"Face to the Sun" Contemporary Still Life Oil Painting by Arizona Artist Mary Opat

"Face to the Sun" Contemporary Still Life Oil Painting by

Arizona Artist Mary Opat

11" x 14" Oil on Stretched Linen

Whenever I am gifted with a bouquet of flowers, I feel the urge to

capture them in a painting.  These sunflowers were in a lovely bouquet

given to me on my birthday.  I got a nice surprise when I hung the painting

with overhead incandescent lighting.  The brighter yellow flower has a lot

of texture and really picks up the light.  It almost seems to glow on its own.

If you are interested in finding out more about this painting, or any of my

work, please follow this link to Mary Opat Art

Life is Art...Paint Your Dreams!

On My Easel

Here is what I'm working on today.  It's a 12" x 24" oil on board.  I should be

 able to finish and post it to my website Mary Opat Art later this week.  I'm also working

on a still life which has a few of the flowers I received for my Birthday!

It's a fun arrangement of three flowers.  One sunflower in a vase, one sunflower 

on the table, and an orange sunflower hanging off the edge of the table.

I'm putting some texture in the foreground.  A different style for me.

I'm going to post it here, but it may never get to my website.  We'll have

to see how it turns out!  Have a wonderful Wednesday!

"Searching for Sea Glass" Contemporary Figurative Oil Painting by Arizona Artist Mary Opat

 

"Searching for Sea Glass" Contemporary Figurative Oil Painting by

Arizona Artist Mary Opat

 

16" x 20" Oil on Stretched Canvas

 

I just finished this painting today.  Please follow this link to my

website, Mary Opat Art to see purchase information, or to view

more of my work.

 

Art is Life...Paint Your Dreams!

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Sittin' Pretty" Contemporary Wildlife Oil Painting by Arizona Artist Mary Opat

 

"Sittin' Pretty" Contemporary Wildlife Oil Painting by

Arizona Artist Mary Opat

 

8" x 8" Oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

 

Here is another little bluebird painting.  This female makes a good companion

to "Bird on a Wire".  It's gallery wrapped, so no need to frame unless you

prefer it!  Please follow this link to Mary Opat Art to purchase directly

from me or to view more of my art.

 

Life is Art...Paint Your Dreams!

"Bird on a Wire" Contemporary Wildlife Oil Painting by Arizona Artist Mary Opat

 

"Bird on a Wire" Contemporary Wildlife Oil Painting by

Arizona Artist Mary Opat

 

12" x 12" Gallery Wrapped Canvas

 

I enjoyed painting this little bluebird with a simple warm

background.  It's painted on a gallery wrapped canvas, so no need to

frame it unless you want to.  Please visit Mary Opat Art to purchase

or to view more of my art.  Thanks for stopping by!

 

Life is Art...Paint Your Dreams!

"Strawberry Licious" Still Life Oil Painting by Arizona Artist Mary Opat

 

"Strawberry Licious" Still Life Oil Painting by

Arizona Artist Mary Opat

 

9" x 12" Oil on Panel

 

This small painting was fun to do.  If you know me, you know by now

that I really enjoy painting reflections!  To find out more about this painting,

or to purchase, please visit my website Mary Opat Art.

I'm working to finish up several paintings, so check back soon.

 

Life is Art...Paint Your Dreams!

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!