An Artist's Journal:Paintings by Felicia Marshall

8" x 10" acrylic on hardboard I usually get really intimidated when I have to paint more than one person in a single scene. I am becoming better at this though, it's something I can't keep dancing around so I am meeting this challenge head on. I had a relative that I always thought of as very classy and worldly. She and her husband did things I could only dream of as a little girl growing up in a trailer park.  Things like going on vacations, traveling to California to visit relatives, and going on cruises. They were also members of several popular clubs and organizations. One such club was the Ladies Garden Club.  They took turns hosting the garden club at their houses monthly. I think this is one of the images from the ladies garden club, or at least that's what was on the back of the photograph. I guess I would consider myself an anti club person, but I was quite happy to find out that I received the dishes that she used when hosting her garden club ...

8"x 10" acrylic on hardboard I'm still enjoying my masks.  It took me awhile to post this one.  I finished painting it some time ago.  A friend described it as intimate and moody.  It sounds good to me.  

8"x 10" acrylic on hardboard  I was so proud of myself after I completed this painting.  I was able to recreate the left hand hitting light just right, making that entire area glow.  I had seen so many painters get it right with little or no effort, but I had never been bold or skilled enough to paint what I was seeing instead of what I thought I was seeing. When I finished I left the painting out so I could admire it every time I passed it on the table.  A few days later my brother stopped by and began admiring several paintings I also had out in various stages of completion.  He even commented on how nice my work was, then he holds one up and says, "When are you gonna finish this one?" I looked up to see him holding this painting.  "That one is already finished," I replied.  He goes on to say, "Your NOT going to paint the hand?" "What, that's the best part!" I explain to him. "I don't get ...

12"x 16" acrylic on hardboard This was the painting in which I finally became comfortable with painting soft edges. It seems so simple to do, but after a lifetime of coloring inside the lines it's hard to do the opposite   I originally had an elaborate background on this painting.  I even painted it all, before I painted over it. I quickly realized that even though I spent a lot of time panting the details, in the end it was just too distracting.  I have always had a problem with editing, so this was big for me. SOLD

12"x 16" acrylic on hardboard We pulled out some old Halloween costumes.  I loved the way the dress caught the light from the window behind us.  The feather mask was one of those things that spoke to me when I was out shopping for something else.  I wasn't prepared to make the purchase, but I thought about it for a couple of days and found myself walking right back into the store and sealing the deal.  The best thing was, everything was marked half off.  I didn't have to feel so guilty about the frivolous purchase.  What a difference a few days make! In my own defense  I think this mask has been put to good use already with this painting, or at least that's the line I used on my husband.  I pushed myself with this painting and I got to use a lot of bright color.

8"x 10" acrylic on hardboard I was visiting my parents' church and noticed many of the men were wearing hats like this one.  Fashion, like most things recycles itself. I didn't realize how iconic this particular hat was for me until I began painting this image.  I kept thinking of photographs of the men marching during the civil rights movement and the always popular original "Twilight Zone", which had men wearing theses hats.  I can't tell you how any nights I stayed up way to late just to catch an episode of the show.  I purchased a costume version and had a lot of fun photographing people wearing it.  This was one of my volunteers.  

5"x7" If you've spent anytime going to church, you have stood for a photograph similar to this painting.  I loved the white gloves they glow off of the page. SOLD