Blog
Commissioned Painting
When my art patron was a nine year old child, her mother's friend had a vision about her walking ahead of Jesus in a field of white daisies. She was picking only the damaged flowers and handing them to Jesus. My art patron wished to have this vision, foretelling her future of healing through physical and massage therapy, be the inspiration for this painting that she could display in her physical and massage therapy clinic. She selected features from some of the many, varied ideas that I submitted to her. I combined her choices in a Photoshopped idea which she loved. It looked very similar to this finished painting. The finished painting is very textured, comprised of gel and rice paper collage, and acrylic paint.
Her mother's friend's vision:
Various proposals for ideas for the painting:
Preparing the canvas for painting:
Rice paper collage and gel on canvas, beginning to paint...
Working on the painting...
Detail of the painting as I worked on it...
The finished painting hanging at Enhanced Performance Therapy in Austin, Texas.
Juried and Win again in the Texas Watercolor Society!
I am pleased to be juried and win an award for a second year in a row in the Texas Watercolor Society's 67th Annual National Exhibit! My 2014 trip to India was so visually inspirational. This year's winner, Bangalore Street Scene, illustrates the congested city street near the KL Market. Color sparks through the neutrals in this painting capturing the hazy atmosphere. This painting won the Waterloo Watercolor Award, juror Frank Francese. This show runs April 1 - May 25, 2016 at the New Braunfels Art League Gallery, 239 W. San Antonio St, New Braunfels, Texas.
2015 Texas Watercolor Society's 66th Annual National Exhibit
I am honored to have my watercolor painting Bangalore Bus Ride juried into this exhibit with artists from 22 states represented! Internationally renowned artist and instructor Steve Rogers was the juror and I was awarded the Dick Blick Award! This painting was inspired on my trip to India in 2014. April 13 - May 29, 2015 at The Radius Center, 106 Auditorium Circle, San Antonio, Texas.
Bangalore Bus Ride, watercolor, Image 16”H x 29”W, Frame 24”H x 36”H
Commissioned painting
Looking for a unique abstract painting that went with their decor, taste, and specific dimensions on their living room wall, an Austin couple commissioned me to paint this large 36" high x 60" wide acrylic painting on gallery-wrap canvas. They enjoyed seeing this painting progress at its different stages - viewing it in my studio, on their wall, and even out on my dock one evening!
Colored Pencil Demonstration & Workshop
February 12 & 14, 2014 Martha gave a demonstration and workshop in colored pencil drawing techniques for the Canyon Lake Arts Guild, Tye Preston Memorial Library, 16311 S. Access, Canyon Lake, Texas 78133.
Commissioned Painting for Horizon Bank Lobby
December 2013. Stop in to view my newest painting! Framed and installed in the lobby of the Horizon Bank in downtown Austin, Texas on the northwest corner of Congress Ave. and 6th Street is a commissioned 30"H x 44"W watercolor painting. The theme is the Capitol of Texas, located in Austin, surrounded by some of Austin's classic live music venues: Stubb's Bar-B-Q, The Continental Club, Scoot Inn, Donn's Depot, Austin City Limits Music Festival, Armadillo World Headquarters, Carousel Lounge, and Ranch 616. The bank is located at 600 Congress Ave G-260, Austin, TX 78701.
Martha's painting in North Hills Gallery's Permanent Collection
My watercolor painting Guadalajara Mariachis was purchased as an award by the North Hills Gallery in Austin, Texas in 2007. See this painting and the exhibit which includes the seven Artists of the Permanent Collection Aug. 1 through Sept. 2, 2013.
Painting on location at Zilker Botanical Garden
July 18, 2013 I spent a delightful morning painting on location at the Zilker Botanical Garden near downtown Austin, Texas.
Above is the beginning of my acrylic painting of a gnarly rooted cypress tree with a Japanese pond in the background.
In this photo above you can see my building of color.
I like to glaze pigments on top of each other to create more exciting colors and depth.
I work on a very lightweight and portable Sun-Eden easel that has a nice shelf for holding my palette, brushes, water and paper towels. The adapter holding my canvas can be tilted if I want to work more flat or more upright.
Cypress Tree at Zilker Park, Austin, TX, Acrylic, 9"H x 12"W, $100
Signing Murals in Tucson, Arizona
I traveled to Tucson, Arizona to sign seven surviving murals out of nineteen that I painted in the Tanque Verde Elementary School Library in 1992 and 1993. They were cut out of the wall board when the old school was demolished two years ago. On May 9, 2013 I met with Doug Price, the Tanque Verde School District Superintendent, signed the murals, and visited the new school where I was able to see teachers and staff I knew. Originally I painted a large 6' x 6' mural for the story time area of the library. This mural was so well received that I continued painting a border around the room with smaller vignettes inspired by popular children's books and finished it with a "state" mural depicting the Arizona state flag, seal, bird, tree, flower, and the US flag and eagle. One thing led to another and soon I was re-designing the floor plan for the library, designed T-shirts with a lizard mascot design won by one of the students which we sold to raise money to pay for the materials for parent Ron Lowery to build from Martha's specifications all new book shelves and a circulation desk. Unfortunately in time it was decided the old school needed to be demolished and replaced for up-to-date buildings for the district. The location for the old school is now a new middle school, district office and Lew Sorensen Arts Center. The new Tanque Verde Elementary School is re-built further down the road.
My sincere gratitude goes out to all the students and staff at Tanque Verde Elementary School and district who helped me in the inspiration and production of these murals, and who supported their preservation. I want to thank Garv Larson, a former teacher who photographed all the murals and had two enlarged prints made and framed by the Gaslight Print Shop of the original 6' x 6' story time area mural and the state mural. I am very honored that these now grace the walls of the new library with a plaque with my name and Garv's. I hope someday that the surviving seven murals can be framed and hung somewhere appropriate in the district to continue to inspire the children with the love of books.
Wine Time Wins First Place
My watercolor painting Wine Time wins First Place in Austin's Waterloo Watercolor Group’s 35th Annual Spring Show! This exhibit runs April 22 - June 20, 2013. You are invited to the Reception Sunday, April 29, 2013 from 2:00 - 4:00. Please visit the Exhibits page for more information on this exhibit and location. Inspired by a photo of my son Andrew Ruth and a friend, I chose to tilt the couple even more to the left and painted in extra wine bottles and half empty wine glasses not pictured in the photo. Jurer Frank Eber wrote, "This is a strong piece which feels realistic but isn’t. (No one has green hair or hair that yellow.) It is an excellent figurative work; the people look alive. The woman leaning toward the man works well. The bottles point to them. The color repetition of the green hair and green bottle is strong and the color contrasts are good. There is lots of art here." I have so much fun painting on Yupo synthetic paper! The pigments and water mix and puddle for a very loose effect.
