When to clean your studio?

The answer is.....Almost Never

I don't think its a good idea to interrupt your creative flow to clean your studio.

The only good reason to clean your studio is.....

You have important company coming over.  And the emphasis is on important.

So, Please know that you are important to me.

If you are reading this is your inbox and want to read it in the original blog format which can connect to other fascinating blog posts click HERE

Maggie Ruley is a studio artist living in Key West, Florida. 

 

Her colorful paintings and tropical pottery are collected world wide and can be found in many island homes. She has been featured in the Key West Citizen,

the New York Daily News , and other publications.

 

Her handmade ceramic flip flops have been sold in gift shops all along the east coast and in California and Hawaii.

 

 Her studio and gallery is located in the historic Seaport area of Old Town Key West.

Maggie Ruley~Island Inspirations

933b Fleming St.

Key West Florida 33042

www.maggieruley.com

A 14 Step Apology to my Class

I know what you're thinking, 14 steps? Seriously? I have to wade through 14 steps?  I promise it's not going to be that painful.  If you want, you can just look at the pictures.

Worst painting demo ever.

I am very fortunate to have a wonderful group of students in my Thursday painting class.  They are very tolerant of my foibles and fumbles.

Almost every class starts with a demonstration that has a little lesson attached to it. Such as color mixing, composition, brush work, etc.

Last week's lesson was about painting over an old painting and I got so lost, the demo was a train wreck.  Now to be honest, the demonstration part of any of my classes isn't my strong suite.  I'm not one of those painters who has an almost finished painting in 30 minutes.  My painting style is to build up layers of paint and color.  Constantly painting over and re-working is what develops some very rich layers of paint for me.

Now to give my class credit they paid very polite attention to  my floundering.  But maybe it was like one of those horrors you can't take your eyes off.  Think NASCAR or the Real Housewives, you just can't wait to see what idiot thing they'll do next.


So, to make amends, the next day I went to work on the painting and took a pic every 10 to 15 minutes.  To show them how the painting developed from the point where I left off.

This is what my painting looked like at the end of my demo plus some work on it during the class.

I've started to lighten the area around the moon and I've decided to add a small cloud on the right edge, you can just see a vague purple shape there. And I've added some purple to the left sides of the clouds.

Now I'm working on my darks.



I've set some dark areas on the bottom corners to anchor them and I've started to add some wispy whites to the clouds.

Still working on the clouds.

Still working on the clouds and I totally over do it.  The clouds are way too white.  Thank goodness the timer went off and stopped me.



I decide I don't like the shape of the clouds so while I'm changing their color I  change the shape. I start to lighten the sky under the moon. I also work on the sand dunes, adding some green to them.

Still working on cloud shapes and highlights.



Adding more turquoise into the sky.

I'm working on the beach and surf area and the moonlight on the water. I have also added darks to the dune areas.  I wanted more of a silhouette against the night sky.

Still working on the beach and moonlight.



I add some movement and line with my rigger brush and add a sailboat for a story line.

I give the moon a face (more story line) and add the stars.  I'm careful to make the stars different sizes.  I make them by dipping a pencil point into thinned down white paint and then pressing the pencil point on the canvas.


Moonlight Sail
acrylic, 20" x 24"
©Maggie Ruley 2015

The Key West Film Festival, November 18 - 22

The Key West Film Festival, click HERE, starts soon.  It looks like they have some wonderful events planned.

If you are reading this is your inbox and want to read it in the original blog format which can connect to other fascinating blog posts click HERE

Maggie Ruley is a studio artist living in Key West, Florida. 

 

Her colorful paintings and tropical pottery are collected world wide and can be found in many island homes. She has been featured in the Key West Citizen,

the New York Daily News , and other publications.

 

Her handmade ceramic flip flops have been sold in gift shops all along the east coast and in California and Hawaii.

 

 Her studio and gallery is located in the historic Seaport area of Old Town Key West.

Maggie Ruley~Island Inspirations

933b Fleming St.

Key West Florida 33042

www.maggieruley.com

Obsessed with Flamingos

I couldn't help myself.

Once I started my exploration of Flamingos I just couldn't stop.  I sketched them. I painted them in watercolor. I painted in acrylics. And I put them on multiple ceramic pieces. 

Why?  You ask.  A couple of reasons.

Reason one;

 At the end of this month I'm giving a piece to
The Studios of Key West for their annual fund raiser.  This year's theme is Feather Your Nest. I decided I'd like to give them a large flamingo painting and I wanted to do some "warm-up" pieces.

Reason two;

I love pink, I really do.

I think pink is a beautiful, elegant color.  But I'm one of the few.  Most people will not buy pink items because they won't fit in with their décor.  The flamingos gave me a great excuse to use pink. So while I was at it I decided to really go for it. I did enjoy my time with them. Now I need to get started on my painting for TSKW.

For the artists that are reading this there is a little note about the pinks, colors and brands I like to work with at the end of the photos.

 

Assorted Flamingo Pieces
Flamingo watercolors 14 x 11"  matted to 20 x 16" $95 unframed
©Maggie Ruley 2015

 



Flamingo tray $235
flamingo plate $64

Flamingo bowl $195
Flamingo plate $64
Flamingo acrylic painting $275  18 x 24"
©Maggie Ruley 2015

assorted flamingo pieces
©Maggie Ruley 2015

Flamingo Feathers
24 x 18"
$275 unframed
©Maggie Ruley 2015

Talking Heads
$68
Ceramic Flamingo tray approx. 6 x 14"
©Maggie Ruley 2015

Flamingo dish
$68
ceramic approx. 8 x 12" - 1" deep
©Maggie Ruley 2015

Flamingo tray
ceramic approx. 6 x 14"
$68
©Maggie Ruley 2015

Note to artists.

For the pinks I love, I use Holbein watercolors, bright rose and opera.  In acrylics I fool around until I get something I like, but I stay away from the cadmiums and pyrols. I like a Lucas cryl studio color called Vermillion.  I love the Holbein acrylics, but they are spendy and I don't have any at the moment.  I've been buying the Talens Amsterdam line of paints. For my ceramic colors I use Duncan Cover Coats, Miami Pink, Fruit Punch and Honeysuckle are fun pinks.

This Week in Key West

This week Key West hosts the off-shore power boat races.  It's always a thrill to hear and see them race through the harbor.  I think the best place to watch is the rocks at
 Fort Zachery Taylor State Park. But the pier at the
Ocean Key House is fun too.
Today, Sunday, November 8, 2015, the Super boats International Key West Race week starts with a parade of the boats down Duval Street

For the schedule of race events click HERE

For the home page of the Super Boats click HERE


Everyone have a great week!
hugs,
Maggie

If you are reading this is your inbox and want to read it in the original blog format which can connect to other fascinating blog posts click HERE

Maggie Ruley is a studio artist living in Key West, Florida. 

 

Her colorful paintings and tropical pottery are collected world wide and can be found in many island homes. She has been featured in the Key West Citizen,

the New York Daily News , and other publications.

 

Her handmade ceramic flip flops have been sold in gift shops all along the east coast and in California and Hawaii.

 

 Her studio and gallery is located in the historic Seaport area of Old Town Key West.

Maggie Ruley~Island Inspirations

933b Fleming St.

Key West Florida 33042

www.maggieruley.com

Shot Gun Conchs and the Weekend Ahead

Another Party filled weekend in Key West starting with the................

Classic Key West - TSKW Members Salon

The Studios of Key West shows the work of its member artists twice a year.  The November Salon kicks off the new season and always has a theme.  This year's theme is Classic Key West.  Here is TSKW's description of how the artists might interpret the theme.


Ask what “classic” Key West is, and you’ll get a hundred answers. It might be Hemingway pulling in trophy fish, powder-fueled disco nights at the Copa, or the legend of Bum Farto. Or it might just be a color: the deep warm red of a Poinciana bloom, or the pale blue of a porch ceiling. Open to all members of The Studios, we invite the artists among us to take the island we call home as inspiration, and submit a work that says it best.

I decided to paint the classic Cigar Makers Cottage.  These little shotgun style  tropical cottages are all over the island and I love them. I also wanted to check off as many "classic Key West icons" as I could in this painting. 
For me these icons are:
flowers
chickens/roosters
water view
cats
bicycle
sailboat
sunset
palms
shutters
pretty colors
tiny porch
metal roof

The first place I lived in Key West was a 480 sq. ft. shotgun cottage.  No AC so the doors were always open and you could see straight through to the back yard. The door is always on the right side of the porch as you are facing the house.

Shotgun Conchs
acrylic - 24" x 30" gallery wrap
available through TSKW
©Maggie Ruley 2015

If you are in town I encourage you to come to this show opening.  TSKW will be handing out its new catalog of this season's classes and events.  If you are a collector it will be a great opportunity to see new work by artists from all over the island.

The Studios’ Member Salon

Nov 5-25. Opening Nov 5

Reception: Thu Nov 5, 6-8pm during First Thursdays

for more information about the Members Salon click HERE

Parrotheads in Paradise - Meeting of the Minds

November 4 - 8, 2015

If you are in Key West this weekend you'll notice TropRock music being played all over town along with Jimmy Buffet fans in flip flops, Hawaiian shirts, and straw hats covered with pins and mementos from past conventions.

This fun weekend is one of my favorites.

Meet the Parrotheads in Paradise

Info about the Meeting of the Minds

Schedule of events.

If you are reading this is your inbox and want to read it in the original blog format which can connect to other fascinating blog posts click HERE

Maggie Ruley is a studio artist living in Key West, Florida.

Her colorful paintings and tropical pottery are collected world wide and can be found in many island homes. She has been featured in the Key West Citizen,

New York Daily News , and other publications.

Her handmade ceramic flip flops have been sold in gift shops all along the east coast and in California and Hawaii.

 Her studio and gallery is located in the historic Seaport area of Old Town Key West.

Maggie Ruley~Island Inspirations

933b Fleming St.

Key West Florida 33042

www.maggieruley.com

Cuban Tobacco Flowers

 

Meet my Muse for my T-Shirt Project.

 

 

Isn't she the cutest?

I was asked by a friend to create an image for a T-Shirt.  Her cigar store was out of T-Shirts and she wanted new shirts with a new image.  She brought me this adorable Cuban figurine as inspiration.  She liked this figurine (isn't she the cutest?) and had the idea of a cigar smoking woman in the tobacco fields for the image on her t-shirts. 

We agreed the cigar and the derrière had to be large.

I looked at a lot of photos of Cuban tobacco fields, tobacco plants, Cuban cigars, and women smoking cigars in Havana, Cuba.  (Thank you Pinterest and Instagram.)

I did several prototype paintings. You can see the one selected on the t-shirt below. I got very attached to these ladies as I was painting them.  I call them Tobacco Flowers.

Cigar City USA is located in Mallory Square in Old Town Key West
Cigar City USA
410 Wall St.
Key West, Florida
Click HERE to visit their web page

Hen Party
above t-shirt
acrylic 14"x11"
$295 framed
©Maggie Ruley 2015




Chit Chat
acrylic 14"x11"
$295 framed
©Maggie Ruley

P.S. My glittered bra raised $250 for WomanKind

 



If you are reading this is your inbox and want to read it in the original blog format which can connect to other fascinating blog posts click HERE



 

Maggie Ruley is a studio artist living in Key West, Florida. 

 

Her colorful paintings and tropical pottery are collected world wide and can be found in many island homes. She has been featured in the Key West Citizen,

the New York Daily News , and other publications.

 

Her handmade ceramic flip flops have been sold in gift shops all along the east coast and in California and Hawaii.

 

 Her studio and gallery is located in the historic Seaport area of Old Town Key West.

Maggie Ruley~Island Inspirations

933b Fleming St.

Key West Florida 33042

www.maggieruley.com

The Artistic Approach to Instructions

In general the artist's approach to following instructions is any or all of the following:

Don't read them,

Read them and ignore them,

Read them 10 minutes before the deadline,

Try to "improve" them,

Do what you want and pretend you didn't understand them,

Think they are only for the "other" people.

Or, what I did a few weeks ago,

 just skim through them because they are boring.

So when I agreed to participate in the WomanKind BraZaar Benefit I assumed I could deconstruct, cut up, use as collage, or incorporate, a bra in a painting. And when I realized I had to decorate the bra and it had to be wearable I was a little freaked
 

I really wasn't sure I could do a very good job. But luckily I am one of the world's top authorities on using glitter.*



Jewel of the Nile
decorated bra
©Maggie Ruley 2015

I loved having the bra in my window for a few days. 
 It was fun to play it against David Scott Meier's
 "Yellow Straw" ($150)

 

 

 

WomanKind BraZarr info click HERE

 

*This accolade has been given to me by myself.

  

P.S.  Thank you David Scott Meier for the gift box of glitter last Christmas

 

 

P.P.S.  This year's Christmas ornaments are finished and they also have a hint of glitter on them.  I'll show them in an upcoming post.

 

If you are reading this is your inbox and want to read it in the original blog format which can connect to other fascinating blog posts click HERE

 

Maggie Ruley is a studio artist living in Key West, Florida. 

 

Her colorful paintings and tropical pottery are collected world wide and can be found in many island homes. She has been featured in the Key West Citizen,

the New York Daily News , and other publications.

 

Her handmade ceramic flip flops have been sold in gift shops all along the east coast and in California and Hawaii.

 

 Her studio and gallery is located in the historic Seaport area of Old Town Key West.

Maggie Ruley~Island Inspirations

933b Fleming St.

Key West Florida 33042

 

maggieruley.com

What to get your pet for Christmas?

 What do you get your pet for Christmas?

They get harder to buy for every year. 
They already have too many toys. AND, they'd rather play with the boxes anyway.

But they love you unconditionally and you want to reward that love.

So? What to do?

Here's an idea.

Take my pet portrait painting class and give them a portrait you painted yourself. Everyone will cherish a pet portrait you created.

Here's how it works.

You bring your photos to the class and I guide you through the creative process.  From the initial drawing to the finishing touches.  Never painted before? That's okay. You'll be surprised by what you can do.  The class info and details are in the poster below.

 

 

 Don't live in Key West, or have the time? But still want a dog portrait for yourself or a friend?

Well then, let me paint it for you.  You send me photos of your baby and I'll paint the portrait.  And I promise not to tell your pal and ruin the Holiday surprise.

Email Subscribers: Click HERE to see the entire blog

www.maggieruley.com

A Mermaid in the Making

Not every painting gets finished quickly or: Patience is a Virtue

Sometimes paintings take a while.  And that's what happened with this painting.  I started her in January of this year and just finished this last week.  I got midway through the painting and got busy with other things. But she was never abandoned. I kept her in view and was always aware she needed to be finished. I kept track of my progress and below you'll see some of the steps along the way.


Initial sketch



 

The drawing gets more detailed.

I struggled with the question, "What do mermaids see out their windows?" I thought they could see Paris rooftops, or the cannels of Venice. 

 

 My grandson said, "Squirrels."

 

 

 

I drew the scales on her tail with white chalk and then painted in the scales. When they where dry I wiped out the chalk and that left the separation between the scales in the terracotta

 

 

 

photo credit Pam Hobbs

While I was working on the painting a reporter for the New York Daily News came into the studio.  He was doing an article about Key West that focused on things that were off of Duval St. (Our main touristy street) and he asked if he could include my studio.  I said, "Sure." I was thrilled to the max! 

 

Many of Key West's charms lie outside the tourist-heavy Duval St., including great food and a thriving art scene

Here is a link to that article.

Click HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 This is the point where I stopped working.  When I started up again I took out the sailboat. I decided it was cheesy and the painting wasn't about what was outside the window, but about the act of looking.

 

 

Almost finished, after this I softened the clouds on the horizon.

 

 

I haven't found a title I'm thrilled with
Maybe Beauty in the Deep
acrylic 40 x 30'

What's Next?

Next the painting is off to the photographer.  I like it well enough that I will offer Giclee prints on paper and canvas.
 

What's coming up soon in Key West

Women Fest Key West starts this week.  For a list of events Click HERE

 For those of you reading this in your inbox Click HERE to see it in it's original format.

About Maggie

Maggie Ruley is a studio artist in Key West Florida. She has lived and worked in Key West since 1986.

She is the owner of Maggie Ruley~Island Inspirations gallery in Historic Old Town Key West.

Her colorful paintings and tropical pottery can be found in many island homes and have been featured in the Key West Citizen and other publications on numerous occasions.  Her handmade ceramic flip flops have been sold in gift shops all along the east coast and in California and Hawaii.