Just in Time .....

for the February Cool Blue Show at Art Beat of Hayward.

So I didn't want to do water or snow and racked my brain to figure out what I really want to paint. What else is Blue out there in the landscape?  I decided to pick a good composition and see what happened. Anything can be made blue! So this is what happened. I like it a lot. Thanks Deanna and Catherine for making me stretch a little and come up with something cool and blue.
The reception for the show is Feb 12, from 3 to 6 P.M..  I won't be able to attend since I will be at the State Nordic Ski Meet with the team.The show runs through March 5. Stop by and have a look.

'Some Like It Blue', pastel, 16.75 x 12, ©Mary McHugh 2011

Go Packers!

This winter hasn't been very productive for me! Too many distractions. Skiing and Packer football. Most of my Saturdays have been taken up with skiing so that means painting on Saturday night and last night I just couldn't break away. I usually paint at night while my family watches football or action adventure movies. I really want go downstairs to paint but the Packers are doing so well and have been winning their play off games!

Here is a little painting that I did complete for L.J.'s Birch theme show. It's pretty sweet.
Opening reception for "All Things Birch and Beautiful" is February 22, 2011 at Firefly Trading Co., Cable, WI from 3-5 P.M.
My next project will be posted in a month!  (or less :))

'Winter Birch Hymnal', pastel, 7 x 7, ©Mary McHugh 2011

Sold Two Kayaks to the Rice Lake Hospital

I successfully had an online sale through the Portal Wisconsin website last month! So farewell to Two Kayaks!
I hope to post a new painting soon. I need to get downstairs and dig in.

   'Two Kayaks', pastel, 16.25 x 9.25, © Mary McHugh 2008

It's been awhile

HI everybody

It's been awhile since I last posted. I finally finished my last painting of my mountain biker series. It's a nice composition;  the train of bikers with the foliage. It's also the largest of the three and took longer than the others.
The dark season has arrived so I need to appreciate that instead of getting depressed by it. Today was so dark and slippery that I didn't even venture outside and it is the warmest day we are going to have all week! So I am a bit depressed but hopefully that will come and go and not dwell within for long.
I have been feeling pretty well lately and almost feel normal again.  After all I have been through, I wonder what normal is. I guess it is when your brain works pretty well, your energy level is good, and your attitude is good.
Peace, Mary

Short and Fat Bikers 2 , pastel, 13 x 21.5, © Mary McHugh 2010

Mid October Saturday

Another fine day at home. I finished up the painting below last weekend and am trying to come up with a good title. 

 Short and Fat Bikers, pastel, 10 x 14.5, © Mary McHugh 2010

Busy month

Hi! I have been really busy this month with my teaching job and helping with the CC team. At night I usually have papers to correct and not much time to paint but have almost finished another mountain biker piece and will post it soon!

Some new paintings, some old

I am back working at school now and helping coach so am enjoying this beautiful Saturday at home resting from the busy week. This is my most recent painting of last year's Fat Tire race near Telemark. I did a demo at Firefly in August and this was what I worked on. Fun to paint! It is the first of a series.  I have two more mountain bike paintings in the works.

'Tall and Slim', pastel, 4 x 11.5, ©Mary McHugh 2010

               'Ruth's Big Garden', pastel, 21 x 14, ©Mary McHugh 2010

I can finally post this painting that I have been working on for the past month. It is a surprise birthday present from my friend Renee to her mother Ruth, an extraordinary gardener. Today is her birthday and the painting will be revealed!

               'Ruth's garden' , pastel, 15 x 12.5, ©Mary McHugh 2008

Here is another commissioned piece of Ruth's lovely garden on Lake Namakagon. The back lighting on the trees and the  gazebo are my favorite features.

                       'Poppy Field in Spain', pastel, 9 x 6, © Mary McHugh 1991

My friend Cathy lived in Spain a few years back and I did this painting for her of one of her favorite sights in Spain, the colorful poppies. She visited recently and brought the painting along so I could take a digital image of it. Thanks Cathy!