Folk Art Mary

"Dancing Cow and Frolicking Farmer" - SOLD

This carved and painted piece - "Dancing Cow and Frolicking Farmer" - sold last weekend. A thank you to David and Denise in Allentown, Pa! I know not everyone can buy, but a purchase is the ultimate in applause for an artist. On a purely practical level, it pays the bills and buys me more time in my studio.

Detail shots below:

 

 

 

Cows and Snowy Day Barn, DONE!

I painted Cows and Snowy Day Barn several months back. As I painted, I took several pictures of it in process.

Early Painting Stages above, I intentionally wanted to keep this piece lighter than I usually do, so I started out with light colors.

 

 

Middle painted stages above, photo taken on an overcast day.

 

Above, the painted woodcarving is DONE!. It wasn't until this week that I took the final photo. I wanted to sit with the piece for a while before I considered it finnished. I worked on it until I felt my eye zoom into the center of the picture, to the farmer in red. Does the way I painted it work this way for you?

By the way, the sister piece to Cows and Snowy Day Barn, just sold this week. I call them sister pieces because the barns that inspired them are both located on Route 23 in the Catskill region. 

folk art mary

 

New York State Barn - Location Unknown.

This piece was carved several years ago. It sat in my "to be finished" pile until it was painted this winter. The purchasers were a mother/daughter team who intend to share it. Cows look out of the picture frame, footsteps in the snow.

The barn is quite lovely, nice solid lines with two cupolos. I think it is located near Middletown, NY right next to Route 17, but I am not sure. I took the pictures years ago. Please, if anyone recognizes the barn let me know its location. It should be quite easy to spot given the "Christopher Street" signage.

Front view...

 

back view...

folk art self taught mary

 

Catskills Barn, East of Oneonta, NY, Route 23

Recently I've been traveling back and forth between Ithaca and Hudson NY. As I pass barns that catch my eye, I stop and take a photo. This barn is on Route 23, east of Oneonta, NY. It has nice solid lines and its state of disintegrating repair speaks of younger days when New York State farms were more vital. The picture was taken last winter, that is snow and ice in the foreground.

 

 

Below is a picture of the same barn, taken a little bit further back and a from slightly different angle.

 

 

The sketch features the cows, farmer and tractor who once might have made this barn lively.

 

Lastly, below is the finished carving. I wanted you to see a really quick run through of the inspiration for this carved and painted picture, from photo and sketch to finished painted piece. My next blog postings will go into how I got from early to later and later painted stages of this work. Stay tuned for next week's posting.

I will not be at the Ithaca Farmers' market this weekend. My hands don't like to carve when the temperature is below 50 degrees. Soon, the best way to reach me will be via the internet or by making an appointment to visit my studeo.

folk art self taught mary

 

 

 

Three New Pieces - a Rooster, Cow and Liberty Figure

Tomorrow at the Ithaca Farmers' Market I will be bringing three new pieces. Three weeks from now, come see them at my booth at the upcoming Bedminster Traditional Artisan Show, September 20th and 21st, Delaware Valley College, Doylestown, Pa..

Rooster 17

 

Cow Icon 6

 

Liberty #5

 

self taught folk art mary

Not at my Ithaca Farmers' Market Booth Weekend of Saturday August 16

This weekend is a rare weekend when you will NOT be able to find me at my Ithaca Farmers' Market booth. I'm going to a family member's wedding in San Diego, California.

Below find carved pictures of another barn located on Route 23 on the way to Hudson New York. The photo of this barn was shown in the previous blog posting.

folk art mary

 

 

Oneonta Barn - Further Progress

This Saturday at the Ithaca Farmers' Market I will be continuing to carve the Oneonta Barn piece. Below pictures of the work in progress.

 

 

I also will be selling a woodblock print I made inspired by pictograms seen during a visit to my son in Utah this past March. There are  a total of 14 prints in the limited edition, of which I have already sold three. Below, the print - titled Pointy People with Cayotes.

folk art mary

Barn on Route 23 Between Oneonta and West Davenport

It's Fourth of July weekend, and tomorrow at the Ithaca Farmers' Market I will be starting a new carving, of a barn I have passed a number of times on my travels to Hudson, NY.

Below, a photo of the barn...

 

Followed by the sketch I made, inspired by the barn...

folk art mary