"Little Girl in Blue"

8 x 10

acrylic on hardboard

I had a great painting day over the weekend. I was in the zone for most of Saturday. I painted almost all of this painting that day. The portrait alone would have had me pulling my hair out. The little girl has dark skin and because she's back lit, it was hard getting just the right balance of features and shadows on her face. I find painting nature difficult. I guess I am not bad at it because I have some great comments on the way that I handle certain landscapes, but it is not a subject I feel comfortable painting. When your painting nature you have to constantly edit because you can't paint every leaf or twig. So you are constantly asking yourself what is important. Then you paint in the important stuff like it took little or no effort at all.

SOLD

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Little Miss Cutiful

11x14 in acrylic on hardboard I love pattern! I was immediately drawn in by the polka dots on the little girl’s dress. Before I retired from teaching, I would often remind my students that, just because something looks simple didn’t mean it will be easy. I myself relearned this lesson with this painting. Polka dots are simple enough but making them interesting is the hard part. When painting the polka dots, I had to make the ones on her dress more dynamic than those in the background to avoid a flat painting. It was a painstaking process, but in the end, the effort was well worth it. This piece also taught me patience. I originally started with a much larger version of this painting on stretched canvas, which I was eager to dive into. However, after five days of repainting the face for what felt like the hundredth time, I started questioning my own sanity. I’m not one to give up, but this one nearly broke me. Realizing I needed a new approach, I took a step back. I hadn’t painted in a ...

"Ladies in Gray"

12 x 16 acrylic on hardboard My aunt, seen here on the right, is what I call a wonder woman. She raised seven children while working full time, and upon retiring opened and runs her own bakery. She created my wedding cake, which was gorgeous. Every year my aunt, organizes a musical for her church. This musical brings people in from all around this big state of Texas. This year the women all wore gray. It had been so long since I had been a part of their annual musical. I was in high school the last time I participated. I asked my parents whom are loyal participants, how many people belong to my aunt's church now. My parents thought for a few minutes before offering..."Not many." My mother began counting each couple and the pastor and his wife finishing at the number eight. "Are you sure I asked?" I was reminded that they live in a rural community. SOLD

Attitude in Paint

11x14 acrylic on hardboard This painting was inspired by a visit my daughter and I took to the art museum, our last one before everything changed. The museum has played a significant role in my life. As a young artist, I attended programs and workshops there. Later, as a teacher, I brought my students to experience the same. I even helped many of them build portfolios to apply for the museum’s scholarship opportunities. And, of course, I brought my own kids, hoping to pass on a love for art and creativity. On this particular visit, I decided to take a grown-up step and support the museum the way it had supported me. I purchased a yearly membership. Ironically, we never got to use the rest of the membership because... COVID. Still, we had a wonderful day. After exploring the exhibits, we capped it off with lunch at an art-themed restaurant. Although my daughter isn’t an artist herself, she has a genuine appreciation for art, which means a lot to me. At the end of o...

An Artist's Journal:Paintings by Felicia Marshall

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