Marker markers markers

I have fallen in love. And I'm obsessed. Prismacolor markers have me all starry eyed.

They have been a great addition to this particular project I've recently dived in to. As in my last post, I finally got my prints back from the printers and I'm now working on hand coloring them to fit in to the original theme of my show, overall. So far I've had a lot of positive feedback over them and I'm really pleased how each of them is turning out. 

But these markers... I swear!

They come in a million different colors and they are so smooth and blendable. At first, I went ahead and purchased the highly pigmented ROYGBIV color scheme, which, I believe, was 12 markers. I tried them out on the prints and WOAH! I was amazed. But then I started looking at the kinds of pictures I had drawn and where I wanted to go with them. That meant I needed more. I took the plunge and purchased about 30 more markers, ranging from milky shades of white and neutral grays, to beautiful jade greens and turquoise hues. 

I couldn't be more pleased. It feels and looks really professional and all the colors I chose really bring the picture some life. Here are a few examples so far!

I asked my friends right after I drew this to give her a name. I'm not so good with giving my pieces titles!

This is a piece I just recently sold to a good friend! This turned out so much nicer than I expected it would. Those markers have changed so much about the way I see color now.

See more on Facebook or my Instagram!

Facebook.com/artbymerc and Instagram: @mmaexetoile

Back from the printers

Got a few more prints from the printers today! I'm officially selling hand-colored prints via Facebook, for now. 

Feeling pretty great about this show in November. My new markers come in on Monday, so I'll be ready to get to work as soon as I get them! So pleased with the way everything is turning out right now. 

I'm all smiles. 😄

Blank pages don't necessarily mean a lack of inspiration...

It has been quite the year for me. I've put a lot of things on the back burner in order to feel confident about my show next month. I started this journey back in March and I feel like within just the year itself my skills have been trained and perfected and my creative mind has released itself on to all the pages and canvases I've finished. I still have some lurking unfinished projects, but for the most part, I've got a solid group of pictures that is more than enough to fill up a small gallery. I wanted to be overly prepared just for the purpose of easing my mind. It's truly a wonderful feeling to look back on the year and consider the struggles and "lightbulb" moments I've experienced. I've matured in my art a lot and I'm getting closer to being able to relax and have people enjoy all the work I've put in to this project.

The theme of my paintings is "Surf Rock", inspired by my love of music, live entertainment, the beach, Hawaiian shirts and "wet" guitars. Motifs include a lot of high saturated colors, skulls, flowers, and jellies and octopuses. It's been fun getting all the pieces to become cohesive and I think the theme fits in to the ways see the world. 

I then started a new project with my sketches. I tried to remain cohesive to the rest of the theme, yet expanded on my skills a little more in order to really find my artistic structure. I enjoy my recent project the most, but will always have a soft spot for painting. 

So here I sit with a beer and a blank page, not necessarily hoping to find something to draw, but relishing in the idea that I can relax, not stress, over a blank page. This is a wonderful feeling and I can't wait to show the world what I've done.

Why Flamingos?

I gather inspiration for my pieces from all of my surroundings. It's why I love living where I do. But just because I live in the Coast doesn't mean I gather inspiration from pelicans or dolphins. Rather, I observe my surroundings and attempt to find the missing pieces to the broken puzzle I have buzzing around in my mind. Sometimes it's as simple as a walk in the park, but other times, like this particular one, I read the news.

A recent newscast broke last week about a young fraternity pledge attempting to steal a Chilean flamingo from our nearby zoo. I won't go in to much detail because of the gravity of the news story, but it really made me do some research on the Chilean flamingo. 

Flamingos are truly fragile birds. But they are also quite beautiful too. Conversations about flamingos rarely happen down here in Mississippi because we concern ourselves with local species like Loons, cranes, pelicans and Eagles. We have our share of endangered species, but flamingos are also a near-threatened species. Knowing what I know about our local cranes and how difficult it is for them to reproduce, flamingos are similar in that it takes a specific environment, climate, and little interruption in these things to convince them to breed. Zoo keepers do what they can in order to help them lay, but flamingoes usually lay 1-2 eggs at a time. 

So after the recent news story came out, I realized even though environmentalist in MS tend to focus on our local migratory birds, there is a representative species that acts in a similar manner to our cranes and loons. The flamingo is a fragile species, but with its magnificent colors, it's really an inspiring animal. 

Prints will be available of both versions of the flamingo. I'm also hoping to capture the pinks and oranges of the bird in some hand-colored prints. Find me on Facebook for more information!

Announcements and ideas

Today I did something I had been looking forward too since May. I announced via social media that everything I've been working on all year long is finally available for sale. 

I have been working pretty diligently since March to put together a complete show for November. As I've mentioned, at the end of November I will be collaborating on a show with Mallisa May at Sarrah Salon downtown Ocean Springs. There you can see ten of my paintings, and different sketches and colored drawings I've been working on. 

I decided to keep the theme alive, but also take from my past and focus on the things I know I'm good at. You will see lots of skulls, but nothing demure or gothic about them. Bright, saturated colors and unique concepts will fill this show, so I excited to get it all up there!

So please visit my facebook and Instagram for more updates on what I'm currently doing and contact me there for more information of pieces and commissions.