Martha Kelly Art blog - MARTHA KELLY ART

Published on: May 8, 2015

St. Louis

I'm going to be a little scared to get on the scales in the morning. I began and ended my three day trip at Ted Drewes, and I might even have gone on the middle day as well....

I'm behind on my blog, so I'm going to work backwards because this is an easy post to get up tonight before falling into bed. My last night there was lovely. Frozen custard, of course, because I have to make the most of being in town with it (see the above paragraph), and then I went to a coffee shop called the Stone Spiral to hear some music. I only have a couple of facebook friends that are friends of friends whom I haven't met in person, but I've enjoyed greatly knowing Mike Holdinghaus that way. He's another musician and artist and has great reflections on life. I was delighted to get his invitation to come out and hear some songs and finally meet him and his wife Linda in person, along with a number of their talented friends. A couple of dancers I already knew came through as well, so it was an unexpectedly social evening. My original plan had been to paint till the light failed and then fall into bed after a Target/Ted Drewes run. This was much more fun, and I got to sketch musicians in the bargain, which I always love to do.

Mike not only plays great but has the niftiest mandolin I've ever seen. A metal one with a resonator top. I'd only seen guitars like that before.

I'll get the rest of the work scanned in and work backwards through my trip over the next couple of days. Off to cuddle my dog a little and go to bed. Long day.

Published on: May 2, 2015

Greenbelt Park

The Memphis Urban Sketchers met downtown at the Greenbelt Park today.

I took Mr. Darcy since it's a quiet park and he'd been so good at our forest outing. I had a little trouble keeping his butt out of my paints (he stained it sap green on one recent foray by lying directly in my paint box), but otherwise he's excellent company on a sketching trip.

It's been a while since I painted at the river, and it felt good to get back there again.

Printmaking all afternoon, and then I rewarded myself for a long week's work by going over to the Latino festival in Overton Park. I got a taco with chorizo for dinner and a paleta for dessert. It was a perfect evening to sit out and eat and enjoy the park.

I couldn't help sketching my favorite tree again when I was done. It's just so lovely.

Published on: April 29, 2015

My favorite tree

I started a new print last night while I listened to the baseball game. Good to be back home and working. And yes, it's my same tree I can't stop drawing. I did this sketch back in January and had no real plan for it. I just saw the moon and wanted to draw. I'm grateful to the Memphis Urban Sketchers for getting me more in the habit of ongoing drawing. It's nice to have that much material to leaf back through and be inspired by.

Published on: April 27, 2015

Last New York Day

Marian and I had a slow start and enjoyed quiet time sitting and sketching and people watching in Central Park again. The weather was Warner yesterday, so sketching was more fun without freezing hands.

I really liked the Belvedere Castle rising up out of the rock, though I didn't do it the justice I would have liked. Another time I'll have to try it in watercolor.

We ended the trip with a matinee of It's Only A Play starring Nathan Lane. He is Marian's current obsession and crush and the reason for the trip. It was fun, but Marian and I agreed we both feel great about the state of Memphis theater. Three Broadway plays this weekend, and none of them sent me flying high out of the theater the way a number of Playhouse on the Square productions have made me feel lately. I'm glad to visit the big city and delighted to live in Memphis.

Dinner at Pylos for truly great Greek food, which we do not so much have in Memphis. It was a delicious meal, and the clay pots hanging from the ceiling also charmed me. It was a perfect end to a fun sister trip. We appreciated our New York sister showing us around her 'hood.

Published on: April 26, 2015

Central Park

We spent some time in Central Park yesterday. I'd read Olmstead's biography some years ago and wish I'd had time to reread the relevant sections before this trip. I love parks and public spaces, especially ones that give access to huge trees and a bit of nature in the midst of a city.

Published on: April 25, 2015

New York City

I'm in New York visiting one sister and celebrating a birthday with another. We're mostly here to see theater, but I'm doing a bit of sketching as well, of course.

Above is my taxi ride from La Guardia, and below is the view from the diner where we had lunch. I was so happy we snagged a booth in the window.

We went to see Helen Mirren in The Audience last night. I was so excited to see her on the stage.

Published on: April 23, 2015

Thu, Apr 23, 2015

I came home from another dance weekend and started another painting. I like this trend. Dancing is definitely good for you.

Here is the first day's work. It's oils and 18x18". I moved it around a little bit more and forgot to take a final picture, but I was happy with the first round.

I'm off for another weekend with my sister, so there will be sketching instead of painting the next few days, but I'll get back to this next week.

Published on: April 14, 2015

More Forest Sketches

I've been out painting in the forest again. It's a very good day when I can call the woods "my office." Mr. Darcy likes those days too. I've been utterly thrilled by the wildflowers this year. Truly I am every year, but I'm not really a flower painter and have always been unhappy with my efforts. This year the markers and the small watercolor sketches have let me capture my favorite wildflowers, and I'm really having fun.

Above are a couple of more finished watercolors. Here are a couple of quick, on my dog walk sketches. Someone dug out the jack-in-the-pulpits I knew about last year, and I was heartbroken. My photographer friend Peter Ceren, also taking lots of wildflower shots in the Old Forest, found a new batch and gave me directions to find them. They are lovely, and I was delighted. I'm also still in love with the mayapples.

Published on: April 12, 2015

Recent Prints

I spent a rocking Saturday night at Kinko's last night, using their over-sized scanner to scan in some of my recent prints for my upcoming Dixon show. They want some images to use in their newsletter. It's getting real! The curator is coming out to see what I've got so far early next month. There's some pressure there, but I really love creating a show for a specific space and making work that will hang together thematically and visually. When I'm doing it for an actual museum show, that's just amazing.

So here are a few that are finished and ready. I have several more I'm still getting final prints of but that are mostly or fully carved. Above is Rainbow Lake at Overton Park.

Below are two images from Country Workshops, the wood working school I house sit for occasionally and visit friends at in between times. It's one of the wellsprings of my work over the last dozen years.

This last one is a tree from one of my sketchbooks. I only had a line drawing of it, but it was enough to make a print from, and I couldn't resist the shape of this beauty. It's also my first print on black paper, and I like the effect that gives. I'm going to keep my eyes open for more subjects that might be suitable to try on black.

Published on: April 10, 2015

Urban Sketchers visit the Old Forest

I got to show off one of my favorite places on Saturday. I led the Memphis Urban Sketchers into the heart of the Old Forest in Overton Park my wildflower glade that was blazing with wood poppies, trillium, phlox, and mayapples. I'm continuing my love affair with mayapples this spring. I'm planning a possible three part print of them (I'll do one first to see how it looks), so I sketched some more closer up to give me a bit more information to work from.

Even some long time Memphians didn't know the beauty we have hidden in the forest. It took me years to find it myself. People didn't much go into the center of the forest when I was growing up, but I have loved finding it. I always say that I have the best of all possible worlds. I live in the heart of the city and walk in a forest every day. It was fun to share the magic.

Before diving into the forest we met up by my favorite tree. Elizabeth laughed at me for sketching it yet again.

Of course Mr. Darcy went with us. I don't go the park without him.

Martha Kelly is an artist and illustrator who lives and works in Memphis, Tennessee.

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