New Painting Still Untitled

 

I started this painting yesterday and finished it up this morning.  It's a

11" x 14" on gallery wrapped canvas.  I'll be posting it to my website

 Mary Opat Art as soon as I come up with a name for it.  I'm going to

paint the edges and let it dry, hoping to have it ready for the Twilight

Art Boutique on Saturday at the Queen Creek Olive Mill.  Have a

wonderful day!

 

Life is Art...Paint Your dreams!

On My Easel

 

I started this Arizona Landscape yesterday and continued working on it today.

I'll need to let it dry for a couple of days, since the oil paint is getting tacky. 

I'm planning on adding another bush in the lower right hand corner

and will be adding a little warm color on the ground behind the tree, along

with final shadows and highlights.

 

Tomorrow I'll be painting walls at the Artisan Village of Coolidge . 

 A worthwhile project that you'll be hearing more about as the 

project develops!

 

Art is Life...Paint Your Dreams! 

 

 

 

"Roses and Prims" Contemporary Still Life Floral Painting by Arizona Artist Mary Opat

 

"Roses and Prims" Contemporary Still Life Floral Painting by

Arizona Artist Mary Opat

 

30" x 40" Oil on Stretched Canvas

 

Although I painted this one with a particular show in mind and have it

available for purchase on my website, it looks quite nice hanging in my bedroom!

I think I'm attracted to the play of light and shadows on the table as well

as the contrast of strait lines to the rounded curves of the flowers and glass vase.

Please click here to view my floral oil paintings

 

Life is Art...Paint Your Dreams!

 

We Are Happy to Inform You...

I was really pleased to receive notification that the three paintings I entered into the Portrait Artists of Arizona exhibit at the Gammage of ASU were accepted!  This is the first time I've entered my paintings in any of the Portrait Artists of Arizona's shows.  I believe there will be 75 paintings on exhibit, most of them for sale.  The theme for this year's show is "People, Places, and Things". My friend, Jean Smith, will also be displaying, and you can preview her paintings by clicking on her name.

Feeling Grateful

 

"Cottage at Dawn"  SOLD

 

"Art in the Grove" at the Queen Creek Olive Mill went well yesterday.  I met the

most interesting people.  I have to admit, the part I enjoy most about the outdoor

 festivals is chatting with the art lovers who visit my booth.  I always come home

feeling enriched by the experience. 

 

The season for the outdoor festivals in our part of Arizona is coming to a close.  It's time to

concentrate on marketing, painting new pieces, and applying for shows and

events for the coming season.  Today I'm full of gratitude for all of my supporters.

Not only for those who have made purchases, but for my family and friends

who are there for me.  I'll do my best to return the favors.

 

Life is Art...Paint Your Dreams!

 

 

 

Almost finshed!

 

I've been working on this portrait for the few days.  It's time to hide it for awhile

and look at it with fresh eyes on another day.  As always, one of my biggest

problems is getting a good photo.  I'm afraid my skills are really lacking in

that area.  Right now I'm going out to the patio to work on a 30" x 40"

still life.  I'm pretty excited about the still life.  It's larger than I

usually paint and if it turns out, it may be a new direction for me to experiment

with for awhile!

 

Life is Art...Paint Your Dreams!

On My Easel

 

This is the painting I worked on this morning.  I need to let it dry for

a couple of days before I finish.  After running it by Melissa,

I'll take it on Tuesday to my Portfolio Studio group for a final going over

 by my painter friends...they will kindly point out

the flaws!  Check my website in a week or so for the final

version!  http://www.maryopat.com 

 

I hope you're all enjoying your day.

Life is Art...Paint Your Dreams!

Life's Give and Take

 

It’s another glorious day. Today, like most days, my French easel is set up on the back patio…a perk when living in Arizona! The birds seem to be singing to the semi- classical music I have playing in my “outdoor studio”. The lush green plants and trees are swaying gently in the breeze.  The rosemary bushes smell wonderful. 

The high block wall surrounding my back yard is both a blessing and a curse.  I’m afforded the protection from prying eyes, but denied the friendship that comes with knowing neighbors in that casual, Norman Rockwell painting sort of way.  We always seem to want things both ways!  The block walls could be a metaphor for so many things in life…only gaining one thing at the expense of another.

Yesterday I had cause to re-examine what I want from life on a professional level. I’ve been invited to be part of an “accountability group” which, less than a week ago, was just an idea.  What do I expect to gain from the group?  WHAT ARE MY GOALS?  Yikes! Will I have to put them in writing?  What things am I willing to let go of to gain those goals?  Time with friends?  Weekends with family?  Do I require semi-fame or an undetermined amount of profit to feel successful?

The “second act” is not for the faint of heart.  Raising a family while working at a full time “regular paycheck” job did have its drawbacks, but the road was pretty well laid out.  Survival was the number one goal…the only important one at the time, it seemed.  The decisions were all based on the need to survive and the other goals usually got pushed into the “someday” category.

So, on this wonderfully glorious day, I’m sitting outside at my easel and breathing in the scent of rosemary.  I’m reminded that we are human beings, not human doings (I think that’s from a Deepak Chopra book).  I’ve decided to keep my professional goals a little loosey-goosey and allow them to change daily if the road takes a turn.

In preparation for the first meeting of the "accountability group", I've put the most important things in life, spending time with family and friends, as well as traveling and appreciating nature, at the top of my goal list.  Self-employment has given me the opportunity to be a little picky about how I spend my time.  But if that semi-famous or profit thing comes into play…well, I won’t turn it down!!      

 Life is Art…Paint Your Dreams!

 

On My Easel

 

I was able to work on this painting for awhile today.  Many washes

of color will be needed before it's done.  I'm going for jewel like tones

of purple and magenta.  I'm going to work some green in the reflections to

compliment the magenta and repeat the background color.  I hope to have this

one done in a week or so.  It is another 11" x 14" for my car series and will be

available on my website at http://www.maryopat.com

 

Life is Art...Paint Your Dreams!

 

Open letter for all artists reprinted with permission from Joe Paquet

  I happened upon this newsletter this morning and am reprinting it with permission.  As I'm fairly new to art marketing, I'm always looking for a way to spend as much time as I want with family and friends and create art when the spirit strikes.  If the marketing could somehow happen magically in the background, that would be super!  This seems to put things in perspective and reinforces my faith in the painter that I someday might become.

Joe Paquet's work can be seen and the original newsletter read by following this link http://www.joepaquet.com



Open letter for all artists

  Almost every artist I speak to these days has a profound tale of woe to spin.  The common complaint: bad economy=lack of sales= “Whaa happened?”  For those of us who make our living and put food on our family table, it doesn’t really matter what happened so much as what we can do to adjust.  In our moments of panic, rash and destructive choices are made to turn a buck… we diminish ourselves and often do untold damage to careers which have taken a long time to build.

  For so very long galleries were the way:  the omniscient ones, and for a very long time most of them did a fine job of it.  But in the end they were only merchants.  No one knows better than you when you are on the right path.  Rainer Maria Rilke says, “A work of art is good if it has sprung from necessity.”  The need to say something is a far cry from the need to be heard.  There is art and there is product and they are rarely the same thing.  Walking out of the final Harry Potter movie last week I was struck by something larger than the film.  It was the fact that Ms. Rowling built this thing, this idea from thin air, moved words around in a personal way, created a world which had not existed and turned it into a very real thing.  That is what we get to do everyday - create.  We can construct what has never existed, bring something to the world and shape it with our own hearts and hands.  It’s a gift we have which is east to lose sight of.

 What to do about it?  Innovation, Resilience, Perseverance, and Faith 

 Innovation - Change your plan; create your own opportunities to teach or sell your own work. - More is not better; better is better.  Make an effort to improve on both vision and craft. - A good website which represents you elegantly and truthfully with new content on a monthly basis. - If you want to be remarked about - be remarkable. - Quality is a habit.

 Resilience -  If you haven’t already, learn to take a hit and get back up.  Nothing works like it used to, and when it does change it will be different than before.  Get used to the idea and turn to yourself.  It’s your life, make better choices - don’t be a victim.

 Perseverance - Like Karma, the artist’s life has it’s own organic path if you let it unfold naturally.  Work ethic, love of the job, proximity and opportunity all play a role in developing a life in art.  Be clear about these and adjust your life to maximize your gifts. 

Faith - Now for the most important and, ironically, counter-intuitive part of it all:  Belief in yourself.  Read your art history - every artist has wrestled with this one.  I have always believed that humility and hubris must walk hand-in-hand; you must have humility to receive the world, yet have the ego to face a blank canvas and believe that you can add something to it.  Make a conscious choice to surround yourself with authentic words, music and art to remind you of what is possible.  Above all surround yourself with those who love and believe in you and are willing to hold up a mirror.  In every weak moment of my life my wife Natalie has been there to hand my words back to me.  Growth is always on the edge of uncomfortably.  Be grateful, be humble, be open and create without fear.

 - Joe Paquet

A Happy Surprise!

 

I was happy to win a ribbon at the GVAL 12th Annual Juried Fine Art

Show and Sale for my painting "Their Legacy".  We had 95 pieces of art

this year and the level of talent was amazing!  I'm proud to be part of this

organization and thrilled to have so many good friends among the members.

 

Thanks to everyone who helped to make the event a success!

 

Life is Art...Paint Your Dreams! 

Stop on this Saturday's Studio Tour

 

Art Museum at Casa Grande

319 West 3rd St.

Casa Grande, AZ 85122

 

I'm happy to be showing and selling my paintings at the

 Casa Grande Art Museum on Saturday, March 21.  I've been

invited to take part in the Casa Grande Studio Tour 2015.

Their will be over 30 participating artists in 5 different

locations in town.  A variety of art and craft will be available.  I

hope you can join us there!

 

  The history of the building and grounds are interesting.  I'm looking forward to

a little exploring on Saturday.  I'm hoping that I can find more

information about the Kratzka family and their involvement in the community.

 

Here is an excerpt from the museum's website. 

 

The museum is in the house built by Gus Kratzka in 1929 as the family residence and is on the National Register of Historic Places.  It has a rusticated concrete exterior and includes several features that made the summer heat more bearable for the retired baker and his wife.  The house was purchased and opened as The Casa Grande Art Museum by the Friends of the Arts, Inc. in 1987.  the Friends of the Arts have lovingly restored the building, funded in part, by grants administrated by the City of Casa Grande.  The Sculpture Garden, which surrounds the house, is filled with works by Arizona artists, donated by A. Thomas Cole, founding member of the Friends of the Arts, Inc..

 

 

 

I Continue to "Wade into the Water's"

 

I just moved, deleted and added categories to my website.  The category I added was E-MAIL NEWSLETTER.  Yikes!

I think I made a commitment to my art business in at least a C+ sort of way two years ago when I purchased a tent and the necessary equipment for outdoor shows, developed a website as well as this blog, and began to take workshops to improve my painting.  The 100 or so oil paintings I've done in the last two years shows at least a C+ effort, I think.

I remember in one of my college classes (Human Growth and Learning II), the professor offered to let us contract for our grade.  On the first day of class, we were handed a list of grades with
projects we needed to complete to qualify for each one.  I was the one sitting in the back row with my mouth open in disbelief.  We can choose what grade we want?  I'm going for the A+!

I don't remember the exact amount of work I was expected to do for the A+...scrap that...she didn't think anyone deserved an A+...the highest grade offered was an A.  I do remember the feeling when I had my one-on-one with that professor and turned in my contract for the expected A.  It was a little like this morning when I decided to commit to a newsletter, a little dread, a little excitement, and a little of that "What did I just do?" feeling.

Well that college professor gave me an A- (she never liked me!!).  I could have slacked and gone for the easy C+, just like I can continue to give my art business a C+ effort, but I'm all in now.  I'm "wading into the waters" up to my neck! 

Thank you, friend, for reading my blog and supporting me.  I'm redoubling my efforts to share my art and connect with others in my field.  If you have a website, blog, newsletter, or Face Book business page, I'd like to keep up with your progress too!   Please contact me by e-mail through my website or sign up for my newsletter at http://www.maryopat.com.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Life is Art...Paint Your Dreams!

"MG" Vintage Auto Oil Painting by Arizona Artist Mary Opat

 

"MG" Vintage Auto Oil Painting by

Arizona Artist Mary Opat

 

14" x 11" Oil on Stretched Linen

 

I just finished this red MG today.  I'm adding it to my vintage auto series.  It

will be framed in a black drop-in frame and is available for sale on my

website http://www.maryopat.com  Please keep the close up vintage car photos coming!

The thing that ties all of the vintage series together is the reflection details and the size

of the paintings.  I enjoy the process and will continue to add to the series.  All but one

have sold, so I need to get busy!  Have a wonderful day!

 

Life is Art...Paint Your Dreams!

 

"Rythm in Blues" Contemporary Figurative Oil Painting by Arizona Artist Mary Opat

 

"Rhythm in Blues" Contemporary Figurative Oil Painting by

Arizona Artist Mary Opat

 

14" x 18" Oil on Linen $395

 

I call this painting Rhythm in Blues...( she has rhythm and she's wearing blue!)

I really hope you enjoy these figurative paintings.  I'm planning on

doing a small series of young people engaging in a variety of activities.

This painting is available for purchase on my website

http://www.maryopat.com

"Sweet Ride" Vintage Car Oil Painting by Arizona Artist Mary Opat

"Sweet Ride" Vintage Car Oil Painting by

Arizona Artist Mary Opat

 

14" x 11" Oil on Stretched Linen

 

Here is another painting in my series of 14" x 11" oil paintings

featuring vintage cars.  Yesterday I started a painting of an

old red GM.  I'll be posting it to my web site http://www.maryopat.com

next week.  Let me know if there is a favorite car from your past.  I'd

love to have a close up photo of your vintage car with it's story.

 

Life is Art...Paint Your Dreams!

On My Easel

 

On My Easel  11" x 14" Blue '57 Chevy ?

 

I finally got back to this painting.  I'll let it dry before I put the final details

in place.  It's one of the close up vintage car series.  I've sold all but one finished

 painting (Sky Blues) in the series and I'll concentrate on getting a few more

 painted in the next month or so.  Thanks to my friends and family for being

so supportive of me.

 

Art is Life...Paint Your Dreams!

 

 



Appreciate the Angels in Your Life

 

"Debbie's Day" Seascape Oil Painting by Figurative

Arizona Artist Mary Opat

 

24" x 18" x 1.5" Oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

 

This painting was done from a photo I took on my first trip to

Huntington Beach.  My good friend Debbie and I took a three

day road trip.  Debbie and Dale had moved from California to Michigan years

before, due a job transfer.  Debbie disliked the cold winters, so Dale bought her

a house in Arizona.  Lucky for me, it was just a few houses down the street.  Debbie

wanted to revisit the place they once lived and hoped to retire to, so off we

went to California.

 

Debbie and I had the comfortable kind of friendship I love.  No calling ahead needed,

just pop over for a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.  We started a dinner night with

a few of the neighbors, taking turns one night each week to cook dinner for the

group.  I envied her relationship with Dale.  They had been best friends since

they were eight years old.  Dale was happy to have Debbie spend the winters in

the sun while he stayed in Michigan to work.  She was a life saver for me.  I

had just suffered a terrible loss a month before I moved to a new state.  Debbie was one

of the first real friends I made in my new home.

 

Debbie lost her life to cancer just months after we said goodbye that first season.

She and Dale were on a trip to Italy when she noticed some problems   By the

time they got back to the states and got a diagnosis, her brain cancer was

inoperable and she only lasted a couple of months.  She passed in her home in

Michigan among her family and friends.

 

I always thought of her as an angel while she was alive and I definitely

think of her as an angel now.  I never saw her without a smile.  I painted

the scene from the beach that day and called it  "Debbie's Day" in her memory. 

 

Appreciate the Angels in your life.

Myself and Debbie on her last day in Arizona

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Well Spent

 

 

"Conference Call"

12" x 6" Oil on Panel

Yesterday I joined some wonderful people for an arts and crafts faire at a warm and welcoming home in Tempe.  The weather almost kept me from going.  Three solid days of rain in Arizona tend to dampen the spirits a little...and on Super Bowl weekend!

A few of the vendors had cancelled by the time I arrived.  The rain stopped and my friend Bonnie and I decided to set up our displays in the courtyard under the cover of a deep overhang.  Our hosts helped us with the electrical for lighting and started a fire in the outdoor fire pit. 

The traffic was a little slow, but that gave us more time to visit with our guests and fellow vendors.  Around 7 p.m. our hosts invited us in for spaghetti, salads and crusty garlic bread.  We continued to get to know each other and exchange ideas over a delicious meal. 

At the end of the day, not many sales were made.  On a purely monetary level that may seem to some like a failure, or at the very least a waste of time.  I came away feeling more energized and with a greater feeling of community.  Every person I spoke with inspired me in a different way. 

Today is Super Bowl Sunday.  It will be a day of watching the game with my family and friends, nachos and chicken wings, and maybe a cold one (or two).  I hope we can all remember to enjoy the day, wherever we may be.  Take real joy in the people that surround you, start a new project, plan a trip.  Like someone once wrote, "Be good to yourself...You won't earn a ribbon for suffering."

Life is Art...Paint Your Dreams!

http://www.maryopat.com

"Their Legacy" Portrait in Oil by Arizona Artist Mary Opat

 

"Their Legacy"  Portrait in Oil by

Arizona Artist Mary Opat

 

11" x14" Oil on Stretched Linen

 

I really like how this one turned out.  For purchase information or

to view some of my other paintings, please follow this link

to my website http://www.maryopat.com

 

Life is Art...Paint Your Dreams!