Author Archives: admin

January 21, 2020

I hope all of you can join us for an artist’s reception at The Myrna Loy Center in Helena, Montana this Friday from 5:30 ’til 7:00!  My artist daughter Sarsten and I are honored with a two person exhibit through the end of February.  Looking at the paintings for the show I was struck by our similar color sensibility.  Even though our subject matter is very dissimilar, and we work in different mediums, there is a common thread.

The bond of color is a strong one!

Let’s keep in touch,

Marshall

January 14, 2020

I was riding up the chairlift on Sunday morning with an architect friend of mine from Minnesota. He mentioned that he had been looking at my work, and that my color combinations reminded him of a book he had read in college, Josef Albers’ Color Interaction. I confessed that I steal frequently and unrepentantly from Albers! His work on color never fails to inspire me. If a painting is “stuck” and I think color might be the issue, I look to Albers’ book for what is, for me, almost divine guidance.

There are only a handful of books I believe belong on every artist’s shelf. This is one of those. You will never see color the same way again.

Let’s keep in touch,

Marshall

January 7, 2020

Today I’m driving to Helena to deliver work to The Myrna Loy Center where Sarsten and I have an exhibition opening. Mark your calendar for the artists reception from 5:30-7 on Friday, January 24th.

It seems fitting since we presented Storyhill in concert at Montana Modern Fine Art last month, that this month we show visual art at the region’s premiere performing art venue!

Let’s keep in touch,

Marshall

December 31, 2019

Apparently the first order of business in 2020 is ordering paint!

Can anyone tell me why all the good colors run out so quickly? Cadmium Yellow, Perylene Red,  and Quinacridone Magenta disappear before my very eyes.  But a 150ml tube of say, Terre Ercolano, or Nickel Azo Yellow, or Magnesium Ferrite, looks like it will last me a lifetime. It is a mystery.

Let’s keep in touch,

Marshall

December 17, 2019

We’re only a few days away from the longest night of the year!  And I’m wondering if the shorter days are having an effect on my choice of colors?  All I know for certain is that I’m deeply engaged in painting with pale, light colors that are thoroughly uncharacteristic of my work!  Seeking the light perhaps?

Maybe I’ll just have to pay homage to my pagan Norse forebears and drink some grog, eat some yulekake, and light a big bonfire!

La oss holde kontakten,

Marshall

December 10, 2019

I had a wonderful evening last Saturday when my old friends Chris Cunningham and John Hermanson came to Kalispell.  If you don’t already know their group Storyhill, you need to check them out.  They’re on the road in celebration of 30 years of making music together!  I’m happy they still come to our town to play for what is certainly the smallest, but maybe the most enthusiastic audience on their tour!

This is the first time we’ve presented them IN the gallery.  The guys sounded great!  It was a memorable sold out show for the 90 lucky ticket holders we managed to shoehorn into the gallery.  Maybe Montana Modern Fine Art is the newest performing arts venue in downtown Kalispell!

Let’s keep in touch,

Marshall

December 3, 2019

I’m enthralled with the effect of bright colors emerging from behind shades of gray.  Is it possible the intensity of high chroma increases when adjacent to mid value neutral colors?

It appears so.  This is highly esoteric, but for some reason important to me.  And quite probably to me only!

Anyway, I’m currently in love with gray.  I’d love to hear what you think.

Let’s keep in touch,

Marshall

November 26, 2019

I’ve been moving out of my comfort zone recently.  Instead of reaching for the perylene red or dioxazine purple I’ve been going for payne’s grey, portland cool grey, and a tube of ancient Daniel Smith oil called “moonglow.” Who names these colors anyway?

I’m not forsaking big, high noon colors entirely, as you can see, but the twilight shades of grey are finding a comfortable spot on my canvasses. I like it!

Let’s keep in touch,

Marshall

November 19, 2019

I realize it’s been quite a while since I’ve mentioned anything about my life outside my studio.  So here’s what I’m thinking about these days.  (Other than how quinacridone violet looks next to cadmium red light, that is.)

Fall is over, winter is near, and it’s time to fire up the ski wax iron and get out the edge files! We’ve had snow off and on for a while now and the lifts on Big Mountain start running in just three weeks.  But before then I’ll probably skin up to the top for one run down a time or two, if we get the white stuff.

In years past we ski fanatics have been known to sacrifice virgins (of either gender) in hope of receiving the gifts of the benevolent snow gods.  But these days most of us just pray for snow!

Let’s keep in touch,

Marshall

November 12, 2019

Sometimes the choice is obvious and sometimes the decision requires some searching. At times like this I find it helpful to have plenty of options readily available. The challenge then becomes remaining decisive, going with your instinct, and remaining true to your vision.

Do I have precisely the right color?  Yes I believe I do!  It’s one of these 525 pastels.

Let’s keep in touch,

Marshall