"Artichokes: Section & Whole"

"Artichokes: Section & Whole"

By: Mary C. Aikens, Artist

     For some time, I thought that the sound of that vegetable's name "Artichokes" will not have a good sound.  It is because of the word, "choke" and "hearts" sounded rather scary or unappetizing. It was until I had a chicken and rice casserole that included chopped artichoke hearts in its recipe.  Yum Yum! Those artichoke hearts do add pop in that and other casseroles.  At one time, I did buy some fresh artichokes that were on a reduced sale, however; I did not do so well with them.  It will be later when I will try them again.  Whenever I buy artichoke hearts in a jar, I would normally call that a "splurge"

Title: "Artichokes: Section & Whole"

Size: 16" W X 12" H

Media: Oil Paint Sticks On Canvas

Price: $104.00 USD

Shipping: $15.00 USD (Including Insurance)

Note: Ships to the United States & Canada only. 

"Deeply Southern Winter"

"Deeply Southern Winter"
By: Mary C. Aikens, Artist

This is a picture of a couple of Camelia bushes in front of a column durning the winter months in Mobile, Alabama and along the entire "Deep South" region.  It is usual that the majority of Winter months have somewhat warm days in Mobile, Alabama that flowers start to bloom around February and/or March.  This view was taken from the driveway facing side of the front porch at my parents' former house. 

* Title: Deeply Southern Winter"

* Painting Challenge: "Summer In Winter"

*Media: Oil on Masonite Panel (or Hardwood)

* Size: 4 1/2" W  X 7" H X 1/8" T

* Please contact Mary C. Aikens for more information by e-mail at marycaikens@gmail.com.

Sweet Pumpkin Gallery: Windshield Patterns

Sweet Pumpkin Gallery: Windshield Patterns: "Windshield Patterns" There was something very special about watching the windshied wipers continuously make a pattern on the win...

Deeply Red Duo

"Deeply Red Duo"

Please see this post in my other blog which is Mary C. Aikens, Artist.  Thank you very much...:-)

Windshield Patterns

"Windshield Patterns"

There was something very special about watching the windshied wipers continuously make a pattern on the windshield in a back-and-forth motion during a rainy day.  This time was even more of a certain type of coincidence as well special time because it was at least a month after John F. Kennedy's assassination, and I sence a certain type of heaviness that was still lingering around America then.  Oddly enough, I was at the age of four at that particular time and could not totally process all of the political events that were really swirling around our country at that time. For a very long time, I have referred to rain as God's tears - especially when it was at least a month since that presidential assassination.  Yes, that was a very tragic time in America, however; we as Americans grieved for a while and then we began to carry on with our lives...  

Now, it was a little over a month after that tragic event, but many people, like my family and I tended to carry on - especially as we as a family were traveling from Tuscaloosa to both Prattville and then on to Montgomery to spend the Christmas holidays with our relatives.  My father was the one who drove the then-new station wagon, my mother was sitting by the window with a big overcoat over both her legs and lap, I was sitting between both parents, all of my three siblings were sitting in the back seat, and last but not least, our pieces of luggage were in the back deck.

With all of those events that were swirling across America, people as well my family and me were getting into the holiday traveling season, I as a child found myself so mesmerised by the repetitive patterns of the windshild wipers onto the windshield during a rainy winter day.

Title: "Windshield Patterns"

Size: 8" W X 6" H

Media: Watercolor on drawing paper.

Price and Purchasing Ideas... 

Please check out Daily Paintworks, under the "Blame It On The 

Rain" Challenge.

                                                  

"George's Angel" (from "The All About Me" painting challenge)

"George's Angel"

This painting challenge through the Daily Paintworks in "The All About Me" challenge was not one of the easiest of me to paint - especially a portait in watercolor. It was also very  time-consuming  because I wanted to get this picture "right" for George for our twenty-seventh wedding anniversary especially when it came to copying from a very classic painting of me.

This was me while wearing a wedding dress on Saturday, June 9, 1984.  That dress was the exact style of wedding dress that I really wanted to wear at my wedding.  Oddly enough, a long-time friend as well a wife of one of George's cousin offered to lend me her wedding dress.  Lo and behold, when I came by and picked up her wedding dress, I saw that dress was the same style that I dreamed about to wear.  I can really say that I talked about a real "blessing".  Yes, that dress, too, fit perfectly - no fittings of anykind which I can sing "Glory Hallelujah".

 This picture was taken shortly before I married to a very special man named George who often calls me "Angel".  While I was posing for my pre-wedding pictures, I was thinking and mesmurizing about the wedding along with thinking about all of the anticipation of walking down that aisle with my father as he was going to "give" his "baby daughter" away to George.  This is still a favorite picture of myself  of me standing near a fountain in the courtyard of the same church where I mainly grew up during my childhood, teen, and most of my college years along with the rest of my siblings.  My wedding color was dark pink which was almost like red - which could be like a deep pink Crepe Myrtle or...kinda like a "Tickle Me Elmo" shade of dark pink.  all of the bride's maids except fot the flower girl wore the same shade of dark pink long dresses   However, the groom's men, best man, ring-bearer, and not to forget, my father all wore black tuxedos with white shirts and bow ties.

That may have been a very brief moment in my life but it as well a very classic moment that makes it so special enough to be captured in a photograph, and then later into a painting.  This picture's title is the reason why I call it "George's angel" mainly because he still calls me "Angel".

Title: "George's Angel"

Media:  Watercolor on grasscloth backing

Size:  6" W X 10" H

Price:  Please contact me about the price through e-mail @ marycaikens@gmail.com