didn't get posted. I'm going to try and put it on the DPW challenge for this week. I love to paint vegatables that are still attached to their leaves.

HOLLY HOCK 8x10 This is my first blog entry of doing the flower first in Watercolors then painting it in oils. I always say oils are easier, but after this project I don't know that this is true. I have been reading the book Simple Abundance, by Sarah Ban Breathnach. If you notice at the top of of my blog it says" The Canvas of My Life". When I set up the blog several years ago,I used this phrase as a focus of the blog and my daily life. Sometimes things happen that give you a "WOW" moment , well one of Sarah's quotes is "Pick up the needle with me and make the first stitch on the canvas of your life". This gave me a step back, take notice' great mother spirit telling me? Hope you all have a wonderful Mother's day tomorrow!

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 Panel

6"x6" Oil on Panel Since I was in the citrus mood, I decided to paint orange slices on a plate. I just love this plate it came with a little cup, which is also square. I love the abstract element in this one. Plus the wonderful reflection in the shadow on the plate.