Salon de Maria Blog

One of my favorite subjects to paint are flowers, so I'm eagerly anticipating the spring months that are coming ahead.  Spring is my favorite time of the year not only because of my birthday, but because of all the new blossoms and explosions of colors that cover the earth. 

As I searched for inspiration for my next painting, I came across Andrew Francis' painting entitled "Bird Song" which is featured at the Park West Art Gallery website.  What makes this particular painting so appealing to me is the impressionistic style and the gorgeous purple flowers.  Purple is my favorite color, by the way...

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Before there was a "Salon de Maria" I had an idea to open up a store in downtown San Diego called Studio 747. It was going to be a place for artists to gather and share their work and experiences.  There would be a gallery, studios for artists...among other services. 

However, that idea has involved into an online entity which I would like to introduce to you...Visit the Studio 747 blog for details.  It's not completely ready for a full launch - just wanted to let you know what I've been up to lately! 

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Creativity is the fuel for all the energy that surrounds us.  That said, as a creative individual you'll enjoy reading the posts from the Carnival of Creative Growth - which I participated in - posted at Energies of Creation.

One of the challenges that I'm currently facing is staying focused.  Because I have so many creative ideas floating around my mind, I want to act on all of them.  At the carnivale I came across Edith Yeung's post,  How to Stay Focused which has practical tips to get you in a more focused mindstate.

Hope you'll find some inspiration at the carnivale.  Check it out! 

 

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I must admit that I engage in mindless TV watching at times and one of the shows I've watched is The Girls Next Door featuring Hugh Hefner and his lovely ladies.  From a psychological and moral perspective I find it interesting to watch because I wonder what the attraction is to being a Playboy Playmate.  People judge these women for taking off their clothes for money, but you have to wonder if it's any different from a woman taking off her clothes to pose for a painting or drawing.  In a drawing class I took in college my professor hired a nude model and we had to sketch out a drawing of her.  Nobody seemed to object.

Anyways, during a recent The Girls Next Door episode, the girls visited Alaska where Hefner's girlfriend Holly Madison is from.  After seeing all the beautiful Alaskan scenery, I started thinking about possibly going on an Alaska cruise tour.

Here are some beautiful photos of Alaska that I came across at Flickr... 

Posted by Maria Palma at 09:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Back in my early 20's I had my life planned out.  I was going to be married and have 2 kids by the time I was 25, I would be making a living in a high-paying job, white picket fence, and the whole nine. 
Now that I'm in my 30's and a little bit wiser, I realize how much I played into that ideal of the "normal life".  You see, I don't even come close to living that normal life that I envisioned for myself.  I know that the word normal is very subjective because who really lives a normal life, right?  What I mean is, I don't live like many people in our American society do.  I have no limits...no boundaries...no rules... My typical day starts anywhere between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.  I tend to stay up very late to write and work on whatever latest project that requires my attention.  I'm always working on some type of project.  It's the overachiever in me wanting to accomplish 100 things in one day.  However, I'm learning how to slow down and just enjoy every moment of the process instead of rushing through the "To Do" list.  (Ok, so I preach these things, but sometimes the teacher needs a reminder too!) 

Although I believe that time is indeed an illusion, lately I've been catching myself racing against it.  "Too many things to do, so little time" was my thinking.  Did I even stop to realize that I am already living the life that I dreamed of?  I am free of the "corporate world" and their way of thinking.  On any given moment of the day I could do whatever I want?  That I'm making a living doing things I absolutely love? 

So, as part of my commitment to thinking differently in 2008, instead of jumping right into "work" and blogging over at my Know More Media blogs like I usually do, I am going to paint on this brand new canvas I bought the other day...Stay tuned for the creation! 

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