Cut Lilacs in Glass

When you plop a bouquet of freshly cut, amazingly fragrant lilacs into a vase and get ready to paint it, the temptation is to start right in on the blooms. I have found though, that consideration of the leaves and branches is vital to the overall appeal of the composition and the subsequent success of the painting. The subtle turns and arched extensions of the greens are like the arms and legs of a modern dancer, it's where the yearning and maybe even the tension lay. 

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A Sign from Above?

Whenever I see an egret fly overhead, it takes my breath away...and somehow brings me a sense of contentment and safety. For me the egret’s flight is a sign from The Universe that all is well. And so, the egret makes a magical appearance in my new children’s book. Link in navigation bar.

Mother's Day Hydrangea

I love noticing the colors of white on white,. They are subtle and yet so powerful. This was painted with so much joy... and I think it shows. 24"x24" oil on canvas panel
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Hide and Seek

When I was little, my favorite part of being read to, was looking at the pictures in the story. If the pictures had little animals or bugs hidden in the drawings, I was over the moon. So it goes without saying that I had lots of fun putting lots of little fun friends in my illustrations for ‘Seven Circles of Light-How They Were Born and What They Became’ ...my first children’s book - out soon!

A Happy Little Landscape ... (in my first children's book.)

It is a very different experience creating landscapes with pixels of color on a computer screen versus strokes of paint on a canvas. But my years of painting out in nature, observing values and perspective certainly helped inform the computer designs. It's very exciting to learn to illustrate my children's books with the magic of Adobe Illustrator and InDesign... a whole new world!
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The Answer Is...

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I find it pretty astounding that all the different colors of the rainbow come from white light. Additionally, all the colors can be reabsorbed by white light,  but one color cannot be absorbed by another color. They remain separate. That is the underlying notion in my new children's book, Seven Circles of Light: How They Were Born and What They Became. It proposes a delightful and imaginative explanation of why we humans can feel so connected to each other at times, even though we walk on separate paths.
(Oh... almost forgot - Isaac Newton made the discovery in 1672.)

Secret Gathering

Don't they look so happy together?

I couldn't stop thinking that and I even started humming the Beatles' tune in my head while I was painting these yellow faced beauties. It's been weeks since we've had to practice social distancing and the longing to be together is getting a bit overwhelming. It may be time for a "secret gathering" of my own... some close friends who've been in quarantine and are not at risk. I am still mulling it over while the daffodils dance together in the sun. 

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The little drawing below is the new logo for the publishing platform from which I will be launching my first children's book. So excited! 

Stay Safe and Stay Tuned,

Maryann Lucas