Category Archives: original art

Welcome to new art offers in January 2025

Welcome to a new year! It feels good to start fresh while intending to have some great new ideas art-wise. I have had a busy month so far, and I like the pace and excitement of creativity. Not only did I make a lot of art, I finished a project that began in the 90s with another writer, and we spent the last six months finishing it. It’s a police mystery / thriller story. See the description below:

Buffalo, 1980s

Detectives Mike McNally and Bill “Turk” Matursky are resolving a tense jumper scenario at a highrise in one of the seedier parts of Buffalo, New York when they hear about the gruesome murder of a Catholic priest.  As an esteemed older priest is murdered three days later, the detectives are assigned to the special task force to help solve the vicious crimes.

There’s only a single clue to go on, and Mike turns to his long-time friend, Father Mark, to help with their investigation. He offers what he can, but the Church is stone-walling the law at every turn. The detectives have to appeal to the city’s underbelly for leads. Through many twists and turns, they discover that the suicide of a fellow cop and a tied-up hooker hold surprising clues.

Meanwhile, Turk is going through a personal crisis.  He won’t explain why to Mike who gets more frustrated every time Turk’s rash actions might endanger their lives.

Mike struggles to get past his divorce, but every overture toward a new relationship backfires.

Despite the seriousness of their criminal investigation, they find time to share comical cop stories, and their penny-pinching superior, Captain Burke, has an endless supply. 

Can you blend murder with humor? Maybe it’s the only way cops can cope with the horrors of their work.

It’s available on Amazon Kindle or paperback.

What I made in January

I had a good month creating art, and here’s a gallery view of my latest projects:

These items are all available in my etsy shop EarthandFaery.

The paper birds were a lot of fun to make and I love painting mandalas on wooden boxes.

I have more writing projects coming up soon so I travel between my computer and my studio to get everything done. Focus and intention help to keep my schedule straight and sheer doggedness gets me through the rough spots.

And there’s more…

I also created two PDF patterns:

They are easy to make! Click on the picture for the link.

Almost done… here’s the latest video I made for my YouTube channel: A fairy door diorama. Check it out HERE.

And here’s a praying angel for you. I wish you all the best and lots of creativity! xo

How to make a studio mess

How to make a studio mess is so easy, but it’s really hard to sort and clean, and the floor, to say the least, is a disgrace. However, on the bright side, I created many cute things in June. It was sweltering outside every day, so I spent most of my time in air conditioning.

June was a month of diversity. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with crocheting, so I made a blanket. I started it in April, but I worked on it every day, and I love the design: The Fruit Basket blanket designed by Janie Crow. She’s an amazing designer, and I recently ordered the yarn to make her Lily Pond blanket next.

Here’s my blanket, but it still needs blocking to get all the kinks out.

The pattern was difficult, especially since I only knew basic crocheting at the start. But they say discipline is a virtue, so I stuck with it, and I learned a bunch!

Studio mess

I have been making dioramas lately, and those are so much fun. Here are a few examples. Many of the components are natural, things I picked off the ground.

I wish one of my three black-and-white cats could garden (especially weeding!) The last two dioramas were made from one paper mache box that I covered with plaster. The lid became the frame for an angel, and the box with the cat, a garden. I shaped that box a bit to make it less deep. Too deep and it gets dark at the back even if it’s painted white.

All these items are available in my etsy shop EarthandFaery.

I started painting a clay bird this morning and realized I didn’t like the colors. I was going to list it in my shop along with its sister waiting patiently in the background, but it’ll have to wait.

So that’s what’s going on around here, ugly birds and pretty birds.

I will have to clean since the actual workspace is getting smaller and smaller…

To put off the inevitable, I might use the rest of the yarn from the blanket and make some pillows…

I wish you a creative July! Happy 4th!!!

Maria

Old art feels new again

Old art feels new again if enough time goes by. Some art doesn’t, and those canvases can be painted over with newer impressions, but sometimes I pull out an old painting and pause. If it touches my heart, it’s still good. It was created in 2007.

That’s how universal art is created.  It has a timeless quality.

Mind you, everything is in the eye of the beholder and I’m of course partial to my own art.

I’m amazed how many styles I have tested over the years, from Americana folk art, to abstracts, to all sorts of mixed media, and now mostly intuitive art, which is really abstract if you want to be picky. Though sometimes weird figures abound.

Here are some pictures of my 2007 painting, Magic Happens:

old art, magic happens
Old art

 

old art
old art

I used all kinds of texture, from polymer compound to collage to crumpled tissue paper. The paint enhance the texture in major ways. The hand was cut out of a magazine page, my own hand pattern. Then I applied layers on paint on top.

old art
So much fun! The bird spreads some words of wisdom through her song!

old art
Check out that texture! I think I used large bubble wrap to create those texture circles. I was in an experimental mode for sure. 

This painting is available for sale in my etsy shop. You can head there if you want to see more pictures. I uploaded ten pictures there.

Earth and Faery etsy shop.

Have a creative week. I started in my studio this morning and ended up looking at old art. The mind wanders its own path….

xo

Maria