Airport Travelers

Travelers
8" x 8"
oil on canvas

A different strokes piece.

Purchase this one at my new Etsy Store: Margaret Mayer Art

Labradoodle

Scout
12" x 12"
oil on canvas

Crucifixion

In Christ

12" x 12"

I've always wanted to paint the Crucifixion in high contrast like Diego Velazquez's famous Crucifixion painted in 1632. His is my favorite version. Here's my own version from that same painting. I have changed his legs and added more contrast.

White Kitty

5" x 7"
oil on canvas

Here's a quick little commission I painted for a friend of mine.

Back to the wedding portrait...

Here's where I am on the wedding portrait. I think I've given up on the 3-layer technique. I'm going to finish this painting in my regular style with the loose painterly brush strokes. Fresh, loose and free...think I like that better. Also, any suggestions art friends on painting teeth? I think toning down the white helped to push the teeth back.

Girls Just want To Have fun

BFFs
10" x 20"
oil on canvas
Here's a warm up painting before I start back with the wedding portrait. This is my daughter in the middle with her two best friends on either side of her. When these three get together we hear lots of giggling in our house. It's nice to have time to paint again.

Worth Watching...more serious...I promise :)

Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

I'm switching gears (away from the wedding portrait for a while)... Here is one of the Mary banners that I painted back in the summer. I think I'm done. I have been spending time refining these images of Mary so that my church can use them during the month of October. I have two more to refine. October is the month of the most Holy Rosary. Click here to learn more: here

wedding portrait commission...

9/22/09 Here's today's work. I'm working on values and it's so much easier when you're only using black and white. I think her face looks a little too small...guess I'll have to make his smaller or hers bigger. Her Japanese wedding dress is beautiful. I hope that I can render it as beautifully as I see in the photo. I plan to continue with the dead layer on the entire painting then in a week or so start on the finally layer with my full palette. Check back next week and thanks for your comments. Feedback, advice and/or suggestions are most welcome.

In Progress

Here's the beginning of the wedding portrait commission that I mentioned in one of the previous posts. I'm trying the Old Master's 7-layer technique (only mine is 3 layers). So far I've got the under painting in a mixture of Burnt Umber & French Ultramarine and on the man's face - the dead layer ( a mixture of Lamp black & white). Both of these layers are very thin and I'm using a super fine canvas and very soft brushes. After I finish the dead layer on the entire painting, I'll move on to the final layer which will include my full palette. All of these layers are supposedly what contribute to the luminous skin tones. I hope it works!

...just wanted to show you all my backyard. Normally this is a dry creek bed but we've had so much rain here in Atlanta that our tiny ditch it is full of this gushing water.

The Brick Entry

12" x 12"
oil on canvas

Here's one from 2009 Avondale in Bloom garden tour. This home belongs to the same nice couple (Patti and Tom) of the Avondale garden painting (completed back in May) containing the Adirondack chairs.
oops...just realized that I forgot the doorknobs..I'll fix that!

Sugar Sweet Seconds

6" x 8"
This one is for Karin's Different Strokes blog. It was fun to see the many different interpretations! :o

Stay tuned...I'm currently working on a wedding portrait commission and I hope to upload the results soon. I'm experimenting with the 7-layer technique that I used in the "angels" painting below and I'm learning that you really don't need all seven layers, 3 will do. The results have a lot to do with the softness of your brush and the fine tooth of the canvas. ...can't wait to share this info with you all.

Ocean's Lure

8" x 10"

From my Sketchbook

Ruthie and the Rabbit

8" x 10"

In this one, I'm experimenting with different ways to illustrate a childrens book. This book (if someday it gets published) will be about a little girl who meets the Easter bunny on Easter morning. The Easter bunny proceeds to tell Ruthie the real Easter story about Jesus because apparently the Easter bunny was around back then and saw the whole thing only back then he wasn't the Easter bunny. It's a really cool story and I hope to move forward on this...stay tuned....

Help!!! the 7-layer painting technique

an update to this post 9/1/09: Here's the outcome of my 3-layer painting using some of the old masters techniques. There are certain paintings of the past that just "speak" in terms of jaw-dropping beauty. To me, they're the ones that you just want to stick your nose in and go "how'd he do that?" It's fun to try but I know I've got a long way to go....later.....:0

In progress

I am trying to learn the 7-layer painting method of the Old Dutch Masters only I'm starting a little different with a red and yellow underpainting. This grayish layer is called 'the dead layer'. Here's a link to learn more: 7-layer painting

This is a reproduction of a Adolphe-William Bouguereau painting.

Our first week of Home School

This was an awesome first week of home school for my daughter and I. I hope you'll continue to follow this blog because I'm still planning to paint every chance that I get. This is my daughter working on her science lesson. We are hoping to complete some of our subjects outdoors especially when the weather is nice.

Elle's watercolor of St. Brendan

Some of my nature journal sketches.

Home school recess at the park.

Japanese Wedding Procession

8" x 10"
oil on canvas

I found this poem that I thought would go
perfectly with this painting and marriage.

Oath of Friendship

Shang ya!
I want to be your friend
Forever and ever without break or decay.
When the hills are all flat
And the rivers are all dry,
When it lightens and thunders in winter,
When it rains and snows in summer,
When Heaven and Earth mingle ~
Not till then will I part from you.

~ Anonymous, China, 1st century B.C.

Gymnastics Jitters

The Warm-up
oil sketch
8" x 8"

It's less than a week before school starts in Gwinnett County (Georgia) and I'm going to try something that I've never done before. I'm going to home school our 8 year old daughter which will begin for us Monday August 10th. She will be going into 3rd grade. I hope that we've made the right decision since I'm feeling incapable. I am still planning to paint as much as I can because she is a level 4 competitive gymnast and will be training quite a bit during the day. Here's a quick sketch of the warm-up before one of her meets in Acworth, Georgia.

20 Tips for a Better (Painting) Life by Louise B. Hafesh

1. Take a 10 - 30 minute walk every day (particularly when you've hit a rough spot or are experiencing a painting block). And while you walk, smile, it is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. (Take time to stand back from your canvas, quietly review your day's work and take it in with a fresh eye.)

3. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is about. (Always be true to YOUR 'art and soul.')

4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to _______ today.' ("truly see," "abandon preconceived notions," "take my time as I paint." "encourage my inner vision." "work from promise, not fear"

5. Live (paint) with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy (Everyday, if possible).

6. Play more games and read more books. Take pleasure in the painting process and advance your skills this year. Read instructional books, attend workshops and exhibits, frequent museums, study the masters.

7. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6. (Bring HEART to your work. Treasure wisdom and innocence wherever you may find it.)

8. Dream more while you are awake (AMEN!)

9. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk (your studio) and let new and flowing energy into your life. (Reassess unfinished work. Categorize as: salvageable or not. Discard or sand down any canvases that don't make the grade and move on.)

10 Don't waste your precious energy on issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead, invest your energy (and talent) in the positive present moment.

11. Realized that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class, but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

12. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the NEGATIVE BLUES away. (Resist being over critical. Remember, oil paint is forgiving, can be wiped out if wet; painted over when dry. )

13 Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

14. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present. (Learn from the challenges that each painting offers and move on to your next masterpiece)

15. Whatever other people think of you (or your work) is none of your business.

16. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch. (Be passionate about creating art, but do make time to nurture relationships.)

17. No matter how your feel, get up, dress up and show up. (Be consistent with your work habits. Set painting goals for yourself and stick to them).

18. The best is yet to come.

19. Each night before you go to bed complete the following: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished ______________.

20 Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life. Make the most of it! (Color your world!)


- These tips came from artist Louise B. Hafesh. Click on her name and visit her blog. Here's a link to her website: http://artworks-site.com/

Man Resting on a Chair

'While Waiting'
9" x 12"
oil on canvas
a 'different strokes' piece