Meet Darice Machel McGuire, Artist

Darice Machel McGuire is an artist creating, teaching, and loving life on Maui. Her work is represented by Village Gallery, Kingwell Island Art Gallery, and Kaukini Art Gallery. She also has an art school, Art E Studio located in Lahaina Maui, and she is the co-author of The Art of Painting in Acrylic, published by Walter Foster.

1. What was it like growing up with an artist as a parent?

My fondest memories of my mom growing up are of her doing creative things, such as sewing, flower arranging, cake decorating, drawing, and painting. We didn't have a lot of money, but you couldn't tell that by looking at our clothes or house. She made everything beautiful with her creative skills. I have four sisters; we each gravitated to different creative activities taught to us by our mom, and we were encouraged to try it all. At age five or there about, I was fascinated by how she could put together pieces of fabric to make a dress or a toy, so she handed me a needle and thread, some buttons and pieces of fabric to play with. I started making doll clothes and Halloween costumes, and by the time I was in sixth grade I was making my own school clothes. My first oil painting lesson was at our kitchen table. I was a teenager by then but remember how amazing it was to create an image with paint. Mom was a patient and loving teacher. She never spoke harshly or lost her temper when teaching us new things.

My parents opened their gallery in Lake Tahoe when I was a teenager. Life really changed then. Home was no longer the gathering place of the family; the gallery was. Everything revolved around the visual arts by then. Lakeside Gallery was more then just a show place for fine art. It also had a large classroom to accommodate painting workshops, an art supply store, and a frame shop. The gallery was not only the hub of our family life; it was also the gathering place for a lot of artists and art teachers. I worked at the gallery for many many years doing framing and teaching art.

Growing up surrounded by creativity and the arts was a very normal thing for me. I never thought much about it until later. In fact just this past year, a student of mine commented that I was lucky to have lived my whole life in creativity. She said not many people can say that. I think she was right; I am very lucky.

2. How did you decide to focus on landscapes and seascapes in your work?

Landscapes are what I started out with. I'm an outdoor kind of person. I love being out in nature. The colors of nature are perfect in every way, and I like to try and replicate them on canvas. I'll change things up from time to time, by painting animals, buildings, boats, trains and even abstracts. But I always go back to landscapes and seascapes; they are what inspires me the most. Every day on Maui, I'm greeted with incredible views. I love studying the clouds and the shadows that play along the valley of the mountains or watching the waves as they come in to caress the sandy beaches. The colors of flowers, the sky, the ocean, it all inspires me. I do a lot of walking and exploring the island with my husband who is a photographer. I'm always looking out for scenes that would make a great painting. I don't like to put people in my scenes because I want the viewer to see the beauty of nature as I see it, pure and un-touched.

3. What inspired you to start Art E Studio?

I moved to Chico, California in 2002 from Lake Tahoe. I got a job at a local frame shop and started a once a week oil painting class after work at the shop. At first it was a "drop in" casual kind of thing with two to four students a week. It was a great way to keep the skills I learn from my mom sharp and make a little extra money. When 2008 hit with the housing crash, my students dropped off. I almost stopped teaching at that point. But I ended up getting a call from a young mom looking for a teacher for her daughter who was in the 6th grade. She pleaded with me to take her on and promised to bring me more students if I did. I loved teaching the kids at my mom's gallery and thought "why not?". Jenny was a shy but eager student and was a joy to teach. Her mom kept her word about finding more students. I ended up with five fun-loving, silly 6th grade girls, all friends, once a week. Soon I was teaching more and working less. I went from two classes a week to twelve. I had adult classes, youth classes and two classes for kids from 6 to 9 years old.

What inspired me was my students. Each one of them special and unique. Art E Studio took on a life of its own and became the gathering place for many bright talented young artists, and I loved watching them grow. I relocated Art E Studio to Lahaina, Maui in 2012. I've cut my classes back so that I'm no longer teaching nights and weekends. I have more time to paint, which is good since my work is in three galleries.

4. Do you mostly teach locals at Art E Studio, or do visitors to Maui often take your classes as well?

I do both. My local students come once a week or as often as they can. I design my classes around what each student wants to learn. Some painting subjects and or styles take two to four weeks of lessons to complete. My younger, high school students come after school once a week for two hours. What I love about these young up and coming artists is how eager they are to try new things and how excited they are when they finish a painting.

Visitors to Maui come for one or two classes. I've created a series of paintings that can be done between two to four hours. These students can go to my www.art-e-studio.net website to see which of these paintings fit into their vacation time. Some of these students come back every year.

5. What has been the response to your book, The Art of Painting in Acrylic, and do you have any other books or other new projects in mind?

The Art of Painting in Acrylic was such a fun and challenging project for me. I had not thought to write a learn how to paint book until the editor of Walter Foster Publishing contacted me via email. She had found my www.daricemachel.com website and felt my work was perfect for their new project. The book has six artists in it. Each one of us specializes in different subjects and styles. It was the first time I was faced with "deadlines." I ended up completing my portion of the book way ahead of schedule. One of the great things about this book is I don't have to market it. Walter Foster does all the distribution and marketing for it. The book is in the U.S., Canada, and the UK. It's been translated into multiple languages. The book has boosted my art career by giving my work a farther reach to the world. I would love to write another one in the near future. I have a few ideas churning in my brain.

As far as future projects go, I do have plans in the works for doing a series of videos on painting techniques. These will be short demonstration videos to help beginning students and even seasoned students with their painting skills.

Thanks, Darice!

Introducing the 50 State Flowers Project of Artist Arlissa Vaughn

Painter Arlissa Vaughn from Murphy, North Carolina has a unique idea for a project to paint each of the 50 officially-designated state flowers of the United States. On November 1, she started a Kickstarter campaign to support the creative project.

Arlissa's Kickstarter also gives art enthusiasts a limited-time opportunity to become a patron and pre-purchase a state flower painting, sketch, or limited-edition signed print. At lower funding levels, donors receive other great premiums like original art posters and calendars. Below is an example of Arlissa's work, depicting the white pine cone and tassle, which interestingly is the state flower of Maine even though it's not a flower at all!

To help get the word out about her project, Arlissa is also sponsoring a contest: anyone who "likes" or "shares" the innovative project on Facebook or signs up to receive exciting email updates will be entered in a free drawing for a chance to win a limited-edition signed art print.

Funding will help Arlissa travel to paint live flower specimens at sites including the North Carolina Arboretum and the New York Botanical Gardens. So far she has located sites for 44 of the flowers and is still on the hunt for the other six, most of which don't grow in the Southeast.

Arlissa is an internationally-recognized acrylic painter, known for her calming atmospheric effects and unusual use of texture. She paints in a contemporary style with vivid color reminiscent of the Expressionist era, and is available for live events and custom portrait painting. Her work has been exhibited across the USA and as far away as Taiwan, and can be found in both corporate and private collections. She holds a BFA degree from East Carolina University's School of Art & Design and has been a professional working artist since 2005.

Meet ONYN, East London Artist Group

ONYN are a creative collective in East London, England. ONYN formed in July of 2012 and since then have been prolific in their painting output. In the last six months they have sold over 2,000 original canvas paintings worldwide. Find samples of their work at www.onyn.com and on their Facebook page. ONYN create original, unique paintings on canvas; they are not adverse to using technology (it has its place), but believe there is currently nothing better to beat talent, paint, and a brush!

1. What are the materials you use to create your artwork (from the photos, it looks like canvas panels and acrylic paint, and I'm curious to know if you make and paint your own frames)?

Yes, currently at ONYN we paint exclusively on linen canvas panels with acrylic paints plus some pencil and inks for good measure. As for our frames, it's another "Yes." We have a basic ethos of creating unique, high quality objects for a reasonable price. We make our own frames out of ethically sourced, natural solid wood and decorate them with the same paints we use in our images.

2. How many people are in your collective, and what inspires you to work together?

As a loose creative group, our numbers change depending on internal and external forces; we're somewhere between four and eight creative souls at present. As for what inspires us to work together, I guess it's that we push each other to try new things, and therefore ONYN is greater than the sum of its parts.

3. How do you come up with the subjects for your paintings, and what would you say are some common themes that come up in your work?

We create images that makes us smile and feel good. A lot of our paintings are on www.onyn.com. We don't purposely repeat themes; however, certain images seem to reappear from time to time. Sometimes we are asked for a specific animal, character, or situation, and we're always happy to meet a challenge.

4. Do you do most of your sales locally in London, or do you travel to shows in other cities--and countries?

Since we started last year we have focused on East London shows, as it's where we are based and the area attracts a lot of international people who appreciate art. ONYN paintings seem to be popular throughout the world with particular interest to date from Italy, Spain, South Korea, Japan, and the USA. We're always looking for opportunities to expand our range and reach! To keep up to date with news and show dates, be sure to "like" us on our Facebook page: www.fb.com/Love.ONYN.

5. How can people who admire your work online contact you to buy a particular piece--and do you ever accept custom orders?

To meet the demand (especially from international customers), we have decided to launch an ONYN eBay store at http://stores.ebay.com/ONYN-Whimsical-Unique-Art-Paintings. People will be able to buy original, unique ONYN art with or without our painted frames, and have them delivered direct to their door. As for commissions, we love to meet a challenge and our creativity doesn't stop at canvas paintings. Ideas and requests can be emailed to: art@onyn.com.

Thanks, ONYN!

Meet Jason Wickens, Photographer and Owner of Fotoviva

Jason Wickens is a member of the Fotoviva Art Prints photography team and owner of the online gallery. Offering a unique range of award-winning photographic art, Fotoviva are one of the UK's leading suppliers of wall art, selling photographic art printed as either canvas prints, acrylic prints or poster prints. Fotoviva has been operating since 2006 and offers over 700 images, created by a team of photographers; visitors can also create prints from their own original photos.

1. Could you talk about the different options for prints that you offer through fotoviva and the unique features of each option?

Every one of our art prints can be purchased from the online gallery in a wide range of options which means when you have chosen your favourite picture, you can be sure the final print will match your interior design. We can print the images on canvas, acrylic, or poster. We find most people like the canvas print option as they are ready to hang and in fashion right now. We can print the canvas as a gallery wrap which means the image is wrapped around the wooden frame. This gives a continuous feel to the print. The acrylics are becoming very popular too; the glossy look suits modern interior home designs, and people love the way the light makes the picture look like it has depth. Posters are ideal if you are working on a budget or have an existing frame you want to use. We also offer a range of standard sizes, so you can buy a wall print that suits the blank space in your room. Of course if you need a different size print, we can work out our best price, too. Often we have photographers looking for specific sizes for their clients.

2. What have you looked for when selecting photos over the years to build your catalog of 700+ images?

Our image collection has grown over the years, as has the number of photographers we use. When looking for new images, we only accept photographs which we feel will suit being printed as wall art. Customers tend to look for creative and artistic photo prints, rather than just snapshots of nice locations. The photographers we use always produce really nice images such as the seascapes, black and white work, and the creative modern art series.

We also only use images of the highest resolution which ensures we can print them as large canvas art without losing quality. Some of our canvases have been printed at over three metres, so we need to ensure the image will not look pixelated at large sizes. Our photographers use high-end DSLR cameras and good quality lenses--they are also well-versed in post-processing which means they produce files which are up to the high standard we require.

3. What tips would you offer for people (in terms of composition, photo size/quality, etc) who want to make prints from their own photos?

From our printing service we can transform your own digital photos into canvas or acrylic prints. As a rough guide, for best results you should be shooting at the camera's highest resolution setting. This not only allows us to print the picture bigger, but it also allows scope for any cropping you need. Images from phone cameras are not ideal for large prints as the camera sensors are not up to the job, but they do tend to be OK for the acrylic photo blocks or small canvases. Also, try to shoot in good light so the picture is clear and punchy. You can always send us your photo first, and we can check it out to see if it is suitable for printing from.

4. Your panoramic prints are striking. Do you find that people order these for their homes or businesses or both?

The panoramic canvas prints tend to be ordered for the home, but of course some do go to businesses who want to add some affordable art to their offices or receptions. When you see a panoramic print hanging on a wall it really does look great--I think it is the unusual aspect ratio which catches the eye. Also, the fact you can see so much more of a landscape scene means there is plenty of detail in the picture. Panoramic art is also ideal for wall spaces which don't have enough height for a standard wall print, such as above mantle-pieces or across landings. They do seem to sell particularly well, and some of the panoramic views we have in that collection really are a feast for the eyes!

5. What are your suggestions for people who want to affordably decorate their home and office spaces with unique photographic art?

Of course we have a great collection of photographic art and with prices starting from as little as £16, there is art that's affordable for anyone. However, a great tip for finding other affordable art is to explore the work of local photographers. You might see them displaying their work on stalls or in small local galleries, and by buying direct from the photographer, you can get some affordable art straight from the artist themselves.

Thanks, Jason!