To say that 2013 has not been my year,would be an understatement.  While on vacation in Florida last week,I tripped an fell on a boat dock.  I suffered an open dislocation of my right index finger.  Needless to say, it will be a long road of physical therapy before I can paint again. Thank you for stopping by my blog to check the progress of my painting.  I am considering teaching myself to paint without using my index finger!  

More on the Plastic ocean

This is the next phase of the painting.  I am starting to add more detail here.  Worked a little on the Sargassum and added some detail to the sand.  Including bits of plastic and debris.  This is of course,the whole point of the painting.  Many beaches now are made up of plastic bits of all shapes and color.  Not a pretty sight.
At any rate, if this seems a little lacking,it is because it is.  I still have a long way to go on this project. This is the point at which I must silence my inner critic,and carry on with what I know I need to do!  And by silence,I mean blindfold, gag and bind her and put her in the corner.  Honestly, do all artists go through this?
In the mean time, I have created more designs for my Zazzle shop.  Here is just one of them:

http://www.zazzle.com/grey_angelfish_blue_ocean_laptop_commuter_bag-256629981592440974

Last year, I entered the Art Prize contest in a nearby community.  I am beginning to plan for this year's entry.  I am thinking of doing something along the lines of this painting, perhaps in 3d or sculpture form.  If I do this, I will most likely blog about it!

Still working on it!

Just to check in, yes I am still working on the painting from the previous post.  Got very much side tracked by the holidays.  A particularly nasty case of the flu was involved,as well. I have been busy, though.  I have set up a shop on Zazzle http://www.zazzle.com/maryscove.  Please check it out,when you have a moment.  For those who are not familiar with Zazzle, it is a web based company that prints designs on merchandise.  So if you would like one of my designs on,say, a tee shirt,this is the place to go.  They have literally hundreds of options,mugs,clocks,hoodies,cards,messenger bags.  I will strive to have different designs for this shop,than on my Etsy page.  Though,if you would really like to see those designs on Zazzle merch, just let me know!

Plastic Ocean

Once begun is half done(I hope)! I don't do much in the way of sketching.  My sketching is done to indicate  where to put masking fluid.  I work in acrylics,but I prefer a watercolor style. I like the effects that can be created by thinning acrylic to watercolor consistency.
This is really the first "layer".  I will add more detail with each layer.
This is what the next step looks like:

From Plastic Ocean

Art in progress

So,I just decided to (finally)begin a project that I have been thinking about for awhile.  After last month's vacation,with all the trash I found in the Ocean,I have decided to attack this issue(with my paint brush,this time).
Most of my painting work is done in my head.  Yes,it's true, at least 60% of art work is the time that I spend planning the painting.  Most of my paintings are involved with trying to project the magical feeling of floating with the beautiful creatures of the Ocean.  It is true that there are not very many other places on Earth that you can get so close to truly wild animals!  So, that is what I have always preferred to portray in my work.
This time I think that I will proceed as if the painting is more of a still life.  I preface this by saying that I have never liked still life,since I was an art student!  For one thing,"still life" is such an oxymoron!  Life is not still,life is constant motion. 
Never the less,this is how I have decided to approach this painting.  The working title is "Plastic Ocean",not really original,just a popular saying with some of the environmental groups that I follow.
So I start this painting with a photo of a collage that I made of various types of trash. I don't think I will use all of it in the final work,just needed a jumping off point.
This is the beginning of the project(though,I have been conceptualizing the beginning for some time).
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/XmqVqNKOCnPgOcWlthSShX8F6n9l3Pq47hCXdJ8Rpn0?feat=directlinkhttps://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/XmqVqNKOCnPgOcWlthSShX8F6n9l3Pq47hCXdJ8Rpn0?feat=directlink

About Art

People keep telling me that I should be writing about my art.  Hmmm,since a picture is worth a thousand words,that could be difficult. Still, I should at least try.  Since my work is directly influenced by my diving, I will start by discussing a little of that,first.  My recent diving experiences have shown me that the Oceans are in a state of decline.  I have seen it first hand.
My paintings have always been about the beauty and the joy that I feel when I am able to visit the Ocean.  Now, I feel, I must come back to reality,a least for a painting or two.
Recently, my husband and I visited our favorite beach in Florida.  We have been vacationing at this beach for at least seven years.  This year we arrived early,on Labor Day weekend.
The beach was packed on that day,more people than we have ever seen at this beach.  As we walked along the beach, we noticed a large amount of trash.  All kinds of trash,but most notably,plastics. Unfortunately, this trend is not new. We began gathering bits as we walked.  Plastic grocery bags,fishing line,plastic sandwich bags,bits of plastic children's toys,plastic water bottles,plastic coffee can lids,plastic sun glass frames,single serve plastic coffee machine cups,and one half empty can of WD-40 oil,just some of the items that we retrieved. In just a short,1/2 mile walk,we both had our hands completely full.
This area of Florida( the east coast) has a three tiered reef system.  It is close enough to swim to from shore.  My husband and I try to include a visit to our favorite "house reef" each time we visit.
You know how you have that one Aunt(could be Uncle or Cousin,for that matter),who you only see once a year?  If they loose twenty pounds,people who see them every day might not notice.  Because you only see them that one time a year, you can really notice how much they have lost.  This reef has been that favorite "Aunt" for us.  Every year that we go back to visit, we notice a little bit more of the reef that has simply disappeared.  
I don't pretend to know the cause,let alone the solution.  If I lived there full time, I might be able to help with the problem.
So for now,I can only write about it,and create art about it.  My sincerest hope is that I can in small way be "a part of the solution",more than I am "a part of the problem"
Meantime, here is the video that we created while we were visiting Florida,this year!

Oil Spill Solutions

I have been avoiding discussing this subject for a long time. It makes me sad and sick. I don't have enough words to express my disgust for what has happened. I don't doubt that we will be dealing with it for decades to come.
Having said that , I am sick and tired of dwelling on the negative aspects of this tragedy. I am pretty sure that there are going to be many solutions to this problem over the coming months and years. I am not suggesting that this can ever be a "make lemonade from lemons" situation. I am just saying that we will find a way to repair the damage.
I have a sarcastic sense of humor. I usually try to reign it in. However, today , I will disclose my personal solutions for the oil spill.
1. Cola. Yes,cola,soda pop,could be Pepsi,Coke or generic. They all work on oil spills on my garage floor. I am assuming that would work in the ocean. Hey, probably would not do any more harm than what ever "dispersants" are. And it will probably taste better to the fish. I nominate the head of the board at BP to open and pour each can. Then he can pass out straws to passing Dolphins. If we are lucky, they will use said straws to spray him with his own oil.
2. Giant,industrial filters strung across the Straights of Florida. You know, the kind that they use at Sea World,and such. I nominate the guys who stopped the bill to force BP to foot the bill for the clean-up to remove and change the oil filters. They,then could carry the filters to a mechanic,who will charge them the same fee that the rest of use pay for proper disposal of used oil filters.
These are the two ideas that came to mind immediately,something tells me,I can come up with a few more!
Seriously, I do support organizations that help the ocean. My favorite is Ocean Conservancy: www.oceanconservancy.org
If you can't find any other way to help, try to make a donation. This is our future that we are talking about.