English Bulldog

"English Bulldog" is a painting I recently sold at Gallery on the Green's "Dog Days" exhibit! The character of this little guy drew my attention. I never considered myself an animal painter but since the painting I did of our border collie "Remembering Tucker", I have felt a certain connection and people seem to respond favorably to my dog paintings.
I will never forget the first time I saw Rosa Bonheur's large painting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art of animals with people. The scale and life she portrayed in the painting is incredible. Since then I have enjoyed painting chickens and cows and will continue to paint animal since they move me in different ways than people do.

Cow Study and Outdoor Lighting

I found this magnificent spot in Amenia, a country road in a quiet setting filled with light, color, and rural life that one wants to write about, photograph and alas to paint!

This "Cow Study" painting is the beginning of a new series I will revisit. My vision is to paint large, abstract type paintings that will interpret nature's realistic view of the land and animal life. My drawing ability pulls me into seeing form and overlap of line and shape while painting allows me to focus on flat shapes, tonal and color interpretation and the fluidity and tactile ability to use paint!
Combining the two becomes magic when the scope of vision and use of technique blend simultaneously.
Behold the poetry of nature and ability of craft. I can only hope that my constant urge to make and share my ideas about art allows me to focus and move forward. Painting and sometimes the idea about painting removes me from life in many different ways. Sometimes good and sometimes bad. Obviously it is something I choose not to live without, though at times I have to rest.

Subtle Interior Views

This is a new series of subtle interior views. My dream is to paint the model outdoors in a beautiful landscape. For now I can play with the figure as a still life on a table, near window light, juxtaposed next to miscellaneous elements; the wall, a chair, doors, an interior view near the window looking out, etc.
All these elements help place the model in space and allow the artist room to construct a place and time. This kind of story telling and illustration is exciting to the narrative artist, always looking at the world as a stage!!

New Ideas , Old Sketches and Photography

Took some time away from the studio and recently went through old draws of numerous dated works. Wanted to document how my work has progressed and changed. Photography is a compelling medium! I worked with a video artist in Mamaroneck, NY for a while. Will never forget the shoot of a sail boat factory we did. The perspective of walking into the shop and looking up at tall ramps and tables constructed for these amazing vessels was mind blowing.
This shot of my figure drawing image with the photo impression of the landscape moves me to other mediums I forgot I loved. I remember my textile days, weaving yarns, dyeing yarns and sewing yarn with drawings!! Boy, where did my creativity go. To be young and have such a free spirit. Miss my dance classes too.

Spirited Sketches of the Camel

Here is a quick sketch of the camel I promised. How impressed I am with the amount of weight those skinny little legs can withstand!! I will entertain further studies with landscape in oils and will continue to paint this animal's quirky character and amazing strength and posture. The camel conjures up all kinds of memories for me, mostly spiritual with my catholic upbringing. It allows me to muse on the potential of the journey; be it symbolic or one of strength. A vagabond in it's own right, open to roam freely with the spirit of countless gifted passenger's!!

The Painted Horse

This painting was taken from a quick inspirational photo I found. The contrast of the markings on the horse captured my attention, as did the flowing mane and soft chestnut hair. The placement of the mouth may be a little low for the composition but I like the addition of the landscape suggested on top with a high horizon and sky line! I feel him moving downward toward the foreground of the painting!! As I see it, painting the "Painted Horse" was sheer delight.

Animal lovers and Painting Animals

This is my first painting of a dog ever. Tucker was a special border collie my daughter and her boyfriend Zach brought home last year. His sudden death motivated me to paint a lasting memory of his life! He was bold, clever, obsessive and very playful. My husband had an immediate affection for him and soon after everyone loved Tucker. This painting was a catharsis for me, a release of sad emotion and a sense of loss. I felt empowered painting this beautiful pose of this very unique breed of dog. He still had puppy fur and barely broken in pink paws. His spirit will forever live on in all of us. Hopefully Tucker and this painting has inspired me to paint more animals. Animal lovers are special people, they don't ask much from their pets but unconditional love is always given between these two species. Carry on Tucker, I will continue to think about painting more and different kinds of animals. A big warm thank you goes out to my dear friends Elizabeth and Eileen. Butch and I will always remember how much you both did for us on that difficult day!

Art as Someone Else Sees It !

Sometimes I ask my family how they like a particular painting or which frame might work better. If you ask different people how they feel about different works of art you will probably get different answers. Art is not a survey. My daughter saw this particular painting, "Mixed Flowers with Plum" at a recent exhibition and said, "why did you put that painting in", "it doesn't look finished"! I felt this painting reached a certain level of satisfaction for me. The freshness, clarity of color and brevity of brush stroke seemed to captured the beauty and simplicity of the piece . I was trying to keep the image as simple as possible without over working the painting. The vase says it all, "less is more"! All I could say in response to my daughter's critique was, "but I really like this painting". As I see it, someone else may see your painting a little differently than you do.

Still Life Painting

As I see it, still life painting is a very meaningful drawing and painting lesson. One is compelled to pick objects of interest, and place them in a pleasing composition. I find this genre in historical painting fascinating; artists have picked odd things to paint ranging from dead fish/animals to kitchen still life paintings with cheese and beautiful breads!! As a contemporary realist painter I am drawn to beautiful vessels/pottery combined with colorful floral remnants. I also love to combine different textile and fabric patterns. These studies keep my interest during long winter months in the studio and the unlimited amount of subject matter continually keeps me challenged. I remember an elementary art class lesson plan that I had small groups of children do. They were given a format and each group had the same symbols to use and place in the rectangle. It was interesting to see how each group used their innate sense of balance and placement to resolve spatial/design issues! This is something artists do on a daily basis. Some aren't even cognitively aware that they're do it. How they decorate, cook, move within a room,compose music, construct and navigate through a social conversation, etc.,,,, As I see it, still life painting is a lot more than the "sum of it's parts"!

Compositional Elements of Design and Framing Decisions

Making definite marks and distinct decisions within the frame of your picture plane is very important. There are many choices you can make but which is the right one? Square format, rectangular, add this object, takes out that object, so forth and so on ,.......Compositional elements of design and framing can seem like a daunting and endless job. Lately I have been working on canvas mounted on board and find that I enjoy the freedom of changing my mind about the format and size of the composition. I like cutting, changing and sometimes even omitting elements for the sake of design. This painting has potential to be viewed with multiple framing ideas. I still might take out the asian sculpture but as I brought the frame closer to the left and omitted it the painting felt different, some what empty and unfinished. You have to be brutally courageous and just make the decision. Sometimes this is how I see it and sometimes I can definitely see it another way. Art can be very stimulating and also very frustrating at the same time. I guess I wouldn't have it any other way. Still haven't decided yet, and yes it might sit in my studio a bit longer before I'm really sure.

The Placement of the Face on a Page

As I see it, balance and harmony have everything to do with the placement of the face on a page.
How I compose and draw the anatomical elements help portray the feeling of the portrait but the
warm light caresses her mood, the diagonal juxtaposition of her glance looking downward bathes
her delicate skin and enhances her angelic portrayal. I have suggested the placement of the face on
a page and she begins to sing quietly amongst the light of color and dark shades of neutral.
I can only begin to understand the placement of the face on a page.

Landscape Painting Issues

How I see it, landscape painting is the most difficult of genre painting. The outdoor studio is very challenging, constant light and temperature changes! This particular painting is a free interpretation of a non-tradition landscape . The feeling of land and air allowed me to construct and mold the space with paint. I began to apply paint like a sculptor would chisel out form. The brevity and staccato use of paint strokes in this painting creates a unique sense of life and movement. Successful landscape painting gives the viewer a sense of place, time and mood. Be it traditional or interpretive, landscape painting is a very honorable but difficult profession.

Front Street Gallery LLC, Patterson,NY

February 2011 will be the beginning of two creative worlds blending together. My personal journey as an artist, mother and art educator and now a gallery proprietor. At the end of this month we will be completing our first year at Front Street Gallery llc, Patterson, NY. My name is Mary Smoot-Souter and I am one of the 3 partners involved with the gallery. A close painting friend of mine, Linda Puiatti (who is no longer with the gallery) and myself started the idea. We raised our children in the near by town of Pawling and have always shared dreams of art awareness , cultural centers and viewing spaces for fine artist's. We invited Gene Cadore a well established pastel/oil painter and Jeremy Wolff, a creative photographer and writer to join our newest adventure.
Since then, Front Street Gallery has successfully exhibited at least 10 exhibitions, initiated studio drawing and painting classes and most recently hosted a successful Artist Marketing Salon!