She Sells Sea Shells

Still Life with Shells

Still lifes have endless themes to be explored. I painted a series in which all had shells somewhere in the composition. This is one of my favorities.

 The unusual formations created at the top of the white sea shells are intriguing and must be painted in a way to create their hardness and bumpiness. They contrast with the smooth white wax candles on the right.

The red berries make the greens pop. Artists are free to crop their paintings as they see fit. It isn't necessary to show all the leaves in the beige pitcher, for instance.
 Next time you go to the beach, take a good look at nature's little masterpieces!

For more painting: www.mdiggsart.com
Most paintings on the blog are for sale.
mdiggs@mdiggs.com

Home in the Gardens



The Corner of my Street

I´ve just come back from vacation. It's wonderful to travel, to see family, as well as new sights. But, it is always good to return home. For me, that is São Paulo, Brazil, the largest city in Latin America.

 Here I´ve painted two common scenes only blocks from my apartment building, both dealing with flower sellers. Someone has just purchased  flowers from Antonio, our neighborhood florist who sets up every morning on the same corner. The lime green structures behind the lady buying the plant, are two public phone "booths" - the tall one is for adults and the short one for kids and wheelchair drivers. The tall buildings cast interesting shadows that create pockets of light. These contrasts enhance the composition of the painting.



The Flower Vendor



Just down the block is another seller, who is obviously not the owner, since she is relaxing against the telephone pole and probably miles away in thought. The stone wall behind her hides a luxurious apartment building in the "Manhattan of São Paulo", appropriately called the Jardins (Gardens) neighborhood.

For more paintings on this subject and others: http://www.mdiggsart.com/

Let me hear from you at mdiggs@mdiggs.com

Most of the paintings on this blog are for sale. 



God Was Certainly Inspired

Rio By Day

Have you seen the movie RIO, yet? It is a precious cartoon about a blue macaw who has to save his species by returning to his native city - Rio- from where he was stolen as a fledgling.

If you haven´t seen it yet, I encourage you to do so...and in 3-D if possible. If you have seen it, you will recognize this topography.

Rio de Janeiro is a special city. There's a saying here in Brazil...that God is Brazilian! ( Deus é brasileiro). That is debatable, but not the fact that he must have been very inspired when he formed the location of Rio.

http://www.mdiggsart.com/

A Work in Progress

Set up

Sketch using paint

Block in



Finished painting

Many people are amazed to see how a painting develops. Here is a technique that works for me and which I teach my students.
The first step is setting up a composition that is pleasing. This may involve a trial and error moment where you add  or subtract objects and rearrange them until you get what you want. I´ll make a small black and white sketch on a note pad (not seen here) to test out the composition, before I go to the canvas.
Once that's settled, I´ll sketch it in charcoal. If I still like it, then the charcoal is replaced with a thin paint sketch.
Blocking in the color is like putting the pieces of the puzzle together.
The best part is defining the shapes and making a flat surface look like it has three dimensions.
Oh, the challenge of painting! 

http://www.mdiggsart.com/

Angelic Souls



Tenderness

 Several years ago, my sister gave me a small terracotta statue, a replica of an 18th century French one. I found it to be so sweet that I made this drawing of it.

Have you ever heard the explanation for the the indention we have under our noses?

Babies live with the angels in heaven before coming to earth. Before they are born to their mothers, an angel seals the lips by pressing his finger there so the language of the angels will not be revealed.

May we mothers always recognize the angelic side of the souls entrusted to our care. Happy Mother´s Day!

http://www.mdiggsart.com/

Finding Models

The Moroccan

The Moroccan Sitting

I´d always thought that my doorman, Raul,
would make a perfect Moroccan, so when he agreed to pose for me, I grabbed my paints and went to work.

The portait study on the right prepared me to do the full-body painting. Its "unfinished" nature doesn´t detract from the strength of the face, and in fact, gives an interesting contrast.

An artist never knows where she´ll run into the perfect subject for her next work!

http://www.mdiggsart.com/
mdiggs@mdiggs.com

HAPPY EASTER!

I Come To The Garden Alone - Hymn 

Easter Morning


I come to the garden alone

While the dew is still on the roses

And the voice I hear falling on my ear

The Son of God discloses.

And He walks with me,

"He Has Risen"

and He talks with me,


And He tells me I am His own;


And the joy we share as we tarry there,


None other has ever known.

This old hymn was the inspiration for "Easter Morning". Mary Magdalene encounters Jesus alive and mistakes him for the gardener.
"Why are you crying?" He asked.
Mary responded, " If you have taken Jesus away, please tell me where you have placed Him."
"Mary!" He gently replied. That was all He needed to say! It was as if the scales from her eyes had been instantly removed. Any questions, any doubts that she had were gone! She knew this was Jesus, the living Christ, standing before her.

HAPPY EASTER

Marilyn Diggs

http://www.mdiggsart.com/