An Artist's Journal:Paintings by Felicia Marshall

8x10 Acrylic on Bristol This painting was an exercise in texture and pattern. I love to use texture to create depth and atmosphere in my paintings. I usually try to avoid painting glass at all costs, so I can scratch this off of my list of "Things I Hate Painting but Probably Should." This painting also marks the first month of my blog! My realistic goal was fifteen paintings, that would be roughly a painting every other day. I missed my goal by one painting. Pretty good I think. I am working my way up to a single painting a day. Baby steps right? SOLD

6x6 Acrylic on Masonite This image was taken while on vacation last year. We passed by the little train depot several times throughout our trip and on the final day we stopped just long enough to take a couple of photographs. I was drawn to the simple little museum like wooden structure that someone has seen the importance of keeping up even if not the relics scattered around the yard circling the building. Though I have never ridden on a train myself I do share an appreciation for them and their dying form of transportation. After initially completing this painting I looked at it and was not pleased. It felt stagnant , boring and I even questioned what the purpose of painting it was anyway. I sat it aside but kept it close for several days before I put it back on my easel and added some brush strokes. This really gave the painting the energy that it lacked. I am pleased.

6x6 Acrylic on Canvas My grandmother was a lover of hates of all shapes, colors, and sizes. Some of them were quite eccentric, this happened to be one of the more conservative ones. After her passing many of her hats were passed down to her sister whom I have painted.

7x9 Acrylic and Bristol Board This was another painting I just completed this week for an illustration annual. How wonderful it would be to be five again. When it was completely acceptable to remind people months in advance that your birthday would be coming soon. This was Paul's birthday ensemble last year.

7x11 Acrylic on Bristol Board I enjoyed creating the pattern in the background. I wanted to try something different with this one and well, how can you go wrong with pattern. In a neat kinda way it matches the portrait. I guess that's the point though isn't it. SOLD

6x7 Acrylic on Bristol Board What can I say, I just can't pass up the opportunity to paint a moody portrait. This was actually the first portrait in the series. I just recently noticed that I tend to work on several paintings at a time. It's probably a good thing that I get obsessed with completing what I start or this system would never work.

8x11 Acrylic on Bristol Board This is a portrait to add to the series. I'm having a lot of fun right now just painting what I like, and learning from the experience. There is a kinda freedom I feel and I'm enjoying the results. It's nice to paint for the fun of it, and not have every image I create illustrate a specific character or action. I haven't felt excited about the idea of creating a painting since my college days.

6x10 Acrylic on Bristol Board I wanted to post this piece yesterday but just couldn't pull it off. This was actually inspired by my son's kindergarten teacher, Ms. Holly. I wanted to work more with color and I was pleased that it turned out so bright and crisp. On another note, I am celebrating my first comment posted!

6x11 Acrylic on Bristol Board This was a simple portrait study. I was pleasently surprised with this painting. I usually have to work at merging my backgrounds with the foreground. I admire artists that make it look easy because for me it is NOT. I usually treat my backgrounds as a serious afterthought or but so much detail in them that they conflict with the image. I love the moody quality that the painting creates.

3 x 5 Acrylic on Bristol Board This painting I just finished for a illustrator’s annual. I purchased an ad for next year and like always I have waited until the last minute to decide which image I will send to represent my work. I actually did begin working on the image about two months ago but I pushed it aside and figuring I’ll finish it later. Well… it’s later. Can you tell I am really ready for Summer, this is my second image on the subject? Zora stands on the sand playing alone without a care in the world. Zora was the first to show any form of independence. Her hair is always in a mass of curls exploding from any type of enclosure applied earlier to contain them. She has hair that matches her personality. She’s independent, with her own ideas even at this early age. I hope I have captured this in the painting.

6x6 Acrylic on Canvas I’ve always liked street scenes, there could easily be thousands of exchanges going on all at once but they easily escape ones notice unless the moment is frozen in time with a photo or painting. For me, it quickly became obviously clear from which angle this scene should be painted. Usually I work with browns but the bright colors of the houses were to exciting to pass up.

6x6 Acrylic on Canvas I paid a fortune for this sofa. It keep calling me back to it until I finalized the purchase. No regrets here. It sits in what I have named the quiet room. I try to spend at least one hour a day in this room, usually clearing my head of all of the days events in the afternoon. The model captures the calm energy of the room.

6"x6" Acrylic on Canvas My cousin Candice was gracious enough to volunteer to be photographed for several portrait studies. That was last summer. I have finally gotten around to painting some of them. I think I achieved a certain degree of looseness and mood that I was after while still capturing the essence of Candice. Tell me what you think.

6x6 Acrylic on Masonite Once a year we drive to Illinois to visit relatives, usually in the summer. I was able to capture my husband giving canoe rides early one morning. I hadn’t realized the complementary color scheme in this painting until it was almost complete. I guess you can call it a subconscious attraction. This was a great exercise in painting things I usually avoid like reflections in water. I find painting nature overwhelming and I probably would have continued to avoid the subject altogether had it not been for an art director who commented on how beautifully I painted trees.