Rio Has No Rivals

Rio de Janeiro has one of the world´s most beautiful skylines. In 1975, a dream came true for this young American bride, as I flew over the picture postcard of Brazil. It was love at first sight. How to drink in so much beauty?

Rio Seen From the Ocean

My feelings manifested themselves on canvas. I have painted  Rio dozens of times, especially Sugar Loaf mountain (on the right) and Corcovado peak  with the Christ the Redeemer statue (on the left).

This angle is a privileged one - from the ocean. It is late afternoon. The sail boats will have to head back to Guanabara Bay for the night.  Billowing clouds mimic the mountains' soft peaks, capture the setting sun´s rays and  toss them into the ocean below.

It is no wonder that Rio de Janeiro, known as the Marvelous City, has inspired  so many songwriters, poets and artists!
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Timeless Elegance in "Antique Silver"

Antique Silver

I´ll never forget a friend of mine saying that when she buys paintings, it gives her a chance to own exquisite pieces portrayed in the picture. Even though it is not the real thing, it is as though she had the actual piece.

Antique Silver features an  exquisite English  food warmer whose lid raises to reveal the goodies inside. The bottom half holds hot water. I remember my mother serving us scrambled eggs from this once, when I was a little girl living in Canada. I felt very chic.

In compositions nothing should  happen by chance. The pink roses give a soft touch that contrasts with the cool, hard sterling silver container. Three Granny Smith apples balance the roses in the composition. The green of the apples and grapes creates color harmony with the pink roses. (Green and red are complimentary colors.) The books make for a creative support and puts the height of the turqouise vase where I needed it.  The white cloth hanging vertically breaks the horizontal line of the polished antique wooden chest that reflects the fruit. The silver piece reflects all its surroundings and brings the colors together, like so many jewels.

I hope this painting  transports you to moments of elegance. I can almost hear classical music playing!

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Carnival in Rio - the Biggest Party on the Planet

Carnival

IT´S CARNIVAL IN BRAZIL!

During Carnival, samba schools parade down a half-mile avenue in a spectacle of movement, color and light.

Each school´s flag swirls with a dancing couple, whose performance is crucial to winning the contest. For four days in February or March, a million-plus partygoes take part inthe extravaganza.

Feel the excitement in my painting "CARNIVAL." Fans in the bleachers join in, singing the song each school had prepared for the year. They cheer as the samba school passes. Behind the couple are more dancers and a float, making its way down the avenue.

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All paintings on my blog are for sale. For details write me at mdiggs@mdiggs.com

The Beauty of the Orient



Oriental Treasures  100 x 80 cm.

 I´ve lived in San Francisco, California at three different times in my life. One of my very favorite haunts was Chinatown. It seemed like every time I went there, I couldn´t resist bringing back a treasure. They inspired me to paint this big picture that combines elements of Feng Shui with some of my favorite pieces.

close up  - detail

The overriding local color is red, which in China not only serves to express joy but also, to ward off evil. (Did you know that traditional Chinese brides wear red instead of white?) A small Persian rug draped over the table, poppies, and the wooden basket in the back set the tone. Cool silver pieces and the blue and white Japanese tea service counterbalance the warm color scheme.  The green silk hanging on the wall complements the red and creates harmony.

The bronze statue stealing the stage is the Chinese philosopher, Confucius who traveled all of China riding a water buffalo.

Yellow passion fruit ( maracujá) is popular in S.E. Asia, as well as Brazil, and contrasts with the rich dark grapes resting in a silver bowl. In Ancient China, the chestnut trees were the homes of the gods of the west.  See the nuts at  the base of the silver piece?  Poppies, in Chinese art, represent loyalty and faithfulness between lovers.

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Animals in Paintings



My View of São Paulo

 I broke my foot not too long ago, and had to spend time in bed. Here is the view I saw from my terrace window during that time.


Detail

My faithful schnauzer probably wondered

why I couldn´t take him out for his walks!

Animals and people, especially children, steal the scene in paintings, no matter what the subject is.

Several of this painting´s admirers and  some of my students questioned why I didn´t put this cute dog facing the spectator.

If I had, it would be just one more painting of a cute dog. By having him look the other way, onto the street, it creates a psychological interest. What has caught his eye?

What is going on down there?

Pretty sneaky, right? It is all about holding the viewer´s attention to the canvas as long as possible.

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Inside an Artist´s Atelier

In the Studio

Close up

The holiday season is over and it is time to get back to work! For artists it is no different, except for us work can be done in our studio, or atelier, instead of an office. Here I´ve depicted a model talking a break from her poising. Modeling accessories hang from a dressing screen in the background. Her poise is relaxed and she has a book on the sofa. The light from the window casts an interesting light on her right side and illuminates her feet.




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All paintings on the blog are for sale. Contact Marilyn at mdiggs@mdiggs.com

Happy New Year!

The Offering

Each country has its customs for insuring that the upcoming year will bring abundance in health, happiness and wealth. In the States, we eat black-eyed peas on January 1st.


New Years is a very special occasion in Brazil. Everyone wears white. Several rituals  have to do with being on the beach, so Rio de Janeiro is a favorite celebration location.

While Brazil claims to be a Catholic country, the African influence is undeniable. Their gods and goddesses mesh with Catholic saints.

Here a Bahian lady offers flowers to the most popular African deity - Iemanjá, Queen of the Sea. At New Years Brazilians and tourists alike, throw flowers into the ocean for her to bring them good luck.

Other traditions are: jumping 7 waves, eating 7 pomegranate seeds, saving 7 pomegranate seeds inside a tiny red cloth tied up with red string, eating lentils...OK, the list goes on and on, but you get the picture. Fireworks explode in the skies and people toast the New Year with champagne!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  ( PRÓSPERO ANO NOVO!)

All paintings on my blog are for sale. For more info write me at mdiggs@mdiggs.com
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