An Artist's Journal:Paintings by Felicia Marshall

  11x14 in acrylic on hardboard This painting is part of my ongoing Little Miss series.  Each piece in this collection has been a joy to create, and this particular painting was no exception. As I worked on this piece, I found myself tempted to ground the figure with a shadow in the background to anchor her. However, as the painting evolved, I came to appreciate the light and airy quality that emerged. The result is a sense of weightlessness and whimsy that I absolutely love. Sometimes, the things we resist the most grow into unexpected favorites. My relationship with the color orange is a perfect example of that transformation.   For twenty years, I worked at a school where orange was the school’s spirit color. I wore it often, but never quite embraced it, at least at first. I used to joke that I felt like a giant pumpkin in my orange spirit shirt and jacket. I even recall a moment at the movies when an usher waved me back in without a ticket, saying he remembered...

  11x14 in acrylic on hardboard The original Turtle Eyes has always held a special place in my heart. Instead of trying to clean up all the little imperfections in the first version, I decided to repaint it entirely.   I used to be a messy painter. I think it was because my goals were different ten years ago.   Now, I know that if I don’t keep it clean, I’ll have to edit it out afterwards and I have NOT mastered Photoshop…yet. The experience turned out to be incredibly rewarding. It helped me reconnect with my old self, bringing back cherished memories of Zora and our family pool parties, and how much I loved painting the big, bold portraits that break through the space of the hardboard panel.   It all just reminds me of a perfect summer day. After completing the first version of this piece, I developed a habit of collecting animal-shaped goggles, inspired by the painting. You can see some of them in my older paintings.

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 ...

“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. SOLD

8"x 10" acrylic on hardboard I'm not sure why it took me so long to understand this, but I have just now come to realize, that what is being reflected in a pair of glasses, is as important and interesting as the person wearing them.  Wow, talk about overlooking the obvious!  We have two sitting rooms in our house most people call theirs the den and living room.  Our kids never quite understood that, so our rooms are referred to as the quiet room, which is quiet until I actually sit in it.  Once my kids notice me there it quickly fills with kids and turns into the not so quiet room.  The other room is the tv room.  This room has a great set of windows that gets the most amazing afternoon light all year round.  Even in the winter, as the sun sets low, the light passes through the trees outside and casts the most interesting highlights and shadows on objects in that room as it did this day with Zora and her new blue glasses.

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.

12"x 16" acrylic on hardboard Many of you that have followed my work for a while may remember this painting painted in a smaller 6x6 version.   I liked it at the time when I was concentrated on producing artwork daily. This time around I was more concerned with getting all of it to feel right.   I have been trying to paint larger and now realize that is something that also has to feel right.   It took me so long to complete this painting.   My daughter answered the phone and I heard her tell my sister that I was "still painting that picture."   That was funny because it was exactly how I felt.     I love the way it turned out, but it was a long journey to the end.   I didn't see that coming considering I thought I had already solved all of its big problems.   This time I managed to capture the depth of the little girl both literally and figuratively.   She is not fighting with the crowd in the background for importance. ...

8"x 10" acrylic on hardboard The Houston Rodeo is a pretty big deal around here. My in-laws found this out a couple of years back when their visit coincided with our annual rodeo trip. We always leave the rodeo with full stomachs. I often refer to our rodeo experience as eating our way through the rodeo, literally from the minute we walk in until we leave. All of the best local restaurants have booths there.  We also leave with empty pockets, but our kids always leave with lots of stuffed animals. This painting is one such moment. I absolutely hate stuffed animals, we have hundreds of them all colors, shapes, and sizes.

8"x10" acrylic on hardboard This cute little guy was painted fairly quickly. This was a diversion from an existing painting I had been working on.  I was having some trouble making decisions.  I am pretty sure it's hereditary.  I remember calling certain people in my family out on this very thing.  Now I know I was so frustrated by their inability to make a decision because it was a reflection of my own problem.  At least I recognize the problem.  Isn't that the first step... or something?   I was so surprised that this painting came together almost on its own.  Unlike the painting before, this one had a calming effect on me.   "Blue Eyes" is all about lighting. I'm a sucker for images with strong lighting, but what's even better is when I get to paint translucent objects interacting with the light.  You can see this in the blue goggles.  The portrait is cropped so closely that it adds a kind of intimacy with the...

8"x10" acrylic on hardboard   This is a study of contrasts.  I enjoyed playing with the idea of opposites attracting.  Here you have the reserved older lady in her formal blue dress seated next to the spunky younger woman in her short skirt.  Opposites do attract.  This was another image almost lost forever from our family records.  Had it not been for my father's final walk through of his childhood home, I would not have had this great image as a reference  for this painting. SOLD

8"x10" acrylic on hardboard Every year I used to visit this festival. I'd walk around randomly photographing at different levels and directions as I'd walk in an out of people. I never knew what I had until I developed my film. This is one of those shots. I was attracted to the two women's expressions and gestures as they talked while waiting for their next customer. SOLD

5"x7" acrylic on hardboard I married into a family that loves their trains, most of the males in the family have their own train board. Ours happens to be taking up half of our garage. Our kids love going out and running the layout that they created with their dad, but he tends to avoid his creation (did I mention the garage was not heated or air conditioned?) Usually several times a year they manage to pump up their dad long enough to add another few buildings or train engines , usual just before his dad comes to visit so he can show off what he's done. My daughter loves to take the miniature cows and horses from the fields her dad has strategically placed. I can't help but laugh every time he finds them discarded somewhere in the house. Long story short, trains are a passion for the men in my family. I have just discovered that my own father has a special place in his heart for them as well. His father worked on one which should have been no surprise to...

8"x10" acrylic on hardboard I didn't finish this little gem until tonight. I was attracted to the contrast of the light on each petal. I am fascinated with paintings of inanimate objects that are painted in an excited way that makes the viewers eyes dance across the canvas. I hope I have accomplished this with my painting.

8"x10" acrylic on masonite I enjoyed painting this portrait. The little girl seems so calm and wise, of course I loved the way the sunlight played on and around her face and hair. NFS