Maria Bales Art Blog

Yellow Head Band

2011-09-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

Made this head band with the same yarn of the yellow bow scarf. I'll be giving this set to Rachel for Christmas.

2011-09-22T11:07:00.000-07:00

I've been busy making Christmas gifts. Here's another Bow Scarf. Notice
the botton embelishment. It's from my vintage button collection, Bakealite.

Stash Busters

2011-09-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

Wondering what to do with all those bits of yarn left from other projects.

Make hats!

Bow Scarf

2011-09-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

This is for my GD Alex, who will be 20 on Nov. 1st. She always
appreciates the things I knit for her.

Ethan's Hoddie

2011-09-15T16:51:00.000-07:00

Wow....this one went quickly. Started it on Sunday and finished it today.
This is for my 9 mos. old Great Grandson Ethan for Christmas. I had
some vintage leather buttons that work perfectly for this little man's
sweater.

Made 8 pints of Blackberry/Strawberry jam today too. Good productive
day.

Ethan

Somethings for my little Pumpkins

2011-09-14T19:33:00.000-07:00

I made three of these little hats for three of my Great Grandchildren.
So cute.

Yoked Sweater for little Miss Ayva

2011-09-12T14:34:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been since February that I've posted. Not been away, just very busy knitting for a new GGS coming in December. Finished all the knitting for him. Blanket, Snuggle, Sweaters, Hats and are wrapped up and gift wrapped or I would post them. Perhaps after he comes I'll be able to take pictures of him in his knit finery...LOL

I've gotten a jump on Christmas with gift for the family, but still starting new projects as I get inspired by a new design or see it on knittingparadise.com. Great community for those of us who love to knit or crochet and like to share with others our enthusiasm and show what we are doing.

Haven't been painting at all since last fall. Got into knitting and still stuck into that for now. I don't mind, it's a great way to pass time and right now with economy in the dumps, not one is buying art anyway.

I'm doing my part to keep the economy going, buying yarn/needles and books. LOL

Here's on cute little sweater I just completed.

Been Away So Long

2011-02-24T09:16:00.000-08:00

I've not been painting since last October so haven't been posting on my blog.

I have been busy with knitting. First making hats for all the family, 23 hats in all. Then after Christmas I knitted 4 babies sweaters. One for my Granddaughter Elizabeth Rose's 1st Birthday.

Then one for my GGD Ayva 5 months, actually made her two.

Also knit one for my 2 month old GGS.

Now I'm working on my Christmas projects for next year. Getting an early start.

Devil's Postpiles National Monument

2010-11-07T09:20:00.000-08:00

Tom and I took a drive over the Sierras to see the fall colors. While we were there we visited Devil's Postpiles. What an impressive sight it is. Many times when I see what nature creates it just amazes me, this was one of those times.

When we returned and I went to my weekly painting group, the subject to paint was rocks....luckily I had printed out the photo I took while at the Postpiles so had a go at it.

Size 11 x 15, on Arches watercolor paper.

Fall Flowers

2010-10-01T13:36:00.000-07:00

Second week on Watercolor Group. This week it was in the 100's, to hot to paint outdoors. Pat had picked up a bouquette of flowers from the market, so this was the subject this week.

I love painting flowers. The are always so fresh looking and put a smile on my face.

Size is about 11 x 13, on Arches paper.

Old Stone Pump House

2010-09-23T09:02:00.001-07:00

The last day of summer and I wanted to paint outside. I decided to do a small acrylic. (my first mistake). It was the first time I had tried acrylics outdoors. What a nightmare. After I got set up(this took a while) in the sun, (second mistake) I started to paint. Mixed a dark and sketched my composition. Each time I went back to my mix to reload my brush, the paint was dry and I had to mix it again. Anyway, after much struggle with mixing paint and having it dry on me before I could use it, I'd had enough and packed up my stuff and left.

I had enough on the canvas and finished it up in the studio the next day.

Lesson: 1. Only use acrylics indoors.

2. Only use acrylics on a overcast damp day.

3. Next time use watercolors.

Villa Aglitoni Watercolor, Finish

2010-09-03T16:41:00.001-07:00

Here's the finish to my Work in Progress.

Villa Aglitoni on Old Roman Road

Size 22 xx 30 on Arches 300# Paper

If your interested send me a message.

Work in Progress, Session 4

2010-09-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

Here's another 2 hrs. session on this painting. I finished the olive tree and did some textures on the ground, added shadown under the cypress trees.

Work In Progress, Session 2

2010-09-01T16:53:00.001-07:00

Here's another 2 hours work on my painting. I decided that it needed someting
down in the right hand corner. So did a search on the internet and found this wonderful 800 year old olive tree. I put in in very lightly incase I didn't like it I could remove it easily, but I think it works. I also worked above adding a more distant tree line and a stone wall to the garden. Looking better now.

Setting a challeng for myself.

2010-08-31T17:32:00.000-07:00

I've been painting Italy lately and enjoying the process and the memories that it has brought back to me. I so would love to go back again to Tuscany, but alas I think it's to late for me to travel so far from home and the flight just might be too much, not in cost but in energy.

I've painted the Villa Aglitoni twice and haven't been completely satisfied with my efforts. The first was a small watercolor and the second was an acrylic, which I posted earlier.

This time I decided to challenge myself and do it in watercolors on a 22x 30" watercolor sheet, using 300# Arches HP paper. I've never worked this large so it was a personal challenge for me.

Before I could even begin I had to figure out what to mount the paper on to do the painting. I had just cleaned out my paper storage and came across two large pieces of corrugated cardboard, size 24 x 34 which had been in my latest order for watercolor paper. Perfect...I had a large plastic bag that I opened up and wrapped the cardboard in. There you go, a perfect support for my paper.

Because the 300# HP paper absorbs the water like a sponge and it wont run down like it would on 140# I decided to do it upright, like an oil painting, on my easel, so I had a better perspective of it as I worked. Now I was getting excited to start.

After doing a very light sketch of the building and being satisfied with it, I started adding color. I got lost in it and 4 hrs. later had to step back and take a look at what I'd done.

Here is the result of 4 hrs. work. I'll call it Stage 1 or a WIP.

A small Plein Aire painting.

2010-08-18T19:44:00.001-07:00

Summer is almost gone and fall is in the air. When this happens the Hydrangeas start changing their colors.

Not many more days left to paint out doors and I have to get out and do more of this. I enjoy being outside painting, hearing the birds singing, flies and bees buzzing.

Remberance of Italy 1999

2010-08-15T11:53:00.000-07:00

I've been doing some painting these last couple weeks. Going back in time to 1999 the first time I went to Italy.

I joined a group of women painters in a little country town in Tuscany, about 45 miles from Florence. We stayed in a beautiful villa that sat on top a hill overlooking a valley filled with grapes and olive trees and farm houses. We could see two other hill towns from where were on Saturday evenings they had fiestas with fireworks, first the one to our left, then the next Saturday, the one on our Right. Every evening as we had our dinner, cooked by Elizabetha our cook, we watched the sun set and drank their wonderful Italian wine.

What a wonderful two weeks I had. From the moment I got there I felt at home, like I had seen these vistas before, it felt like coming home again.

I would get up very early, the rooster at an adjoining villa would wake me. I loved starting my day this way. I would make a strong cup of coffee in a little espresso pot and go outside to greet the day. It was always fresh and cool in the mornings, but later in the day it would get very warm. I was always the first one up and loved being alone at that time.

Later after everyone was up and we had our breakfast of Nutella and Italian bread, with coffee or tea, we would all gather our supplies together and make sure we had our hats and off we went to find the perfect spot to paint. The first morning we mostly explored our surroundings and walked the road (dirt) down the hill to see what we might have missed on the way up in the car. I remembered a little church that we passed and decided to
paint there. It was a beautiful place and I did a couple of nice watercolor
sketches, which I have since given away.
It would get very hot around noon and we would all make our way back up the hill to the villa where Elizabetha was busy preparing our lunch. We would freshen up, get the sweat out of our eyes and gather under the shelter in the yard. We share our mornings work and talked of our experience and then Elizabetha would bring out large platter of pasta, salad, fresh Italian bread, fruit and wine. After lunch it was time for a nap...to hot to go out and paint... then about 4PM we would go out
again to paint. Dinner was around 7:30 or 8:00. It was truly La Dolce Vita.

The first below is Villa Parcheggio, the neighboring villa to Aglitoni where we stayed. The second is Aglitoni.

Tuscan Villa

2010-08-15T11:48:00.000-07:00

A few from Italy 1999

2010-08-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

Here are two sketches that I did in Italy, 1999 and the resulting paintings

just done this week.

August is good

2010-08-05T08:07:00.000-07:00

This is turning out to be a very good month. A new baby in the family, grandson coming home from Afganistan and niece has just bought a new

home. All good things.

I've managed to get some time in my studio and did a couple of paintings that

I will post on here later, but first wanted to post one I did last month.

Another sunflower...can't seem to get enough of them. I see them every morning when we take Leo for his walk so I guess that's why I need to paint them.

A very special day.

2010-08-02T10:43:00.000-07:00

This is a very special day. This morning a new little girl joined our family.
Ayva is her name and her parents are my grandson Isaac and his lady Linda.
I haven't seen her yet or even heard anything about her, except that she looks
like a little latina baby. I can't wait to see those big brown eyes. What a wonderful gift. Thank you Isaac and Linda.

Waiting

2010-07-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

Waiting

Mothers wait
Wait for the moon to be full
Wait for births
Wait for school to start
Wait for graduation
Wait for Engagements
Wait for Weddings
Wait for grandchildren
Wait for wars to end
Wait for death
Waiting

Back in the 21st Century

2010-07-24T17:48:00.001-07:00

It's been too long since I've written or posted anything in my blog.
I got caught up doing our family tree on Ancestry.Com. Couldn't
seem to pull myself away from it. It became an obsession. Every
morning the first thing I did was fire up my computer, put on the
coffee and sit in front of the computer and research our family.

My family's history was short, at least on this continent, as I'm only
the first generation on my father's (Spain) side and the second generation on
my mother's (Italy). But my husbands family was quite different. There's
something to be said for being, as he says, an all American Heinz 57
Variety. I must agree that it certainly makes for more interesting
research.

His family took me all the way back across the continent to the first Greene's
who set foot on this soil in the late 1500's and then across the sea by clipper ship to the shores of England and beyond all the way back to the 800's in France. No longer was this family, but history and I was fascinated with it, couldn't pull my self away.

But alas, life was still happening here, today and
my yard needed tending to, vegetables needed planting, family need attention
and news of new babies finely got me back to the 2010. Life is here, now and
I don't want to miss any of it looking back at what was, but look forward to what will be.

Not that I may not take a peek again at the archives, maybe when the rains come this winter.

Mustard Fields and Black Oaks

2010-03-25T07:35:00.000-07:00

My first morning out doing Plein Aire painting.

What attracted me to this scene was the contrasts between the mustard fields and the dark oaks in the valley. This is so tipical of Sonoma County in Spring.

Can't wait to get out again for another Plein Aire session.

11 x 14 Watercolor on Paper.

Just 'cause it's spring

2010-03-17T17:19:00.000-07:00

Bunny with Basket 11 x 15 Watercolor

I'm so happy to see spring arrive to Northern California. The trees are blooming, white, pink and yellow, sniff sniff, cough! The fields are bright green and the mustard is in full bloom. The mornings are warmer and the sun just can't shine brightly enough. What a wonderful time to be alive.

Had to paint this happy little bunny and a beautiful basket of blooms.

Teddie's Waiting

2010-02-21T16:42:00.000-08:00

We have a couple of new babies in our family and I'm hoping that some one will want this one for the babies room.

Tom's Grandma's Apron

2010-02-11T17:49:00.000-08:00

My favorite go to apron was one that belonged to Tom's grandma. It was thread bare and stained, but it was the one I always used when I was cooking or doing a messy project.

The other day I decided that I would try to make a new one using the measurments and drawing out the pieces on some newsprint I had.

First I drew the individual pieces on paper so that I could get them into my head and make a plan. Then I drew out and cut them from newsprint, laid them out on a piece of fabric that I had in my stash.

The hard part was putting it together. I found that I had cut the yoke out wrong, putting the shorter center on the fold, instead of the side. Happily I had enough fabric that I could recut it. Then sewing the front to the sides, I sewed it wrong and had to take it apart. Thank gawd for seam rippers.
But I presisted and got it put together. Now the only thing I have to do is get some edge binding for the arm openings and the neckline.

I love it, but it is just a little small for me. Oh well, I'm sure my daughter Kathleen will love it and I'm now inspired to make another for myself and one for each of the women in the family.

Primroses in Pots

2010-02-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

I am so looking forward to Spring. After all this rain we've received over the last couple of months, I'm looking forward to happy sun filled days.

Although the clouds have been inspiring lately and I may have to do a painting of clouds soon before they are gone and our skies are that constant cobalt blue again.

Anyway these little plants that came from the nursery cheered me up for a few days while I was working on them.

I often wonder why I keep painting when no one ever buys my work. The answer I get is that I really just enjoy painting and sharing them here on my blog, which I don't think anyone ever looks at. Oh the pain...to be a visual artist with no one to see my work. Whine.......

2009-12-28T19:09:00.000-08:00

I've been reading Jeanne Carbonetti's book "The Tao of Watercolor". It has so inspired me and I'm going to do more of this type of painting.

To begin I added color to the wet paper, leaving an area of white dry, that became my vase. After that layer dried I wet the paper again and added the red, yellow and blue. I let that layer dry and then wet the blossoms and dropped in some centers. I looked at it for a couple of days before I took the next step, then I added the leaves on the right side to cover the fact that the vase was off balance. Looked at it a few days more and decided I didn't like that long leaf, so added some dark blue to the edge of the vase and under the smaller leaves. It was looking better, but still needed something more. I then added some purple under the orange flower and yellow under the blue/purple flowers and down the left side of the vase. Let it dry and looked somemore . Today I added a few touches, like stems and the base and shadow. It was done and I'm really pleased with it. The size is 11 x 14. Title: Flowers in a Glass Vase.

Study of White Crockery

2009-12-06T09:51:00.000-08:00

I've been away from the computer for a couple of weeks fighting an infection in my leg.

I'm better now, but not 100% yet.

This was the last piece I did before I got sick. It's a study in white and I may have a little tweeking to do on it before it's finished.

2009-11-22T14:09:00.000-08:00

A small watercolor 7 x 11 done in Susan's class.

I'm really liking this way of using watercolor, although it really does use a lot of paint, but the colors are so brilliant.

Susan Adam's Workshop

2009-11-17T18:32:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of taking a workshop this last week-end from Susan Adams.

Susan is a very nice person and lives in Petaluma. She's a very sucessful artist and shows her work internationally.

Here is what I produced out of this week-end. The top one is a finished piece that I did in the afternoon. The lower two are study pieces done in the morning.

Pomagranates Five

2009-11-10T16:46:00.000-08:00

I found this wonderful little frame at the Goodwill and have been thinking about what to paint for it quite a while now.

Lately I've been doing a lot of Fall fruits and wanted to do some pomagranates, so I did a drawing of how they would be arranged and what size it would be.

7 x 14 on Arches watercolor paper.

Double Delight

2009-11-05T17:55:00.001-08:00

This is a rose that grows in my garden. Faded away now that it's fall, but with a promise to return next Spring. I have this to remember it by.

11 x 15 on 140# Arches paper.

They Get No Respect (The Painting)

2009-11-01T07:59:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed doing this one. While I was working on it I thought about how these fruits are not popular in this country, although they are ancient fruits that have been used through history in Europe and the Middle East. Hence the title.

11 x 14 on Arches 140# paper.

They Get No Respect

2009-10-29T14:11:00.000-07:00

I've had an idea running around my brain this last week for a subject of my next painting. It all started when someone gave me 3 small pomegranates. I wanted to paint them because they are so beautiful but thought that just those 3 tiny fruits wouldn't make the statement I wanted to make about the abundance of sustenance and beauty that we have this time of year.

Then thinking about the composition also made me think about color and contrasts, all those thing that go into make a beautiful painting. I needed something to contrast the reds that I had and remembered that a neighbor had a quince tree and was always asking me to take some. Yes they would be perfect with their pale yellow and greens and fuzzy textures. As I walked down his driveway I noticed his black fig tree and saw that there were still figs on it. What a great addition to my arrangement, I hope that he would give me a few, really only need two, but one extra would taste just great, with yogurt and honey, for my breakfast tomorrow.

I brought my treasures home and set them up on my painting table and lit them with an overhead and took many shots, added a second lamp and shot some more. Here is the one I choose and now have to decide if it will be watercolor, acrylic or oil.

Aspen, Eastern Sierras

2009-10-20T22:38:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love the colors of fall. This painting came from a trip that Tom and I took a couple of years ago, over the Sierras to the Eastern side. It was in late September and the alders were in full color. Who could resist such a scene. I love the stark whites of the bark against all that riot of color.

This is a watercolor on paper, size 11 x 15

Pumpkin Time

2009-10-17T17:22:00.001-07:00

It that time of year again. The colors of fall show in the pumpkins that are now being revealed in the gardens as the leaves die back. Everywhere I go now I see pumpkins, at the grocery store, in front of Walmart, along the freeway north of town and on front porches in the neighborhoods. The excitement is building and you can see it in the childrens faces...Holoween is coming...Boooo.

The Last of the Sunflowers

2009-10-06T07:30:00.000-07:00

With the fading of the sunflowers the summer also fades.

But now we have a riot of color to look forward to. Fall is one of my favorite seasons and I look forward to what it brings. Piles of leaves and dropping nuts from the trees.

Chilly mornings and cozy evenings by the fire.

Life is good.

Sunflowers with Red Chair

2009-09-24T22:12:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy that my watercolor group has started up again.

I really enjoy these women and we have such a nice time painting with each other. It great to get feed back from them and I love the critiques at the end of our 2 1/2 hrs of painting.

This was my effort this week. I'm really pleased with it.

11 x 15 Watercolor on paper.

Dancing Daisys for Rachel

2009-09-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

This is a little fun painting that I did for my GD Rachel.
She has been feeling bad for the last couple of weeks and
I felt helpless to help her. She was on my mind a lot and
I'm hoping this helps her feel better. I love you Rachel.

A Memory

2009-09-15T18:37:00.000-07:00

Hot summer day. Just picked tomatoes and cool cider in the jug. I can hear the buzzing of flies and feel the hot breeze blowing in from the desert. A lizard runs for cover as the cat crouches in the shade. I hear mama in the kitchen, she'll be out soon to get the tomatoes. We will have gazpacho for lunch.

2009-09-04T09:34:00.000-07:00

It feels so good to be over my painting funk. I am feeling my

creative juices flowing again and 'am so full of ideas that I can't paint fast enough to get them all done.

I love this last piece of the Sunflowers. I'm not sure what style it's in, but it doesn't matter. What matters is that I had fun doing it and I'm happy with it.

2009-08-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

I'm planning on making everyone fingerless gloves this year. These are ones that I made last year. I'm going to check on line to find some other styles.

Where does the time go.

2009-08-25T19:23:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I've been away from my blog this long. Where did the summer go.

I've been busy with family, which is always a good thing. I've not done much painting

since I posted the last piece, but hopefully now that the weather is changing I'll get back

into my studio again.

It's the time of year that I start my knitting, so will be doing that in the evenings while

I watch TV.

Here's an example of a set that I made for my daughter Kathleen last year.

2009-06-23T23:38:00.000-07:00

Water Tank Acrylic 16 x 20 Stretched Canvas

Summer has finally arrived here in Sonoma County. I thought the warm days would never come. I've not been painting a great deal this month. Too much going on with family stuff.
But I intend to do more after we get back from our visit with Kathleen (my eldest daughter) on June 24 to 28. She lives in Oregon near Jacksonville and her son Evan and his wife Chelsie will be there from North Carolina, where Evan is stationed. They have a new baby which we haven't seen yet, a boy Oden. Kathleen's other two children will be there also, so it will be a fun visit for all of us. Evan will be going to Afganistan for his second tour of duty and we will be able to see him before he goes. How I pray that he'll return to us safe and sound and that this terrible war will soon be over.

2009-06-09T09:58:00.000-07:00

Puck Watercolor, 11 x 15 on paper

This is a piece I did for my grand nephew Matt and his lovely bride Elisa.

I know that I love my dog a lot and I'm sure that they love theirs also.

I wanted to give them something very personal that they would always

have and remember their old aunt Mary for years to come.

I wish them all the happiness in the world on their journey together.

2009-06-02T19:43:00.000-07:00

Cherries in a Yellow Bowl

Watercolor 11 x 14

This one was done last November. I love the light coming in from behind and throwing shadows on the table.

2009-05-29T14:11:00.000-07:00

Asian Lily 11X14 Acrylic on Canvas

Yesterday was my 75th Birthday.

On Wednesday I was a bit depressed about truning 75.

But then when the day was here, it wasn't so bad.

After all, I'm still here and that's something to sing about.

My family, of course is very happy that I'm still here.

My dog doesn't know that I could not be here, because he

lives in the now. A good way to live.

Alexandra, my GD gave me a sweet card and wrote:

"Grandma. I'm so happy that on your

75th Birthday I get to be with you.

You are very important and influencil

person in my life and I feel very

lucky to be a part of you"

Now how could I not be happy to be here for her and

all my other loved ones.

2009-05-26T22:10:00.000-07:00

Spanish Tile No. 1 Acrylic

7x7 1/2

This is the first of a series of Spanish Tiles I'm planning.

2009-05-22T23:29:00.000-07:00

Friends Watercolor 11x15

It almost tomorrow and I'm ready for bed. Here's a piece that I did
in 2007. Saw this sweet scene in my backyard and had to snap a quick
photo for a painting referance.

2009-05-21T20:48:00.001-07:00

Chinese Tree Peony Watercolor

To tired to write much tonight. Had a good day, passed my drivers test, took a walk and spent a couple hours in the studio.

2009-05-20T20:04:00.000-07:00

Another busy day. Went to the Chiropractor this morning to get my by-weekly adjustment. All's good there.

DH, Leo and I stopped at the Park Deli to have lunch, Leo love their turkey basil sandwich. I share with him.

Spent a few hours in my studio and started two new paintings. I figure that if I work on two at a time I can get more done. There's always waiting time so it works for me.

Here's a painting I did a while back.

2009-05-19T17:41:00.000-07:00

Fantasy Garden 7 x 7 1/2 Acrylic on Paper

My day was very busy today only had a hour or so in the studio, but that was enough time to finish this piece. It started with just a poured wash, then after it was dry I studied it and found shapes, and it became what you see here. I love working in this way, it's always a surprise. Took my three days to complete it. Hope you like it.

2009-05-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

Not sure yet how to load these things and get the pictures where I want them. Guess I'll have to read the tutorial. Oh bother.....

Mandala de las Mujeres, Acrylic 15 x 15

2009-05-18T08:54:00.000-07:00

Nice cool morning today, seems our heat wave has broken.

I'm hoping to get down into my studio today and do some

painting. It all depends on DH and what he has in mind.

First thing is usually taking the dog for a walk. If we don't

he gets depressed, the dog not DH. LOL

Here's a watercolor that I did a couple of weeks ago.

2009-05-17T17:29:00.000-07:00

It was very hot today, in the high 90's. Too hot to cook so
I made a bruschetta and a salad.

Bruschetta:

Gorganzola cheese
2 med. sized tomatoes diced
3 green onions diced
l clove garlic minced
drizzle of olive oil
10 leaved of basil, chopped
S&P
Set aside the cheese, mix together the remainder.

1 med. sized chebatta bread, sliced length wize

Drizzle a little olive oil onto the bread.
Pile the tomato mixture.
Tear off chunks of cheese and lay on top.

Heat up your covered outdoor grill.

Put on a cookie sheet and toast in outdoor grill
on indirect heat.

You can also do this in your oven.

Serve with a salad.

My dog Leo

2009-05-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd start my blog with a couple pictures of my dog Leo.

He's a confirmed gopher hunter. He hasn't yet caught one, but

that doesn't stop him from trying.

Hey man, what's up?

Give me another minute mom.