Anita Marci's "Palm Bark Plaid"

"Palm Bark Plaid" was a very fun piece to create!  I had never used palm bark before, but it is very plentiful here on Maui.  The under-painting is inspired by a Helen Frankenthaler painting.  The blue and brown were selected to match the colors in the fabrics.  It is difficult to see here but there is a plaid on the pillow shams.  After the acrylic painting was complete, I glued the bark on top with my favorite Tacky glue.  It was then stretched and installed.

Anita Marci's "Constant Earth and Changing Seas" Art

This is part of my "Constant Earth and Changing Seas Collection." Around the same time as I was doing "Wavelength" I decided to start using palm bark in the paintings- well, they really are Mixed Media Collages.  I cut palm bark off the tree in my backyard and then, I dampened the bark and pressed it flat with books. I sliced it into strips and glued them on to the canvas after I had painted and glued the sea elements.  I love the simplicity of these pieces. They are somewhat Mondrian-ish and I like the organization of this art.  The title  reflects my thoughts on the perception that the Earth is still while the Ocean is ever-changing.  Of course, we know the Earth is moving too, though it does not appear to be. I also enjoy the juxtaposition of the Earth and Sea elements on the canvas together- just like on our beautiful planet!

Anita Marci's "Sea Fan"

"Sea Fan" is an interesting piece that I have never shared before.  It was created to go in the same room with the "Sand and Shells" art.  I found this sea fan in a shop and, I bought it because I loved the color and delicacy of it. I had it for about a year, when I got the idea for this piece. The background was inspired by an old black and white Barnett Newman painting. I selected colors from the room's textiles and painted the colors over a cream base to match the walls.  This piece also has a custom plexi-glass case over it. The case is actually screwed into the wood stretcher bars on the top and bottom.  The case looks like it magically floats on top of the painting and, it looks great next to the drift wood sculpture that stands beside it.

Anita Marci's "Sand and Shells"

"Sand and Shells" is a painting that contains natural elements in addition to the canvas and acrylic paint.  The sand had to be sifted and cleaned extensively to make it free of debris.  I ordered the shells on line as it is very difficult to find shells here on Maui and I wanted them to be uniform.  It was tedious work to complete this piece.  I painted thinned "Tacky" glue with a paintbrush in small sections. Then, I placed the tiny shells on the glue and sprinkled the sand over the area.  When the canvas was dry, I held it vertically to dump the excess sand.  Finally, when all the elements were in place, I painted a very soft pink- like the inside of a shell- in the background.  Before I did this piece, I created a sample piece to make sure I could stretch the canvas without the shells popping off. Fortunately, it worked and the piece was a success.  This art has a custom plexi-glass case with wood molding around it.  The molding is painted to match the wall and the lights above it cast interesting shadows. This hangs in the grandchildren's room. There aren't any grandchildren yet, but their room is ready for them when they come!