Art by Mary Rochelle Burnham

Portrait of Hayden, Oil, 16x20" SOLD "Portrait of Hayden" is a recent commission that I delivered a couple of weeks ago. Hayden's grandmother was very specific about how she wanted her grandson portrayed. She was a joy to work with and loved the finished portrait. This gorgeous antique frame was what she chose to have the artwork displayed in. I love the blend of the past, present and future. On this note, my husband and I are about to embark on our new journey. We were both born and raised in Michigan, lived our lives here with our families and now, we are on the cusp of moving lock, stock and barrel to Sedona, Arizona. We will be heading out at the end of the month and have been working on selling all that we will not be taking with us. At this juncture of our lives, we are downsizing and simplifying. Who thought it would be so much work? Unfortunately, it does not give me much time to paint, so please understand if my posting is scarce until we settle. I so ...

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!

Ben , Charcoal, 14x11"  This is Ben. He is 11 years old and one of the best models that I have had the privilege of working with. I taught a two day Figure and Portrait Workshop last week and the scheduled model neither called or showed. Ben happened to be in with his mother who is on staff with the Community Arts of Tecumseh. I asked her permission to use Ben after I asked Ben if he was interested. He gave me a resounding, "yes", and he was our only model from 9 AM until 3 PM. What a trooper! Everyone loved him and I think you can truly see his wonderful personality in this charcoal sketch that I drew of him.