Exhibition in Middletown

I'll be exhibiting my paintings at Middletown's Got Art! Exhibition. The festivities start on Sunday November 19th from 1-3pm. My work will be hanging in the window of the Cinergy Building at 1 North Main until January 6th. If you have a chance and join in the fun! For additional information please contact Sue Rogers at (513)422-4435 or (513)267-4016.

Donation of Watercolor Painting to Local Charity Event

I just donated one of my floral watercolor paintings to the Aids Resource Center in Dayton, OH for their annual fundraiser. The watercolor painting is:

"Blue Roses"

It's a 9"x 12" original watercolor. I painted these roses blue because you can never find them in nature. I was intrigued by the color blue and decided to do several paintings in this hue.

I'm on the Gallery's website!

As you know, I joined the Mac Worthington Gallery last month. Well, you can now see my work on the gallery's website. Check me out at :http://macworthington.com/featuredartist18.htm.

I joined a gallery!

I want to announce that I just joined the Mac Worthington Gallerie in Columbus, Ohio. They are currently featuring a few of my prints and in January you'll be able to see my paintings. If you're in the area, stop by and say hello and tell them I sent you!

New Exhibition in Hilliard, Ohio

I currently have 15 of my watercolor paintings are on display at the Hilliad, OH government center. It's located at 3800 Municipal Way Hilliard, OH. They will be on display until Oct. 31st. For more information please call Tracey Bradford at 614-334-2445.

Barnes and Noble in Dayton, OH

I can't believe it's August already! My garden is going haywire (yes, I will get out this week and take a picture to share). And I'm displaying my work again. This time you can find it at the Barnes and Noble Cafe' next to the Dayton Mall here in Ohio. Stop by and say hello to Gloria, the wonderful manager who invited me to show my work.

"Pucker Up" is just one of the many watercolors I have on display. It is 9" x 12" and looks even juicier in person!

Field of Daffodils

Spring was very good this year and I got tons of images to inspire me. This one was taken at a near by park. There was a huge field of yellow daffodils that just took my breath away. Here is my interpretation of these beauties.

"Field of Daffodils" Original watercolor painting 12" x 18".

Blowing in the Wind

I finished another paining that I wanted to share with you. It's called "Blowing in the Wind". It's a spray of tulips I spotted while on one of my daily walks with my husband. (I always carry a camera just in case on of my neighbors beautiful gardens inspires me!). Enjoy!

"Blowing in the Wind" Original watercolor painting size 9" x 12" .

Dayton Visual Arts Center Member's Show

I am currently exhibiting at the Dayton Visual Arts Center's Member's Show here in Dayton, OH. I chosed to put in "Neon Tulips".

It's a 12" x 18" watercolor. I had a lot of fun painting it. If you have a chance, please stop by and take a look. Also on file are 10 images of my paintings on CD.

t's a 12" x 18" watercolor. I had a lot of fun painting it. If you have a chance, please stop by and take a look. Also on file are 10 images of my paintings on CD.

Come visit me!

I just signed up to sell my reproductions and gift items at the Ohio Association of Garden Clubs (OAGC). It will be held at the Holiday Inn Fairborn at 2800 Presidential Drive, Fairborn, OH. The phone number there is 937-426-7800. I'll be there on Monday June 23rd and Tuesday June 24th. Stop by and say hello! This might be your last chance to get my gift items. I won't be making them anymore...once they are gone, they are gone!

Phone number working again.

Thanks to all who emailed me. The phone is back on again.

Phone number out of order

In case you're trying to reach me by phone, the number is out of service temporarily. It should be turned on by the 12th of July. In the mean time, just email me at maryannawelch@yahoo.com if you need to reach me.

Thanks!

Poppies, poppies, poppies!

My newest painting is inspired by my daughter and her obsession with the Wizard of Oz…movie, play, story…you name it. We even had to go to the local baseball field and watch it on the big screen Saturday night. Mind you, we have both the original and Muppet versions on DVD at home…. The scene of the poppies inspired this painting. I keep hearing the witch going on and on…Poppies, poppies, poppies… I certainly hope the painting doesn’t put you to sleep!

Poppies, poppies, poppies! Original Watercolor painting size 12" x 18".

Gift Card Winner!

As you know, on my website I have a sign up for my newsletter. If you join the mailing list, you will be the first to hear of special promotions, new paintings and sales! It is also my practice to draw names from subscriber list once each month and award the winner a FREE set of 4 different note cards. (US Residents Only). I am happy to announce the first winner is Brigit Schaefer! Congratulations! Your gift cards are on their way. If you want to sign up, just go to http://www.maryannawelch.com and click on newsletters.

Bunch of Blueberries

I just realized that I haven't posted any of my latest paintings. Well, in reality I couldn't. I didn't have any images of them yet. Fortunately for me I found a wonderful guy here in Dayton that is able to scan them in for me. Here is one of my newest ones:

This one is called: "Bunch of Blueberries". It's a 12" x 18" watercolor painting. I had a lot of fun painting this one. I was looking at my other blueberries and got hungry. These were in the fridge and fell out of the basket onto the table. They bounced all over the place and left behind lots of juice! When you see them in person, the blueberries seem to "bounce" on the page...hence the name. Aren't I original?

Exhibition at Luxuriously Tall

Sandra Powers, the wonderful lady that owns Luxuriously Tall here in Beavercreek, OH has asked me to display some of my paintings in her shop for the month of June. If you have a chance, you really should stop by. For those of you who are not vertically challenged like me, this is a wonderful place to shop. From her website: " am a retired military woman who realized I would now need real clothes to wear. When I discovered how few stores there were for the tall woman, I decided to open one myself. I look at things more from the consumer point of view, as I have been a consumer longer than I have been a retailer. I want to make you look fabulous in quality, fashionable, up to date apparel. We carry tall women's clothes such as tall junior jeans to tall casual wear, tall sportswear & tall career suits.Clothing lines include Pendleton, Jara, Jay Leslie, Cruel Girl, Wrangler and Ingenuity." Come check out the art and the clothes and tell them Mary-Anna sent you! The shop is located at: 2440 Dayton-Xenia RD; Suite F, Beavercreek, OH 45434(937)320-1700(888)259-3372 or email her at: sandi@luxuriouslytall.com.

My garden is in!

Well, I spent the entire holiday weekend putting my garden in. Thanks to my wonderful husband who did the tilling (I'm hopeless with a shovel!) and to Deb who generously gave my several flowers from her own garden to start me out! Right now it doesn't look too good, a lot of brown dirt and mud, but I do plan on getting it cleaned up. I planted two gardens, one a flower and the other a vegetable. Usually I don't do to well so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. As soon as something starts blooming, I'll post pictures.

Wish me luck!

New Exhibition Site

I just met with Sandra Power of Luxuriously Tall, a store catering to TALL women and teens here in the Dayton area. She has asked me to hang some of my floral pieces in her shop during the month of June. She's a lot of fun to talk to. If you're in the area, check it out. She has some gorgeous stuff (unfortunately for me-Miss Vertically Challenged) it won't fit me, but it might you! Her shop is located at 2440 Dayton-Xenia Road, Suite F in Bevercreek. You can call her at 888-259-3372. Just tell her I sent you!

Updating Site

If you have visited in the recent past, you'll notice some changes in the website. I got some wonderful suggestions that I'm slowly implementing. Keep them coming but please be patient. This is all new to me. Coming soon: shopping cart and more places to see my work!

My Fall Exhibition

I just received an invitation to show my work up in Hilliard, OH. Judy Perry-Kaufman, the city clerk for the Hilliard has asked me to show my work at the goverment center for the months of September and October. If you're in the area, stop by and see my newest creations! More information will be coming as the date gets closer.

Dayton's Urban Nights

I just found out that one of the galleries I'm currently exhibiting at will be featured in Dayton's Urban Nights. My gallery is the Hurricane Gallery Art Exhibit at 1146 West 3rd Street. To quote from the Dayton Daily New's website: " Urban Nights is a free downtown excursion that features self-guided tours of art galleries and studios, unique apartments and condos, and discounts at restaurants and retailers. The event also features a variety of performances by Dayton's best and brightest performing artists, including a special performance by Velvet Crush on Courthouse Square from 9-11 p.m. Close to a hundred creative places and spaces will be a part of the event, including locations throughout downtown, plus the Artists of Front Street, the Oregon District and the Wright-Dunbar Business Village. There are numerous special additions in store for the event, including the debut of City Life, a public art exhibition that will be on display downtown from May 18 to August 17. Twenty of J. Seward Johnson's world-renowned sculptures will be temporarily installed in key areas throughout downtown for the exhibition, which will feature life-sized bronze sculptures that capture human gestures in a realistic way. A World A' Fair, a celebration of diversity at the Dayton Convention Center that showcases food, dancing, and cultural exhibits, will also be a part of Urban Nights. Event patrons will get a taste of the event at a satellite stage at Dave Hall Plaza, and the festivities inside the Convention Center will take place throughout the weekend." Hope to see you there!

The website is up and running!

Well, the website is up and running. I'm still tweaking with it. Thanks to all who have already written with their comments and suggestions. Keep checking in...I plan on adding more as I get the hang of this. I'm having a lot of fun creating it.

May Happenings

There has been a lot going on around here. First my exhibitions:

I'm currently showing at the following locations-

Middletown Arts Center's Spring Fling
Apirl 20th-May10th
130 North Verity Parkway
Middletown, OH
For additional information: 513-424-2417

(Yes, they were so impressed with the Miami University show that they asked me back!)

Hurricane Alley Art Look
May 1st-May 31st
Wright-Dunbar Village
1100 Block next door to Pri-Med building
West Third Street
Dayton, OH

Epiphany Gallery
May 1st-May 31
South Park United Methodist Church
Stonehill and Brown Streets
Dayton, OH
Hours: M-F 8:30a-4:30p, Sundays 9a-1p
For additional information: 937-293-4640

The Dayton Philharmonic Volunteer Association's Designers Show House & Gardens XV
May 6th-May 25th
The Patterson-Haurer Estate
2358 Adirondack Trail
Kettering, OH
Hours: T, W, F, Sa-11a-4p, Th 11a-8p, Su 12p-4p

(Here you can purchase my handicrafts...hurry, because once they're gone, they're gone! I won' t be making these gems anymore!)

I'm also working on my official website. Stay tuned for the launch!

April Exhibitions

Starting April 1st, 2007 you can see 5 of my paintings at:


Swisher's Too...Cafe'
April 1st-April 31st
In the Fifth-Third Building Main Floor
110 North Main Street
Dayton, Ohio
7am-2pm Monday thru Friday
For more information: 937-331-2222



One of the paintings on display is:



Mountain Ash Berries
Original Watercolor Painting
12" x 18"

My girlfriend Deb is constantly on the look out for interesting flowers for me to paint. She found this one on one of her travels and immediately thought of me.

March Exhibitions part 2: Miami University-Middletown

Starting March 24th, three of my paintings will be featured at:




40th Anniversary Alumni Art Exhibition

Shown at two separate venues:

Middletown Arts Center
March 24rd-Apirl 6th
130 North Verity Parkway
Middletown, OH

Miami University Middletown’s New Campus & Community Center & Gardner-Harvey Library
April 9th-April 15th
4200 East University Boulevard
Middletown, OH



One of the paintings being shown is:



Neon Tulips
Original Watercolor Painting
12" x 18"






I received these tulips out of the blue from my husband. I was feeling blue that day, and he decided to surprise me with this wonderful bouquet. Of course I had to preserve it for all time.

March Exhibitions part 1

I have two shows starting in late March. The first is:

Marianist Environmental Education Center presents:Come to the table: Food, Justice & EnvironmentMarch 28th-April 29th Gallery Saint John 4400 Shakertown Dayton, Ohio For more information: 937-320-5405

One of the paintings that will be there is:

Blueberries

Original Watercolor Painting

8" x 10"

The inspiration for this image came from the day I bought some blueberries from the store. As I was washing them, these 3 spilled out of the bowl and landed on the counter. I had a lot of fun enlarging them and painting the various colors that showed up when the sunlight was hitting them.

The Artist's Way

I just started a class in Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way". It's a creativity class billed as a spiritual path to higher creativity. My good friend Jo Shepherd Ripley is teaching it here in Dayton, OH. So far it has been a very interesting experience. If you have the chance to take the course from Jo or anyone else, I would highly recommend it. I'm learning to discover and recover my creative self.

Assorted Fruit-The Inspiration Behind the Painting

I painted this while foraging in my refrigerator for something to eat. The sheer abundance I found was overwhelming. I couldn't choose what I wanted and placed everything that looked good on the table. It made such an interesting still life, that I forgot about my hunger and decided to capture the moment in paint.

Pink Tulips-the inspiration behind the painting

Pink Tulips
Original Watercolor Painting

I was walking in the local park and spotted this cluster of pink tulips just standing by themselves. They were surrounded by some dried leaves and other debris. Since it was a cold day, they just seemed to be heralding Spring and the warm weather to come.

Why I paint flowers.

I was recently asked why I paint flowers. I responded (with a smile) thatI have a black thumb. I am unable to grow anything in my garden except for an occasional weed. After much aggravation, I decided that the only way I was going to enjoy any floral abundance was to paint them. This way I would always have several blooms to come home to instead of the patches of dirt and weeds that now inhabit my garden. I have even envisioned putting my paintings out in the yard and holding a garden party so everyone can see my beautiful flowers! After proliferating my home with my art, I began to get hungry and scrounged around in my refrigerator. Instead of eating what I had found, I discovered the inspiration for my next painting and began to paint fruits and vegetables. Secretly, I hoped that by painting these wonderful things I would not be as tempted to eat them. Unfortunately, I’m sure you can tell that battle wasn’t won. But I sure do enjoy them!

My Goals for 2007

I decided I need some goals to help guide me this year. My first one is to get a "real" website up and running (instead of the free sites I'm using now). Well, it's not as easy as it sounds. I've attended several seminars and hopefully will get it going soon. Cross your fingers for me! My second goal is to write the background stories for each of my paintings. I'll post them here so you can check them out before they get published to the website. I would love to read your comments about them too. That would actually help in my third goal...writing the ultimate "Artist Statement". I attended a wonderful teleseminar that was organized by Ariane Goodwin. She got 12 wonderful speakers together to teach about the "art" of selling, organizing and promoting your work. Boy, do I have a lot to work on! The artist statement will be a difficult one, but one that you can help me with. As I stated before, please send me your comments about my art, either the paintings I'll be posting here or on the current website. I'd love to read them and as further incentive to write me, I'll send you a free gift if you respond with your thoughts and your snail mail address to maryannawelch@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

My Trip to Nashville, IN

I just got back from a road trip out to Nashville, Indiana to check out the art galleries and have a girls night out with my good friend Jo Ripley (she works primarily in pastels). We had a great time! Unfortunately, Nashville is a tourist town and most of the shops are closed for the winter. We'll just have to go back in the Spring and check them out again. We did a lot of brainstorming about our businesses and I've got tons of things to work on. I've decided to take the year off from doing festivals and concentrate on the business end and creating new paintings. For those of you who have come to Grove City to see my work at the Peddler's Junction, I'm sorry to report that the business has closed. However I'll be exhibiting my work and will be posting it here. My next exhibit (which I just found out about this morning) will be at Swisher's Too...Cafe in the Fifth-Third Building in Dayton, Ohio during the month of March. More information will be coming as soon as I receive it!

January 2007

I've decided to start a blog about my activites. I'm still publishing my newsletter on a quarterly basis, but for those of you who can't wait to see what I'm up to...check back here often.