She's my Shadow.... and my “shadow” side.
Shadow teaches me what I need
to learn about myself that I can't always see.
Sometimes I see my fear, frustration or impatience...
On other days I see the Love and Perfection in everything!
My relationship with her is a reflection
of my relationship with myself and my world.
She is an awesome gift of Light, Awareness & Joy!
my horse... my best friend... Shadow is....
~ AnneMarie Lewis

I just finished painting Me and My Shadow a 30 x 40 Oil and Resin on Panel, commissioned for AnneMarie Lewis as a gift to her family and herself. My intention was to capture the emotional bond between her and Shadow, as well as show the beauty and wisdom AnneMarie possesses. The bond between her and Shadow is so insightful, and a painting that reflects it will be a poignant and enduring testament.

As the “Me and My Shadow” painting suggests, my focus of late has been on portraiture. January has proven a busy month for me, as February is proving to be as well. I recently was commissioned to produce a series of portraits, and will fill you in at a later date about this exciting venture.

Should you be considering the commissioning of a portrait of a family member, business colleague, a beloved pet – or even yourself – I'd welcome hearing from you. I offer a range of options, from a charcoal sketch to a refined oil painting.

Parallel: Continuing a resemblance through many particulars. Worlds: All that exists; everything.

Bringing my Parallel Worlds installation to fruition in August 2011 entailed more than 6 months of physical work and a half century of emotional and spiritual growth. Now, upon entering New Year 2012, seems an appropriate time to introduce it to you - partly because the holidays have been a sabbatical for me, and partly because while I'm embarking on several new works, I cannot stress enough that the creative cycle, including essential downtime, is what we all need for renewal.

Parallel Worlds is my symbolic interpretation of 13 feminine archetypes in each of us as a whole. The symbols are accompanied with prose that illuminates the archetype panels. Each panel is created with a mixed medium on hardwood. Turquoise, silver, onyx, moonstone and gold powder are embedded and richly painted in layers of matte relief encaustic wax, contrasted by high-gloss resin. The final installation as a unit is 82" x 48" x 4". You must see it in actuality, as photography cannot begin to convey the emotion, depth, texture or power it evokes.

I was inspired many years ago to depict symbolically the stages in our lives, as simply as I could. The “problem,” however, was that I first needed to experience these various stages. So that's why I refer to Parallel Worlds as a “life's work” - and one that is very much still in progress.

Whatever your tradition and faith, you are recognized, respected and honored. I wish every one of you a joyous, peaceful and light-filled season.

This week, as many of us celebrate the cherished tradition of Christmas, I am taking time out to enjoy spending time with my family. For me personally, Christmas is a celebration of the Christ Light inside of each and every heart. How bright can we shine? The light of Christmas permeates the darkness. The greater the love reflected of our hearts, the lighter the world.

We in western Minnesota have been blessed with the mildest December weather in decades, and I am embracing the outdoors while it continues. This has been inspiring for me as I watch and listen to thousands of Canadian and snow geese migrate overhead, with a near-deafening sound. What amazes me most is how the lake has frozen over into a glistening mirror, which appears on fire as the sun dances across. In fact, it doesn't even look frozen, except for the occasional fish house perched out there as if floating. The days consist of deep azure-blue skies, brilliant sunny-yellow reflections – and for the sunrises and sunsets, the most spectacular array imaginable. The Upper Midwest I recall from my childhood usually whitewashed shades of gray by this time of the season. But not this year! Breathing in the drama, I feel as if I am back in Santa Fe. Someone painted the world! I love it. Wouldn't it be great if we could all paint our worlds? Why not? I believe we can, as we choose the colors in which we see. And, the energy of the colors fills our hearts with joy. Could it be that I have only lifted a veil and nothing has changed but my perception?

The past two weeks have been ablaze with the launch of the Fire Within™ website. The pendants are spreading out like wildfire, and great things are on the horizon with the line. Be sure to receive a positive daily affirmation on Twitter or Facebook. My genuine thanks to you for your generous support and interest.

As I promised in my last message to you, I'm sharing here the full-color rendition of Laura's Portraiture. She is ready for framing, as you can see. I wanted to capture the very essence of this beautiful young woman.

Until next time, have a very pleasant holiday and keep in touch. I want to hear from you. How can you add light to your life and ultimately the world? Open the package and let your light shine every day. Happy Holidays!

Driven by a love of ethereal and organic nature, I draw inspiration from my belief in the healing power of an Inner Light within each of us. This has long been the impetus for my personal transformation and, as a result, my refinement as an artist. Learning through conscious contact with the Divine has given me the strength and fortitude to transform my life and reflect that to the world.

Anyone creating any form of art undoubtedly has been involved in the process of “eliminating the clutter.” I believe doing so is a necessary element of personal evolvement. My process of creating usually has been to gather all the information . . . sift it . . . sort it . . . and delete parts of it, retaining only the core essence that holds the DNA of genius. That sounds good, yet it is painstakingly time consuming and just plain hard work. Art is a gift from the heart – for the artist and for the world. We are all artists, because to be labeled an “artist” is not about creating a painting. No. An artist is someone who lives his or her life in graciousness, no matter what their particular gift to the world may be. Art is an expression of the passion within each of us, and it is manifested in as many ways as there are fingerprints. Yes, we are blessed to be in the company of masterpieces. But this does not define an artist, it reflects the artist. The door is open for each of us to access the Source of our essence directly, eliminating the need to sort through the clutter.

This year, I have been involved in producing a new universal icon representing this very concept. When I ask the Divine for guidance, I receive a response almost before my question has had time to be expressed. The messages I receive are always in the form of an image, an icon, visions and words – a signal directing me to learn and grow deeper, to become even clearer about my soul's purpose.

About a year ago, I was struggling with a personal challenge – as we all do when we hold on to an old idea that isn't working for us – and I needed a miracle. My belief is that the miracle is within us, never outside us. I needed to cleanse myself of the limitation holding me back. A vision at around 4:00 a.m. on a cold January morning awakened me with absolute clarity – one that didn't need any refinement because it was perfect just the way it came to me. It literally took me all of about 10 seconds to sketch, and I sculpted it the same day. That was the pure beauty of it. The process was so divinely orchestrated as I didn't, for a change, get in my own way. To me, that affirmed the absolute perfection of this design. And that's how Embrace the Fire Within™ was born.

This vision was of an icon of enduring affirmation, for me to wear next to my heart (as that was from whence it came), reminding me of the burning desire within my soul. It was something tangible that I could actually feel, touch, admire the beauty of, affirm commitment with, and to share with others. I needed a constant reminder to focus on in order to correct the issue at hand, to move through it. This was about me. My lesson. My work. But it was also about you and your own journey toward peace and joy.

Embrace The Fire Within™ is a movement, a process to help each of us access our own inner strength. This flame symbolizes our very essence, light, healing energy, heart and strength, balance, passion, intent, Spirit, life force and the uplifting power of regeneration.

In early 2011 I partnered with two other passionate and creative women to ignite and shape this movement. After a months-long process, we have just introduced the Fire Within™ pendant pictured here. This sterling silver pendant is manufactured and hand-polished right here in the USA. It is meant to be a universal icon, representing the empowering capacity within each of us. It invites both vision and touch – a tactile, comforting affirmation.

In our role as fire-keepers, we plan to offer this and future products as physical reminders for all to adopt a positive, affirming lifestyle that strives for balance, joy, peace and good health. Watch the Fire Spread and feel its warmth!

I invite you to visit embracethefirewithin.com for more information. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well for daily affirmations and updates.

Happy Thanksgiving! My art is forever evolving, as do the seasons. This, I call the state of grace. It is a lifestyle, not merely a holiday.

As I watch the snowball-size snowflakes pelt the ground today, I feel gratitude inside. Anyone who knows me well understands that I am not a “winter” person. This begins the season with its pristine, fresh, clean, bright, white... excuse me... six months of bitter cold Minnesota weather :) But I am grateful, because it is a privilege to work in a lovely warm studio where my dear cats are glued to my side. When I dare lift my eyes from the canvas, I gaze out the window overlooking a beautiful lake, or curl up by the fire for a retreat. We have winterized the yard, which included taking in the dock as well as our lovely gazebo, where I painted nearly all summer, taking respite daily in the cool, clear water.

This week, I am privileged to have a lovely live model to sketch, photograph and paint for a new portrait series of the feminine – an avenue I have been pondering for years. Early on in my career, I was trained to draw from life, seeing higher truths of what is actually in front of me. More important, however, was to feel the emotion emanating from the subject. I incorporate photographs as well, when under time constraints or when a model is not available for studio time.

Included here is a sketch – the beginning of this series. Watch for the evolution as each painting manifests. It has been decades since I have worked professionally on portraits, as I sat in malls and at corporate shows, pumping out hundreds of portraits and caricatures. Somewhere along the line, I lost interest and transitioned into other themes. But today, I am excited to pursue with fervor this age-old profession – the expression of beauty, grace and passion of the flesh and blood of our humanity. I call this endeavor the “Poetry of the Feminine.”

It is with heartfelt gratitude that I write to you today. Thanksgiving Day is filled with amazing food, great company, laughter and occasionally some tears. All sorts of events come and go each year, but it is my sincere wish is that the world can begin learning how to live in grace every moment, remembering all there is to be grateful for, lifting the energy of the planet in a positive vibration, replacing fear-based attitudes with love and acceptance.

I have so many things to be grateful for on this Thanksgiving Day 2011. What a concept! What a feeling of exuberance! I am very blessed to share life with my immediate family: my constant flame- my loving and honorable husband, my talented daughter, gracious parents, my sister and brother and their families, my stepchildren and fabulous grandchildren. Thank you, family – and thank you, friends – for enriching my life and filling it with abundant joy.

I see it in the flicker of fire, ripples on the lake, leaves dancing in the wind, and the eyes of every sentient being – that thing called Muse. Spirit. Passion. Life. It is all the same to me.

Were I to describe my style of work, I'd say I enter a “liquid pool of consciousness” where the inner flame is wild and unbridled. Colors are music, and music is color. Everything is alive, richly and vividly dancing, interchanging and interdependent of each other.

OK, I am a light worker in multi-dimension. Does that describe me? I laugh and sing when I am painting. I sculpt so fast, I can hardly keep up with my hands as the feeling of the clay comes alive. The same is true when working with wax, designing small, intricate jewelry.

My chosen mediums are oils, wax, clays and resins. The tactile sensation invites me into the medium to play, explore and scream with an adrenalin-infused “Yes!” at the marvel of a stroke that “I” didn't plan or execute on my own. I ask, “Who did that?”

What amazes me is that it's as natural to work in three or more dimensions as it is for me to breathe. I'm able to see a form in the “micro” as easily as in the “macro.”

When asked what medium I prefer, or what am I working on these days, my response is always the same: Whatever speaks to me in the moment. Transitioning from a career in design, illustration and product development into what I call “my world of the finer arts” has been a journey of simplifying: narrowing down and discovering what it really ignites my fire. This is where I am so drawn to natural yet spiritual form.

Currently, I am so drawn to horses. They are my teachers in many ways. To me, they reflect perfection, beauty, honesty, integrity, loyalty, freedom and grace. Whether I am painting or sculpting a horse, every sense is awake, alive with passion, a satisfaction purely euphoric as I feel the muscles, smell the breath and love the very essence of these animals magnificent.

This past week, I completed Radiant Splendor – a 22” x 28” oil and resin on hardwood panel. I added this to my stable of Monarch and Epona.

Who is Marcella Rose?

I've always known I wanted to be an artist – even before I was old enough to understand all that entailed. (Maybe it started with my childhood love of coloring books – always drawing outside the lines, of course!) Melding passion and beauty to create artistic gifts for others to enjoy has been my perennial mantra.

The Minnesota farm where I grew up inspired me on a daily basis. I spent countless hours outdoors – in every season – observing and engaging the world in which I lived. Whether through the rich color of a summer sunset or the stark whiteness of a winter morning; through the inhaled aroma of fresh-turned spring earth or the soft fur of a kitten in autumn, I embraced the beauty around me. It all provided the foundation for a lifelong passion for beauty that endures and flourishes today.

Of course, “making a living” does not always square with that for which we have the most passion. Like many others, I spent years working for someone else – large corporations in some instances. But it was still art. I did everything from designing national award-winning billboards to developing home decor products for Hollywood movie studios. That career took me to Arizona, Missouri, Washington and New Mexico.

Through it all, though, I knew my heart, my true purpose, lay elsewhere. Now I am answering its call. I'm happily absorbed in producing fine art – mixed media painting, sculpting and designing jewelry. I've never been short on inspiration, but living with my husband on a beautiful lake back in my home state of Minnesota has refreshed my soul and replenished me.

My painting of late has encompassed both the natural and the abstract. The former includes several majestic horses, a powerful longhorn steer, a mighty bison – and a beautiful pelican, reflective of my current surroundings. In the abstract realm, I've completed “Parallel Worlds,” an empowering piece symbolizing the 13 feminine archetypes. I'm also very proud of “Transcending Duality,” a multi-dimensional piece that speaks to our oneness with the universe.

Recently, I've created a series titled “Madonnas: Reflections of a Divine Child.” (shown to the left) It's an interactive approach to art, with a mirror reflection of the viewer's own face, reminding and affirming that he/she, too, is a child of the Divine.

Also of note is the new “Before The Dawn,” a richly colored nude study.

The creative fire within me is more powerful than ever, and I can't wait to see what's coming next!