I did it! I prepared all of my paintings at home, brought them to Opus Arts on Granville Island in the morning to complete the framing, then had them hung in the window at Vancity Credit Union on Robson and Denman, Vancouver , Canada on Dec 4! The exhibit ends early March. Take a look if you’re in the area. All paintings are for sale. Prices are $250 to $650, framed.
Oh, wow, it’s been a month since I last posted. How time flies!
Recently, I decided to put my brushes away and just bring a palette knife with me to my plein air painting sessions. It’s sometimes challenging to get the detail of the shapes, but I seem to be figuring it out. I enjoy how immediate this method is. It stops me from belaboring the details, as I don’t have any brushes with me. And that’s what I’m going for- more expressive paintings.
My first attempt was at Van Dusen Gardens, where we had a meetup event with the Vancouver En Plein Air Painters. I found a quiet corner with a hidden bench near the second fountain on Livingstone Lake. Such a beautiful day.
I love how textured the paint gets when applying it with a palette knife.
My second attempt was at the George Pearson Urban Garden one evening in August.
I like how loose and lively this painting turned out.
My third attempt at painting with just a palette knife was at a combined event with the Vancouver Urban Sketchers and the Vancouver Plein Air Painters at Killarney Lake on Bowen Island. What a fun day that was!
I decided to begin with a yellow ochre ground and then start by painting the background. Because I was painting with wet oil paints, I decided to scrape a bit of the background off before applying my two foreground cedar trees.
Learning to make different kinds of marks with the palette knife.
I usually find that a two or three hour session just isn’t quite long enough to complete everything in a painting. It’s always good to step back from a painting and come back to it a bit later. I’d like to go over the whole painting and look for places where I need to add more dark paint to create more depth. Just as I was running out of time on the day of painting this, I added more blue to the lake. nice, but now I’d like to make some of it greener, the way it was, as it’s a reflection of the green hillside along the shore. A bit of tweaking still to do.
Those were three good painting experiences. I’ll tweak this last one a bit, and do more paintings soon.
Over 30 people joined me on Granville Island for one of the Plein Air Painting Adventures hosted by Opus Art Supplies. Many of us painted at Ron Basford Park, while others wandered to other locations on the island to paint or sketch. The weather cooperated and it was a great way to spend the morning.
So I created the Vancouver En Plein Air Painting meetup in Vancouver…
Next, I’m going to Greece to paint. Want to join me on the beautiful island of Corfu for a painting holiday October 7-14, 2024? 8 days, 7 nights, all inclusive for 2900 euros. Sound good? Check out my page above on the “Painting Holiday in Corfu” to get all the details.
You could be painting these scenes next October!
And staying in this beautiful modern villa in the countryside…
Check out my page on the Corfu trip or email me at maryancerina.artist@gmail.com for more information.
I would describe myself as an eclectic artist. I paint in different styles. I love my whimsical paintings, they’re fun and light. I’m proud of my realistic paintings. They took a lot of work and dedication to detail. Both create a meditative state, in different ways. I’ve always loved creating. I sew, take photos, I’ve done pottery, a bit of sculpture, I made batiks and oil paintings and water colours and acrylic paintings. I love trying new things and learning. I love exploring the world of the real and of the spirit, which really are the same thing.
If you like any of these, please send me an email at maryancerina.artist@gmail.com, or leave me a comment below. Thanks!
This print is of a watercolour painting I did while living in Bangkok, Thailand. I became fascinated with lotus flowers while there, they’re so beautiful and such an important part of Thai culture. While walking in Bangkok’s largest park, Lumpini Park, I came across a small pond with a tangle of lotuses. I snapped a photo and then painted this in the studio of my artist friend and mentor, Russell Fadavi. I made several prints to give away to family and just came across my last remaining print. Let me know if you’re interested in having this print adorn your wall! Print of Lotuses in Lumpini Park, Thailand 15.5″ x 12″ $60
Many people enjoyed the art sale on June 19th of Maryan Cerina’s original pieces. Here are some photos. Second art sale coming up tomorrow, Sunday, June 26 for all Vancouver people.
If you’re in Vancouver Feb 28, then this might be for you:
I’m holding a “Step Into Spring” art event Sunday, Feb 28 from 3:30-6:30, in Studio B upstairs in the Carousel Theatre on Granville Island. I’m selling several of my paintings, from small 5″x 7″ paintings to 24″ x 30″, all on the theme of spring. The painting below is an example of the style of this work. There will also be an activity table for you to try your hand at some easy painting techniques and perhaps create a small spring themed greeting card.
Paintings begin at $25 for the small ones, then go to $50, $150, $300 and $500. Creating something to take home at the activity table is by donation. Children accompanied by an adult are welcome. Bring a friend!
