An Artist's Journal:Paintings by Felicia Marshall

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. 

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. SOLD

“8x10” acrylic on hardboard   It’s been so long since I painted one of these Missions.   I had been organizing all of my photographs in hopes of backing them up when I came across this one.   It’s been so long ago that I don’t remember which Mission this one is, but I can say it is one of the missions in San Antonio.   I can also say I am absolutely sure it is not the Alamo, how’s that for information.   This one was a bit different from most of my Mission paintings which are symmetrical.

8"x 10" acrylic on hardboard When I paint a gallery scene, I break it into parts.  I begin with the recognizable painting, which has to connect to the viewer.  The viewer (figure) is painted second.  The background wall, and the floor are then painted.  I’m always nervous about how to make a wall of color interesting, but not overpowering at the same time.  Last I paint any reflections or shadows on the floor.  These are the details that make the viewer look as if they are in the gallery.  When it works it works.  When it doesn’t, I keep painting.  This is a study in contrasts.  I thought these three young people cleverly connect with one another.  For me, museum paintings are mostly about the artwork viewing the person.  Instead of the person viewing the artwork. SOLD

8 x 10 acrylic on hardboard This is the first painting that I actually started and completed in one sitting.  Usually I work on several paintings at one time over several days or a week.  I started on the face, which didn't give me too many problems.  The painting surprisingly didn't come to life until I painted in the glasses.  I asked my kids to help me with the title.  After several suggestions I pulled together the one you see here, "Sunshine on Hope".  I hope it works.

8"x 10" acrylic on hardboard A study in color.  I have been hording this image ever since last summer.  I always knew I would be painting this one.  I'm glad I waited because, I'm not so sure that I could have pulled off the goggles last summer.  I got lost in the reflections, changes in lighting and color as the goggles move across his forehead. It was a challenge to paint, but very rewarding.

8"x 10" acrylic on hardboard This is another painting from my trip through the back roads of La Grange.  I have always enjoyed seeing how the tree branches and vines reach across the dirt road almost touching in some areas.  

8 x 10 acrylic on hardboard She's just not that into you....anymore.  I began this painting during my Christmas break.  For the first time I looked under our Christmas tree and didn't find it filled with toys,  but instead electronics.  Christmas shopping had been simplified to several popular gadgets and to some degree I appreciated that,  but it was sad seeing that my kids were growing up.  The grays in my hair were already an indicator.   I really liked buying them toys.  I already miss it.

8 x 10 acrylic on hardboard I haven't painted a museum scene in awhile.  These two ladies seem to be more interested in their conversation than the figure in the painting.  It reminds me of all of the time I spent at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as a college student.  It was a common place to have an Art History class meet.  After three and a half years, the grandness of the architecture and the experience had worn off.  I had became more interested in finding the paintings the professor wanted me to compare and write about, so I could get out of there before the kids let out of school.   They had a way of swamping the subway with their outrageous behavior.  I love art.  I love history, but I hated art history.  I was too immature and I'm probably dyslexic.  I found the book which weighed about five lbs. completely intimidating.  I know, I'm really bad, but honestly I just wanted to paint and look at paintings withou...

 8"x 10" acrylic on hardboard This is the second painting of the same hibiscus flower from my mother's house.  I think I can safely say that I was able to give it a longer life with paint than my daughter was ever interested in giving it.

acrylic on hardboard 8" x 10" At the end of our last visit to my parents house my daughter acquired this hibiscus.  My mother always feels as if she needs to walk us outside to our car as we say our goodbyes.  I looked back to see what was taking so long this time.  My daughter had  apparently  asked my mom for her flower.  She was breaking off one of the plant's few blooms.  Why? I thought to myself, this beautiful flower isn't even going to make it past the thirty minute car ride home.  Thankfully it did.  As it lay on the kitchen counter, quickly discarded I decided to put it in water and paint this gorgeous flower.

8 x 10 acrylic on hardboard The last time I visited my mother, she surprised me with a photo saying, "I found a picture you would probably love to paint."  To my amazement she reappeared from a back bedroom and presented me with this image.  Wow!  My mother found the picture in a file with some other documents belonging to my grandfather. What a treat it was to paint theses fashionable women. SOLD

8 x 10 acrylic on hardboard This is a painting from an unused reference.  I worked on a book several years ago about a little girl and the largest earth quake in the US.  I had been cleaning up some files and came across the picture.  It made a great painting.  I am always amazed at how my work has developed over just a few years.  In this painting I am particularly excited about how the butterflies and roses on the dress turned out.  I would have never even tried painting them before.  Now I not only painted it but the pink pattern glows off of the dress. SOLD

"Zora with the Orange Ball" 8 x 10 acrylic on hardboard I finally finished this painting.  It wasn't difficult, I just dragged it on and on while I completed other paintings.  At different times of the year we get extraordinary lighting through the windows in our dining room and living room.  I usually can't resist taking advantage of these remarkable moments.  They only last about thirty to forty good minutes. 

8 x10 acrylic on hardboard This is the boy's line from the same party as my previous painting.  As you can see the word line is used loosely.   The image reminds me of how I made the decision to NEVER teach at the elementary school level.  At the end of every summer I would help my mother decorate her school's cafeteria.   One of these times we ran out of paper.   In the short distance we walked from her cafeteria to retrieve some paper from the teachers' lounge we encountered a class in line at the restroom.  Not a single student was standing quietly in a single line.  Just watching them drained the little energy I had left.  This made my decision very simple.  Elementary school...never, but if there is one thing I tend to learn over and over again, it is to never say never.  So far so good.

"8 x 10" acrylic on hardboard When your kids turn a certain age you end up spending a lot of time at birthday parties.  Some months like October and December you end up at one and sometimes two every weekend.  My husband and I negotiate elaborate deals so that we get the least unappealing event.   He loves my side of the family, but it's a given that I'll be the taker on that one.  I'm horrible, but I don't even feel guilty that I made my poor sick husband stick with his turn to take our son to his last party.  I absolutely refuse to attend another paint ball party, they are just too dirty for me.  I prefer a nice quiet princes tee party any day, but I am a girl, my daughter often reminds me.  This happens to be one such birthday party.  I love that I was able to capture the expressions on each one of the little girl's faces as they stood in line waiting to begin a game. SOLD

8"x 10" acrylic on hardboard I enjoy working with portraits.  No big surprise I know.      I thought I was being adventurous with a blue background.  Blue isn't a color I would have naturally chosen for the back, I'm more of an earth tone or neutral kind of girl.  This painting taught me a lot.  I generally think in layers when I am painting.  In order to get the eyes to look correct, I had to layered values and colors like I've never done before.  The eyes have about six layers of paint and gloss medium on them.

8" x 10" acrylic on hardboard I love using pattern in my work.  I often say,"I have a love hate relationship with it."  I love the magic pattern instantly brings to a painting, but I hate the complications it creates when I"m painting in the details that never seem to end.  In this painting I'm illustrating the similarities between two women who are separated by both a century and culture.   At first sight both seem so different, but with longer inspection  similarities  become abundant. SOLD