Tag Archives: marie wise

Couples Portrait – Stage One

Color study

If we were all like angels, the world would be a heavenly place. ~Author Unknown A couple approached me recently to create a portrait of them as embracing angels. They’d seen my figure work at the Naked Winery tasting room in Hood River, Oregon, and wanted something similar for their home. This is a challenging, but incredibly inspiring project. To get ready I’ve been doing … Continue reading

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

Sunflowers for the Salal Festival

Underpainting on classical sunflower still life

What’s in a Sunflower? The bright, blooming sunflower heads are symbolic of the sun itself which represents warmth, happiness and all things positive. The offspring of my garden are changeable creatures, much like my paintings, morphing from still life to landscape to portrait. But sunflowers have taken hold of my heart since we moved into our Kalama hilltop house. The first year they bloomed like … Continue reading

Decollete

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French for a woman’s neck, shoulders, back and chest. The word’s origin is French decolleter: to cut out the neck (of a dress), from collet collar. Or to cut out the part of a dress covering a woman’s neck, shoulders, back and chest. Googling the term ‘decollete‘ brings up pages of Christian Louboutin decollete pumps, as in shoes. How did the term decollete come to … Continue reading

Grateful: Water Reflections #2

Water Reflections #2

A work-related trip to San Diego in the early 2000s netted early-morning photography of a historic sailing ship in San Diego harbor. I recall hiking the waterfront well before a morning conference in order to experience something eye-catching that would carry me through the day. The resulting pastel painting done well after I returned home was a detailed representation of the water reflections cast by … Continue reading

Four Sunflowers

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Those of you who know me well know that when the gift-giving time of the year comes around, ie: the holidays, you can expect a painting. Like it or not. To me it’s better than a store bought gift, because I put myself into it. Sunflowers seems to be a recurring theme in my paintings. I’ve pondered why and come to the conclusion that they … Continue reading

An Afternoon with Jennifer Diehl

Starting to add detail

We met Jennifer Diehl for the first time at the Lawrence Gallery in downtown Portland sometime in 2009, well before the economy forced the gallery into an unfortunate closure. We loved Lawrence for it’s selection of realist art, and Jennifer works in particular were compelling. My recollection of our conversation is that Jennifer comes from an artistic family who nurtured and supported her talent, allowing … Continue reading

Sunflower Wishes for the New Year

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Wishing you wonderful times with family and friends and joy and peace in the New Year! 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 of my paintings. Thank you to all of my family, friends and co-workers who continue to … Continue reading

Commissioned Portrait of Lucy

Lucy #2 (with sunflowers)

As I get older I cherish my friends more and more. Especially those who have traversed the years with me. They are irreplaceable parts of my life, so very dear and precious to me. So when the husband of my long-time high school friend Diane asked if I could paint her favorite cat for a Christmas present, I unequivocally said ‘yes’, even though I’m not … Continue reading

Holiday Greetings from the PRSA Portland Metro Chapter

original artwork

I’ve found my day career in public relations to be a positive and affirming endeavor, with boundless opportunities to impact people’s lives in important ways! This year has been memorable, for so many reasons, one of which has been my involvement with the Portland, Oregon chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. I’ve made new and lasting friendships, and explored exciting projects! I’ve found … Continue reading

Sunflowers in a Blue Vase for the Twitter Art Exhibit

My artwork for the 2013 Twitter Art Exhibit

Through art we can change the world! I’m proud and honored to participate, once again, in a Twitter Art Exhibit designed to benefit a non-profit organization dedicated to making the world a better place. While the first two exhibits I joined were held in Moss, Norway, this one is right here in the United States, at The Exhale Unlimited Gallery in Los Angeles. The non-profit … Continue reading

Cool Gray Wind

Cool Gray Wind

Cool Gray Wind 24 x 36, oil on canvas, commissioned It’s hard to believe, but what started out one year ago as a series of color explorations of a wind turbine in a stormy, wind-filled sky, has finally been completed in a commissioned painting. Last October, a customer found my work on the Internet, and inquired about commissioning a painting of a wind turbine. He … Continue reading

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A Saturday for Painting

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Saturdays in August deserve a painting–at least here in the Pacific Northwest. Although I call myself a city girl–never having felt truly at home living out in the country–I do think nature is something everyone should get to experience–often. This is the second Allan/Marie painting, in that we both worked on it. Plein air painting is really hard, in spite of what artists might tell … Continue reading

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Saturday Roses

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A perfect painting Saturday ensued today, enough so that I could actually finish what I started–these pink roses in a blue vase. The deer let them live another day just so I could paint them. The sunflowers I recently freed from their weedy prison. Every once in a while I have to paint directly, whether inspired by artists like Bobbie Burgers and Jennifer Diehl, or … Continue reading

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