New Mixed Media Painting The Accidental Landscape and Process

The Accidental Landscape, 12 x 24 Inches, Mixed Media on Wood.
Copyright 2016 Mary Gravelle aka Braylee Rush

I just completed this mixed media acrylic painting over the weekend. It has been in process for a couple of months.

It began as an experimental painting and continued to be experimental and intuitive until its completion.

One day, I cleaned and organized my studio. You know what that means, don't you? The unexpected, that's what! Some elements that were not supposed to go together, got stuck to each other. Thus, the Accidental Landscape began its evolutionary turn.

The painting in process got stuck to the papers I was using in the process and another piece of wood that I was going to gesso for a separate painting. I couldn't unstick them without damage.

In the meantime, I was experimenting with making acrylic skins and creating a class around them. So, I used this painting as a demo piece to show what could be done with the skins after making them. I used three acrylic skins on this painting, along with found objects, and the paper you see curled up in the "sandwich."

Process 1. The Accidental Landscape.

Process 2. The Accidental Landscape.

Process 3, the unexpected. The Accidental Landscape.

Are You Ready to Buy Art?

Are you ready to bring one or more of my paintings to your home or office? Email me at Mary@MaryFineArt.com

Tips for Purchasing Fine Art

When it comes to purchasing fine art, buy a piece that you love. If you connect strongly with a work of art, go ahead and consider purchasing it. The joy and happiness that this original work of art will give you will be immeasurable.

Imagine a space in your home or office where it might fit. And ask yourself some questions such as:

Why do I like this piece?

What does it remind me of?

How do these colors make me feel?

Overall, how does this piece make me feel?

What location or room would this piece fit into?

Would it make a great gift for someone special?

About the Author

Braylee Rush

Braylee Rush (Mary Gravelle) is an artist, author, and creativity catalyst and consultant. She resides in Sedona, Arizona with her loving and efficient assistant, Sir Kitty. Her other websites and work are: Wisdom Painting for Self-Discovery, Igniting Your Intentions, Sedona Art Hikes, and Silver Graphic Design.

Contact her today with commissions or requests for creative work, consultations, or one on one coaching sessions. She can help you delve into your creativity and come out with your own unique expression.

Inquiries

Inquiries about this en plein air acrylic landscape painting can be made through the contact page.

And, as always, I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below.

Sir Kitty

Until Next Week

• Appreciate art
• Buy art
• Create art

New Mixed Media Painting The Accidental Landscape and Process

The Accidental Landscape, 12 x 24 Inches, Mixed Media on Wood.
Copyright 2016 Mary Gravelle aka Braylee Rush

I just completed this mixed media acrylic painting over the weekend. It has been in process for a couple of months.

It began as an experimental painting and continued to be experimental and intuitive until its completion.

One day, I cleaned and organized my studio. You know what that means, don't you? The unexpected, that's what! Some elements that were not supposed to go together, got stuck to each other. Thus, the Accidental Landscape began its evolutionary turn.

The painting in process got stuck to the papers I was using in the process and another piece of wood that I was going to gesso for a separate painting. I couldn't unstick them without damage.

In the meantime, I was experimenting with making acrylic skins and creating a class around them. So, I used this painting as a demo piece to show what could be done with the skins after making them. I used three acrylic skins on this painting, along with found objects, and the paper you see curled up in the "sandwich."

Process 1. The Accidental Landscape.

Process 2. The Accidental Landscape.

Process 3, the unexpected. The Accidental Landscape.

Are You Ready to Buy Art?

Are you ready to bring one or more of my paintings to your home or office? Email me at Mary@MaryFineArt.com

Tips for Purchasing Fine Art

When it comes to purchasing fine art, buy a piece that you love. If you connect strongly with a work of art, go ahead and consider purchasing it. The joy and happiness that this original work of art will give you will be immeasurable.

Imagine a space in your home or office where it might fit. And ask yourself some questions such as:

Why do I like this piece?

What does it remind me of?

How do these colors make me feel?

Overall, how does this piece make me feel?

What location or room would this piece fit into?

Would it make a great gift for someone special?

About the Author

Braylee Rush

Braylee Rush (Mary Gravelle) is an artist, author, and creativity catalyst and consultant. She resides in Sedona, Arizona with her loving and efficient assistant, Sir Kitty. Her other websites and work are: Wisdom Painting for Self-Discovery, Igniting Your Intentions, Sedona Art Hikes, and Silver Graphic Design.

Contact her today with commissions or requests for creative work, consultations, or one on one coaching sessions. She can help you delve into your creativity and come out with your own unique expression.

Inquiries

Inquiries about this en plein air acrylic landscape painting can be made through the contact page.

And, as always, I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below.

Sir Kitty

Until Next Week

• Appreciate art
• Buy art
• Create art

Paintings for Sale at Welcome Center

Braylee Rush on the right with her paintings behind her
at the NEW Sedona Village Welcome Center.

The Sedona Village Welcome Center had its Grand Opening gala event on April 7. I was invited to hang a few paintings for sale. A percentage of each sale will go toward keeping the new welcome center open.

I didn't realize it, but I am a founder of this center. As a board member of the Sedona Village Business Association (SVBA), I volunteered to be on the committee to analyze the start up of a visitor's center in our part of Sedona.

We are situated outside the city limits and down the Red Rock Scenic Bypass from the main part of Sedona. This causes us to be slightly invisible to the five million annual tourists to Sedona. People coming in from Phoenix, however, drive right through our Village on their way to West Sedona and Uptown Sedona.

If you have traveled up State Route 179, you have witnessed the spectacular and breathtaking view of Sedona coming around a certain curve. This view captures interest and awe from everyone traveling from that direction. It causes red rock fever in the hearts of many.

Number 4: Four Squared, Mixed Media on RayMar Panel
24 x 24 inches, copyright 2009 Mary Gravelle.
Now showing at the Welcome Center.

The SVBA could not see the vision. We were being handed this opportunity to showcase our businesses by the new owner of a complex of buildings formerly known as Tequa Plaza. Thomas McPherson of Phoenix bought the complex after his car broke down coming through Sedona one day last November. He is extremely visionary and creative. He wanted a visitor's center in his complex. He offered the SVBA a great deal.

Since SVBA could not see the possibilities, Amadeus Larew, the person that volunteered to be general manager; I, as a committee member; Beverly Copen, President of the Vision Alliance; and Ken Rouse, President of SVBA all stepped forward and said, "YES" to getting this project off the ground. In three short weeks, it became a reality.

Jazz, Mixed Media on Wood, 12 x 12 inches
Copyright 2009 Mary Gravelle.
Now showing at the Welcome Center.

I look forward to the ongoing expansion of the vision of the Sedona Village Welcome Center.



















Below are two more paintings now showing at the Welcome Center. All four paintings are mixed-media works of art.

The Natural World, Mixed Media on Wood,
12 x 12 inches, Copyright 2009 Mary Gravelle.
Now showing in Sedona at the Village Welcome Center.

The Buckhorn Saloon, Mixed Media on Wood,
24 x 24 inches, Copyright 2010 Mary Gravelle.
Now showing at the Welcome Center.

Until Next Week

• Create art
• Appreciate art
• Buy art

Mary Gravelle (Mary Rae Rush)

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 seen on her website.

Sir Kitty

Walls Without Art are Depressing

My bathroom before and after hanging my painting.
Shown here: Magic of Chaco Canyon, 12 x 12 inches,
Mixed Media on Wood, framed, copyright 2009 Mary Gravelle.
This painting has such depth that it takes my mind away to magical
places like Chaco Canyon that inspired its creation.

Living with walls without art is depressing. Imagine staring at blank walls. If you walk around a house with no art on the walls, there is no life force available to you but your own. So, you had better have strong life force if you live in such a place!

Art makes us more considerate thinkers. – 8 Reasons Why Art Improves Your Thinking

I recently took many of my paintings off my walls to exhibit them in other places. Oh my, the place became depressing to live in. My walls are white. My paintings energize me and the space they hang in. I had to scour my storage to find pieces to hang quickly. It feels so much better in here now that I took the time to do that.

That is one of the reasons why Damian Bruno, the realtor who asked me to add color to his house listing wanted paintings hanging in the house for his open house. When I walked into the Sedona dome home, there were expansive white walls. Yes, it needed color! My paintings did the trick. He was happy. The home was happy.

"The effect of walls on residents is almost subliminal, and these days, with so many modern ways of improving the feng shui of our surroundings, there is simply no excuse to get careless about our walls." – Article on Creating Fabulous and Auspicious Walls

Before and After: My front door entryway.
The painting shown here is an experimental piece I did
so many years ago I don't remember what year I painted it.
I have always loved it. It adds good cheer to the entry of my space.

"Art accesses some of the most advanced processes of human intuitive analysis and expressivity and a key form of aesthetic appreciation is through embodied cognition, the ability to project oneself as an agent in the depicted scene," said Christopher Tyler, director of the Smith-Kettlewell Brain Imaging Center, during the related panel discussion.–Research by Dana Foundation: How Engaging with Art Affects the Human Brain

What is your experience with blank walls? How has art energized your space?

My art is ready and available to energize your space. Check out my website for your browsing pleasure.

Until Next Week

• Create art
• Appreciate art
• Buy art

Braylee Rush (Mary Gravelle)

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.

Newest Painting–New Day

Final. New Day, 12 x 12 inches, Mixed-media on Wood.
Copyright Mary Gravelle.

I just finished this painting. I will need to sit with this one for awhile. I feel really ambivalent about it.

Photographing the nuances of the layers and textures proves futile. I'm not sure if you can see the underneath layers well enough in the photograph.

I experimented with texture both underneath the gesso layer and on layers over the initial underpainting.

It might have looked better before I added the final two layers, see number 3 below. And, it might have looked better than that before I added the two previous layers, see number 2 below.

I kept pushing it; I might have pushed it too far. I think I may have disrespected the integrity of this painting, effectively covering up its true essence.

What do you think?

3. Adding texture and paint, perhaps going too far
with experimentation.
New Day, 12 x 12 inches, Mixed-media on Wood.
Copyright Mary Gravelle.

2. Defining areas with brushwork.
New Day, 12 x 12 inches, Mixed-media on Wood.
Copyright Mary Gravelle.

1. Underpainting, then sanded off some of the areas.
New Day, 12 x 12 inches, Mixed-media on Wood.
Copyright Mary Gravelle.

Until Next Week

• Create art
• Appreciate art
• Buy art

Mary Gravelle (Brianna Rush)

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

Pink Painting 3 Auction Fundraiser for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Details... October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

My goal is to raise $1,000, enough for 10 free mammograms for women in need. I intend to raise this amount by auctioning my paintings that have a dominant color theme of Pink. If you win the bid, I will donate, either in my name or yours, 25 percent of the winning bid amount to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. It gives me great pleasure to place my art in service to helping women.

About the Current Fine Art Painting

Today's painting, the 3rd one so far, is from my Numbers mixed media series - Number 7: Seventh Heaven, 24 x 24 inches, mixed media on wood, framed in a wood frame. Copyright 2009 Mary Rush Gravelle.

Layers of swirled acrylic paints in pinks, gold, and silver depict the synthesized meaning of number seven. Alternating layers of transparent acrylic mediums add depth in beautiful texture. Pink glassy domes accent the painting giving it dimension. Number seven is about higher realms lifting thoughts Heavenly bound in pure loving blissful energy that defies definition. Art merges with spirituality in this sensuous acrylic mixed media painting.

Imagine Seventh Heaven hanging in the perfect place in your home or office. Which room would be best served by its soft-spoken strength, spirit, and beauty?

The retail value of this painting is $1,100. The starting bid is $500. The deadline for bidding is Sunday, October 27, 2013. Good luck.

To place your bid, comment below, comment on my facebook page,  email me at mary@maryfineart.com, or call me 575-956-7315 leave a message.