Tag Archives: artist lifestyle

Living in an Artsy Town

Kalama Totem Poles by Marie Wise

I don’t know anywhere else in the Pacific Northwest where you can look out over a breathtakingly beautiful river that also happens to be a major shipping channel, right from the center of town. People live where they live for lots of reasons: job, school, family, or simply because it’s where their parents and grandparents have always lived. Even so, there’s a complicated mixture of … Continue reading

Remembering Maui

Yellow Hibiscus

Have you ever wanted to go back to a time when you were younger, thinner, warmer, or maybe in a prettier place? That’s what being in Maui is like, especially the part about being younger. Warmth and light are things that make me feel younger, maybe because the weight of clothing subtracted, takes away the years. Our trip to Maui last November was a reward … Continue reading

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Making a personal connection with paint!

Loosening Up

People make all sorts of personal connections; with their family, pets, cars, computers, even shoes. I decided to make a personal connection with the one thing that fills my waking thoughts every day, 365 days a year. Paint. It’s a beautiful substance, capable of such incredibly diverse potential. The color combinations are limitless, and the dilemma of mixing just the right color, shade or tint … Continue reading

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A Holiday Sunflower Wish

2011_holidaySunflower2011

Happy Holidays To You and Yours! Wishing you a joyous holiday season, wonderful times with family and friends, good food, nice wine, joy and peace in the New Year, and abundant painting inspirations! Thank you to all of my commission clients for the privilege of creating a one-of-a-kind painting for you. Thank you to all of my customers who have supported my artwork by purchasing one … Continue reading

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I’m a Meebo style artist

The Meebo stuff

In the spirit of the season, Meebo sent me Meebo stuff! Specifically, Sue Golden, who I’ve never met, but who works with my son, the new Meebo guy. Artist friends ask me why I do that blogging, Twitter, Facebook thing. I like to do it because it gives people a chance to see my art. I like my paintings. They often speak to me. So … Continue reading

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Painting in Maui

Yellow Hibiscus ~ Marie

Maui ~ the Garden Isle Our days were filled with tropical hues, the kiss of sunshine and warm winds. Scents of gardenia, ginger and tuberose filled the air and brilliant blue skies matched the Pacific far below. Waves crashed upon the beach and birds babbled with abandon at the tourists, as if to say, haha, we get to stay here and you don’t! It was … Continue reading

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A Salute to OccupyEverything Artists

A ray of sunshine in Western Washington!

Inspiration is often elusive, like November sunshine in Western Washington. “Catching up on news about OccupyEverything, combined with a week-long whirlwhind of training, task overload and travel, has left me bereft of artistic inspiration.” Yes, I have a job other than artist. I say that only because I know I’m not alone. My heart and soul belong at my easel, but my working career demands … Continue reading

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Just a Little Blackbird

lapPainting_blackbird

Long road trip, what to paint? Shall I read my Kindle instead, since I have about a dozen novels in progress? Painting won out, mainly because I’d just popped several new half pan Winsor & Newton watercolors into my travel set: Specifically: Winsor Red, Winsor Yellow and Winsor Orange, which means every color in my travel set is transparent or semi-transparent. No more mud for … Continue reading

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More lap painting, baseball and drawing wolves!

Sunflower from memory, 5 x 7, watercolor

Take me out to the Ball Game! Ah summer! Gloppy sunscreen, shaved ice and baseball moments. I’m trying to incorporate creative art expression into every part of my life. The Fourth of July is a busy holiday and it put my latest painting project–a copy of Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party–on hold. The fact I’d just finished a study of the painting left me … Continue reading

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A Birthday Gift: Natalie

Allan's Birthday Gift: an acrylic titled: 'Two Apples and a Cactus'

My family must be lucky, they always get art on their birthday! Hopefully someday that dusty painting or faded watercolor they stashed in their closet will be worth something. In my family there are those who know and love art, and those who realize it exists, but don’t care much about it. They’re busy with other things, and I understand that. My intuition will always … Continue reading

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Long road trip? Try a little lap painting!

My lap painting set-up

Long road trips make me crazy. I can’t get anything accomplished. I’d much rather be painting! So for our 4-hour trip to Ellensberg (for the Renewable Energy Roundup Art Show) I rigged up a little watercolor lap painting set-up. Allan drove, so I could concentrate on making sure my water cups didn’t jiggle over as we crossed Snoqualmie Pass with its patches of potholed roadway that … Continue reading

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Tuscan Art Therapy at the Bread & Ink Cafe

Cottage by Celeste Bergin

Rx for a Stressfull Week – Soothing Visuals at the Bread & Ink Cafe. Whenever I get so stressed out that nothing seems manageable, the best therapy is focusing on the soothing visuals of color-infused paintings. I’m not a member of the Portland Plein Air & Studio Painters group because of my work, but I get notices and announcements about their paintouts and shows. The … Continue reading

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Artsy genes run in the family

Watercolor by Betty

I always thought my artsyness came from my mother, eccentric and artistic as she was. Known by many as the ‘crazy lady who painted,’ I hope to be known the same way someday, without the ‘crazy’ part! But recently I discovered my artisticness comes not only from my mother, but from my father as well. A visit to California for my aunt’s 80th birthday, and … Continue reading

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Five Official Governor of California Portraits

gov-JerryBrown-mine

What is it with former Governor Jerry Brown’s quasi-abstract unflattering official portrait from 1975? A family birthday party near Sacramento, California left me with an afternoon of time to kill, and I decided to visit the California State Capitol museum. It was free, and I thought my elderly father might like to see Ronald Reagan’s portrait. I thoroughly enjoyed the museum. The exhibits were classy, well lit, … Continue reading

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