May I Keep Him?

Sometimes when you have been dealing with negative things for a long time and suddenly, everything falls into place, and good things start happening, it's difficult to believe that something positive is actually occurring. It's a moment of disbelief and astonishment. Is this too good to be true? This is what this painting is about. Allowing yourself to receive the good in life.

This girl found a giant, fluffy, pink and white kitty in the darkness and is in disbelief. She is asking, "May I keep him?".

Pink and white kitty closeup.

Close up of this fiery redhead.

The process...

It all started with an idea and a sketch:

Thanks for stopping by! xoxo

I Want to Protect You

This painting has come from deep within my heart. It is the very first painting I have completed this year. It's a very personal piece. I hope you enjoy it!

Close up of the bear and girl.

Look at all of those stars!

You can see a dark forest in the distance.

It all started with a rough sketch.

Thanks for stopping by! xoxo

They Came to Protect Her

There comes a time in a girl's life when she becomes a woman. She is strong and brave, ready to jump into life and take risks. She ventures away from the safety of her home and into the wild. When that occurs, women come across all kinds of beings throughout our journey. Sometimes we are lucky enough to come across some that accompany us and are willing to stand by us no matter what. This very special and personal piece is about that encounter, the adventure and magic that life is. Enjoy!

Detail of the girl

Wolves like dogs are loyal companions and fierce protectors. 

The bat in Chinese culture represents happiness. 

It all started with a rough sketch

Thanks for stopping by! Xoxo

The Reading

I'm learning the Tarot and decided to do a personal reading. There are many types of readings one can do. I decided on a simple past, present and future. I would do three paintings of this reading, not an exact copy of the card, but instead, an interpretation of the meaning. In another post I showed you the painting of the "Present" which was a wolf in sheep's clothing. I have now completed the "Past" piece. It is of a woman who cannot see because she is blindfolded and her body is a cage that holds her bleeding heart that has been punctured by sharp arrows. Take a look...

This is the final piece. 

Detail of the heart. 

My process, she initially had eyes that you could see. I decided to cover them. 

The covered eyes. 

Blocking in the color at the beginning. 

Thanks for stopping by! I have also updated my website www.marybelmartin.com check it out!

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

I am learning how to do Tarot readings. The Tarot is a tool to receive otherworldly messages. I did a reading on myself and decided to interpret and paint the reading. It was a simple three card "past, present, future" reading and what was revealed was astonishing! On this post I will show you what my present revealed. "A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" is the message from the "present" card. It told me to beware and know that not all is what it seems!

Here I am blocking in colors for the underpainting. 

My boys helping me make some stars in the sky. 

The final piece!

Face detail. 

Thanks for stopping by!

A Day In the Life of Marybel Martin

A Day in the Life of Marybel Martin is a group of very personal watercolors dedicated to illustrating where my mind is on any given day. Enjoy!

"A Garden in Her Hair" is my dream state, this is when I'm sleeping and recharging. The banner says: Los sueños se hacen realidad si crees en ellos… siempre" - Dreams come true if you believe in them… always.

"The Cleanse" is the daily ritualistic bath and grooming, it's not only physical, it's a mental and spiritual cleanse as well.

"Staying Grounded" Is the balanced, grounded and unattached state that is best for making major decisions. If you look closely, there are two little birds… those are my boys.

"Vipassana" Is meditation, where one is in observation and peace.

Have You Visited My Website?

I've had a website for years now. Unlike a blog, a website is more difficult to update. I've recently had Pop Studios update the site to reflect more of the current work I've been doing. Why don't you stop by when you have a moment?

http://www.marybelmartin.com

Angel With Devil Eyes

I am working on a series of portraits of women with their favorite animal and flower. This one is of my friend Caroline. Here is a series of photos of the progress. The title comes from a strange experience Caroline and I shared. Caroline and I were doing some community work years ago. A man stopped Caroline and grabbed her by the arm, "you've got devil eyes" he sneered, then he let her go. "That's not the first time someone tells me that", she said, and we laughed. 

This is the rough sketch/idea.

Working on the underpainting

A daffodil field

Baby elephant, work in progress

One of the birds holding the banner

Face detail

The finished painting!

Little Bit Of This and a Little Bit of That

Here are a few pieces from the past few weeks. You can also see more recent posts on my Instagram account Marybelm or my Marybel Martin Artist page on Facebook! Thanks for visiting!

The End Has Come

My head is still spinning from the past few weeks. Between finishing finals and a horrendous back ache I feel like I just completed Iron Man. I am now half way through my junior year. I cannot believe it! Now time to paint and make some more art. Here are some snapshots of finals week. Enjoy!

This painting is called "Stay Until You Grow"

These are part of my Expanded Field final. We had to collaborate with someone. I worked with a naturopath and I did a performance piece on Integrative Medicine. I'm waiting on the photos taken during the performance. I'll post them when I get them. 

My ceramics cups! We made these using an extruder. 

Of course, Gold Biggie...

Chaos in the studio. 

Painting my last piece!

The crew at the end of year party at PNCA.