This is What I’ve Been Talking About on Instagram Recently
You can follow all my posts here or follow me on Instagram. I also post to BlueSky, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Threads and YouTube.
Working out the ideal vacation can be very tricky. Some of you want to be activity-based, and others not so much. Recently, we experienced this divided vision, which led to interesting conversations and personal breakthroughs. Read my article about this in my Substack, Naturally Inspired. Link in Bio:
https://maryahernartist.substack.com/p/we-vacation-differently
All artists have a way of using their tools to achieve their vision. Sometimes we use them to overcome stylistic habits and other times to achieve specific ideas. Having studied botanical illustration for many years, I`m always looking for ways to loosen up my brushstrokes when I`m working in large oil paintings. This video explains how I do this in more detail.
For the November issue of Sanctuary Magazine, which focuses on Aging Gracefully, I wrote an article about what I`m doing to preserve my artistic legacy. It is an issue all artists face when reaching that time of life. It is such a relief to have had critical conversations with my family and come up with procedures and plans, rather than to live in denial of the inevitable. I`m so lucky!
Happy Halloween today. This is what I just saw at one of the stores when I walked in. ..sigh..!
Here I am, almost 50 years apart. My earliest art shows were at the Floral Park Art League`s summer show, where I would hang my artwork on the fences. All these years later, I`m showing my work in the Ceres Gallery in Chelsea, NY. A long, interesting journey with all the ups and downs of a Coney Island roller coaster. What a trip! Glad to be here and still creating!
Read "For Those of US" on my Art Blog. Link in Bio
Sitting on our balcony at the Hyatt in Sedona I`ve been looking at our hiking photos while taking in the view. I don`t know what`s better, sitting, looking and absorbing the view, or hiking and being a part of the natural landscape and seeing it, feeling it, smelling it, hearing it and being a part of it up close. Both have their magical moments. Upsides and downsides.
Took a refreshing hike in Fay Canyon the other day while on our Sedona vacation. Really glad I work out with a trainer twice a week doing strength and balance training. Hiking poles are a must since the ground is rough with rocks, pebbles and boulders to climb over. So glad that someone offered to take photos of both of us together. We have so many shots of each other that you`d think we were on vacation alone. Ha!
On the Times Square billboard during the No Kings Protests on Saturday, October 18th, Ceres Gallery posted a graphic I designed featuring the Pink Paperclip.
The Paper Clip Protest was reintroduced by E. Jean Carroll, the woman who won two lawsuits against Trump. She wrote in her column, “Comely Reader! I suggest we all start wearing the paper clip. Subtler than a red hat, more powerful as a CONNECTION.” She explained they were also worn during World War II as a sign of resistance against the Nazis.
Norwegian teachers and students wore paper clips to signal their opposition to Nazi occupation. They attached them to their lapels and wore them as jewelry, a symbol of solidarity binding them together as paper clips did with papers. It was a quiet act of defiance, expressing that Norwegians remained united against Nazi rule.
What an interesting show this is. Very unusual and perfect for the Halloween season. My work was juried into this "Imagination" exhibition but the other work in this show is very, very different. There are a lot of excellent and imaginative works for you to see. Give yourself a treat and go to see this fascinating show. Mills Pond Gallery, 660 New York 25A, St James, NY.
Here I am, putting the finishing touches on my latest painting, Cosmic Iris. She`s a 36x36" oil on canvas. This painting was inspired by a gentle shade of coral iris I grow in my garden, named Beverly Sills. Why this painting decided it wanted to be loud and brash is beyond me. Maybe it`s because Beverly Sills was a famous opera singer. I think she would have appreciated this broad energy since she also projected that energy too.
Did you ever notice how often you step just beyond where your body wants to be? That is what creeps up on me on hot summer days in the garden when I`m digging, pushing, pulling and totally enjoying myself. I get so engrossed with what I`m doing that I just push past the warning line. When does it happen to you and what do you do about it? Read my latest Substack article about this issue. https://maryahernartist.substack.com/p/taking-responsibility
The latest edition of my Connoisseurs Newsletter was sent out. It`s filled with glimpses into what`s new in my studio and what`s happening in the garden. Additionally, it announced two upcoming exhibitions and my latest articles, which were published on Substack. If you missed this newsletter, you can view it online. Link in Bio: https://mailchi.mp/ca51471b5df0/2025-10-03-maryahernartist-newsletter
