REAL Life Drawing: My Eye On Washington DC

REAL Life Drawing: My Eye On Washington DC
Photo- Gessoed Hand of MG Stout holding her favorite paint while prepping paper

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Packing Up for Philly


Creating a fresh perspective of the Mummers Parade was an exciting challenge.  It was this time last year that I sat in on a few Woodland String Band’s practices to get my sketch on.  Geared up was I. My publisher, Lawrence Knorr of Sunbury Press, just contracted me to create a new body of work for my REAL Life Drawing Series – PHILADELPHIA, PA my hometown!
Dramatic pause.
Queue music, ODE TO JOY, if you please.
Followed by giggling, clapping, and dancing around the room.
Smoke blew out of both my ears as a result of discerning what images should introduce the world to my fair city.  Where to begin? Philly has got so much eye candy. The question that came to mind was, where to start? 
Miraculously, an anvil appeared out of nowhere and squished an idea from my grape.  Why not start at the beginning, NEW YEARS DAY?  Heck yeah!  I could create a visual tour of what makes Philadelphia the Greatest City after Paris [*note the words in italics are a cheeky reference to the title of a painting done by one of my art heroes William Kentridge] over the course of a year. 
Bodies of work or series created by yours truly typically include a narrative. My voice is embedded in the subject or object, color choices and quality of line.  Titles function sort-a like map keys.  They are to be used as a verbal guide.   My aim is to engage the viewer.  Elicit a reaction, an opinion, laughter, anything!   
Back to the point- The Mummers. Initially, they were only meant to be a few pages in the Philadelphia REAL Life Drawing Series.  Then I shared a few of the completed pieces with the band.  To my surprise they were greeted with much enthusiasm and purchased immediately!  During my sketching sessions I learned a great deal about the tradition of Mummery, and the endangered status of the parade.  I wanted to help safeguard my favorite New Years Day custom.  
I shelved the Philadelphia Series and turned my attention to all the string bands that perform no matter what the weather.  With the help of Tom Loomis, (Captain Woodland String Band) and Joe Leso (String Band Association Director of Marketing) I was given all the visual information and permission I needed to create over eighty original artworks. This series includes every string band that performed in the 2011 New Years Day Parade.  This book is an exciting color explosion that celebrates tradition, life, and the hope of a new year.  BUT, WAIT!!!  You haven’t even heard the best part.  I am donating all profits from the sale of this book to THE SAVE THE MUMMERS ORGANIZATION & the FANCY BRIGADES!  
Who says art is just dusty work in a museum?  NOT I, said the artist.  Art connects communities, cultivates creative problem solving, and makes the world a lot more interesting to look at and live in. 
Now friends, if you would like to purchase a copy of this terrific book I've attached a link just click the cover of the book on the top right panel bar of this blog.  If you are in the Philadelphia area come down to the PA Convention Center to Mummerfest 2012.  You’ll get a sneak peek of the parade and can check out the Fancy Brigades perform. PLUS I will be exhibiting most of the original art (I say most because a few of them have already sold – they retail for $125.00 each – super deal right!) selling & signing books on December 30th from 5:00PM-10:00PM and on New Year’s Day from 11AM-8:00AM.  It is going to be EPIC!
I do hope you'll join me.



Tuesday, December 20, 2011




YOU ARE INVITED!

As a “thank you” to our clients and collectors (old and new)
Mary Gallagher Stout & John Gascot
(The Art Monkeys)
Invite you and your friends
To an impromptu
 Private Holiday Studio Social
Thursday, December 22, 2011
7-9pm
 Workhouse Arts Center Building 4
9601 Ox Avenue, Lorton VA 22079

Take a break from the holiday crowds.
 Enjoy light fare & refreshments at this by-invitation-only gallery event.
Enter to win a Mary Gallagher Stout/John Gascot gift basket (no purchase necessary).
Catch up on last minute holiday gifts & stocking stuffers.
Enjoy 20% off all Mary Gallagher Stout & John Gascot items.
We've created something for art lovers of every age and budget.

Please R.S.V.P. by midnight December 21st, 2011 to
Or call/text  Mary: 540-840-6619

We look forward to seeing you!

  


Monday, December 5, 2011

DC Monuments: Small Works for the Holidays

Pink Capitol
6 x 6
mixed media on canvas
MG Stout 2011
$100.00

Capped Off Capitol
mixed media on panel 
5 x 5
MG Stout 2011
SOLD

Calico Capitol
mixed media on canvas
6 x 6
MG Stout 2011
$100.00

Lincoln Chills
mixed media on canvas
10 x 10
MG Stout 2011
$125.00

When Cherry Blossoms Bloom
mixed media on canvas
10 x 10
MG Stout 2011
$125.00

Lincoln as BIG PAPA
mixed media on canvas
10 x 10
MG Stout 2011
$125.00

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
IF YOU COME TO THE WORKHOUSE or Contact me via this post 
You get 20% off the asking price!
Merry Monday.





 Liberty, Justice & Personal Responsibility
36 x 42 mixed media on canvas
MG Stout 2011

This commission was very challenging.  The painting had to include:

The White House
The World War II Memorial
The Capitol Building
 sentiment of Justice under God

A VERY BIG ORDER
 if I don't say so myself!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The Making of REAL Life Drawing: My Eye on the Philadelphia Mummers

 1. Get back stage access.

 2.  Watch the show.


3.  Prepare the materials.




4.  CAREFULLY, THOUGHTFULLY, ARTFULLY go thru about 2000 images and find the most interesting views of club. Then curate a visual parade including 4-6 images of each String Band.

5.  HAVE A COCKTAIL & review the chosen images yet again.

6.  Get to sketching.


7.  Paint the sketches with pastel.



8.  Write about each band and what inspired the painting.

9. Photograph all the images and send to publisher along with text.

10.  Wait for the proof (I should receive it by the end of this week)

STANDBY FOR FORTHCOMING EXHIBITION INFORMATION






Monday, October 24, 2011

Peek-A-Book (get it.. instead of boo, I wrote book)

Yup!  Lucky followers of my scribbles and squawks... I give you a tiny peek of the my upcoming exhibition and new book-
REAL life Drawing Series: My Eye on the Philadelphia Mummers
If you want to be completely surprised then
LOOK AWAY
NOW!
Remember this my friends,  all the new paintings are created on the Philadelphia Daily News.  The paper has been prepared with gesso, spattered with the primary colors, and then spray painted with neon stars to make them Mummer-rific!  

This is an image of a bear shitting in the woods.
GOTCHA 
It is actually the place to be New Years Day - Wall Street!
No seriously, if you don't know what this is then just scroll down to the next image.
Fu-get-a-bow-id?

South Philly Continues the Party!

I can't remember what I named this piece and I don't feel like going downstairs to find my image list.
You get the picture?  The mummers are the stars of our neighborhoods on New Years Day.

City Hall Soaking In all the Glamour of the Gala

Again peeps, I'm not certain of the title but if I tell you the name the mystery will be over.  I refuse to ruin it for you.

So very sleepy and surly.  My dog hurt his foot and I have to take him to the vet in the AM.  Not sure why I just shared that, but there you go.
xoxoxo

Thursday, October 20, 2011

This Summer

July, August and September are a blur.  The days escaped.  The nights were gobbled up. Change was all around me.  Studio 4 lost a boatload of amazing artists.  I moved into a new workspace (I know! Both of you are thinking, "change the f*@king record we are tired of this song" OKAY! is my response, but this was a BIG deal in my tiny little mind).  My daughter was transitioning to a new school.  My son's health was turning into a bloody episode of "Medical Mysteries"(the doctors still haven't given him a definitive diagnosis).  I totally douched the side of my husbands car and learned of a massive leak on the side of my house.  Meanwhile, I was painting a brand new series for ART OUT LOUD 2011 and driving to Philadelphia for meetings to discuss my partnership with the Philly Mummers String Band Association for another REAL Life Drawing Series and book. 
DRAMATIC PAUSE...
 ...Lost my camera in the studio move so that on my Irish expedition I was armed with only an iPhone. Toss in being guilt ridden over not posting on this blog & neglecting my blogging duties for Lorton Patch.  I returned to the states and shit my pants as the publisher's deadline for the new artwork and it's companion text was quickly approaching and I was running behind schedule!
   I'm pleased to reveal that I've finally caught up. 

For your viewing pleasure I'd like to share a few Irish scenes that caught my eye and will be interpreted onto canvas and the Irish Times... just as soon as I complete the remaining two commissions on my schedule.

 
Notice the fearsome look on the little dogs face.  He is tiny and seems to be suffering from a Napoleon Complex.  The Wolfhound is like, "dude, look at the size of me! Nobody is going to try and take our bone."  The little fella isn't as certain and stands watch.

 I just love this busted bridge.  It is a visual metaphor I will probably paint a hundred different ways.

The pattern of the carpet, the relaxed pose, and the empty pint captivated me.  I also really dug the way the light from the window that outlined his upper body.

The way the boats are leaning on each other and the brilliant blue of the center water vessel spoke to me.  The "V" composition of land and sea was what made me record the moment.

 I hate all pigeons, EXCEPT pigeons with character.  This chap looked like a street fighter.  He had such ATTITUDE.  I followed him around and shot a video...or so I thought.  Turns out when I turned the record button off I actually turned it on.  Now I am wild over two birds. The star of  Don't Let the Pigeon Ride the Bus and this guy.  Let's call him Fergus.  I think these two characters would make for a very beguiling book.  *note to self...get in touch with Mo Willems.

Anyone brave enough to sit down and sing will always grab my attention.  Plus I've always wanted to paint a guitarist free styling on the street.

The red building, the yellow panes, and the scrappy characters chatting.  I just need to omit the stupid trash bin.

This guy should be a model.  He was a large as a building and his feet and legs screamed PAINT ME!
So I'm gonna.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Mummers Materialize...See the Series

New Studio 405 - My new Space -
Set up for sketching

 Progress of sketches pinned with reference photos-
notice only 3 are complete

 The wall is slowly filling up

Okay now it is time to move to another wall

Both walls are brimming with sketches 
Now it is time to pastel

 Completed art works - wall A

Completed art works - wall B

Today the artwork is being photographed and sent to the publisher,
SUNBURY PRESS

Sample the COVER friends!



Moving Out...Onward & Upward



My old studio all cleaned up... 
 I spent three years of my life in this space.  Painting, sketching, writing, pacing.
 My voice was found between these walls and it was painful to say goodbye. 
Moving on has never been an issue for me, yet this change has been very difficult for me.  
Goodbye Studio 411.

Big and Boring

Star Struck Lincoln, Mixed Media on Canvas, 5ft x 6ft, MG Stout

I hate, HatE, HATE this painting.  Don't get me wrong it has some very interesting elements.  When  broken down into smaller parts it works.  The problem is our eyes do not read it as a sum of interesting parts, but a BIG BORING BUNCH of VERTICALS.
This painting has thwarted me since day one.  It sits at the end of the hallway in building 4 of the Workhouse Arts Center.  I flip it off every time I walk by it.  I am actually getting angry just looking at it in this post.  Expletives are screaming through my head at such a high volume I can hardly focus on what want to say!  
Let me lay it out for ya... I am painting over this lame ass building.  "Don't do it," you implore!  TOUGH! is my reply.  I've given it ample time to grow on me or to find a solution to make it worthy of living to see another day.  When I get into the studio today I'll be tossing paint right in its big stupid toothy face.
GRRRRRRR!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

What is ART OUT LOUD 2011?


Art Out Loud 2011
by MG Stout & Allen Pryor

The Art Out Loud event that took place last fall introduced the community to an alternative, interactive art exhibition. Resident Artist, MG Stout and Big Green Cherry (BGC), a local indie rock band united to create an exciting multi-media art show. Music and Art: a pairing almost as perfect as peanut butter & chocolate!  Songs echoed and enriched the expressionistic pastels, while the images illustrated inspired lyrics.  The show was built upon MGS’s latest series  REAL Life Drawing: My Eye on Washington DC, that was translated into a book by Sunbury Press and corresponded with it’s release.

MGS says of her recent work, “I needed to get out of my studio (and my head) to connect with the outside world so that people might actually be able to participate with the imagery.  My next requirement was to find a material that was easy to travel with and would somehow connect with my subject.  Enter my a-ha moment - NEWSPAPER! The Washington Post directly related to my subject: daily life in the District of Columbia.  It was the perfect choice as it would be conversant with the images I wanted to create.  Goosebumps ran down my arm and I knew that I was on the right track.”

It is no mystery why the leader of BGC, Edd Welsh, and MGS partnered for the event.  BGC’s music is a blend of subtle nuances and edgy interpretation of the lives we live.  Their style of music was a perfect match for the art on hand.

MGS shared the inspiration of selected pieces while BGC set the mood with a symbiotic musical tempo.  The result was a finer appreciation for Mary’s art and a deeper connection between the artist and audience consecrated by musical anchors.   Then the microphone was turned over to BGC.  MGS set up her easel stage right and began sketching live!
Drawing from the energy of the crowd, as well as the band, Mary captured the ambience in her very raw and special way.  The entire process was streamed live and projected on a large screen for all to see.   
When MGS was not on stage a video documentary of the locations and her creative process rolled as the band rocked electrifying sets to an energized audience. (for 2011 the feed will be on her canvas on so everyone can see a painting being born!)

This year Art Out Loud is going to be even bigger!  The entertainment roster has been tripled!  Performances include new music by Starryville, a homegrown alt-rock favorite with a huge following. There will be an acoustic set by Thrive, a rising singer/songwriter duo, and of course Big Green Cherry will get their rock on!  One of the biggest treats of the evening will be introducing Northern VA to the artists latest muse: The Philadelphia Mummers Woodland String Band.  They will be in full costume and will perform classics from Billy Joel and other favorites.   While the music plays,  MGS will be stage right creating artwork right before your eyes.

Her latest series, Endangered Species, will be on exhibit and the audience will get a sneak peek of images to be published in her upcoming book:  REAL Life Drawing, My Eye on the Philadelphia Mummers, which is scheduled for release later this year.
Guests will be able to enjoy Uncle Fred's BBQ and there will certainly be a cash bar. 

Art Out Loud is blend of visual and musical works that celebrate community and the value of the Arts in our lives.  On July 16, 2011 you’ll find MGS seizing the moment with brilliant colors, buttery lines and playful banter, while the bands perform their hearts out.  So save the date...
I Promise Polar Bear, 36x36, mixed media on canvas by MG Stout SOLD
Endangered Species Series:  Art Out Loud 2011

This is one FREE concert that you don't want to miss!