In the class room

Lucky Leprechauns

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

This week at Magnolia Woods Elementary(where I teach art all year) the Pre-K classes and I learned about leprechauns.

We read a story about Too Many Leprechauns by Stephen Krensky.  In the story we found out why all the leprechauns were keeping the villagers awake...and why there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  

Then I showed all my fun friends how to draw a leprechaun using simple shapes. We used a U shape to start off with then added rectangles to create a hat, circles for eyes and nose, another U for the mouth and the triangles for his shirt.   These lucky leprechauns were drawn by my students most of them are 4 years old.  I am pretty impressed as usual.  Of course I think my kiddos are the best artist in the world.

So, I leave you with a Irish saying...

"May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks. May your heart be as light as a song. May each day bring you bright, happy hours. That stay with you all the year long."

Alley Shadows

That is the name of the painting above.  I create these paintings using fluid acrylics in a very traditional watercolor method.  I enjoy how it's a very abstract process.  

I haven't painted much on canvas lately.  I am happy to say I have been teaching a LOT and working on another book.  I have also been busy re-vamping my website and blog so they flow together better. 

 Blog....that is actually what I want to post about today. I enjoy reading and following blogs about design and being creative.  This blog started out showcasing my illustrations.  Then six books came along and I got a website www.maritagentry.com.  I then changed it to "in the studio".  But in reality I want to blog about ALL the creative things I do.  So once more I am changing.  Now I will blog about the studio, the classroom, my home, my garden and  all the things I do that make my life fun and creative.  Oh...I have hardships too, but this blog is about the things I enjoy.  

I hope you enjoy the painting above.  I am ready to get back in the studio and work on paintings.

Happy creating.  

Designing Bookmarks

This is the bookmark I just finished designing for my newest picture book

Beware Beware of the Big Bad Bear.

We have our book launch at Octavia Books in New Orleans.  Saturday, October 13 at 1:30.

You can catch Dianne and I at the Baton Rouge Barnes and Noble...Citiplace

Friday, October 19 at 7pm. 

 We have lots of fun and ton of things for children to do.

I still have coloring sheets to create and puppets to create.  But all that is fun.  You will be able to download everything off my website www.maritagentry.com when I am through.  

Why?

Why?  

This is what I am asking myself.  I have illustrated several books.  Six books in fact.  All of which have a whimsical sort of style to them.  I am now working on a project, and what do you know,  the style is more realistic.  I sometimes questions why? I actually do not know.  You say, your the artist make it how you want.  That is true, but sometimes no matter what we want some projects insist of being painted a certain way.  I wonder is it my attitude toward the story?  I am not sure. The painting above is a character in a project I am working on titled...Why Dogs Are.  I think it is a beautiful painting, but I am interested in the fact that the paintings are much more realistic.  Some thoughts on that matter.  

1. As an artist realism comes easy to me. 

Am I reverting back to what is comfortable?

2. I actually strive as a artist to paint looser and less realistic.  

Hmmm....didn't achieve that here.

3. Will I change it?

At this point no.  Still thinking about it.

Someone recently told me that to have a great idea you create several, then you reach beyond what is comfortable.  Then and there you get a good idea.  

So in my head I wonder is whimsical comfortable since that is what I have illustrated all my other books in, or is this comfortable because it comes easy?  

Any input is appreciated.  Leave me a comment.

It really isn't good if you ask the questions and answer them. ha!

Photo Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

Finally after a almost a year I got our book done.  Enjoy!!  

The Yellow Brick Road

Off to Oz

This labor day I painted an 8ft by 8ft mural of the yellow brick road to Oz.

Why?  Actually it was a commission. A friend of mine is a carpenter and he built a showcase for a ladies collection of dolls.  Some of which are the Wizard of Oz characters.  So this will go in the back of the display.  Pretty neat huh?  

To be honest, some times when I start a project I think, I can't do this. This project actually only took me two day.  I blocked in large masses of color like the green for the grass, pink for the flowers, gray for the rocks, yellow for the road..etc. etc. Then I started painting details.  It was fun to see it come together.  Way faster than I thought it would.  

Now back to work...on a  much smaller scale.  Today I am painting illustrations.

Dogs

Why Dogs Are

Illustrations for a new project.  

This is not completely finished, but it is close.  I was a bit intimidated by the thought of painting clouds..with rainbows.  I wanted fun, something that would appeal to children, but still have a bit of artistry.  I think it is working.  In this project I want the emphasis to be on the light.  

I am going to do some more work on the rainbow, a little more work behind the dog, and maybe figure out if there is a shadow where it would fall or look like in the clouds.

Sharing what is going on in the studio today.  

Now...back to work.

Painting with Kandinsky

This is one of my classes that was part of my Painting with the Masters series this summer.

Kandisnsky

My cute friend working on her Kandinsky Painting.

First I had the students create a grid.  Then inside each square draw three to four circles working from small to large.

 Then the students started with the smallest circle filling with color, mixing colors as they went.  The students ranged in age from five to thirteen.  I thought this would keep them busy.  Well we all know that children love to mix colors.  They were done way faster than I planned.  ha ha ...joke  on me.  We played art games for the rest of the class.  

A detail of one of my youngest students.  I love the freedom of brush strokes he had.  That is what inspires me so with children art.  Their ability to paint with no inhibitions.

Summer Classes

Summer Classes at The Walker Museum

Painting with the Masters

Class 1- Picasso.

The top painting is the Picasso print I brought to class to show the students.  The painting on the top left is by a 12 year old student and the painting on the bottom right is by a 6 year old student.  I had the students paint the canvas a color, then draw our still life with black.  The students then filled in the shapes and spaces with flattened color and designs.  

The class is 2 hours and all the students really enjoyed painting their version of a Picasso.  My demo painting is below.

Intention

Intention

Squirrel and Beau are frozen in motion as the intention of the Big Bad Bear is considered by all.  

 I thought this really fit the word for this weeks Illustration Friday entry. :)

As you can tell from my previous post the bear on the cover was taken from this page.  I like to use bits and pieces of the interior images on my cover.  My favorite is to do the cover last so I have every glitch worked out.  Unfortunately this time the cover was needed way before I finished the interior pages.  In fact I am still working on them.  Sigh...   (The sigh is not because I have work.  I love that, it is because I had to do the cover first.)