Salt River Canyon

 I've been working on the mural in Gilbert most of the week.  My neighbor asked me to come with her on a road trip 'to get some honey butter in Strawberry'.  What started out to be a short trip turned into an eight hour tour of the best scenery in Arizona!  We went past Red Mountain to Payson and then around the loop through the Salt River Canyon to Globe and Superior and several small mining towns along the way.  The wild flowers are blooming in the desert and the mountains are covered in tall pines. Here are a few pictures of  Salt River Canyon.  It's a winding road of switchbacks down into the valley and then back up.  It's off to work now on the prep for the mural.

"Bullfighter" Contemporary Landscape and Figurative Oil Paintings by Arizona Artist Mary Opat

24" x 30" Oil on Board

I've added another oil painting to my web pages.  This one is full of action.

To view more of my work or to purchase, please follow this link:

http://www.maryopat.com

"Midnight Blues" and "City Lights" Contemporary Landscape and Figurative Oil Paintings by Arizona Artist Mary Opat

These are two paintings I added to my web pages.  They are 

both a deep midnight blue and are subtractive paintings.
The surface was prepared using modeling paste

 to give them a unique texture.  A coat of deep blue paint was applied
and then removed with a rag to show the white underneath. 

Please follow this link to view or purchase my work

http://www.maryopat.com

Group Photo at the GVAL Annual Show

Barb, Jen, Bev, me, Donna, Jean, Judie, Daisy

We all paint in Jean's studio.  She is a wonderful teacher and friend.

We got together as a group to have our photo taken

while at the opening of the GVAL Annual Art Show.
Please check out my paintings at http://www.maryopat.com

Some of my favorite Artists

                                             Bev                         Barb                       Jean

Here are paintings from some of my favorite artists.

I am very lucky to be able to call them my friends and

 paint with them on a regular basis. Yesterday ten members of the 

Gilbert Visual Art League met at Scottsdale for the Celebration of Fine Art.

100 artists under one roof, selling and demonstrating their art.  It was a

fun day and an eye opener.  I picked up some pointers and am ready

to put them into practice!

Historical Mural Update: Scale Model

Here is the scale model for the mural in downtown Gilbert.

There may be a few changes and some detail was left 

out due to the size of the painting (10" x 50").

On to the next phase!  Check out my website at
http://www.maryopat.com

"Cottage at Dawn" by Contemporary Landscape and Figurative Arizona Artist Mary Opat

18" x 14" Original Oil on Canvas

This is a painting that I have added to Contemporary Fine

Art International and Fine Art America.  It reminded me of

fishing at Five Island Lake and of course visits to Okoboji!

To see more of my work follow this link to

http://www.maryopat.com

"Keeping Watch" Contemporary Landscape and Figurative Oil Paintings by Arizona Artist Mary Opat

16x20 Original Oil Painting on Canvas

This is a painting that I just added to my websites.  It reminds

me of the creek that ran through our acreage.  Blue Heron,

wood ducks, and mallards would visit.

Grandpa Wes' bridge spanned the creek allowing the

kids to cross over and race their boats (sometimes

just sticks) down the creek.  The bridge built by Wes has been

 refurbished and is now being used in 

Chatfield, MN thanks to the Opat boys!
Check out my paintings at http://www.maryopat.com

"Blazing Sky" by Contemporary Landscape and Figurative Arizona Artist Mary Opat

This original oil painting has been sold.  I'm working on a similar 

painting using the "setting sun" colors.  It was the first time using

a relatively smooth RayMar panel.  I think the smooth panels make 

water reflections easier to achieve and I'll be using them more often.

To view more of my paintings please follow this link

http://www.maryopat.com