IT'S ABOUT TIME, SHE SAYS . . .

I know, it's been awhile.  I sort of took the summer off.  Not actually planned, it just seemed like there was a lot going on and I didn't get into my studio nearly as much as I would have liked to.

Part of my 'excuse' was a 6 week camping trip through parts of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.  It was a great trip. We got to see family, friends, and a lot of very beautiful country.  We didn't get to see everyone, or everything we wanted to, but we felt fortunate to see who and what we did.  

I thought I would share a few fun things from the trip with you this time. 

'THE LOOK'

6 x 6" Acrylic on canvas

(I both gave, and received this look, numerous times on this trip!)

  

'POTATO FAIRY' 

A potato plant I found in the woods was hugging a Cactus, 'Eves Pin', a Desert plant that is originally from the Peruvian Andes. This was in amongst Pines, Alligator Junipers and who knows what else.  Wouldn't the history of how these two met be interesting.  :)

'THE GATHERING'

Doesn't it look like she is just extending her arms, offering  protection.

Chiricahua, National Monument,  AZ

'THE BUTT TREE'

'LOVERS'

New Mexico trees just seem to be very 'expressive'.  ;)

HUBCAP ART

How about a little Hubcap Art from Silver City, N.M. 

This planter wound around a small corner park outside a Gallery downtown.  Note reflection of the building across the street in the last hubcap.

'THE SKULL'

Sounds like a 60's TV Show.

This what welcomes you to town in Hall, MT.

(the whole tree is actually covered in various and creepy (sorry, no getting around it . . . just creepy!) skulls.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

Dolores, CO.  I'm not sure what this is going to be when it grows up.  Truck? Bus? Train?

UH . . . O.K. I GET THE HINT!

No, he really didn't want his picture taken!

Devils Canyon Campground, N.M

CREATE

We took a hike in an almost empty campground up in the mountains outside of Durango, CO.  This little gem was on a path down to the river.  No one was around, just a little 'creative' surprise, someone left for others to enjoy.

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CLOUDS OF THE DAY . . .

This was the sky that welcomed us back to Ajo the day we arrived home from our trip.  Take your choice . . . rain or sun?  Obviously the Weather Angels were having some discord as to whose turn it was to plan the weather for the day.

Unfortunately we were turning into the rain. 

'The Beauty of Butterflies

is that they allow us to dance with them'

4 x 4" Mixed Media Collage

I hope the rest of your day is great!

Charleen

DREAM ON . . .

'DON'T BE AFRAID TO FOLLOW THAT DREAM'

6 x 6" Acrylic on canvas . . . with a lot of movement going on!

Maybe sometimes with a little trepidation, but don't let it get away.

I'm still out and about walking just about everyday with trusty camera in hand and I have been fortunate to get a few more nice shots that I thought I would share with you.  Some of you may have seen some of these before.  If so, I hope you enjoy them for a second time.

this photo is from behind the baptist church in ajo

One of my favorite photos taken over the last few weeks.  

This piece can be interpreted in so many ways.

'Death is not the greatest loss in life. 
The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.'

~ norman cousins

from a small strip mall on our main road

Self explanatory :)

marcellas restaurant, ajo, az

I wonder how many people ate here and never noticed all the mis-matched fans?

main street ajo, az

Al Capone and his buddies must have been to town.

around the corner and down the street :)

How often do you get a burro, (looking at me!) a Raven and a flowering Saguaro all in one photo?  This looks to me like something from the old west.  And just to show you what it looks like in color:

Not nearly as much personality as in black and white

(in my humble opinion).  I love the black and white version,

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CLOUDS OF THE DAY . . .

'slow dancin', swayin' to the Music

no one else in the whole wide world . . .'

  Morning sky over Ajo, May 20th, 2021

Have a great weekend everyone!

Charleen

i SMELL CHANEL . . .

DO YOU?

"IS THAT CHANEL NO. 5 

I SMELL?"

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Last weekend was 'Art Weekend' in Ajo.  Painters came out and participated in several different events, including painting more murals.  These murals are painted on the backsides of buildings surrounding the downtown Plaza.  How great is that!  Most of the time, the backs of buildings anywhere are ugly and uninviting places to be.  Not in Ajo.

Welcome to . . .

this is just a small sampling. . .
and these are all big murals!

they worked into the night under big lights

 the hand detail on this is incredible.

these faces you see are of actual residents taken from old historical photos

this one is not new, but remains one of my favorites.

it is done by an artist known locally as 'Wolf'

He has painted murals on several buildings here and has just brought the buildings to life.

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CLOUDS OF THE DAY . . .

NIGHT SKY OVER AJO, AZ.

"IF YOU ARE SAD,
ADD MORE LIPSTICK AND ATTACK."

~ coco chanel

LET'S HARMONIZE!

'HARMONY IN YELLOW AND GREEN'

8 x 8" Acrylic and Mixed Media

(and yes, the center 6 x 6" piece is 3 dimensional, adhered to the 8 x 8" background)

For more information Please visit my Website at

www.charleenmartin.com

Follow me on Facebook at 

Charleen Martin Studio

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CLOUDS OF THE DAY ...

I'm not sure you could find any harmony here.  The clouds seem to be fighting themselves ... blue skies, gray clouds, sunshine, storm clouds.  

I'm a believer in 'what you think and seek, you attract'.  I'm going for the blue skies and sunshine above.  

Have a great day!

Charleen

DARK, DARKER, DARKEST...

"I will love the light for it shows me the way,

 yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars."

~og mandino

'HOW THE DARKNESS COMES'

12 x 12" Acrylic over an Acrylic Pour

For more information Please visit my Website at

www.charleenmartin.com

Follow me on Facebook at 

Charleen Martin Studio

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 CLOUDS OF THE DAY . . .

I took this over by Sprague Lake, WA.  Fortunately this was to the east of us and we didn't have to drive through it.  Oh, yes, and there's a nice big fish quietly swimming out of the storm on the right.  (I understand this is a good fishing lake:)

Have a great day!

Charleen

A LITTLE FAMILY DISCORD MAYBE?

Family, Family ...

THE FAMILY TREE: 
"SO TELL ME, WHY IS IT WE HAVE THE BARN BUT THEY HAVE THE COWS?"

12 x 12" Acrylic on textured canvas

www.charleenmartin.com

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CLOUDS OF THE DAY . . .

Evening sky over western Montana

A school of fish with the sun bouncing off the water?

***

"I am in love with Montana.  For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love, and it's difficult to analyze love when you are in it."

from 'Travels with Charley' by John Steinbeck

Have a great day ...

Charleen

POPPY ME YELLOW ...

"COMBINED THOUGHTS"

6 x 6" Acrylic on Acrylic Pour

As soon as I saw the results of this pour I saw Flowers.  Then it was just a matter of what kind of Flowers.  Poppies to the rescue.

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I am one of two guest Artists this month at the New Moon Gallery on Sprague Ave. in Spokane, Wa.  The Opening was last Friday night and it was a very nice Evening. The other Artist highlighted was Diane Sherman. You can find her at Ibelove.com  Following are some photos from the Gallery ...

This is Diane Sherman before the show started.  

Those are her large colorful Abstracts in the back left.

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Works of Art often last forever, or nearly so.  But Exhibitions themselves, especially galley exhibitions, are like flowers, they bloomand then they die, then exist only as memories, or pressed in magazines and books.

~  jerry saltz

Charleen

HERE A ROOSTER, THERE A ROOSTER ...

It's better to be the head of a Chicken 

than the rear end of an Ox.

~ japanese proverb

"I SAID IT.  I MEAN IT."

'JUST GOIN' WITH THE FLOW'

Both Pieces are 6 x 6 " Acrylic over an Acrylic pour.

More information on either Piece can be found HERE  on my website.

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Only in Ajo

CLOUDS OF THE DAY ...

Well, no clouds but maybe this little Angel (can you see her?!) resides up in the Clouds.  That is, when she is not in the Fire!  

"I could not have made it this far had there not been Angels along the way."

~ della reese

HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE!

CHARLEEN

30 IN 30 ... ONCE AGAIN

ANOTHER 30 IN 30 CHALLENGE WAS HELD AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER . . .

I DECIDED AT THE LAST MINUTE TO PARTICIPATE AND ACTUALLY GOT ABOUT 25 PAINTINGS DONE.  ALL SMALL, 4 x 4" to 6 x 6".  ALL OF THESE, EXCEPT ONE, ARE ORIGINAL ACRYLIC POURS WITH AN ACRYLIC  PAINTING ADDED.  YOU CAN PROBABLY TELL WHICH ONE (bottom row, center left) IS NOT A POUR.  THE CHALLENGE TO MYSELF WAS TO SEE HOW I COULD USE A  POUR AS THE BACKGROUND FOR ANOTHER PAINTING.  STARTING AT THE TOP AND GOING CLOCKWISE ARE THE TITLES OF THE PAINTINGS.  IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF THESE PIECES JUST CLICK ON THE TITLE:

1.    CONTEMPLATING

2.    THE GARDEN GNOME  (that's an actual name of a poppy!)

3.    AND THE SEA TAUNTED THE BEAR TO COME OUT AND PLAY
                                  (this is the original pour without any additional painting. 
                                                               How could it not be this title?!!  :)

4.    LORD GREENWINGS

5.    FLIGHT PATTERNS IN BLUE

6.    DRESSED FOR THE WEATHER

7.    THE FAMILY TREE: "DO YOU THINK SHE'S JUST PLAYING COY?"

8.    FIORI ROSSI

9.    DANCING QUEENS

10.  BALANCE AND SYMMETRY

11.   PERSEVERANCE (center)

"AS YOU CAN SEE, I HAVE ENOUGH OF MY OWN
PROBLEMS AT THE MOMENT ..."

This one is actually 2 pours.  A 5 x 5" pour with another 4 x 4" pour adhered to the top, and then the chicken painted on that.  

'IT'S A DOUZY!'

This one will be a challenge, as will be a few others that are waiting in the background.

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CLOUDS OF THE DAY . . .

                                                                                                                  ~ katie morford

This was taken recently by my granddaughter Kaitlyn.  The first thing I thought of when I saw this photo was 'the light at the end of the tunnel'.  With that I will share this quote with you . . .

"The light is not at the end of the tunnel.  The light is wherever you are.  If you keep thinking your resolve lies in the future then it will always be just out of reach."
                                                           ~ david ault

Charleen

www.charleenmartin.com