Anita Marci's "Peach Hibiscus" Painting

     This is a 22" x 28" Acrylic on Canvas painting. I took the photo for this on my very first trip to Maui and I waited ten years to paint it. I did a little paint brush magic on this flower so you will never actually see a hibiscus like this one.  I was so taken by that cast shadow from the center. I just love the bright complimentary colors in this piece!!

Anita Marci's "Happy Mangoes" Painting

     This is a 24" x 36" Acrylic on Canvas.  I received these mangoes from a friend. They were from the tree near my condo. I love mango season. It is so much fun to watch the mango blossoms grow into tiny green balls which eventually ripen and turn into delicious colorful fruit.

     The scarf they are sitting on is a favorite Gucci of mine that I bought in NY.  I shot a series of fruits and veggies on this scarf.  The only other one I have painted is called "Happy Bananas." That painting won a first place American Art Award in 2013 in the Impressionism Still Life Category!!!

Anita Marci's "Lipstick" Paintings

    These paintings were made for the 2014 Art Expo New York Show. They are  9" x 12".  Before making this collection, I reflected back on my twenty years in NYC as a commercial artist.  I was in my early twenties when I moved there. Fresh out of college and full of hopes and dreams.  I remember how I felt when I moved there from Pennsylvania where I grew up.  I was surely a stranger in a strange land. Fortunately for me, my new boss took me under her wing and guided me on the fashion etiquette of NYC. Rule number one-- a lady never goes out with out her lipstick!!  

     I was so pleased to see a father buy these for his beautiful young daughter to begin her art collection with the purchase of all four of these paintings.  Also happy they will stay together. I was kind of hoping they would.  Sister paintings and all that good stuff!!

Anita Marci's "Banana Lime" Painting

     This painting begins with a gift from a friend.  I received some freshly picked Bananas and Limes. I placed them on my white kitchen counter and was attracted to the combination of yellows, greens and yellow-greens.  I grabbed my camera and began to shoot. I kept getting closer and closer until I took this final shot. I love the abstract quality of this piece!!!

Anita Marci's "White Rose" Painting

     There is a good story here. I took the photo for this painting about ten years before I painted it, I made a study and presented it to a collector as a concept painting.  It was declined, so I put it away for a future date. I took the study out to make the painting seven years later.

     This painting was made for the Art Expo New York show. I thought the fresh crisp quality of a white Summer Rose would be appealing in the cold damp April weather.  And so the story goes that the original flower was a red hibiscus that turned into a white hibiscus and then became a white rose. Ahhh, the magic of  the paintbrush!!!

Anita Marci's "Color Burst Clouds" Painting

     This painting is 24" x 24" and is titled "Color Burst Clouds."  It was painted from a photo I took of a fab Maui sunset.  I was so pleased when I posted this on FB and a HS friend who is now a meteorologist made a comment about the "anvil" formation and the poof (my word) in the upper left corner that indicated that this must have brought on quite a storm. Yes, he was correct. I knew the moment I took this shot that I would make this painting.  The photo already looked like a painting of mine. My vision was clear.

Anita Marci's "Nevada Skies" Painting

     This painting is titled Nevada Skies and is 24" x 36" Acrylic on Canvas.  This photo was taken on a road trip from LA to Vegas. I was a Vegas Virgin and was so excited for my first visit to Sin City. I had no idea the journey to get there would be so inspirational.  I took many photos on the drive but this is the only one I have painted so far.  I enjoyed the creativity of the themed hotels there. It was quite a bit more intense energy than I am used to here on Maui, but I did enjoy it.

Anita Marci's "Pink Tulip" and "Orange Tulip" Paintings

     These paintings are 24" x 36" and they were created especially for the Art Expo NY 2014.  It was early Spring in NY after a particularly devastating Winter.  I am so grateful to have spent my Winter on Maui. After 42 years of harsh Winters on the East Coast I do not miss the snow, but I can surely relate to the difficulty of the weather there.  I decided to make these tulip paintings because I recall my pure joy at seeing the first flowers peak through the hard, cold, earth in Spring. They always bring renewed hope for the Sun's return and the promise of Summer.

Anita Marci's "Red Candies" Painting Triptych

   

     This triptych was painted in honor of my late father who passed on in June of 2012.  It is composed of three 24" x 24" acrylic on stretched canvases.  The idea for this painting came to me in a dream. I awoke in the middle of the night so I could remember the dream in which I was painting hard candies.  When I woke up in the morning, I recalled the dream and had the distinct feeling that the idea was from my father who had somehow managed to communicate with me in the dream state.  I did my research and found some photos and paintings of candies. I did my studies and then immediately did the paintings.

     At the time, I was working on a new collection of art to take to the Art Expo NY in April 2014.  It was a dream that I had for thirty years. My whole family came to NY to see me and support my art. It was a wonderful and warm celebration that I will cherish and hold in my heart forever. Everyone of importance from my life- going all the way back to second grade-was there for me. They all traveled and stayed at the same hotel and celebrated my dream with me.  My Father was there too-- in the spirit of his paintings.  It was an amazing weekend!!!

Anita Marci's "My Papaya" Painting

    This painting was inspired by a gift from a friend. It is titled "My Papaya" and is 24" x 36" Acrylic on Canvas. I received my papaya quite unexpectedly. I am ashamed to say that even after ten years on  a tropical island I hadn't tasted the fruit and wasn't even sure if I liked it or not.  I cut it open and was immediately captivated by it's beautiful colors. The rich deep orange and the contrasting chocolate brown seeds were incredible.  I ran to get my camera and began to shoot. As I was shooting I began to become very interested in the seeds. They had such a unique shape to them and I knew I had to make them the main character of my story.

     Lately, I have been viewing my painting expressions as short stories.  I select my main character and then my supporting characters based on what I find most compelling.  I then proceed to direct the viewer through my narrative of color and form.

     So, the seeds were the story. I began to take them out of the fruit and I made a trail of them. I wanted to highlight the seeds even further by adding a cast shadow.  I had as much fun designing the composition and shooting it as I did painting it.  I added the peach background for color harmony. This is one of my faves!!!