Sprouting

little did i know 6 months ago as i sat in reflection
over words and intentions that i wanted to cultivate in the NEW YEAR
just how prophetic the word "NOURISH" would become.
mostly i was thinking of my newly planted herb garden,
(a Christmas gift from Kyle)
but little did i know a tiny bean was sprouting in my belly!
Going to be NOURISHING myself lavishly in the final trimester
waiting to welcome a tiny creation of creativity into the studio in september!

NOURISH

fruitful, bearing fruit

life giving

life's a beach

soaking in the sun

gazing at the vastness of the sea 

dreaming on the horizon

healing with the salt air and 

being restored by the sound of waves

-M.ELLIOTT

(Seagulls and Umbrellas series, acrylic on canvas, 8"x16", 2014)

(Seagulls and Umbrellas series, acrylic on canvas, 8"x16", 2014)

(Seagulls and Umbrellas series, acrylic on canvas, 8"x16", 2014)

www.margaretelliottart.com

Mail Art

okay,
something you might not know about me is . . .
that i LOVE mail

NOT email, but the good ol' fashioned snail-mail! its
not uncommon for me to go out of my way to drop a letter
off at the post office or to stand in a looong line just to pick
out a specific stamp. writing thank you notes, sending a
birthday card, or just a note to journal about what i have been
doing lately is a delight for me!

when i read about Jason Brown's REINVENTION project,
i knew i had found a perfect blend.....
ART + MAIL.
the awesome thing is that ANYONE can take part in this project
(no art skills required!)
visit Jason's web page and find inspiration from pieces of
mail art already submitted.
and for a peak at my little piece of art that went
to the post office today, scroll down! :)

-M.ELLIOTT

Check out the Reinvention Project website!

(my submission)

color study, 4.5"x6" acrylic and pen on canvas paper,

M.Elliott 2014

(back view)

(front view)

So, WHAT IS MAIL ART????

Mail Art, also referred to as Postal Art and Correspondence Art, 
are small scale works of art sent via the postal service (a work of art isn't considered Mail Art until it is dispatched). Each piece of Mail Art is unique; sometimes the artwork is meant to engage social, artistic, and political issues. All forms of material and artistic techniques may be used. Rubber stamps (including artistamps or artist-created stamps), stickers, paint and other material may be combined in Mail Art collage. Ray Johnson, founder of the New York Correspondence School, is often also credited as the founder of contemporary Mail Art. 

Birdhouse Thing

one of my favorite events in NASHVILLE!

such a fun evening sampling and tasting delicious food and

drink from local restaurants while admiring and biding on 

intricately detailed and themed birdhouses, artwork, 

and jewelry.... BUT the best part 

is getting to take something home that you fell in love with 

and know 

that you are helping provide music lessons to a child!

hope to see you there! -M.ELLIOTT

Wedding commission

what could be more fitting for

a sea side wedding than . . . . a pair of lobsters!

here's to the bride & groom!

(initial color blocking on canvas and color palette)

(if i were choosing a wedding dress to compliment the painting,

this would be it! -sourced from Pintrest)

(commissioned painting, "Two Lobsters", 2014, M.Elliott)

-M.ELLIOTT

"allegro ma non troppo"

for those (including myself) not versed in musical terminology,

what does "allegro ma non troppo" mean?

fast, quick and bright, but not too much

the perfect description for my latest painting!  although i did

consider the title "slow and steady", it just didn't have quite the 

same charisma. this painting has been on the easel for a while,

a lot of stop and go with the brush- some days with a lot of 

quick and bright energy and other days not too much.

although there has been good reason for the change in rhythm

(no pun intended!) to my painting process with this piece, 

i will wait to share that in another post! :)

enjoy the images!

a pencil sketch starts the process

working color palette

blocking in dominate colors

a few final brushstrokes . . .tah-dah!

(Allegro ma non troppo, 30"x40", acrylic on canvas)

M.ELLIOTT

You are my Lobster-

wishing YOU 

SWEETness on this day!

-M.ELLIOTT

(mini lobster, 2014)

(sketches on canvas)

(mini lobster series, 2014)

(image from ETSY.com)