An Artist's Journal:Paintings by Felicia Marshall

11" x 14" acrylic on hardboard One more portrait with glasses.  I absolutely love painting these portraits, and making people smile as many of your comments and emails indicate.  This is Zora again.  She is just as bubbly and enthusiastic as the portraits I paint of her.  Lucky for me she's never met a camera she didn't love.  I learned a lot about hair with this painting.  I always taught to hint at hair and not try to draw in every single string.  I know, easier said than done.  Don't get me wrong, I am just as amazed by those artists that literally paint in every string.  But who has that much time and patience?  The more extraordinary artists make this look easy.  Hair in three brush strokes.  Magic, is the only way I can describe it. I am not there yet, but I got a little closer with this painting.

“11 x 14” acrylic on hardboard This painting’s from a girl’s line.  Each little girl was standing in a line at a party waiting for their chance to play pop the balloon.  I couldn't resist all of the unique expressions on each of the children’s faces as they anxiously awaited for their turn. 

11"x 14" acrylic on hardboard I got half way through this painting about two years ago.   I always knew that I would come back to finish it up, I just never knew when.   Well, I finally dusted it off and finished it.   The hardest thing about it was coming up with a title. 

5"x7" acrylic on hardboard I recently rummaged threw some of my old work.   I can’t stand not completing something I start.   I came across this painting and I knew why I left it half painted I decided to start over with a more centered image, but it still bothered me…..so I finished it.   It was actually a good thing because I was able to see the contrast in my work then and now.

11x14 Acrylic This is one of my relatives we refer to as Cudd’n Lisha.   She stands tall in the center of the painting.   She was a giant of a woman that married a man barely five feet tall.   I guess it worked.   They were both the most well-traveled and social of all my relatives.   I have no idea why they were all dressed up on this occasion, but I can only imagine it was for some fancy event relating to one of their many clubs and organizations that they were members. Sold

8”x 10” acrylic on hardboard I came across this image that was for a book called "Sylvia and Mrs. Lula Mae" the book’s interior was in black and white.   I thought it would be interesting to create a painting in color.   This is my grandmother, Mama Sissy who lived to be one hundred years old, and so did her grandmother.   I hope to be so lucky. The little girl is a cousin.   I think back now and realize how lucky I was to have such willing and perfect models for that project.   The author’s grandmother, which is who the book was about looked exactly like my grandmother, so I thought I was destined to get the book project and I did.   As I am writing this description, I realize that I probably had a second reason for choosing this image that seems so clear now.   A relative recently purchased my grandmother’s land and home.   Last week it was torn down to be replaced with his own new house.   This was bitter sweet.   I am s...

8”x 10” acrylic on hardboard This is a little gem that I just finished specifically for my portfolio.  I wanted to illustrate an image of children reading books.  It was so cute, this little girl insisted that I paint her holding her own books and not my daughter’s.  She had just began reading chapter books and was so proud.  Lucky for me her books were in the car and she was more than happy to run out to get them. 

9”x 14” acrylic on hardboard I've written before about my aunt’s church, mostly about how small it is.  This is her and some of her members singing during one of their church concerts.   Southern Baptists have a tradition of color coordinating.   This is women in white.   All of the women in the church wear the same color on a particular day.   This happens to be the day they chose to all wear white.   Southern Baptists, like the Brits also have a long tradition of wearing hats.   My aunt loves her hats.  She told me once with a smile, that she had one entire room in her house just for all of her hats. SOLD

8”x10” acrylic on hardboard What can I say, how cute are two little girls taking a break after picking strawberries?   I usually try to avoid painting foliage.   It’s never ending grasses and sticks and branches going every which way. But I took it on as a challenge.