Now Showing at Karma Cafe Sedona

Spirit House, Mixed-Media on Wood,
24 x 24 inches greets you as you walk
into the cafe.

I'm happy to announce that a collection of my mixed-media paintings is now showing, as of today, at Karma Cafe in Sedona.

The light-filled, spacious space is perfect for showcasing my art. Come on out and take a look at my collection along with other local artists. And, of course, enjoy the food! Tell them Mary sent you!

This is what their website says,

Karma Cafe of Sedona Restaurant with Full Bar & Gift Shop is a dining experience for the whole family. Serving a variety of fine food.  We offer a fun, casual atmosphere.

Head to the dining room on the right to see
this wall with my mixed-media and
acrylic paintings.

Head to the dining room on the right to see
this wall, to your right, with my mixed-media
and acrylic paintings.

Until Next Week

• Create art
• Appreciate art
• Buy art

Mary Gravelle (Mary Rae Rush)

The handsome, Sir Kitty. Meow.

About the author: Mary Rae Rush (Mary Gravelle) is an artist and writer who resides in Sedona, Arizona with her beloved assistant, Sir Kitty.

Do You Love Instagram?

This is what my account looks like the computer screen.

Follow me on Instagram.

I love Instagram. The content is beautifully visual and of high-quality. I'm following people from all over the world. This allows me access into new lifestyles, ways of life, and new worlds.

I upload a new image everyday, mostly my artwork, such as my acrylic landscape paintings along with my mixed-media abstract paintings.

Sometimes, I will upload a beautiful nature scene that awes me. Or, I might do like many people do and upload a photo of my beloved pet, Sir Kitty. I focus on my art and what inspires me in the moment.

The Format

The image format is square. The disadvantage of that format for showcasing art is that for artwork that is not square, people don't see the entire image.

I played around with options for showing my entire image in photoshop but found the results unsatisfactory, see the 3rd image below. The white space between the images create unwanted space. The square format looks great when images are side by side. It gives a uniform look to the exhibit. Hopefully folks will visit my website to see the full images.

Your Account

Do you have an Instagram account? Let me know what it is so I can follow you. I recommend opening an account if you don't. No, I receive no money for recommending this to you.

Some of my daily uploads of art and Sir Kitty.

Uploads of art, Sir Kitty, and what inspires me in the moment.

My Account

In case you don't know, it is a mobile app, but you can also go to Instagram.com on your computer. You can look me up by "mary fine art" in the Explore function.

See you on Instagram!

Until Next Week

• Create art
• Appreciate art
• Buy art

Mary Gravelle (Mary Rae Rush)

The handsome, Sir Kitty. Meow.

About the author: Mary Rae Rush (Mary Gravelle) is an artist and writer who resides in Sedona, Arizona with her beloved assistant, Sir Kitty.

Who Are You and Why Are You Reading My Art Blog

Commissioned mailbox being installed
by its new owner.

It's all about you!

Who are you? I really want to know who is reading my art blog. Are you an artist, a collector, a curious person, a wannabe artist or collector, a friend, colleague, or who?

Why are you reading my art blog? Especially when in between art projects, it is a challenge to come up with fresh content. So, if I know why you are reading my art blog, I might know better what to write about.

Happy art collector in front of her painting.
New Dawn, Acrylic on Canvas,
16 x 22 inches, Copyright 2007 Mary Gravelle.

What do you want to read about? If you do read my art blog, what do you wish I would write about, write more about, and write less about?

I have committed to writing my art blog once a week, on Monday. Is that too often, not often enough? What is your preference for time frame? Is Monday a good day, or is there a better day for you to read my blog?

I want to hear from you! Post your comment below. Or send me an email to Mary@MaryFineArt.com.

Enjoy other people enjoying my art. That's YOU!

Folks enjoying an art opening in 2008 of my landscape paintings.

Until Next Week

• Create art
• Appreciate art
• Buy art

Mary Gravelle (Braylee Rush)

The handsome, Sir Kitty. Meow.

About the author: Braylee Rush (Mary Gravelle) is an artist and writer who resides in Sedona, Arizona with her beloved assistant, Sir Kitty.

Sedona Art Hikes

The Sedona Art Hikes logo as it stands now in black
and white.

Coming January 2016! I am happy to announce that my new art business venture, Sedona Art Hikes, will be seeking hikers who want to create art out on the red rocks of Sedona's amazing landscape.

This venture has required a lot of background and foundational work this year.

The first step was acquiring the Red Rock Ranger Outfitters Hiking Permit. That was a major big deal with many hoops to jump through to get it. I waited a year just to apply. The U.S. Forest service here in Sedona had not opened up this opportunity in eight years. I was one out of 18 to win the permit from the 40 applicants.

The second step was that I applied for a Chase Mission MainStreet small business grant to help fund this new venture within my art business. I procured the 250 votes needed to be in the running for the $100,000 grant, which I did not get. I will work on funding ideas very soon!

One of the wilderness sites I will be taking art hikers.

I am also tickled that Sedona Art Hikes is featured on the Sedona Verde Valley GeoTourism website that is sponsored by National Geographic. To get listed on this tourism website is exciting. That means that people will be able to find me when looking for things to do in Sedona.

My next steps are meeting with the Red Rock Ranger representative to go over my proposal and then wait for them to do their land reports. I will be getting CPR and First Aid training next month.

Tomorrow, I will attend a meeting with local Concierge personnel to introduce my business so they can begin telling visitors about it.

I am delighted beyond measure to imagine how much fun this business will be. If you plan a trip to Sedona, book a Sedona Art Hikes experience.

Until Next Week

• Create art
• Appreciate art
• Buy art

Mary Gravelle (Braylee Rush)

The handsome, Sir Kitty. Meow.

About the author: Braylee Rush (Mary Gravelle) is an artist and writer who resides in Sedona, Arizona with her beloved assistant, Sir Kitty.

Creativity Helps You Think Differently

It's a Beautiful Day to Sit Outside, Acrylic on Wood,
12 x 12 inches, Copyright 2015 Mary Gravelle (Mary Rae Rush)

Creativity is devalued in our society. It gets a bad rap for being a soft asset less meaningful and important than math and science.

I think one issue is that we need to separate creativity from art. The generalized belief that creativity=art is wherein lies a problem.

Creativity is simply another way of thinking and problem solving. It is just as important as critical thinking, where the right brain finally gets a break and its due recognition.

I think as artists, we might have been blessed with a deeper sense of our creativity, which is innate to everyone of us. It can be taught through a way of discovery and practice.

Even though Artists in general might be born with a heavier emphasis on right brain activity, they can also benefit by educating themselves in creativity.

Once one realizes their creative power (their creativity), every other subject and facet of life will be enhanced.

Open the Door, Let the Light in,
Chalk Pastel on Paper,
Copyright 1995 Mary Gravelle.

Art can be the conduit for creativity. But, making art as the way to arriving at one's creativity is not the only pathway to creativity. Many more avenues are available such as doing things differently, juxtaposing two completely different ideas against each other, or doing something you have never done before. All these activities open the mind and can lead us to think and live more creatively.

Is creativity important to you? Do you think creativity should be better valued in our society? What are your thoughts about creativity and creativity vs. art?

Until Next Week

• Create art
• Appreciate art
• Buy art

The handsome, Sir Kitty. Meow.

Mary Rae Rush with one of her large abstract paintings.

About the author: Mary Rae Rush (Mary Gravelle) is an artist and writer who resides in Sedona, Arizona with her beloved assistant, Sir Kitty.

Her art can be viewed on her website.