Margaret's Paintings--An Artist's Musings

Hi Everyone! My latest oil painting, “The Lobby,” is completed, framed and delivered to the Woodfield Fine Art Gallery in St. Petersburg, Fl.  This large format piece of 30" x 40" with multiple figures and architectural elements was challenging. The lighting effect presented a challenge as well, but I was pleased with the overall glow achieved. As in my other paintings, I like that the figures seem detached from each other even though they share the same space. Most are absorbed in their cell phones, caught up in their own separate worlds.  One of my favorite artists, Edward Hopper, explored similar themes in his work. I recommend what I feel is the definitive biography on the artist, “Edward Hopper, An Intimate Biography,” by Gail Levin. It’s an in depth look into his artistic development and also deals with his private life and times.   It contains color reproductions of his most famous pieces as well. Last week's topic for my class “Simple Steps to...

Wow! Where does the time go?? Just realized I haven’t entered a blog post since Christmas! I hope the New Year finds everyone doing well. My year is off to a busy stART. Yes, ART, features front and center in 2019 for this author. I began a new piece in early January and am nearing completion of it. It measures 30 x 40 and is a complex composition featuring several people. Here are some progressive photos of the painting process from beginning to where it is now. It’s been a very challenging piece, but I am pleased with the way it’s progressing.  In addition to my studio work, I am also teaching a painting class at the Beach Art Center in Indian Rocks Beach, FL. It began in January and continues through the end of March. “Simple Steps to Painting Success” is offered on Thursday mornings from 9am to noon. The course is open to all levels and accepts new students anytime they wish to register. It’s been a delight to work with this enthousiastic and talented group! Call...

  Hi Everyone! Apologies for the long delay since my last blog. As I mentioned in an earlier post, sometimes life gets in the way of being an artist! The hectic holiday pace began with what was going to be a Thanksgiving cruise to the West Indies, and ended in the cruise being cancelled due to mechanical issues while at our first port stop! Norweigen Cruise Lines did their very best to insure everyone’s safety as well as providing transportation back to Miami. We have also received a full refund and a free cruise. All’s well that ends well! Still my sketchbook was packed and returned with blank pages! Now I find myself caught up in the holiday whirl, decorating the house, shopping for gifts, taking in the wonderful lights and decorations, and enjoying the holiday festivities with friends. My husband, John, and I made a great road trip yesterday to the charming town of Lakeland, Fl. to take in a wonderful exhibit at the Polk Art Museum. The exhibit featured paintings an...

Hi Everyone! It’s been a busy couple of weeks since my last post. Just completed this new oil painting, “Beach Vagabonds.” I was drawn to this group of unrelated figures, coming and going, all caught up in their own worlds. To my mind it represents the typical assortment of beach denizens walking side by side while completely oblivious to one another. I enjoy exploring this theme of “ships that pass in the night.” So many people, yet we get to interact with so few in the course of a lifetime. I have always gravitated toward other artists whose paintings deal with this concept. Edward Hopper comes to mind as a master of illustrating a certain “human disconnect” in his work. There’s a loneliness attached to his paintings even when more than one person is present. Detail     On my bookstand: A few weeks back, I received a lovely gift in the mail from my dear sister-in-law Mary, entitled, “Growing Up with the Impressionists” by Jane Robert...

This past Friday I had the pleasure to work with a delightful group who attended my "Capture the Moment" painting workshop. The class took place at the Beach Art Center (BAC) in Indian Rocks Beach, FL. The center is spacious, bright and cheerfully decorated with member's colorful & skillfully done artworks. It was my pleasure to share my painting techniques with this enthusiastic group, who plunged into the day's exercises with gusto. Because my work focuses on the figure, I selected an image I'd taken of one of my models for student's to use as a reference photo for their paintings. The day was divided into three sections, with artist's demos at each stage before moving ahead to the next step. Each class member had a finished painting by day's end. I was delighted with the results! Everyone did a great job and their paintings reflected their own style while incorporating the techniques we'd focused on. Kudos to this talented group! I t...

Sometimes life gets in the way of being an artist. This, however, is as it should be. After all an artist must draw from personal experiences. This past week was devoted entirely to my two beautiful granddaughters, ages two and four, who were visiting us. I’d truly forgotten how energetic toddlers can be! Any ideas I had entertained of studio time were quickly given a strong reality check! My creativity was instead unleashed on cutting construction paper pumpkins, coloring with crayons and decorating cards for “Mommy and Daddy” with saved bits of ribbon and stickers. The amazing thing about being around children is re-connecting with the child in yourself. What a delightful and meaningful week it was. 💓💓💓 Currently working on details for my upcoming workshop at the Beach Art Center in Indian Rocks Beach. This will be a day-long workshop and will focus on “Capturing the Moment in Paint!” There are so many images available to us that depict simple, everyday experiences like ...