Author Archives: Mariaresslerart.com

My husband and I had been enjoying some Easter vacationing and travels for the past few weeks. I was feeling the need to call my mom but had been unable to get a hold of her. We usually go to church on Sundays but that hadn’t been happening much either… although enjoying my travels IContinue reading “Calling Mom”

It wasn’t my first adventure with the Wyoming brothers and hoping it wouldn’t be my last! I hurried along and tried not to be annoying. I love the outdoors and hanging with My husbands bro. He always knows the coolest hidden places! They took a break from the hike to fish a few brookies andContinue reading “Hidden Cascade”

The best part of painting outdoors (PleinAire) is being a part of nature. The beauty of the sun peaking through the trees, a field ripe at harvest sunset, the reverence of the Salmon River canyon, the majesty of the mountains. It takes me to place of awe and gratefulness. It’s like feeling the gaze ofContinue reading “I Want to Take You There”

I was recently in a PleinAire Competition in Driggs Idaho. It was much fun meeting many artists from around the country! It was fun but much work, spending many hours on our feet painting scenes inspired by nature. Also inspiring nature to bite, heat and sunburn it’s subjects 😅… I was painting with a longContinue reading “She Still Stands for Freedom”

I’m sure we’ve all been somewhere and seen something that tears at your imagination. Sometimes it brings a feeling of peace or maybe even fear or terror. I’ve been to a couple of old buildings in my youth or even in Mexico that have given me a very uneasy feeling. Yet there is something aboutContinue reading “Barns Have Stories, too”

I’ve always admired beautiful architecture. Like the Eiffel Tower in France or the Golden Gate Bridge that crosses the San Francisco Bay. It’s another form of art. In this case it’s a “piece of work” set in a beautiful canyon “palette” on the Salmon River in Idaho. I saw the old wooden bridge taken downContinue reading “Work of Human Hands”

I’m not sure why, but it seems every year around Holy Week, something happens that makes me struggle. There’s a hardship, a challenge a pandemic, something?! Although I’d like it to go away, I’ve found that if I lean into it, I find a contemplative space and a place of creativity and compassion towards allContinue reading ““Just One More Step””

It was a beautiful snowy morning. I was busy packing for my travel to visit familia in Mexico. I knew this would be my last chance to capture a winter scene. I put on my winter boots, warm layers, backpack full of paints and whistled for my faithful dog. As I trudged thru the snowContinue reading “PleinAire art, Hunting and Grace Before Meals”

After several days of gloomy winter weather. Mike said let’s go for a drive. We loaded the grown kids, the dogs a couple of brewskies and I snuck in my backpack full of paints as Mike threw in his fishing pole. We drove an hour up the mighty Salmon river till Mike saw a goodContinue reading “Beautifully Dysfunctional”

A couple years ago I was talking to another PleinAire Artist who was also a teacher. He made a comment that if you knew how to do a good landscape, understood lighting and shading it would transfer to painting portraits. I believe this is true at a physical level. I find the added complication toContinue reading “Landscape People”