Time Out



Tranquility



 The story goes something like this: There was once an American businessman visiting Tibet. Climbing the mountain along side his guide, the two men meandered for three days before reaching their village destination. The businessman said, "You know, it would be so easy for you people to build a road directly from the town to the village. That way you could be there in 30 minutes tops." The guide smiled and  in a soft voice said, " But then, who would appreciate the lush green fields and listen to the babbling brook, or smell the wild flowers?"

I painted "Tranquility" as a reminder to take time out from our bustling lives. When I look at this painting, I feel peaceful and calm. I´m reminded that meditation is good and necessary for the soul.

In the Chinese culture the crane's symbolic presence in the home is believed to bring harmony, good fortune and happiness. It is also a symbol of longevity. I thought the cranes to be the perfect decoration for this quiet corner.

Most of the paintings on this blog are for sale.

See more  artwork on www.mdiggsart.com

Let me hear from you at mdiggs@mdiggs.com

Tea Time

My painting, KETTLES, just goes to show you how you can use anything for a composition. Originally, I was going to use only one, but as I was deciding which one, I just thought, "Why not all of them?"  This paintings is actually the main one in a composition of smaller paintings that go around it.  I did variations of the theme. The smallest frame is 3" x 3" and has only the little silver lid as the subject.

Kettles

The challenge here is to paint  porcelain, enamel, iron, ceramic, copper and aluminum.

Each kettle tells a story. The blue and white Chinese kettle was bought in Chinatown, San Francisco in the 1970s. The white enameled once belonged to my mother. If only it could talk!...Mom, who is now 90 yrs. old, remembers as a young girl, going fishing with her father and sipping hot coffee poured from it. The dark, heavy, Brazilian cast-iron kettle is as "old as the hills,"  while the artsy ceramic black and tourquoise one was a gift. I've never used the copper kettle; its for decoration. Quite the opposite of the small aluminum one that holds only 2 cups of water and I use constantly.

For more paintings, visit www. mdiggsart.com
Most of the paintings on my blog are for sale.
mdiggs@mdiggs.com

Souvenirs from the Sea

close up



Treasures of the Sea

 Remember Picasso's Blue phase, then Pink? Mine came at once and combined in "Treasures of the Sea".
 I could hardly wait to get home to paint the shells I´d found on the seashore. To my surprise, the colors had dulled in some. A little oil brought them back to life and here you see the way they were on the beach. The blue and white mug is from China Town in San Francisco, and the small bowl is a sample of Brazilian ceramics.

http://www.mdiggsart.com/
Most paintings on my blog are for sale.
mdiggs@mdiggs.com

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/