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.

 

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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.

 

Sunset Cruise

Bikes are fun

 We've been having some wonderful sunsets lately here in Key West.  The kind with giant pink clouds on the horizon that are always a favorite subject of mine.  I've been wanting to paint more of these iconic Key West beach cruisers, so I decided to combine the two. 

 Bikes like this are common all over the island.  No hand brakes and seat and tires that are a little wonky.  They often have a dog in the basket, but I gave this one some sunset colored flowers.

 Bikes are a great way to get around the island. And if you come for a visit they are super easy to rent.


Beach Cruiser
acrylic 24 x 24 "
©Maggie Ruley 2015

September is a great time to visit Key West the crowds are gone and the water is still  warm.  If you are coming for a visit be sure and let me know

 

A great place to rent bikes is Eaton Bikes. It's right around the corner from my studio. I love that they have local artists painting "art bikes" for them.

 



Front door of Island Inspirations
with Beach Cruiser
photo Maggie Ruley

What's coming up in Key West

There's always some sort of festivity going on here and next on our list of "Things to do" is
Key West BrewFest

6th Annual Key West BrewFest

Key West BrewFest
September 2nd – September 7th, 2015
Because the last 5  BrewFest’s have been so much fun and such a success, we’re doing it again and creating a 6 pack! Join us, in Key West over Labor Day weekend, September 2nd – September 7th, 2015. The Southernmost Hotel Collection has teamed up with the Key West Sunrise Rotary of the Conch Republic to host Key West BrewFest.  All proceeds to benefit the Rotary Club and their charitable efforts.  Events from beer dinners, beer brunches, happy hour parties, pool parties, late-night parties, seminars and the Signature Tasting Festival Event are some of the great activities we have on tap for you! And, try tasting over 150 beers in one weekend!

It's All In the Story

Bermuda Rooster
Photo, Ed Galda


It's all in the story.

Okay, so I get an email from my cousin Ed, well not really my cuz, he's my cousin's husband, asking me to do a painting of a rooster based on the above photo.

First thought: What's not right here?  The rooster is mostly in shade and he's just a tiny part of this photo. So I'm not really sure what he wants. 

 But then, he gives me the story and I totally get it. Here are some tidbits  you need to know.  My cousin's daughter, April, is a professional athlete. She races all over the world in cycling races.  I love my cousin and her husband to the moon and back and the fact that they are her hugest fans is totally cool.

He tells me what happened and why he wants the painting and that is everything I need to bring his story to life. 
 

Here's what he wrote to me:

"Here's the story behind it.  On Father's Day 2013 we were in Bermuda.  April had a bicycle race (Bermuda national championships) and volunteered her father to be driven to a street up in the hills, given a stop sign and a vest, and told to control traffic at a tricky intersection (with no bathroom and little shade) for 3 hours.  I would step under some trees off the road periodically and this chicken seemed to take exception to my presence.  I turned to look at him and was met with this aggressive pose.  It's one of my favorite Bermuda stories"

Well, once I knew he had an aggressive rooster story to tell I was on it.  Here is my take on his story.

Bermuda Rooster
acrylic on canvas
©Maggie Ruley 2015
 

When I painted his rooster I was very careful to keep the coloring and the stance the same as his photo but I had to bring the rooster's face into the light so I could give it a mean glare.

P.S.  I loved how he would stand in the middle of nowhere for his daughter and face down a rooster.  We have lots of roosters in Key West.  They can be tough.

P.P.S.  Here is the testimonial I got from him when he received the painting.
"Love the painting more and more each time I look at it.  You did capture everything so well.  You've moved up on my list of favorite artists and are now ahead of Monet, tied with Miro, but still behind Van Gogh and Delacroix."

Really?  Tied with Miro?   I love Monet, not a fan of Miro.

Words of Wisdom from Picasso

That is so true, the best way to stay inspired is to keep working.

I'm experimenting with ways to make my paintings feel a little like my pottery. So I quess, one form of my work is inspiring another.

Painting in progress with pottery plate for inspiration
Maggie Ruley handmade ceramic platter and
acrylic painting 18 x 18"
©Maggie Ruley 2015

Painting in progress
acrylic 18 x 18"
©Maggie Ruley 2015

Finding Inspiration

Misty Dawn
acrylic 20" x 16"
©Maggie Ruley 2015

 

Finding Inspiration

We have been having some really lovely sunrises lately and my friend Judy Pino has been taking some wonderful photos of them.  I'm always inspired by them when I see them on Facebook. Scroll down and see how she has captured those peach tones, just yummy. 

 

I paint a lot of sunsets, but somehow the sunrises seem softer, quieter.  So I glommed onto her photo and painted Misty Dawn. Inspiration isn't about copying something, it's about discovering something.  I'm going to say that again, in case you are just skimming through this.

 

Inspiration isn't about copying something, it's about discovering something.

 

Judy and I have been painting students of Jim Salem for years. He is hugely inspirational to all his students. I've talked about Jim's painting classes in the past, and if you want to be so inspired, do yourself a favor and click on his link.

 

Dawn photo by Judy Pino
used with permission
Thank you Judy!
©Judy Pino 2015
Judy is also an avid painter and world class fisherwoman.

 

My painting students are always looking for fresh ways to paint palm trees.  Palms are harder then they look.  I tell them the air around the palm tree, the negative space, is what makes or breaks a palm.

 

My students decided they wanted to paint the sunrise palm.  I gave them a quick demo (that sold before I got a photo of it) and off they went to create their own palm trees.

 

It was a very small class that day
students of Maggie Ruley
photo Maggie Ruley 2015

 

Note to Readers:

I've decided to post more often.  I paint all the time but I often don't  blog because I feel like I don't have anything IMPORTANT to tell you.  Well, that's the way studio life is.  You just keep painting and very often there isn't anything earth shattering about the piece.  You paint, you learn, and hopefully, grow.  I'll be sharing more of what I paint, but sometimes it might just be a picture and a short blurb about what happened that day. And some days I'll have some fun things to tell you.

 

#jimsalem

#acrylicpainting

 

 

Naked Ladies, Caution!

First of all......

A great big thank you to all of you who sent in votes for me to win the Bubba Award.  You are the best.  I still don't know if I've won.  I'll find out Saturday night at a special event that is a benefit for the Bahama Village Music Program. It's a great program and special to me.  My first Key West studio was in Bahama Village.

I felt the need to stretch........

Summer is a great time to tackle the little niggles that nag at you.  So it's time to paint the things on my list I have been avoiding.  One of them is people.  I did a lot of figure drawing in college, but not much since.  So last week I did a small series of nudes.  They started out as serious figure studies, but them I felt the need to jazz them up a little.  So I combined that with my secret envy to be a Victoria's Secret Angel. ( I mean what girl doesn't want to strap on a pair of wings?)

Eve
acrylic on paper
15" x 11"
SOLD
©Maggie Ruley 2015

St. Teresa in Ecstasy
Acrylic on paper
15" x 11"
$295
©Maggie Ruley 2015

Ebony Locks
15" x 11"
acrylic on paper
$295
©Maggie Ruley
she didn't want to be jazzed up, she is totally confident in her own skin. #mustbenice

 

This week in Key West.......

It's Hemmingway Days.   Lots of activities remembering one of our famous citizens.

Hemmingway Days 2015

remember you can find me on Facebook! Click Here.



St.Teresa in Ecstasy

 Famous Baroque Sculpture by Bernini, of Teresa of Avila, in the Cornaro Chapel.

#angelpainting #stteresainecstasy #victoriasecretangels #acrylicpainting #keywestart #maggieruleypainting 

I Need Your Vote! and Here's Your Rainbow!

Some very exciting news!

I have been nominated by the Keys Weekly Newspaper for a Bubba Award.

I have been nominated in the category of "Best Artist" and I am up against 2 strong contenders; Koz and Wyland.  (I know this sounds like pre-mature sour grapes, but Wyland doesn't even live here.)

It's on-line voting and I'm giving you the link. You don't have to fill in any category other than Best Artist, but you will have to scroll all the way to the end of list to find the category.  For some reason "Best Artist" is all the way down the bottom with the banks.  Go figure?

Now there is no real prize other than bragging rights, but I'll take them so please vote for me!

Maggie Ruley for "Best Artist" click here to vote!

Now for the Pretty Stuff

Twice as Lucky
Acrylic on paper
22" x 30"
©Maggie Ruley 2015
Unframed $395
 

 

I've rarely considered painting a rainbow because I think they are the sacred territory of second graders. A second grade girl will always paint rings around you when it comes to rainbows. But after this morning's car ride I had to give it a whirl. So I channeled my Robert Burridge workshop stuff and painted my first rainbow!

 

Rainbow on the Over Seas Highway
©Maggie Ruley 2015

 

 

Here's the photo I shot with my phone while driving.  Shhh! don't tell the Fuzz.

 

 

Did you know you can find me one Facebook?  Here's my Page.

See, it's really big.  I love blues and greens.

The Glitter of the Universe

It's Just Magic
Inspirational Photo
©Maggie Ruley 2015

I just returned to Key West from a long and lovely vacation.  Part of that time was spent on Hilton Head Island.  Long walks on the beach are a great way to get to your "creative place", seemingly without any effort on your part.  Maybe it's the sparkle on the water, it's kinda like the glitter of the universe. Maybe it's the sound of the water, the language of the universe.  Maybe it's just magic.

It was delightful to get away and it's great to be back.  I was able to rejuvenate as I get ready for my one year anniversary of my studio and gallery,

Maggie Ruley~Island Inspirations

933b Fleming Street

Key West, Florida 33040

305 304-1013

P.S. Have an inspirational Sunday!

P.P.S. Did you know you can follow me on Pinterest?

 

 

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