Abstract Face oil painting

The first abstract face painting was done when all my attempts to get the skin tone right for a portrait painting just didn't work. No matter how much I tried I just couldn't paint the portrait. I looked at the paints on my palette that were already mixed and then looked at the painting and I just "knew" what to do. The colors represent the emotional life of the child. Her mother died shortly after her birth. Despite the tragic beginning of her life she was surrounded with love and often heard kind and loving words as represented by the pink. The red represents her own strength. The greens her nurturing environment, the blues her attachment to her mother.

http://www.marilynsgallery.com/faces.html

Drawing Lesson

The colored pencil drawing "Egg in Hand" was done after I had done blind contour drawings and then modified contour drawings of my hand.

http://www.marilynsgallery.com/abstract_pencil.html


Definition: A contour is the line which defines a form or edge - an outline. Contour drawing is the place where most beginners start, following the visible edges of a shape. The contour describes the outermost edges of a form, as well as dramatic changes of plane within the form.
'Blind contour drawing' is when contour drawing is done without looking at the paper.

Modified contour drawing is when you look back and forth between the item and the paper.

To see examples of blind contour drawings click on the link:

http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&q=blind+contour+drawing&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=eXApTMa4MoKdlgfNlb3mAw&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CC4QsAQwAA

"Waterfall" painting

The "Waterfall" painting is an oil painting done on canvas. Waterfalls are one of nature's most awesome creations. Some have caves behind them to explore.

http://www.marilynsgallery.com/scenic_oil.html ©

Today I sold two paintings. One of them is not on my website I wasn't able to get a good photo of it. It was a small scenic watercolor.

The other is on the website - "Treetops".

http://www.marilynsgallery.com/scenic.html

Thank you for looking!

The wonder of abstract Art is what the viewer brings to it. The subject and composition may tell you something about the artist or not. Some artists paint only what they believe will sell while others paint what they love. So when it comes to art, especially abstract art, what the viewer sees in it is really about them not the artist.

www.marilynsgallery.com/abstract/html

I finished "Waterfall" a few months ago. I found it exhilarating to paint the rushing, moving water! I grew up near the ocean and I spent many hours watching the movement of the tide. The waves gently moving to shore on a calm day. I will save the rest of the description for another painting. The point is I studied moving water for many, many hours

http://www.marilynsgallery.com/scenic_oil.html

To view the paintings I blog about you need to click on the link to my website. I'll start posting the exact page to make it easier. I stopped posting the paintings on this blog because they are not copyright protected. As much as I'd like to give away all my art it just isn't possible. I need to support myslef somehow.
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I started my blog in Feb 09 but was unable to keep it up as my day job took over my life and left me no time or energy to blog or paint. For the past week or so I have been posting a few comments daily. I had to cut my day job hours drastically as my heart is no longer in it and it's too painful for me to continue doing it. I'm ready to sell everything I own and go live on the street if that's what it takes to support myself.
I don't post paintings to the blog anymore because it is not copyright protected. I've had several emails over the years from people letting me know they are copying my art and even making it the focal point of their living room. Other emails have asked me to donate my art for worthy causes. As flattering as all that is no one is paying for my art from online sources.
My day job has had me so busy I haven't had time/energy to meet potential collectors.

http://www.marilynsgallery.com/

Yesterday I took several paintings to the beach to put on display. When I got home I left them in the car thinking it was a good idea since I plan to put them on display later this week. So I moved them to the trunk and carefully packed them in there. Late this afternoon I realized this was not a good idea. It's so hot here that the heat will ruin them. So I brought them all in.

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I went to the beach today on the Gulf Coast. I didn't have everything I needed to do a painting today. It was still worth going just to enjoy the beach and water and waves and soak up the view. Next trip I'll be better prepared.

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Stormy Ocean is an oil painting. I was in Maine visiting the Nubble Light House. It was a gray, windy day. Standing there watching the waves crash against the rocks and seeing how high in the air the water went was just spectacular. I just had to do a painting of the event.

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http://marilyn-gillis-paintings.blogspot.com

I sold a Limited Edition print of Misty Morn Meadow a few days ago! Hurray! I love hills, and trees, and grass and enjoyed putting them on paper.

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http://marilyn-gillis-paintings.blogspot.com

I felt like I was inspired to do the Sunburst painting. It's almost as if I was in outer space and looking at the sun. If you want to get metaphysical about it it could possibly be what the big bang might have looked like. When I finished it I hung it with the longest side vertical. Then I was telling a young lady about how an abstract should be viewed from all positions to find the best way to hang it. She looked at that painting and said she thought it would look better if I turned it (with long side vertical). So we turned it and lo and behold the sense of expansion was made clear.

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My youngest son is very sick today with a terrible cough and stuffy nose. we finally decided he didn't need to go t the doctor yet.

He started taking mucinex dm and it seems to be helping.

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http://marilyn-gillis-paintings.blogspot.com

Today I sold a Limited Edition Art Print. It felt good to sell some art. I'm not making prints widely available. I have some in stock and when they are gone I don't plan to make any more. I'd rather sell the original art.

http://www.marilynsgallery.com/

http://marilyn-gillis-paintings.blogspot.com

I love painting tree branches. They define the character and shape of the tree. They seem to imply never ending directions and possibilities. Trees in full bloom are beautiful but they cover up all those intricate branches.
In the painting "Redbud Tree" many of the branches can still be seen through the flowers.

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http://marilyn-gillis-paintings.blogspot.com

The subject of the current series of paintings is trees. The first painting is an abstract of the white birch tree. They have have such distinctive trunks, with the colors of the bark and the lines being horizontal instead of vertical like most trees.
The blue in the painting represents water since these trees like to grow in areas with a lot of moisture. The green in the painting represents leaves and grass and other green vegetation in the area.

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http://marilyn-gillis-paintings.blogspot.com

Turns out the book is an e-book.

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Went to check out a place I heard about for artists to sell their work. Turns out they just did an art show and it's unknown when the next one will be.

Then I went to the library hoping to find the book "Unconventional Guide to Art and Money" but they don't carry it. I'll look somewhere else for it.

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http://marilyn-gillis-paintings.blogspot.com

I went to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston yesterday. I saw several paintings that reminded me of ones that I have done. It was uplifting! They were in the permanent American Painters Collection.

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http://marilyn-gillis-paintings.blogspot.com