Surf's Up....Again!

Yesterday I wrote about my husband and son's passion for surf.
Today I pay homage to them with these hand painted surfing art blocks.

Two Surfers


Surfer's at Dusk

Surf's Up

Each of these hand painted wooden art blocks are playful pieces of sculpture meant for arranging and stacking on a table or shelf. A fun way to show off your love for surfing and for art!

Each set of art blocks are available in my etsy shop ~
MagicMarkingsArt

Hoping your ride is a smooth one!

Surf's Up

My husband and son are both surfer's so our family vacations are usually centered around a beach town somewhere. Even though we live on the coast, as a surfer, there's always the desire to ride the waves somewhere else - and, upon arrival, to find the perfect spot. I suppose, perhaps through osmosis, this is why so much of my art and the art in our home is either beach or surf related. Here are a few paintings I created for our "home art gallery"


My husband and son
Summer of 2000


Our daughter - Summer of 1999


My sister and me circa 1969


Oceanside Table for Two

Trust me, I'm not complaining! I love living near the
ocean and know, no matter where our children end up
living , coming home will always be a fun destination.

Wishing you a day of sunshine and warm ocean breezes.

Women Who Art - Monday's Ladies

Almost every Monday since this past September

I've been blessed with a wonderful group of women
artists who come to my little home "studio" to paint.
These ladies add so much joy to my week that I just
wanted to publicly thank them - and show off their
ongoing artistic progress.

September and October Sessions





November and December Sessions















January - February - March Sessions









Nothing exists until or unless it is observed.
An artist is making something exist by observing it.
And his hope for other people is that they will
also make it exist by observing it.
I call it "creative observation." Creative viewing.
William S. Burroughs

Thank you for your creative viewing, and thus confirmation
of this wonderful group of women artists.

Hello Spring!

A New Painting to welcome Spring
which officially begins tomorrow!


Red Bikini
8 x 10" acrylic on canvas

Enjoy your weekend!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Top o' the Day to You!

My precious grandmother and my grandfather,
who passed away the year I was born, were from Ireland.
This Saint Patrick's Day, I celebrate all those Irish souls
who were brave, independent, and strong willed enough
to cross the ocean and begin a new life in America..
To all of them (especially Grammy and Pop Smith)
I say thank you, God Bless, and Slainte!
~ Happy Saint Patrick's Day everyone

Grammy Smith's Irish Soda Bread Recipe
Preheat oven to 350 f.
Mix together:
3 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t.sp. baking soda
2 t.sps baking powder
1 t.sp. salt
1 c. raisins
2 t.sps. caraway seeds
Mix together: 1 pint sour cream
2 eggs
Then mix into flour mixture. Dough will be sticky. Sprinkle with flour; with floured hands, knead and turn dough to mix thoroughly. Shape into a ball, place in pan. In center of ball, cut a cross shape with a knife.
Bake bread for 1 hour or until cake tester comes out clean.
ENJOY!

Womwn who Art - Student Spotlight

This beautiful piece of restful art -
painted by artist Susan Bernhardt -

temps one to grab a great book, a cool glass of wine
and settle in for a relaxing afternoon in the summer sun...


Susan began the painting by adding luscious cool colors
to a yellow ocher background.


She layered gorgeous shades of blue, purple, yellow
and green onto the chairs and surrounding space.


Then created depth with vibrant shadows and highlights.


After a "wall worthy" critique from her art group peers,
Susan signs her name -


And invites viewers to kick back, grab a glass and unwind.

New Vintage Inspired Beach Babe Jewelry...

Perfect for Spring and Summer Wardrobes

Reflection
1.5 x 2.25 inches


Girls by the Shore
2.5 x 3 inches


Beach Stroll
1.5 x 2 inches

These are tiny reproductions of my vintage inspired beach babes
paintings printed onto a matte plastic pendants and hand crafted
to look like old photographs! An exquisite gift for mothers, sisters,
best friends or for yourself!

Each piece is lovingly handmade, hand-rubbed and painted on
the front and back to give the pendants an old Polaroid-like look,
and finished with coats of non-yellowing gloss varnish for
added protection. A shell charm, made with the same handcrafted
technique, hangs from the bottom of each piece.

These are available in my Etsy Shop -
Magicmarkingsart.etsy.com
with more to come in the next few days!
And ~ Check out more spring inspired finds over at
Scoutie Girls Blog ~ just click here:
We scout Wednesdays :: Spring

Everythings Coming Up Pink!

If the seasons revolve around my latest color palette,
Spring must be right around the corner! One can only
hope the cold winter days are just about gone!

Beach Picnic
Acrylic on 8 x 10 inch Canvas


Poolside Glamour
Acrylic on 9 x 12 inch canvas


Seaside Siren
Acrylic on 8 x 10 inch canvas.

Time to get to the gym so I can look as good as
these vintage beach babes and fit into my springtime
wardrobe! Yikes!!!

Women who Art - Student Spotlight

The spotlight this week falls onto an artist who is brand

new to the artistic medium of paint. Yet, as one can see from her
finished masterpiece, she has a dormant talent that has been patiently waiting to be discovered. I look forward to showcasing more of her work in the future, and I happily introduce you to my delightful friend and artist, Sara Cummings.


During her first class, Sara drew the image - based on
an old photograph of her fathers sailboat - painted
an undercoat of green and, using a complimentary palette
of greens and red, added color to the landscape.


Sara built up the background color of the Oregon
Coast and used the same color palette to create a
reflection in the water.


The ghost ship waiting for color.


Once Sara got over her trepidation of adding color
to the white boat, her painting really began to take on life.


Using the same basic color palette, more paint
is added to give depth and dimension to the boat and
surrounding water.


A reflective moment in her little corner of the room.


The moment of glory - signing her name to the finished piece.


And - the artist and her very first masterpiece.
WoW!
Sara, I enthusiastically encourage your hidden talent and look forward to watching to watching your artistic expression develop.

Vintage Beach Babes - New Paintings

Each one of these vintage beach babes started out as
black and white photographs that I copied, cut, collaged
and painted with acrylics on a canvas board.
I love bringing them to life with luscious color and
simple background compositions!


Title: Poolside Glamour
Size: 8 x 10 inch Canvas


Title: Daydreaming
Size: 11 x 14 inch Canvas

Title: Beach Girl
Size: 11 x 14 inch Canvas

It is my goal to add a few new paintings each week.
If you're interested in seeing more of my work - visit my
shop here ~ just click on the link
www.magicmarkingsart.etsy.com