Here are 3 new paintings from a series I just started called “Night Shift”, exploring nocturnal city activities, roles and perspectives. All are 30″ x 40″ acrylic on canvas.
The above is titled Stranger because of its voyeuristic quality and because the intro to Billy Joel’s song by the same name kept playing in my brain while I painted it.
No title yet for this and the top piece. Suggestions? Thanks for reading!
Catching you up on recent paintings featuring vintage signage. All currently available at MarianneBland.com.
“Status Quo”, 18″ x 24″ acrylic on canvas
Now playing: Nothing, Forever at the State Theatre in historic Marysville, CA. If any horror flick directors out there need a scary place to shoot, this spot is boarded up and undoubtedly haunted. I also like the reference to “the state of things” (literal translation of status quo) as a blank, faded marquee. It’s kind of the equivalent of a shrug, or “meh”; very appropriate for my generation.
“Nitehawks”, 18″ x 24″ acrylic on canvas
A wink and nod to Hopper in title, I was very pleased with the peeling pink paint result (it’s easier to see in person. You know, sublety) in this painting.
“God Bless Dinners”, 18″ x 24″ acrylic on canvas
This restaurant is also located in Sacramento’s Del Paso Heights neighborhood and is a good example of how I prefer not to name locations with their actual titles most of the time. This one offered all kinds of amusing alternatives and is still a functioning greasy spoon if you are intrigued by the concept of beef from the other coast blessed by God (or ham and eggs, apparently).
“Ice Box”, 18″ x 24″ acrylic on canvas
Iceland completely defies physics by remaining in existence in Sacramento, CA (aka the surface of the sun). I particularly enjoy how the “come skate” paint is all creepy and dripping, as if it should be followed with “at your own risk” or “if you dare!” like a scene in a Goosebumps book.
“Greyhound”, 18″ x 24″ acrylic on canvas
The above is an ode to Hopper, featuring blocky colors and devoid of reflections. This old Greyhound depot has been replaced with a cool modern location in Sacramento, as is often the case- places change before I get the chance to paint them pretty frequently.
“Dough Conditioner”, 10″ x 30″ acrylic on canvas
What once smelled of yeast and sorrow is now a vacant building, haunted by the spirits of nutritionally-devoid pastries. I intentionally cut off the title as a play on the word “under” since, you know- it went under.
Signs are stoic markers of events ingrained in the collective conscience. And they are also hard to paint. Here’s hoping you enjoyed checking them out. The 18″ x 24″ canvases above are all framed in flat black and available for $700 at MarianneBland.com. Happy Friday, folks! Thanks for reading.
“Vinyl”, 30″ x 40″ Acrylic on Canvas
All the record stores I worked at are gone. Fun story, I once started a friendship by flashing my recently-pierced nips at my place of employment. Which is NOT why it closed, thankfyouverymuch. 🙂 I do occasionally stop and reflect on how extremely pivotal music is for me. Most people have strong relationships with it, but in this case I refer to artmaking. I listen to music each and every time I paint. I can’t even imagine what would happen if I had to start making work without it. I’ve even considered posting which bands/songs I was listening to while I worked on something, but I have no idea if that would mean anything to anyone besides me. It was fun to consider while I worked on the above, “Vinyl”, featuring an evening window shot of a record store in Portland.
“Tall, Dark and Haberdashery”, 30″ x 40″, acrylic on canvas
Another strong memory for me is that of the hat shop. I enjoyed hats a lot growing up (for awhile I had an impressive collection of thrift-store-sourced vintage cranium-toppers), but the memory I refer to is that of visiting a “chapeauterie” during my study-abroad semester in Marseille. I tried hard not to geek out at the fact that a HAT STORE still existed somewhere in the world, and it was an absolutely delightful 30 minutes spent trying on and pretending like I was going to buy hundred-dollar hats. I did buy ONE but I’m still waiting on the right occasion to don my fantastic French hat. (It’s kind of ridiculous and I haven’t been to the Kentucky Derby yet). I had a flash of that joy while witnessing the above Haberdashery in Portland, OR. This piece was a bit of a departure in that the palette is muted, but I couldn’t resist the whimsy and delight of the floating hats with umbrellas. I kind of felt like the display was going to break into Singin in the Rain at any moment. 🙂
“Drugs and Stationery”, 30″ x 40″ acrylic on canvas
This piece has been on my “to paint” list for quite awhile. It’s a shop in Redwood City, CA that I snapped for reference during a great evening out with my mom. I’ve already painted 3 other scenes from that night, and this one was very exciting for me. By day, it’s kind of a cheesy ice cream store. By night, however, it’s a remarkable reminiscence of times I never experienced personally. I can imagine the soda jerk, the circle skirts, the giddy dates in the post-war era that inspired this shop, and that is the crux of why I paint city scenes. They are imbued with a presence of lives lived in these spaces that is palpable for me, that I can’t shake. (Pun-tastic! I’m a super nerd.)
All of the above original paintings are currently available for $1600 each on MarianneBland.com. Thanks for reading!
“Carrier Wave”, 16″ x 20″ Acrylic on Canvas
Ah, summer. What once was a welcome break in the gray is now a game of Death Race 2000, in which the sun attempts to murder everything in its wake. (Those of you who also live in Sacramento can attest to this fact.) Summer in San Francisco, however, is a thing of beauty. That typically cold wind transforms to a pleasant breeze, patio dining suddenly returns, hipsters play Neutral Milk Hotel songs on the steps of townhouses, rooftop parties with organic Sangria break out spontaneously. It’s a fantastic place to be. I may not be in San Francisco at this very moment, but odds are you aren’t either. In lieu of experiencing the glory that is a warm day by the bay first-hand, let these recent paintings featuring a sunny day in SF transport you to memories of urban relaxation.
“Retrofit”, 16″ x 20″ acrylic on canvas
I suppose this could be any city, but the cable car steel atop a hillside kind of gives it away. What was great about this image was that the Bel Air was a surprise. I was taking a photo of the dusk light on the skyscraper, when a beautiful pink classic car snuck into the shot. Happy accidents make for great compositions! What surprises me is how people often comment that my paintings look like photos, when I feel like they’re awfully loose up-close. I’ve been starting to create some looser images that I look forward to sharing soon. For now, here’s another summer-y snapshot:
“I Heart Parking”, 16″ x 20″ acrylic on canvas
Betwixt the palm shadows on pink patios sits a Vespa, a symbol of beauty and freedom in its own right, underscored by the satisfaction that is finding a parking spot in San Francisco. Those brave and brilliant souls motoring around this town on 2 wheels must never experience the excitement-disappointment-panic rollercoaster that is spot-searching with a regular car. What I LOVE about this piece is the natural heart shape created by the tree leaves and their shadow, framing this moment.
You may not know this about my work, but I don’t manufacture compositions. I hunt them down, taking photos myself, then using these images later as references for paintings. I described this process to a collector once as collecting, selecting and recreating moments from real life. My intention is to imbue those moments with some of the added glamour, drama, mystique or glory that they have on their own if we just notice it.
All of the above paintings are currently available for only $400 each directly on my website at MarianneBland.com. Thanks for reading!
“Pressed”, 48″ x 48″ acrylic on canvas, A commissioned painting.
Long time, no type! Hello again, darling art-lovers. I have returned from the hibernation / wormhole I fell into nearly four months ago, and I’m back to tell exciting tales of art! Despite the evidence to the contrary, I’ve actually been busy in the studio, albeit mum on the blog. I spent a few months hard at work on the above commission piece, a 4 foot by 4 foot canvas titled PRESSED, for an amazing couple in Seattle. Featuring a nail salon setting with manicurist closing shop, this mammoth work is the largest representational painting I’ve completed since a 50′ mural for the city of San Bruno. But that’s not all….
As yet untitled 16″ x 20″ acrylic on canvas
This was the first piece I completed after finishing the commission (title TBD- don’t worry, I don’t do “untitled” ;), and then there was this…
As yet untitled 10″ x 10″ acrylic on canvas
…and then, like a beautiful little gift from the heavens, the opportunity for a solo show at Blue Line Gallery in Roseville, CA fell into my lap. That’s right, ladies and gents- mark it on your calendar. The opening for “VESTIGES” is Saturday, April 19th from 7-9 pm at 405 Vernon St. in Roseville, CA (near Sacramento). The show opens on Thursday, April 17th and will run through the end of May.
As yet untitled acrylic painting, 18″ x 24″
“Vestige” means a “trace or mark of things vanishing or lost”, and will feature works like the above as well as several as-yet-unfinished nightscapes showcasing scenes that feel out of place in time or represent modalities on their way out of fashion, like bookstores and record shops.
“3rd sign’s a charm”, acrylic on canvas, 18″ x 24″
While this is SUPER FRIKIN EXCITING, it also means I have agreed to execute several large-scale pieces in a very short amount of time while holding down a full-time job. Thankfully, my husband and family are super-supportive, and I am capable of some remarkably fast painting. My basic grasp of mathematics is helping keep me on schedule (X number of paintings need to be created every Y number of days, with Z number of hours per piece on average), but I’m in complete Liam-Neeson-mode [“Quickly! There’s no time!].
As yet untitled acrylic painting on canvas, 18″ x 24″
This means that socializing, general chores and life itself is primarily on hold until mid-April. I also doubt I’m going to have the time to post every work in between now and then, since I will have roughly THIRTY works on display in the Westpark Workshop Gallery (back room) at Blue Line. Showing concurrently will be America’s Clayfest, so there will be sculptural work as well as my 2D paintings on display for almost 2 months. If you need help planning a day trip to the Sacramento area to see this stuff, let me know. If you are local, you better darn well get your butt over there, people. 😉 I’m so excited I can hardly contain it. And now, back to the studio.
Now that your Halloween festivities have drawn to a close, the next party starts in 7 hours! Join me and 9 other great artists at community workshop space SHARED at 739 Bryant San Francisco tonight from 7-9 pm for our reception to kick off weekend 3 of Open Studios!
Some of my favorite local artists are also showing this weekend at other locations throughout the city including John Kraft, Hilary Williams, Mike Kimball, Johnny Botts and Stephen Wagner. Some of my other favorites participated in weekends prior (hope you had a great time, Trish Tunney, DK Haas and Hadley Northrop!) Be sure to check out the virtual guide at ArtSpan to plan your studio visits this weekend.
Warning: ART may cause feelings of inspiration, introspection, despair and longing, amongst others. A common side effect of viewing art, known as “non-buyer’s remorse” may be avoided by remembering to bring your wallet and using the coupon code: BLANDFAN for 30% off paintings by Marianne Bland. 😉
11 am to 6 pm Saturday and Sunday, Nov 2 – 3
739 Bryant St San Francisco, street parking available
“Stay Golden”, 16″ x 20″ Acrylic on Canvas
I was pretty moody and sullen as a teenager / young woman, as I imagine pretty much everyone is. How anyone manages to push past the insanity of hormonal avalanches is a wonder. I think I purposefully blanked a bunch of it out, honestly. I like to consider myself a much more balanced person these days. Whether or not that’s factual is up to contention. 😉 I do make a conscious effort to stay positive, and to see the good side of things even though it is SO much easier (and coincidentally, much more hilarious) to point out the obnoxious bad sides of everything.
My beloved Grandfather passed away earlier this year, and while I never heard him say it, Grandma says he used to call those special instances in everyday life “golden moments”. The above piece, “Stay Golden” was one of those. I was walking down the street with my friend Nick, whom I hadn’t caught up with for years, in the SOMA [South of Market] neighborhood of San Francisco. The warm sunlight of dusk illuminated this bit of probably-sanctioned graffiti professing “Knowledge is Golden”. The reference to the abstract of “golden” in light of.. well, the ACTUAL golden light, was a “golden moment” for me. Looking at this painting reminds me of Grandpa. It reminds me to stay positive, since being a cranky bratface never helped anyone. Even though I may have LOTS of reasons to be cranky. LOTS OF THEM. 😉 I remember that Grandpa never complained, and it was one of the many things that made him a delight to be around, so why whine?
“Potrero Pavement”, 8″ x 8″ acrylic on canvas
The above piece, “Potrero Pavement” is a recent small painting capturing one of those early morning weekdays in the city when shopkeeps sweep the dust off their entrances and everything is quiet.
“Sentinel”, 8″ x 8″ acrylic on canvas
And this other little guy, “Sentinel” is from a walk around Russian Hill with my friend Jill one wonderful evening. This dry cleaner’s was quiet, stately with its own little ambience and I wanted to honor it in a painting. Alright, battery on the laptop is running out. Hope you all enjoyed this update from recent work that I thought I posted already. 😀
It’s been one of those pull-the-sheets-up-when-the-alarm-goes-off-and-punch-yourself-in-the-face kind of months. After years of lusting after a stable gallery relationship, I finally got picked up by HANG Gallery in San Francisco. It started off with a bang- half their inventory of my work sold within weeks, I sold a piece that wasn’t even in the gallery through them and picked up a commission. Then we realized that there was a miscommunistanding about geographical boundaries, and they dropped me until I move back into the bay area full time [which is probably never, since we own a house in Sacramento]. So ends my brief foray into career validation, as quickly as it began.
I got to visit Chicago for the first time, which I was very excited about. However, it happened to be during the annual marathon. Did you know that GPS devices don’t understand special event street closures? They also don’t sound like Daniel Craig. My attempt to visit the highly-recommended (by both friends and strangers) Chicago Art Museum was thwarted by people who inexplicably enjoy running. Thankfully, I can still read a normal map, which got me to my work-destination, but only after my limited free time was eaten up by making u-turns at the painstakingly slow instruction of angry traffic cops. As a goodbye gift, Chicago took a chunk out of my knee (it’s healing up pretty quickly) and also forced me to scuff the rental car on an impossibly narrow [and insanely expensive] parking garage.
My carpal tunnel started acting up again, which I suppose is good that it’s happening now since I have no damn time to paint at the moment, which I discovered while crawling into my rental car through the passenger seat after coming out to this in the hospital parking lot:
And my husband’s birthday is coming up, but I’ll be traveling to San Francisco, Portland, and a host of other cities for my day job (I’m a recruiter for an art college), leaving me no time to honor him or attend my nephew’s birthday party at that. I just found out that my on-campus support is being promoted, which means those students I try so hard to find are probably going to slink into the ether.
On top of all that, Open Studios is coming up. Which I have virtually no time to prepare for. Thankfully I am an expert in pulling things off with no prep time. So if you find yourself in San Francisco November 2-3, please come visit me at SHARED 739 Bryant St in SOMA. There’s plenty of street parking, we’re having an opening reception on Friday, November 1st from 7 to 9 pm, and I will have my own original art for viewing and sale. I have one of those nifty SQUARE thingies so I will be accepting ALL credit cards! You too, Discover renegades. 😉 Hope to see you there. Also hoping October ends soon. When one door closes, a window opens, right? RIGHT?!
Art clearance sale this weekend from my home studio in Sacramento! 100 pieces for $10 and under. Come stock up! 10 am – 5 pm Sat & Sun 5850 Bridgecross Dr Sacramento. Part of the Capital Artists’ Studio Tour going on this weekend and next all throughout Sacramento. Learn more at Ccasac.org
BIG NEWS, art fans! First, I’m very excited to announce that I am officially represented by HANG Gallery at 567 Sutter St. San Francisco! Hooray! This is so exciting for me, as I have long appreciated this gallery, the artists it represents and the quality of their artwork. To be included in their family is an honor and a big badge on my imaginary artist achievement sash. So if you’re local to San Francisco, enjoy seeing regular rotations of local artwork, or ever find yourself visiting downtown San Fran and hankering for some art to ogle, think of HANG. They’re on Facebook, WordPress, Twitter, Tumblr & Pinterest – pick your social media poison to stay up-to-date. 😉
Next, I’m participating in Capital Artists Studio Tour 2013, an annual Sacramento area Open Studios event. Spanning the weekends of September 14 – 15 & 21 – 22, this free event gives art appreciators the chance to visit local artists in their studios. It’s a self-guided tour running from 10 am to 5 pm Saturday and Sunday. Preview artists in the digital version of the guide, available here, then set a course for an art class planet! Don’t forget to bring your wallet too, since Open Studios is a terrific time for deals.
My studio is open THIS WEEKEND, at 5850 Bridgecross Dr. Sacramento, CA. I will be opening the vault and displaying mixed media abstracts, original drawings, figurative paintings and experimental works from college- it’s an art clearance sale with many pieces under $50. I’ll also have those cityscapes that aren’t on display at HANG available for viewing / purchasing.
Progress shot from my studio while I worked on my SF Heart
Other current / upcoming events:
Capital Artists’ Studio Tour Exhibition, Center for Contemporary Art Sacramento 1519 19th St Sacramento, Sept 3 – 22
San Francisco Open Studios, SHARED 739 Bryant St. San Francisco Nov 2 & 3 10am – 6pm
SF Open Studios Exhibition at SOMArts Cultural Center 934 Brannan St Oct 11 – Nov 10
Marianne Bland's Art Blog 