Been in a fog lately

6"X8" River Fog-Pastel on pastel board

Our Girls Just Wanna Paint Challenge this month- Fog. This is a little fog study from our local South River. BwaaaAaaaa.

Sold

Bathing Beauties

Bathing Beauty Gulls 8"X8" Pastel 

Our latest Girls Just Wanna Paint challenge this month is Bathing Beauties. There are times when it is just so peaceful to watch seagulls perform their aerial dance and gracefully touch down into the water. I found myself entranced with them while up in Maine recently.  This piece will probably makes its way to Expressions, if you're interested in purchasing. Just needs some framing.  

Recently Sold

Girls Just Wanna Paint and Norwood Art Association Demo

Demo at Norwood Art Association and Girls Just Wanna Paint Challenge-Marsh

I was asked to do a demo at the Norwood Art Association and I also had the May Challenge of "Marsh" for our Girls Just Wanna Paint Challenge, so I challenged myself to do our theme at the demo. (Or how to kill two birds with one stone.) 

I used Uart paper mounted on a nice thick archival board to prevent warpage, and watercolor and gouache for my underpainting. I brought along my handy, dandy travel hairdryer to speed the drying time of the underpainting. When I paint plein air, I find the sun and wind are enough to dry the underpainting quickly. And then I jumped into the pastels. This is a process I have used forever and find it keeps the painting light in feeling and some of the underpainting still reads through playfully. 

Demos are always fun and interesting to do. You have to think fast, keep everyone entertained so they won't nod off and educate all in a short span of time. The Norwood Art Association audience was fantastic. Such a nice group of people, great questions asked and wonderful to interact with. Thank-you for the opportunity! And Thank-you to Nora for the pictures from the demo. Very appreciated. 

12"X12" South River Marsh 

This piece will be for sale at Expressions, Scituate or contact me directly through my website www.mfbruno.com 

Focus On Figures Show

Kiss-Oil Painting 

This oil painting of my daughter and granddaughter was accepted into the North River Arts Society Focus on Figures Show Juried Show. The opening is Friday April 24, 7-10pm. And gallery hours run from April 25-May 3rd. (Mon-Fri 9-noon, Sat&Sundays 1-3.) I always enjoy this show as the figure is one of my favorite subjects to paint and draw.  It is always a pleasure to see the other artists interpretations of the figure, also. I originally painted this piece for the GJWP challenge-Love. 

Speaking of the figure, I am honored and excited to have one of my portrait pieces included in the recently published book Art Journey-Portaits and Figures, published by North Light Books. You can click the link directly on this blog or on my website for more info and to purchase. It is available as a hardcover or ebook (make sure you are choosing the correct format if you would like to purchase.) It was so interesting reading all the different commentaries and techniques of the talented artists in this book. 

Happy New Year

Lost Field 6"x6" 

Margaret Farrell Bruno

Our Girls Just Wanna Paint Challenge for January is Memory. I chose the field that was near my house as the subject since it was recently plowed down to build houses. I am trying to take the outlook that I was lucky that I got to enjoy it and paint paintings of this subject for many years. I knew that it was inevitable that houses would someday be built in this area, so I made sure to paint and take lots of photos over the years in all seasons. It was still very sad to see it go. On the bright side, we do still have some protected areas that were required to remain untouched and I am hoping that in some of those areas this beautiful field grass may reestablish itself. I am thinking positive for the New Year and looking forward to those days. 

   

Magical Moment

Black and White Pencil Drawing

The Girls Just Wanna Paint challenge for this month is "Magical". And what could be more magical than becoming a grandmother? And of course this little munchkin deserves a portrait right away. Boy, it is going to be hard to not sneak away from my studio and spend lots of time with her. I already pass many an hour just staring at this little pineapple, watching her little expressions and listening to her sighs and adorable noises. Even her cries don't bother me. So much fun. It's truly magical. 

Some long overdue updates!

Disconnected

Catching up on some long overdue news in the next couple of blogs.

The Pastel Society of America recently held their annual juried show, held at the National Arts Club in NYC and Disconnected was accepted. I always find it a privilege and honor when my work is juried into this show as it is sitting next to the exceptional work of my pastel peers. And getting accepted to this particular show is no easy task. I recently heard the number of entries they received with how many ended up being accepted. Holy pastel dust, Batman!

What a daunting task for all the jurors. Thank-you to all involved at PSA for the dedication and hard work you put into this show every year!

I worked on this piece for quite sometime, considering placement of elements, design, palette and the painting’s message, which I hope is obvious and is a social comment. I used a triangular design to keep interest centered on the girl in the foreground and added a little whimsy throughout so the message wouldn’t be too heavy, including a double entendre of the Flatiron “art space” since you are viewing a 2 dimensional painting of that space. In other words, the painting is an art space in and of itself.

And speaking of space, I have always loved the inside of the National Arts Club. It's as if you have been transported back in time.

For anyone who would like to see this piece up close, I am currently having a solo show at the Helen Bumpus Gallery in Duxbury until January 6th and this is one of the pieces included.
Helen Bumpus Gallery

"Expressions of Fall" 6"X6" Pastel on board 

The September Girls Just Wanna Paint Challenge was "Expressions". Man, being more of a realist painter, this was a challenge to me. This painting is an "Expression" of the feelings fall brings to me. Wonderful flowing colors and their motion, sparkling and dancing with the fall winds. I tried to keep it somewhat abstract, but my realism bent kept sneaking in. I can't help it! 

"Water"

12"X12" Crow Island Preserve

"Water" was the Painting Challenge this month for Girls Just Wanna Paint and I painted this scene.

One of the fun parts about exploring and painting in Maine is you head down a road where you have never been and are rewarded with exciting new painting scenes. Although most Maine natives and local artists are, I am sure, very aware of this scene, my friends and I had never been down the road which leads to this area even though it is not too far from the seaside farm where we stay. The particular day we ventured there was a quickly changing scene due to the winds and ever changing clouds that day. The sun kept playing hide and seek behind the clouds. At one point the water just in front of this preserve had this different greenish turquoise cast. It definitely intrigued me. This may have to be explored in more depth in a large painting and possibly in oil. 

I know next year I will venture back to this spot as there is much to paint. 

(Also, I think I have to rephotograph the final painting as I am not quite happy with this photo of the work. I don't think it is picking up some of the colors and values in my painting. Some paintings are more of a challenge to photograph than others. So check back for a better image...)

If you see any painting on my blog or website you are interested in purchasing, feel free to contact me. 

Joined GJWP

Flowering Tree 9"X12", Oil
Contact me via my website if interested in purchasing

I have just joined the Girls Just Wanna Paint Challenge Blog. I am thrilled and honored to be included in such a great group of talented painters. To top it off, they are all just wonderful and fun women, too. Every month we are given a "challenge" of an object or idea to incorporate into a painting.

This month was "Trees", so I have now also become a Dendrologist. I actually do enjoy studying trees. Each individual tree and each species is so unique and complex, especially to paint! How often do we artists end up with broccoli like trees? Arg.

They are also our guardians, giving us shade and shelter, wood to build our homes, furniture and tools and often food for our tables, but for the most part we ignore them. So on Arbor Day, April 24th, 2015, I am marking my calendar to plant a tree to show my gratitude for this gift on our earth.