I have a couple of things to share with you all. First, to everyone who didn’t jump off my email list a year ago when my first Substack post was emailed on March 13, 2023, I want to tell you how much I appreciate your sticking with me. I started strong, and hit a nice stride for three quarters of the last year. My apologies for not keeping up the pace. No excuses, that’s just how it worked out. You should have noticed that I have paused all paid subscriptions, with no intention of unpausing them, so that the entire year’s worth of my posts, including demo videos, are free to anyone who wants to read or view them. Anyone who contributed financially by the month, or with an annual subscription, thank you. You should not be seeing any charges from your method of payment any longer. If you subscribed for the year, all I can say is that you will continue to get the same information (when I get it out there) as before, but now it’s free. Hopefully you feel that what you’ve received so far has been a fair return for the money you’ve spent. Thank you for the support.
My reason for turning this back into a free platform, is that I realized that while I like to share, I like to share with anyone who has enough interest to partake. I feel fortunate that anyone would even want to take the time to read or watch anything I have to share! I’m grateful that you are there. Making it unavailable because of a paywall started to seem off putting to me.
Why such a long pause in posts? There has been a lot going on that has required my full attention. Let me just say that it mostly has to do with the painting projects that I have committed myself to recently, and the time it takes to get that work done.
Recently, I was thinking about the years that I have behind me as a painter. I began painting “full time”, as we used to call it, in 1983! I did the math and hate to post that number because it’s a big one. Okay, 41 years ago! It was sort of a gradual event over a period of about 6 years. I had been working some as an illustrator on various illustration jobs following my training at Art Center College of Design, and I spent a lot of time working as a picture framer in frame shops, and tending bar to make ends meet. Then I landed a job illustrating part of a book that ended up opening the door to my working as a full time artist! I was in heaven. In 1982 I was one of 10 artists commissioned by the National Geographic Society to illustrate for their publication, ‘Field Guide to North American Birds’, published in 1983. I illustrated 12 pages, including the pelagic birds, and rails, coots, gallinules and limpkins. It was a full year of work that allowed me to devote my days, and many nights, to the work required. I’ve painted full time since then. Although it is not, and has never been easy (that’s a huge understatement), I feel very lucky to have been able to muddle my way through the last 41 years while maintaining life as a full time painter.
I complain often about the state of our planet, and of our society. But I have never complained about, or discounted, having the good fortune to live life as a painter! In fact, in reality, I don’t feel worthy of this life, and am not always sure how or why I’m still here working away at it today. If I had to answer that question of how and why, I would say that I am irreversibly devoted to being a painter with all of its idiosyncrasies, challenges, highs and lows. I cannot imagine getting to this place, without complete Devotion to it.
This leads me to the work that I will be showing in our upcoming exhibition, and am sharing here. Our show is called “Devotion”, and opens at Camellia Art in Bluffton, SC on March 28th. If you are in the area then, please stop by to say “Hi”. If not, you can visit the link above to see all of the work. Both Dottie T. Leatherwoods’ and my work is concentrated around our love for the lowcountry, hers by birth, and now my home. In my short time here, I’ve come to feel a deep commitment to its survival, and to working to keep it free from being destroyed and ruined by more exploitation. It is the largest area of tidal salt marsh, and maritime forest, left on the Atlantic coast of North America. It’s grandeur fascinates my sense of space, and what it means to be alive, it’s history touches my heart, it’s beauty stimulates me visually, making it a driving force in my work. Hopefully sharing my love for this area, through the medium of painting, will encourage others to show a deeper appreciation for it’s care and safe keeping as well. I hope you enjoy.
Happy St. Patty’s Day,
☘️Marc
Keep your brushes wet!
Beautiful work, and very inspiring (as always), Marc!
Hi Marc. while I didn’t pay, I have continued to subscribe. I’m happy to hear that you and Dottie have ample painting opportunities. For career artists, those must take priority. I’m astounded at how beautiful you make acrylic look! I’m also delighted to know that your collectors don’t distinguish between oil and acrylic. Thank you for taking the time to write a bit about your history and for being honest about the last year. I hope you and Dottie have a meaningful and prosperous 2024. I’ll continue to subscribe to your newsletter.