Holyhochs

Oil on Linen Panel

8 x 10

I found these growing wild here along the street in den Haag.

Calimari on Blue Dish

Oil on Linen Panel

8 x 10

One of the dishes that I prepare, usually at holidays, is stuffed calamari and it is a favorite of my family members. When we arrived in The Haigue one of my daughters first requests was for a stuffed calamari dinner. In preparing the dinner I set aside a few to use in this still life much to the chagrin of the dinner guests. I finally finished the painting after several sessions. I tried to deal with the odor by sealing them and putting them in the freezer for short sessions, but it was a struggle, well now they are gone and I am a bit sorry for having wasted them.

An Update

It has been a long time between posts. For a period I was very busy with some family matters and was not able to spend time at the easel. In early October we traveled to The Haigue in the Netherlands for the birth of our grandson who is now one month old and a bundle of joy. I have two small still lifes in progress and hope to post some new works in the coming days. Yesterday we visited Mauritshuis, a wonderful museum filled with paintings of 17th century Dutch masters. It was our second trip to the museum and we will return several more times. It houses Vermeer's, "The Girl with the Pearl Earring," which of course is very beautiful. There are several Rembrandt's which simply took my breath away, it truly was the "Golden Era" of art.

Here is picture of our little grandson, Enzo Paul Maas, another work of art.

String Beans

Oil on Linen Panel

5 x 7

Garden Tomato with Stem

Oil on linen

5 x 7

Garden Tomato #1

Oil on Linen

6 x 8

Sold

Michigan Yellow Plums

Oil on Board

6 x 8

Another small work for the upcoming September Show.

Green Apples in Dish

Oil on Linen

16 x 20

I received very exciting news today that this painting has been juried into the Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, 114th Annual Open Exhibition at the National Arts Club in Gramercy Park in New York City. The Exhibit will be open from October 5 to October 29. I have had sculptures in three past exhibits, this is the first time that I have submitted one of my paintings.

Still Life With Farm Onions

Oil on Canvas

16 x 20

MMMMichigan Cherries

Oil on Linen Covered Board

5 x 7

I am visiting with my daughter in Michigan and she has allowed me to turn her living room into a studio. For the last month or so I have been working and reworking a large still life. It is nearing completion, but to maintain my sanity, I am doing some small works for an upcoming show in September.

Figure Study

Charcoal and Chalk

14 x 17

This is a 30 minute study done this week at the Ann Arbor Art Center open sudio session.

Korky-Portrait Sketch

Oil on Canvas

11 x 14

Katya

Oil on Canvas

10 x 12

Portobellos

Oil on board

8 x 10

Started this painting about 10 days ago as an open grisaille and added several layers as the painting dried from the previous sessions. I finished the painting today with a final layer of glazes using transparent yellow and purple madder alizarin in selected areas.

Still Life With Raffia

Oil on Panel

11 x 14

Sarah

Graphite and White Charcoal on Toned Paper

16 X 20

Miguel

Charcoal and White Chalk on Toned Paper

16 x 20

Paul

Oil on Panel

8 x 10

Finished portrait of Paul it took about eight additional sessions to finish the portrait from the previous posting of it as a work in process.

Velvet

Charcoal, Conte Crayon, and White Chalk on Toned Paper

16 x 20

Attended open portrait session at the Scottsdale Artist School and did this portrait last night. This is the second week that I have gone and it feels good to get back to the basics, drawing is such an important element in every painting. Starting with a good drawing is a giant step in executing a successful work of art whether it be painting or sculpting.

Nellie

Graphite on Paper

14 x 17

Portrait of Paul- WIP

Continuing to build on the values of the skin tones and scumbled the background with tones of raw umber, alizarin crimson and flake white. Also worked on some details around the eyes. A couple of more sessions and hopefully it will pull together. This small study will be a good reference to this portrait much larger.

Stage 2- Portrait of Paul

This is the second day of painting the portrait of Paul. Building up the under painting in thin layers, I began to lay in the shadows and mid tones as well as few selected light areas. I also began to define facial features, eyes, nose and mouth. In this stage my palette primarily consisted of yellow ochre, flesh ochre, raw umber and flake white.

Stage 1-Portrait of Paul

Oil on Board

8 x 10

I have begun a portrait of my son while visiting here in San Francisco. This is the initial drawing and lay in on a pre-toned board. The lay in is of four values using flesh ochre, raw umber and flake white. This is a new challenge for me as my portrait work till now has been very limited. Over the next year my plan is to use my family as models, willingly or not.

As a follow up to my last post, I attended the open figure drawing session at the studio of Sadie Jernigan Valeri and had a wonderful experience. All the attendees were very talented and very sharing which made for terrific evening. I am looking forward to going back next week, it had been a long time since I had done figure drawing and I felt a bit out of my element, but it was such a great experience that I look forward to doing it again. It was such a pleasure to meet Sadie, she is so talented and sharing and we learned that night that she had won First Place in the Still Life category of the ARC Salon Competition, for her painting, "Bottle Collection." What a terrific and well deserved accomplishment.

We have been on the road visiting our family in San Francisco, so have not had time to do much work. We did go to the John Pence Gallery and had an opportunity to see the new show. The work of Carl Dobsky is simply magnificent. I also had the opportunity to see the works of many of the fine artists from the Grand Central Academy, which were very impressive, especially the actual paintings of Jacob Collins one of my personal favorites. Seeing these works up close is an awe inspiring experience.

Tonight I am attending the open figure session at the studio of Sadie Jernigan Valeri, a wonderful contemporary realist painter. I am looking forward to both meeting Sadie as well as getting back to doing some work. Hopefully I will have something to post tomorrow.

Pink Turnips

Oil on board

8 x 10

Field Tulips

Oil on linen panel

11 x 14

Still Life With Plums

Oil on linen

11 x 14

Tonka Forever

Oil on Canvas

20 x 24

Yellow Truck-WIP

A couple of years ago I bought this Tonka truck at a flea market. At the time I didn't know why I wanted it, just thought it was kind of cool. Well it sat out on my patio doing nothing, gathering dust and a little rust, living quite a lonely existence. Last month when we moved out of our house, somehow the truck found it's way into the back of my crowded car and found a new home in my friend's studio. Well I decided that he deserved more than I had given him up to now and I placed him on a pedestal and began to immortalize him. I began the painting a few days ago and it is on a 20 x 24 stretched canvas, I am trying to capture every detail of this lovely guy in hope that he will forgive me for my past neglect and mistreatment.

Oranges on White Dish

Oil on Panel

16 x 16

It has been a very busy time for me, we recently moved and finding time to paint has been difficult. We are staying with good friends, Dick and Korky, and have the use of a beautiful new studio space, which has given me an opportunity to get back to work.

My husband finished a new website, which I am quite excited about. Please visit the site to see collections of my works.

http://mariatrapanifinearts.com/

Saxophonist-Preservation Hall

Oil on board

8 x 10

Another from our great evening at Preservation Hall. When we

arrived it was standing room only. The show was so wonderful

that we sat through a second set.

Trombonist-Preservation Hall

Oil on Panel

9 x 12

This is from a trip to New Orleans in 2004 to visit my daughter who was going to school there. I had always wanted to visit Preservation Hall and I was not disappointed.

Pottery and Red Scarf

Oil on canvas

24 x 30

White Pot and Lemon

Oil on stretched canvas

16 x 20

Granny Smith

Oil on linen panel

5 x 7

Green Apples in Dish

Oil on stretched canvas

16 x 20

Pane Rustico

Oil on stretched canvas

16 x 16

Aloe Cactus

Oil on 6 x 6 Artboard panel

I took a day away from studio painting and did this small plein air

painting yesterday out behind the house.

Sea Salt and Garlic

Oil on linen on panel 10 x 12

This may be purchased directly from the artist.

Pomegranate Seeds and White Bowl

Oil on linen on panel 6 x 8

White Onions

Oil on linen 14 x 18