Art by Mary Rochelle Burnham

Black Magic Woman, 16x12", oil, available on Etsy "Black Magic Woman", is from a live painting session with our lovely model, Mia. She sat the entire session (morning and afternoon) with her beautiful 'bewitching' smile. I am so happy with the light and color on this piece, it practically glows in the dark! If you are in Phoenix this Friday, come to the opening of the Portrait Artists Of Arizona show at the University Club. I have three pieces in the show. Location: The University Club of Phoenix 39 Monte Vista Road Phoenix, Arizona 85004 Opening Reception: Friday, March 11, 2016 5:30 – 7:30 PM Awards Presentation: 6:30 PM Exhibition hours: Monday – Friday 9-11 AM and 2-4 PM Click here to go to my Etsy shop.

Shooting Star, 12x16", oil,  Available This is a piece that I have entered into the Sedona Visual Artists' Coalition Show "Blue". The concept began to formulate with a former blog entry of  mine  of almost three years ago. This one is actually a study for a piece that is 38x52" that I hope to have finished sometime next year. I am honored that my art was chosen for the front page of the show flyer. If you are in the area, please come out to see the exhibit.

Atop Schnebly Hill, 6x8, oil SOLD I love going up Schnebly Hill and enjoying the many gorgeous views, but it is about the worst road in the country! I guess it's to keep tourists away unless they are taking one of the many jeep tours that go up there.

Oregon Fog , oil, 7x5",  Available Driving up to Oregon a few years ago, we hit rain and fog and I started to snap photos as my husband drove. I have been wanting to paint this scene ever since I took the photo. I am going to try "the Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge" and this is my first entry. I have a lot going on this month, including leaving at the end of the month to teach a portrait workshop in Pensacola, FL. I will do my best!

Self Portrait , oil, 12x16" Ok, so I know having one's head in the clouds is saying that one is a little 'out of touch' with reality, but that is where I choose to be! I think you almost have to be if you want to be an artist. It's not an insult...just a creative compliment! I enjoyed painting this portrait because it reflects who I have become. I just had my 62nd birthday and I intend to show my brightest colors before giving way to the dark. I've had some storms in my life, too, and they ebb and flow. I chose to have a big smile because I had my husband take my photos and he is just the light of my light! He always put a smile on my face even when I am mad as hell. Like my friend Hope always tells me, "I got it good". I am grateful, thankful and proud to be an artist. I am proud to be me.

Path to Oak Creek , oil, 12x16" SOLD I recently went out with a "meetup" group for plein air painting in the Sedona and Verde Valley area that was organized by Michael Chesley Johnson . I will be taking a Plein Air Essentials class from him later this month. This painting was inspired by his demonstration of "Sycamore Shadows" at the Sedona Arts Center .

Chapeau , Oil, 12x16" It feels good to work from a live model again. Yesterday, I joined the Portrait Artists of Arizona . I drove two hours to get there, but it was well worth it. We had a very lovely model and she was quite pleased with the likeness. I experimented with painting loosely and getting a heavier application of paint. As a follow up to  Fallen Firefighter , my January 5th blog, here is a photo from the Pensacola News Journal  (click to read the full story): Tony Giberson/tgiberson@pnj.com Velma Jones, center, the mother of Maurice Bartholemew, gets a better look at her son's portrait during the dedication of the new downtown library Friday morning while her grandchildren, Maurice's kids, Caleb, left, and Tiffany Bartholemew look on. A special wing of the library is dedicated in memory of Maurice Bartholemew.

Roses and Teapot , oil, 8x10", available This was from my last day of Qiang Huang's workshop. I am very happy with this piece which took about two hours of concentrated work.

I Have A Hammer, Oil, 8x6", available This was an interesting study for the Daily Paintworks Challenge. I almost did not submit, as I do not have a fondness for painting tools. However, I came up with a concept that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Mise En Place, Oil, 6x8" SOLD "Everything in place" is the definition of mise en place. I find it works well in the studio as well as the kitchen. I detest wasting time searching for something I cannot find readily!

Shadow Play , Oil, 6x8", available I did not think of bananas as difficult to paint. Even though these went quickly, they took sometime before they came together. Funny how expectations can play with your mind. I ended up loving the outcome despite it looking like a jumbled mess for the first half.

Eldon , Oil, 14x11", SOLD I had the honor of doing a portrait demo for a small group of artists down in Casa Grande, AZ last week. Eldon was the willing subject and he did a wonderful job of modeling. This was a quick two hour sketch with a few short breaks. Here is a portion of the thank you note I received: "Just wanted to thank you again for the workshop you did for our Art Class here at Las Colinas.  Everyone including our instructor Cathy expressed how much they learned from you.  I have been asked several times to bring out the portrait you did so that they could examine it more closely.  After seeing it, other folks have now expressed interest in checking out our class on Thursdays.  Anyway, thanks again." 

Marjorie , Oil, 12 x 9" SOLD Marjorie was our wonderful model, yesterday. I was so happy with her choice of the red top as it reflected plenty of warmth into her skin. The walls of the art center are a very cool white and yesterday was overcast, adding additional coolness. Everyone kind of got a late start, so with breaks, I painted this in about two hours. Doesn't seem to matter how early I get there, time just seems to get the better of me. The upside is that I don't seem to be over thinking my approach. I had a warm reddish brown tone on this board and it seemed to really help to paint the portrait quickly. You can see it particularly in the blouse.

Sedona Bound , Oil, 11 x 14" SOLD I love this guy! He's so funny, talented, easy going. He kind of has a bit of a nut job for a wife, but hey, nobody's perfect. Rich was our model yesterday at our Open Figure Session. I have painted him a time or two and every time I do, I think I get a little better at it. I love the far away look in his eyes and the shadow on the wall. The unfinished shirt with the red underneath, seems to point the viewer straight to the face while giving a nice texture. What do you think?

Ben , Oil, 14x11" Ben graciously accepted my request to be our model for Open Figure Studio. I bet his mother wishes that she could get him to sit as quiet and as still as he did for us! I had not touched my oils in about 4 or five weeks due to many other commitments. I do, however, draw, sketch or paint almost everyday. I had a little trepidation and had actually given myself permission to not push myself. Well, from the moment my brush touched my panel I got totally lost in the joy of what I was doing. Mmmmm, maybe that is what I need to practice everyday. Just letting go and having fun in the process of doing!

Into the Woods , Pastel, 19x14" SOLD This is a scene from my office window of the path that my husband mows for easy access into the woods. It tickles me to watch turkeys strut down this path or the deer promenade from out of the woods. I painted this primarily plein air and did some touch up from photo reference in my studio. Fall Splendor , Acrylic, 10x8" SOLD "All good things come to those that wait". Had this little piece in our local Manchester gallery, The Wild Acorn, for what seemed forever. I got the call today while in my Open Figure Studio in Tecumseh, that my piece had sold. This scene is from one of my husband and mine's many forays into northern Michigan. Linda , Oil, 12x9" SOLD Linda was our model today at Open Figure Studio. She is fantastic and doesn't move a bit. At break time she  once again becomes her usual bubbly personality! Linda is a wonderful artist in her own right and I am proud to say that she has been one of...