Mike and I recently received the most beautiful portraits of Ellen and me. I can’t tell you how excited I am to hang these in our home and have this special moment on display for years to come. Take a look:
So, where did these beautiful drawings come from? My new favorite etsy shop of course – byMariaRose! Today, I am super-excited to share with you an interview with the artist, and my personal friend, Maria Rose. Here is what she had to say about art, life and the future:
Maria, from where do you draw your inspiration?
Life is (undoubtedly) a pretty special thing, and you never know what might spark your creative fire. A crucial part of making art is the willingness to really SEE in everyday life. You have to be ready and waiting for beautiful moments – confident that they will be there – or they could pass you right by. There is so much joy to be found in simple things like picking out cereal, the smell of books at the library, the old woman and her dog walking down the sidewalk, the smile on a child’s face peeking over the booth at a restaurant… Life never ceases to amaze or entertain me. However, if I was boiling it down to big ideas, I would say that constant sources of inspiration are:
– the amazing people in my life (and by that I mean every single person I have ever met – even just once)
– observation of the connections and disconnections between people in general
– women in society
– a fear of too little time
– the unbelievable wonder of the natural world
What type of art would you say you’re most interested in? Why?
For a long time I have tried to pin down common threads in artwork that I love. The list holds together about as well as my favorite movies (with favorites ranging from “Amelie” to “The Host” to “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles”). Surefire ways to satisfy my art appetite: realism, people, a good ole’ still life, a strong sense of light and of the different planes of a form (okay, I am a real art nerd!), and contrasting color. Some artists I go back to time and time again:
– Euan Uglow
– Frida Kahlo
– Chuck Close
– Benjamin Duke
– Antonio Lopez Garcia
– Zak Smith
– Nancy Ekholm Burkert
– Wayne Thiebaud
– Gustav Klimt
– Artemisia Gentileschi
– (I could go on forever, so I’ll stop there)
What projects are you considering for the future?
I am so excited about my art right now because I have so many new projects going on! I teach art to elementary kiddos throughout the week, but have been squeezing in lots of art time for myself as well. I think the joy of working with children actually gives me more energy for working at home. I have two main bodies of work developing right now. The first deals with people, nature, and the idea of connection/disconnection to yourself/others/your surroundings. I have started a series of portraits with these themes in mind and am very excited that I will be exhibiting this work in Midtown Detroit at the Thistle Coffee House during the month of May 2012. It will be interesting to see how the concept unfolds as I continue to work through more pieces.
The second body of work centers on subject matter that is new as subject-matter for my work, but has always been very near and dear to my heart. I have been visiting the shores of Lake Superior across the street from Muskellunge Lake State Park in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula every summer since before I can remember. The lake has been a place of refuge unlike any other. It is only recently that I have begun exploring this topic in a visual way – and now that I am, I can’t believe that it has taken me this long to realize what a powerful subject it is! With this new work, I have my sights set on applying for an artist residency program at Isle Royale National Park – an island located in northwest Lake Superior. I have wanted to visit this landscape for years now.
In addition to these personal projects, I am also interested in commissioned portraiture. I have been drawing and painting portraits consistently for years and I would love to expand my work. I really appreciate the connection that occurs when making a face come alive on the canvas/paper. Through the actual act of drawing or painting, it is as if I am able to get to know someone and all the reasons they are loved just through the lines in their face or the sparkle in their eye. To have the tribute of an individual stick around permanently is very meaningful for me.
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See how cool she is, guys? Check out her Etsy shop, blog, Twitter and Facebook page to learn more about byMariaRose and even purchase some of her work for your home!
And, of course, for supporting this up and coming artist, Maria would like to thank Call Her Happy readers: “At my Etsy Shop, enter the Coupon Code CALLHERHAPPYBLOG at checkout and receive Free Shipping (until January 31st 2012)!”
Thank you, Maria!
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You have just read a post by Call Her Happy. Consider leaving a comment…I love ’em!
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