​A constant love of mine, and an almost lost love, is oil painting, but I am happy to share with you now, that OIL is back in my repertoire and I am loving it!

This portrait commission painting was the catalyst to get my can in gear.  Such an adorable face was my challenge!  I was so taken by the quality of her soft, young, porcelain-like skin.  I knew that achievement would be the goal as well as captivating those beautiful blue eyes.

You may be wondering why oil painting seemed almost lost. Well...when I started my professional painting career my art studio was directly off my bedroom. The problem was a practical one, using oils and turpentine or mineral spirits then - was quite smelly. There are much improved products available now.

So I went the watercolor route for my career, then followed by adding pastel painting.   I have enjoyed teaching and sharing what I've learned in both watercolor and pastel. 

If you are interested in commissioning a portrait, call Marie, 314-409-7740.  For more information on Marie's portraits check out the FAQ page below.

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VLADIMIR TARASENKO
MAC Sports Personality of the Year
​2016
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YADIER MOLINA
MAC Sports Personality of the Year
​2017

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White Lace
Pastel on board
​24" x 16"

Watching the sky, as the sun rises in the morning, creates such a peace within; it is a time filled with quiet and hope. This favorite time of the day is the inspiration for my pastel painting White Lace.

For my model, I was fortunate to have a lovely, classically trained ballerina pose for me. She wore this beautiful and intricate white lace dress which inspired choosing a morning landscape that would echo nature's lace, for the background.

My hope is that the final result of the painting creates a calming, quiet moment full of hope for the viewer.

White Lace, Visit OA Gallery to view this painting in downtown Kirkwood, Missouri.




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Sign up for ​Marie's Art Class information for future classes offered.

Students of my pastel and watercolor classes joined me for a fun inspirational field trip to the St. Louis Art Museum's Degas' Exhibit! 

Edgar Degas, "The Millinery Shop", 1879, oil on canvas

Edgar Degas, "​Little Milliners", 1882, Pastel on paper

Luxurious lunch at the museum's beautiful Panorama Restaurant.

We couldn't help but be inspired for our next painting project. We were all so taken by the amazing exhibit...Shall we choose a still-life for our next  painting?... Better yet, I asked, how about painting a still-life with HATS inspired by Degas? 

So, yes, "The Millinery Shop" by Degas, was chosen for the inspirational painting and Degas was to be our mentor....Being influenced by the best! 

We brought in our hats, hatstands, scarves and ribbons to make our still life display.

I asked the class to choose a part of the display that was pleasing to them to start their paintings, isolating a few favorite hats for their composition. 

 Look at the great progress!  

Continued great progress!
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Stay tuned for the final pastel and watercolor paintings.  


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Thank you to the St. Louis Art Museum for bringing together this exceptional exhibit,
"Degas, Impressionism & the Paris Millinery Trade".

Here are recent drawing videos that were taken as I was finishing up the portrait details.  I wanted to share with you my love for drawing today.

​These drawings were completed on Strathmore Bristol Vellum paper.   To finish these portraits I used General's charcoal and graphite pencil along with powdered graphite.  The most exhilarating part of my job as an artist is getting those beautiful eyes looking back at me!  I truly love being a portrait artist and am very thankful to God that I am able to be an artist.

If you have any questions just let me know.  Thank you for watching.  
​Have a great day!

​"Alfayiz", is a beautiful Thoroughbred, with a racehorse heritage.  His name means "Champion".   Recently I was commissioned to paint the portrait of this handsome horse.  It was my pleasure.

​Here is his story, shared by his owner:
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"To say that Alfayiz is the love of my life is almost an understatement.  It was truly a blessing from God that we found each other and I am so grateful to have him in my life every single day.

When I first met Alfayiz, he had fallen on some rough times.  His owner had lost his job and his home, could not afford to feed the ten horses that he had, but also could not find new homes for them. This lead to all of the horses, including Alfayiz, being fed very poorly for about two years.

Although from first glance he was not a lot to look at (skin and bones, matted mane down past his shoulder, dreaded tail) I fell in love with his spirit and personality immediately. Although he did not have the strength to trot or canter well, he gave it all he had and I knew that we would make a wonderful pair. Just a few days later, he came with me on my new journey from Illinois to Kentucky and we began our path to recovery. It took about a year of walking the beautiful rolling bluegrass hills and then another six months of trotting but we finally made it to a nice healthy figure and have never looked back.

A few years after we came to Kentucky, I learned that he had actually been sold at Keeneland as a yearling to a sheik for $500,000.

Since that time, we have done just about everything together. The property that we are on is 75 acres and we are blessed to have 300 acres behind the property to ride on. Our favorite things to do are hacking around in a big field, playing in streams, and the occasional cross country course. He is truly my best friend and I do not know what I would do without him. 
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Thank you so much, Marie, for the beautiful pastel portrait painting of him, it is beyond stunning and I will cherish it for many years to come!"

 
How my artwork finds a home is always so amazing to me.  Recently I had the pleasure of randomly selecting a winner for my Art Giveaway.  There were over 100 names gathered at the Naperville Art Fair. Thank you to all that participated.    

​After the name was selected from the collection box, I sent out my email newsletter announcing the winner.  What I didn't expect was receiving this reply email from Beth the winner, and what was revealed in it.
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Dear Marie,
I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to receive your email.  I was so moved by your artwork at the Naperville Art Show..  You have such a gift.  After my partner, Dan and I left the show we kept talking about how much we admired your work.  So when Dan called me to say go look at your email...and I found this!!! I cried!
I can't thank you enough!!!!
 As I am battling cancer,  your art will now be part of a meditation and healing ritual I do every day, placing myself in a tranquil spot by the water, and visualizing my body healing itself... 
Warmest regards,
Beth

Thank you Beth for your email.  I truly do believe there is a specific home for every painting or drawing.  I am so happy that the pastel painting "Tranquility" has found a very special home with you and will be a Celebration of Life and help you on your journey of healing!  

I enjoyed this giveaway so much and chatting with Beth!  Thank you and best wishes to you Beth.   My prayers are with you.  I am grateful to have met you.  Happy Holidays to you!


Upcoming Giveaway
The next Art Giveaway will be coming soon.  Please Like my Facebook page to get details about when and what the prize will be! 

Artists vary in their approach to commissioning a portrait.  Here is some information for you about how I proceed with a portrait commission.

1) Time
How long does it take to paint a commissioned portrait? Well I'm glad you asked. The time a commission painting takes depends greatly on the scope of work; medium chosen, how much detail, size, etc. Generally speaking it takes about 3 - 4 weeks.

As we approach the holidays it gets busy quickly. By November there usually is a backlog into the next year.  Since my work is detailed, I don't want to rush on your special holiday gift. If you are reading this after the Christmas deadline, I would love to offer a gift certificate toward a future portrait for your loved one's gift. Then after Christmas we can all talk about what exactly he or she would like for their portrait gift. Sometimes that actually works out better because the recipient can be a part of the decision making, such as the size, what medium, clothing details etc.

2) Deadline
In order to complete your portrait on time, my deadline for scheduling is November 1. That will insure that your gift is delivered in time for the holidays. 

3) Cost  
My portraits start at $600 for a charcoal/graphite head & shoulders portrait, as pictured below.  Color portraits start at $950 for a head & shoulders portrait (example pictured above).

4) Reference Photos
My preference are photos in natural light.  No flash please.  You can e-mail your photos to me or I can take them if you are local.

5) Shipping
Don't worry about shipping - it is free! 

It all begins with a conversation to start your perfect portrait.
314-409-7740 

For more information on commissioning a portrait

JOY

noun 1.the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or 
satisfying; keen pleasure; elation

"Experiencing art decreases stress levels."

"A study from the University of Westminster found that participants' stress levels decreased after a lunchtime visit to an art gallery reducing cortisol levels."  Arts.Mic

I would like to venture to say it brought them joy as well.  

A common thought expressed by collectors of my art is that it quiets them and somehow connects with them emotionally.  It is the highest compliment that they could give me.