Category: Uncategorized

Reconsidering 2020 & the Challenges!

Life is full of challenges! Over the last year we have all had to move outside our comfort zones. Doing things differently and thinking in a different way are not always a bad thing.

Lovely Lady | 12″x9″ | oil on board | $420

Like me I am sure your usual schedule for the day has been run over by a truck and thrown to the wind! Instead of feeling lost and without a schedule come up with a new one. You may be surprised how much better it works for you and your family. Working from home in my studio is something that I have done for many years. I always felt it gave me the best of both worlds. I am able to take a walk, throw a load of laundry in and enjoy lunch on my own front porch if and when I choose. The one thing I don’t have is kids at home during this time. I realize this element changes things greatly especially if you were to be educator as well during this time. While taking over the enormous role of teacher many may be realizing that the teacher wasn’t the problem after all…I know it can be hard to believe as a parent. I have been there myself not that long ago.

There are challenges that arise from working at home but you are the one that gets to figure out how to fix them. Where are you going to work that you can have the desired atmosphere to most efficiently do your job? Also it isn’t a “play for free card”, it simply allows you to do things in the order you choose. As long as the work gets done you can do it in any order you choose and at any time you choose. I find myself working more than eight hours a day as I love what I do. You may find the same thing happening to you. Working more hours also happens due to the lack of interruptions that you would normally get in the office.

Repair of a Broken Heart | 12″x9″ | oil on board | $420

Much of my inspiration comes from the land and what it produces. I’ve painted everything from mushrooms and flowers to landscapes and crumbling homes from years gone by. Growing up in the Hawkeye state of Iowa, I spent many days playing in creeks, fields, barns and the great outdoors. To this day I find the outdoors to be the most inspirational and healing. We were very fortunate to have this time of quarantine begin in the Spring! I took many walks and spent much time watching flowers bloom and the countryside come to life as it turned from green to once again burnt oranges and warm yellows. The virus hasn’t stopped any of the beautiful plants, flowers or trees from delivering their comfort and reassurance that everything will be okay.

Some day soon our lives will return to a new kind of normal after this all over. Part of what I have been doing during this time is spending time in discovery taking a class and working with an amazing coach that has opened my mind to a new way of using color and a new way of painting. Abstract paintings are something that I never thought I’d do, but after taking an enticing class at the Burren College of Art in Ballyvaughn, Ireland my curiosity was peaked. I love the idea of my paintings leaving a bit more for the viewer to interpret themselves. With my curiosity being stirred and ripe I turned to another yet another abstract class that just happened to during this time of quarantine. What an amazing stroke of luck! It was just what I needed to give me something exciting to look forward to each week. The class that I took was with the wonderful Gwen Fox. I just had no idea how much I would enjoy and learn from her online class.

Dare to Dream | 12″x9″ | oil on board | $420

Gwen has done an amazing job of encouraging me to look outside my comfortable box. I have discovered just how many colors can be created with just five simple colors and this I found absolutely fascinating while just playing with paint! Color is something that I have ALWAYS loved.

Painting abstracts may or may not be my calling but I sure have had a time of discovery opening that box and spending time there to find out.

Tell me what new box have you opened during this time

and have you enjoyed it? Will it be sticking around for 2021?

“NATURE’S GIFTS” | New Series for Holiday Giving!

Margaret Dukeman has joined the Artists Sunday movement!

Join me for Artists Sunday on November 29th!

It’s like Black Friday or Small Business Saturday all rolled into one for ART!

Each of the pieces has been gold, silver or copper-leafed on the edges for a frameless option!

Give something special, unique and hand-crafted this holiday season! Plus, by shopping with artist you’re also supporting the local economy. Join me on November 29, 2020 for Artists Sunday, by gifting and shopping art to support the artists you love.

Beautiful, original ART from Artists around the country for those extra special people on your list!

MargaretDukeman.com

To prepare for the big day, I have created a new series of work called “Nature’s Gifts” on 6″x 12″x .5″ boards featuring my love of the garden and all that the land provides us. Each of these stunning pieces has an either silver, gold or copper-leafed edges so that you can forgo framing and keep it simple or frame it later if you like. These flowers and colors are sure to warm you over the cold winter season. They will bring Summer to the side table or mantle for your favorite gardener or plant lover. I am giving a 20% discount on these pieces Friday, 28th – Monday, 30th. Simply enter the code ARTISTSSUNDAY2020 when checking out in my Etsy Shop online or message me for personal help in making a purchase. As a bonus there is also gift wrap on every purchase (when requested in the notes of the purchase) and free shipping within the continental United States and $25 for International. So order early and know that your gift is on its way to your recipient or yourself. Make it easy!

Check them out early as they are one-of-a-kind and I have only a limited number of these beauties available. A great way to share with those asking “What can I get you for Christmas” is to create a shareable wishlist using one of these tools. Then send it out to your family and friends. Be sure to include your favorite pieces from my collection!

Make your gift as unique as the person you are shopping for. Don’t miss out on the painting of your choice by waiting as these pieces are absolutely one-of-a-kind and limited in number!

If you’d like to schedule a personal zoom call for shopping or a personal studio visit please message me at: MargaretDukeman@gmail.com

2020 Echoes Through Art

As we all know this is no normal year…2020 seems to have its own plans for us.!

On a “normal” year I’d have spent 6-8 weeks in Ireland both walking in the tracks of my ancestors, having a solo exhibition and collecting new images and material for the upcoming years work.

Since an Ireland adventure wasn’t going to happen this year and with 2020 being an adventure all its own, I decided to reach out to people on my street and across the states to collaborate on paintings.  Like everyone else I was feeling lonely and a bit lost as to how to make the most of this strange time. 

I wanted to put words to my feelings and I thought if I did, others probably wanted to as well.  Being a graphic designers I loved the idea of incorporating a background of words that helped us define this year for now and years to come with a piece of artwork.  Not that anyone will be forgetting this year any time soon I’m sure!

While creating the painting it is important to me that the majority of the words show through the painting.  I spend a lot of time looking at the words and translating their feelings to images and colors.  Sometimes the individual adds a drawing and that is incorporated with what I develop as well.  Each piece has been incredibly unique while at the same time echoing similar challenges.

The echoes in each piece definitely have overlaps as each collaborator puts forth their personal trials.  College students, Parents, Teachers, Small Business Owners, you name it they each have their trials as well as their friends and families challenges which create a plethora of mixed feelings.

My hope would be to bring a bit of comfort and a distant hug to the collaborator by combining their words and my art.

“Everything You’ve Ever Wanted Is On The Other Side Of Fear.”

George Addair

Uncomfortable = Growth

Using uncomfortable situations for growth both artistically and personally.

Who would choose to be uncomfortable?

Making it Through the Tough Times | 12×9 | $420

I agree that it is usually the last place anyone would want or choose to go. However, with challenges we also open ourselves up to growth. It isn’t the easy kind where you simply try a new food and you like it or you don’t. It is more the really tough kind where you are out of your elements and every thing you try is new, hard and unsettling. NOT A FUN PLACE TO BE…RIGHT?!?!

Well, think about it this way…

…if you want to grow you should seek out to new things to try. Do you remember encouraging a small child that starting school would be fun? As adults we need to remember to encourage ourselves to jump out of our everyday routine and grow. Without it we are wasting a life that is meant to be lived to the fullest. I don’t think anyone on their dying bed said “Just why did I climb that mountain just to see the vast world beyond!”. Quite to the contrary I think we will wish we hadn’t spent so much time worrying about things that truly don’t matter or yearning for things that were simply materialistic and didn’t enrich our lives at all.

Looking for Direction | 12″x16″ |$560

Okay, enough of that as I am not a therapist, but an artist. The whole point of this is to tell you that I am deliberately putting myself in one of those uncomfortable situation…on purpose!

HOW EXCITING!

Doing Time on Whiskey River | 20″x10″ | $600

That’s right I said exciting as I am so looking forward to the growth both as an artist and simply as a person.  This time last year I was taking an abstract painting class taught by talented artist Rita Wobbe at the Burren College of Art, in Ballyvaughn, Ireland.  This was a very challenging class as my work has never been described as abstract. I found it both instructional and an incredible opportunity to grow my art.  To continue expanding my art I enrolled in another abstract painting class, this one with artist Gwen Fox.   Once the class had completed I knew I wanted more…I had grown and wanted to continue growing!   I decided that this was the perfect year, with being quarantined and longing for growth, to spend time really developing my voice as an artist so I signed up for art coaching with Gwen.

If you’d like to follow my progress and growth over this next year join me on my Instagram and Facebook pages.  Amazing new creations will derive from this time in an uncomfortable position!  I encourage you to use these unusual time to expand yourself as well.

What uncomfortable position are you going to put yourself in to grow?                                

Bogs Are Like Pages of History

Treasures and inspiration are found in these layers of history that bring warmth and a distinct aroma to a cold, rainy evening in Ireland.

Many time I get asked travel questions about Ireland. When it comes to where to stay I always quickly respond with a local BnB. My reasons for this are always that you are getting to know those who know Ireland best…they were born and raised there. A favorite stay of mine was in Tipperary at a BnB called Old Farm hosted by Margaret & Alfie McCaffrey.

While spending a few days, Alfie took me to visit several local sites, foraging for mushrooms and answered absolutely any question this American Artist could come up with, in regards to Ireland and her ancestors.  I have to say one of my favorite sites was the Redwood Bog.  While walking the bog Alfie explained the process of owning part of the bog, harvesting turf, what makes the bog and the different plants that were in the bog.

Being a gardener I was totally attracted to several of the plants.  One of the plants that really caught my eye is the bog asphodel.  This plant produces spikes of beautiful bright yellow flowers in the Summer and the foliage turns a stunning burnt rust in the Fall.  This rusty orange color plays off beautifully against the lavender heather that also grows in the bog.  So if you can imagine the two colors together it will quite literally make you stop your car to take a look!  Along with these plants are also the bog cotton.  It is as its name would imply a plant which appears as a wispy boll of cotton.  When you see this plant there will be wetland and acidic soil beneath.

“A Walk in the Bog” | 14×11 | oil on board | SOLD

These waterlogged, nutrient rich patches of land are layers and layers of plant material that have decomposed over years and years of time.  It creates an entire ecosystem for wildlife and plants which has been a source of fuel for the residence for many years.  Between the layers of the bog are the stories of time.

The remains of animals and humans have been discovered, along with swords, ornaments, bog oak and many other wonderful gems can be found accidentally deposited over the years  in the bogs. Due to the properties of Sphagnum moss in the bogs, which has preservatives built into it’s cells, whatever dies or is covered in it will decay much more slowly and therefore have many more stories to tell of the past when discovered.

Bog Asphedol and Heather

I have found the bogs to be inspirational because of their history, intense beauty and significance to the people of Ireland over the years.  If you make it to Ireland please take the time to walk and discover these pieces of ground steeped in history and significance throughout the West and midlands of Ireland.

While on the Beara Don’t Forget to Take the R575!

Hugging the Coast this Road won’t Disappoint!

One of my favorite roads in all of Ireland is probably the curviest and trickiest of those for a first time driver. However the rewards are huge and well worth the nail biting time for the driver or backseat driver. This road between Allihies and Eyeries hugs the coast and gives jaw-dropping views across Coulagh Bay to Kerry. One of the delightful differences of this drive over the Ring of Kerry is the lack of the large tourist buses. The Ring of Beara is both quaint, quiet and all that you are hoping for in a trip to Ireland. I may be just a slight bit partial as this is where my ancestors came from and I can see their faces in the locals and hear their voices in the stories that are told.

As you start winding your way on this gorgeous drive you will see so many stunning views. Just remember to stay on your side (that would be the left) of the road as you lose yourself in the views. Drive it slow and take your time. Make sure to notice pullovers as these allow you to let locals and others to get by so you can travel slow and still see everything there is to take in on this amazing adventure. On this stretch you will get glimpses of Dursey Island, along with the bull, the cow and the calf, three small islands off the end of the peninsula. Take time to get out and walk as you will see so much more and feel the beautiful sea breezes on your face.

As you take a steep ascent along this winding road you will come to the peak of the mountain. From here I’d suggest you pullover just to see what you can see…okay I always have to get a picture from this spot as well. On a beautiful clear day you can see the Iveragh peninsulas, better known as the Ring of Kerry while looking to the north. As you are looking across the countryside you will also want to noticed the amazing weathered fence posts and the way they lead your eye through the landscapes. These gray “soldiers” appear to guard the roadsides and help you get safely along your way.

As you pass over the mountain you will see that the road winds like a river as it heads towards a pink farmhouse and outbuildings. Like threading a needle you will pass between the house and the outbuildings so be sure to slow to a snails pace and wave if the farm lady happens to be hanging her laundry out to dry.  The beauty of this setting is absolute storybook like.

Next on the R575 adventure is the quick hike up to the Mass Rock located on the East side of this beautiful road. As you take the short hike up the mountainside you will feel the intense history of this place which goes back to Penal Law times. Due to the laws of the time period it is completely hidden from the roadway. Once you arrive at the Mass Rock you realize just how hidden it is from the road and the protection that it would have provided from persecution.

Upon leaving the Mass Rock you will climb up yet another mountain to reveal yet another beautiful valley on the other side. While winding down the narrow lane of the reverse side I’d suggest you stop in at the Urhan Inn for a pint. There have a wonderful array of outside seating on a beautiful day and a warm pub atmosphere inside on a gray one. Either way you are sure to find a great place for a pause!

From here simply enjoy the last few kilometers winding your way through the countryside to Eyeries.   This colorful village is sure to not disappoint with all of its brightly colored buildings. I’d suggest a relaxing stop at Cindy’s Gem Cafe for a coffee or tea and a treat or a pint at Causkey’s on the back patio.

Here’s to a drive with an adventure around each of its many curves along the Wild Atlantic Way’s coastline…SLAINTE!

Traveling Solo is Awakening

Good or bad, right or wrong each decision is yours…ALL YOURS!

As I return from my yearly retreat in Ireland I thought I’d challenge you to take a similar one for yourself. When was the last time you took off on a trip by yourself? I’m not talking a movie night or going to see relatives. I’m talking a week where you don’t have to answer to anyone or anything. The job and responsibilities are left behind and the phone isn’t by your side.

Each year I challenge myself to experience time like this as I head to Ireland for an exhibition and a self-designed residency for six to eight weeks. The first time I did this was a very awakening experience; I had decided to spend an additional week in Ireland after traveling with my sisters and mother.  As they left for the airport to return to the states and I was alone in our final hotel I all of a sudden realized I had no one but myself to rely on. The feelings were both scary and empowering all at the same time.  At the time I knew no one in the entire country that I could have called upon if I had needed help. Once I got past this paralyzing feeling I began to experience the biggest rush of an adventure. Each time I did something I told myself “Look that wasn’t hard and you did it all on your own!”

16″x20″ | Oil on Board | $720

Traveling on your own comes with some wonderful perks. YOU decide which exhibitions you attend, what architectural marvels you walk past, how long you stay and what direction you walk.

Good or bad, right or wrong each decision is yours…ALL YOURS!

Choosing to sit for an entire morning and collect images and thoughts…nothing better for the soul!

Over the years I have found this time to be very cathartic. I spend a great deal of time soul-searching, writing, creating artwork and gathering information which later is translated into works of art in my Huntsville, Alabama studio. Writing was never something that I considered myself to be good at but it has really given a lot back to me over time. I force myself to reflect on my life and all the riches that it provides on a daily basis and what I’d love to add in the future. These discoveries always manage to find their way into my work either through my writing or creative manifestations. I spend a great deal of my time observing nature while climbing the mountains and sitting by the sea. The freshness of the breezes whipping my hair from side to side give my skin that freshly touched feeling.

These times of solitude feel like a baptism allowing me to open a new chapter in my life each year.

What new challenges will you put in front of yourself in the coming year?

Remember to be just a bit uncomfortable so you allow yourself a place to grow.

Hedgerow Magic

hedge•row :a rough or mixed hedge of shrubs, trees or plants enclosing or separating fields

Hedgerows were originally planted to delineate fields and town lands in Ireland. They have grown into very important habitats for a diverse group of plants and animals. These living fences line the narrow roadways and insist that you slow to a pace that allows you to see all the life that they are supporting.

These vertical works of art contain flowers, birds, insects, trees and shrubs. Each of these elements supports the other creating its own little ecosystem. Along with being beautiful they are a wonderfully protective place for birds to build their nests and bees to make their homes in wait to do their job of pollinating the plants in the fields around them. These hedgerows provide a valuable service to agriculture through their habitats for pollinators, flora and fauna, and the prevention of soil erosion.

However, as an artist one of my favorite parts are the flowers that they host. They make their homes both in the cracks of the stones, as well as, in the dirt that the winds have deposited in between them. Montebretia, heather and gorse are some of the most widely seen plants I’ve noticed the walls hosting. With their intense colors of orange, purple and yellow the walls create their own abstract painting. The earth is singing a symphony in these roadside treasures.

The road appears to be getting a “sandwich” hug from both sides with the hedgerows. One of my favorite colors is purple because it is so deep and rich. The brilliant hedgerows are filled with these color. While walking the land I am recharged by listening to the earth sing with its beauty. As a child growing up in Iowa I remember enjoying the weeds/flowers that naturally grew in the ditches along side the roads. Even today these “volunteer gardens” bring me a great deal of joy as the hedgerows do in Ireland. What one person considers a weed another may call a flower. The bees that we so desperately need seem to have an infinity for them all and are totally indifferent as to their hierarchy.

So next time you venture out into the country or take a walk in nature remember to slow down and notice the masterpieces being created all around you.

Not every masterpiece is created in the studio…so often it has help from what is right outside.

Big Inspiration in a Small Town!

John and Margaret Shea’s 1800’s home.

One of my favorite places to visit would be the small town of Apple River, Illinois. This is a town that many probably travel through and don’t give a second look in this rural area of Northern Illinois. For me it holds a great deal of history and it brings hugs from years ago. My Greatx3 Grandparents were pulled to this area through their longing for land in this new country around 1845. What they got was beautiful black loamy soil that was rich for farming and held the ability to raise a family of twelve.

Love the deep window sills created by the thick rock walls!

Before and after arriving in the United States my Grandfather was a miner. This occupation had its hard work and dangerous working conditions. In Ireland he mined copper and in the U.S. he brought lead to the surface. His long, hard days were measured by the burning of candles one after the other to measure the workday. Miners were given tools (picks and shovels) by the company to retrieve the precious metals only to have them weighed at the weeks end to be charged for the metal that had been worn away. This loss of metal was charged against the small pay that they were to receive. Don’t get me wrong, I am sure they were grateful for the work but the conditions were less than favorable and the pay was barely enough for a family to survive on. Many of these miners were woman and children as well. It took most of the family working to have food to eat and a very small “roof” over their head.  

Original Barn built prior to the house as shelter for man and beast.

My Grandparents were fortunate to have left Ireland before the “an Gorta Mór”. They instead worried and grieved for family still remaining in the country during this horrible time. During this time in Ireland land was taken from those that had worked it for many generations and given to landowners by the governing body. Land was a scarce commodity and therefore a big achievement for emigrants arriving in the states. We are very proud of where we come from and the grit and determination it must have taken for our ancestors to achieve all that they did and I pull a lot of my inspiration from them.  

My Grandparents, John Shea and Margaret Murphy, immigrants from Ireland.

In Apple River, Illinois stands the home and farm of my Greatx3 Grandparents. It appears that they built the barn and lived in it while they built their Irish-style stone house. It is a three up, three down Irish-style house made of stone. The stone was acquired from a quarry not far from the homes location. The windows have deep sills and the front faces South to maximize the warming light during those cold winter days. We are so fortunate to still have this home standing. It has been restored and cared for by the John and Barbara Rutherford family. John, having a love of history was so pleased when my Uncle discovered the property and was able to interject our family history into the home of which he was so passionate about. Our families will always have a bond together because of this beautiful home and farm.

Much thanks to the Rutherford family for saving

our precious family history!

Try a Little Mud for Creative Inspiration!

“Walking the Fields of the Prairie” | Oil on Board | 6″x12″ | $360

The land inspires much of what I paint through what it provides and the simplicity of living off the land. Growing-up in Iowa I spent a great deal of time on a farm with pigs, horses, crops and lots of things to get into for a kid (Not all of which were parental approved.) However, having four confidants in crime (brothers and sisters) we were able to find all kinds of adventures to pursue. We played in the mud, created pottery out of it and were lucky enough to have my Mom bake our creations in the oven. She even used on one of her prized cookie sheets. I do believe the turtle creations hung around for more than 10 years!

“Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication”.

Leonardo da Vinci
The Land I Played on in Iowa as Child and it still Inspires Me Today.

Our farm house sat beautifully in the middle of acres and acres of cornfields.  This was no ordinary old two story farmhouse, it’s claim to fame was a that it was a hide-out for the infamous Jesse James from time to time.  That’s right the outlaw!

Back to the cornfields and dirt:  If you were to wander through one of the cornfields you’d find a creek which was always calling our names.  After all what kid wouldn’t like to play in the water and mud of a creek??  This was after all considered an acceptable place to play by our parents…on the other hand we did manage to find a form of playing in the mud that wasn’t as welcome to our Mother. 

Here is where some of that “Creativity” comes in. One fine Summer day we discovered a very large tractor tire track in a field that was filled with the PERFECT amount of water to make it delightfully slippery. Our experimentation began with running and sliding while standing up. Our vertical sliding method “accidentally” morphed into sliding on our stomachs which proved to be absolutely OUTSTANDING! This event of “opportunity” happened probably 45 years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday. By the time my mother was made aware of our latest adventure we were covered in mud from head to toe. Even to this day it is puzzling to me as to why this was such a problem…give me a minute as I get up off the floor from laughing so hard!

I have always felt growing up on a farm was a real treat and a great way to learn to appreciate the hard work, determination and grit that it takes to live off the land. Oh yea and there is plenty of mud!

Simplicity is the final achievement…it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art.

Frederic Chopin
Myself (Back Center) and My Confidants in Crime: Karla, Sarah, Andy and Mark…That’s right I’m naming names and I can’t imagine life without them!

Much of my creative inspiration comes from those years on the farm and a life lived quietly and simply in the country, even as a child. Children are always learning and discovering things that will carry them through their lives whether directly or indirectly. So when you see weathered fence posts, a creek or a ditch of wildflowers appear in my work they come from the simplicity of daily life and travels in the States and abroad.

So if you are looking for inspiration I highly suggest mud!

After all what’s simpler than mud?