Folk Art Mary

Guardian Angel with Birds and Loved Ones

This carved piece is called Guardian Angel with Birds and Loved Ones. It's been a while since I've done a piece in my Guardian Angel Icon series. Actually, this piece was carved about 4 years ago at the Ithaca Farmers' Market but I didn't paint it until this past winter (2016). My angels fit in with a protective theme I've already been exploring in my guard dog series. This protective or guard theme  (using the metaphors of dogs and angels) began when my children left home but continues to take on new meanings for me.

Guardian Angel with Birds and Loved Ones. $475.00. 15" x 9" x 1.5"
Carved and painted white pine.

Below are two detail shots of this angel piece:

 

Folk art self taught Mary

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Woman Lies Down with Dogs, DONE!

This winter I decided to take some time to make some larger, more major pieces. Woman Lies Down with Dogs # 39  is one of the pieces that resulted. She was carved in the summer months of 2015, painted in the winter of 2016. This picture is the 39th in my guard dog series, each piece uniquely addressing the  protective and devoted nature of dogs.

Here she is - carved in wood, protected by guard dogs, warmed by a fire, in the midst of a delicious sleep. Rarely am I so thoroughly satisfied with how one of my pictures turns out, but in this case I can only say "I can't do better than this!"

 

folk art self taught mary

Woman Lies Down with Dogs, Painting Stages

Bear with me as I show all the various paint stage incarnations of Woman Lies Down with Dogs, #39.

From calm beginnings...

 

To the addition of a dark anchoring base...

 

Reds and more reds, but it needs more action happening at the top...

 

 

Trees and dots, now it has better top and bottom balance...

 

Getting close but it needs some toning down and dialing back...

Stay tuned for next week's posting to see the completed piece.

folk art self taught mary

 

 

 

New Work - Woman Lies Down with Protective Dogs, #39

Here's a new carving, still unpainted. Woman Lies Down with Protective Dogs, #39. Follow along next week when I show it go through the various stages of being painted. 

 

 

folk art self taught mary