Friday, April 13, 2012

Paint Party Friday: Week 5, Year 2 Check In Featured Artist: Marcia Beckett

image courtesy of Marcia Beckett

Welcome to Week 5 of Paint Party Friday (Year 2) and to the next edition of our Featured Artist Series! (Would you like to be a PPF Featured Artist? Click here for details!) This week we are featuring an artist whose vibrant watercolours with their colourful swirls and patterns are always a joy to look at.  Please welcome Marcia Beckett!

1) Please tell us a bit about your personal history with painting. (When did you start painting? How has your painting evolved since you first started?)
I have painted since I was a child.  I was lucky to be able to major in art education at college and painting was always a joy for me.  After becoming an elementary art teacher, I took a bit of time off from painting, because I was so busy with the day-to-day lesson planning and keeping up with teaching.  In the past couple of years I have made art-making a priority in my personal life.  I try to take local classes and attend workshops when I get the chance.  I'm also enjoying taking online art workshops to get new ideas.  I bounce back and forth between painting and art journaling, often incorporating collage and writing into my paintings.

2) What are your favorite techniques, media, and tools to use in creating your paintings?
My favorite media is watercolor paint.  I love layering colors and painting intuitively (I call it watercolor doodling.)  When creating mixed media paintings, I usually start with acrylic paints, add collage elements and then define certain areas with gel sticks.  Then, I use white paint to go over and lighten up areas.

3) What is your favorite thing to paint? Why?
Insects, birds and flowers are always fun to paint.  I like to be inspired by the shapes and colors in fruit, foliage and flowers and interpret them in an abstract way. You can see the influence in some of my watercolor paintings.

4) What is your proudest painting moment and/or greatest painting achievement so far?
My first memorable piece of art was in college where I was making a realistic painting of the hallway. I took a break from painting, and walked into the bathroom. While I was in the bathroom, I overheard some older art students mocking the painting I was making. It made me so angry and hurt, that I walked out of the bathroom and completely changed the painting. I turned the hallway into an ominous and expressive picture. Instead of painting in realistic colors, I used red paint for marks on the wall, which kind of resembled blood. After it was finished, I was very pleased with the result and entered it into a local juried art show. It won, 2nd place, for the painting category. I know some of those girls who mocked it were at the show, so it gave me a nice sense of satisfaction.
image courtesy of Marcia Beckett

I’m also really proud of being selected to be a contributing editor for the new mixed media art magazine which will be debuting this spring, called Featuring. I get to write articles, interview artists and brainstorm ideas. If you are interested in the magazine or submitting, please check out the website.

5) What's next in your painting future?
Hmm… I’d like to continue my series of “Cabinet of Curious Things” which are paintings in a grid-like composition with interesting little watercolor paintings and collage cut outs in the squares.

image courtesy of Marcia Beckett


Within the next year, I am going to create an online shop for prints and greeting cards. I’m not looking to make tons of money, but it would be nice to earn a little extra in order to sustain my art hobby.

Thank you so much, Marcia! We wish you great success with that endeavour. To learn even more about Marcia and see more of her art, please visit her at:

http://vividlayers.blogspot.com/ (Chronicles of Marcia's adventures teaching elementary art.)

**Would you like to be a PPF Featured Artist? Click here for details!**

Even with the busy Easter weekend last week, PPF had another fun and hopping party! So great to see everyone painting, and creating such wonderful and diverse pieces! Now, here is our check-in for this week's party:

Please make sure to use your post URL address NOT your blog home page URL address as there are many late visitors who get confused as to which post is for PPF when they arrive (after Friday) at your website. If you are unfamiliar with Mr. Linky, an explanation of how this tool works can be found on Week 1 and Week 2 Check-Ins.


Have a fun time at the party, and a great week to everyone!

36 comments:

  1. Wonderful interview with Marcia!
    Loved learning more about the person behind the amazingly vibrant watercolor paintings!

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  2. Great interview & insight into a talented artist, love the bright colours - wonderful :)

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  3. Yes it was a great interview. Way to go Marcia! Awesome work. Happy Paint Friday and weekend everyone.

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  4. wonderful interview!!!
    I am posting my picture fore pint palette of my original pastel!

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  5. Loved the story of the hallway painting. Bravo for making them all eat their words. Sometimes we need that anger energy to spur us on to do something great. :) Happy PPF.

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  6. Great interview. It's so nice to meet Marcia.

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  7. Hi Marcia! Somehow I've missed visiting you at PPF. Your art is so colorful and lovely! Very nice to read about you.

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  8. Marcia, your work is beautiful - It's hard to believe those are watercolours as they're so wonderfully vibrant and strong. I love the story on the piece you painted of the hallway - you definitely had the last laugh!

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  9. Terrific interview with Marcia. Loving to read more about the artists.
    Alhough haven't a real painting to show this week I didn't want to miss the party so am showing a digi piece. Hope thats OK. Annettte x

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  10. Lovely work from Marcia! Have a fun day you all! Valerie

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  11. Great work Marcia, interesting interview! I loved the hallway story, too!

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  12. Hello Eva and Kristin, I so enjoyed Marcia's interview and art, how colourful and bright! Happy PPF to you!

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  13. Marcia's work is so colourful and inspirational:)
    I have joined in today for the first time, thanks to Netty for mentioning it last week.
    Have a good day!
    xx

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  14. Marcia, what colors in your paitings! I can't stop looking. Happy PPF everyone and I hope you have an artsy weekend!

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  15. what a great article! yes - art students - sigh - I know of 2 people at my institution who had their artwork vandalized by envious or otherwise antisocial students. Great how a negative lead to a great asset, though, in regards to expression!

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  16. wonderful interview Marcia, such exciting and beautiful work you do.

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  17. I love your whimsical and abstract birds, butterflies and flowers, Marcia. Congrats on all your accomplishments, and good luck with new endeavors. I was out of town for 10 days and then came home sick, and then Easter jumped into my lap. I have missed all of you! glad to be back.

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  18. Thx for sharing Marcia! Beautiful work ... LOVE the vibrant colors in your world of watercolors. Happy PPF to all and thx again to Kristin and Eva!

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  19. great to hear your story a bit. Marcia. we all have had similar feeling and others that do not see our art in an appreciative way. some people are just jealous or immature in their personality. I am glad you had the tenacity to not let it stop you from expressing yourself. I try to remind myself of this often . I love the Cabinet of the curious things ...very very cool

    - KAT -

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  20. Lovely interview Marcia, your work is warm and vibrant.I liked the Hallway story very much and that "Cabinet of Curious Things" is an interesting take on a real cabinet of curiosities, I actually have a section in my Etsy shop called " Cabinet of Curiosities".
    Best of luck in all your work and new mag.

    Happy PPF and weekend everyone.

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  21. Looking forward to read your story Marcia, I like your work, they are colorful and nice to look at. Happy PPF to you all..

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  22. I love Marcia's style. She is a artist after my own colorful heart!

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  23. Loving these interviews! Great work, Marcia! :)

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  24. Beautiful art Marcia!! Nice to meet you! Happy PPF everyone! :)

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  25. Such beautiful art and I love these inspiring interview!! Happy PPF!!! :)

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  26. Thank you very much for all of your kind comments! And thank you for featuring me on Paint Party Friday. On the bottom painting, the insects and bird are painted in watercolors and the rest is collage and acrylic paints (so it's not all watercolor). Thank you again!

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  27. great story! I think we have all been hurt by our art-but to realize if it makes us happy that is what is most important!I definitly want to participate in the featuring mag also! take care

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  28. Happy PPF! Havent been here in a few weeks, I love the idea of featured artists! Lovely work Maricia- love the vibrant colours!

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  29. Happy PPF Everyonw!

    Hi Marcia...beautiful art..I love your work and this was a wonderful interview and tribute to you..gorgeous creations..I am loving the cabinet ones..fabulous and magical!
    Shine on..and congrats on everything...wow...terrific news!
    Victoria

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  30. I really love these bios on the artists. Fabulous idea! Marcia, your art is so beautiful! So happy to meet you.

    xox

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  31. Love these colors and so interesting to know about you.

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  32. Thanks for sharing your story, Marcia =)Its very nice to meet you!
    Wow, I am the 81st entry this week!!! Go PPF!!
    Kathryn

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  33. Happy PPF! Love the feature! Marcia is an amazing artist! Awesome work!

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  34. Great interview and thanks for hosting PPF ~thanks, namaste, ^_^

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