Artist's Blog

January 31st , 2012 - Just got my invitation to paint in the Sedona Plein Air Festival last week! Excellent! I always love, love to paint in Sedona!
Coming up Oct. 20 - 27th, 2012!

'Golden Moments Two' California Coast- oil on canvas, 8in. x 10in.

I've started a new 'Golden Moments' Series -
paintings of our beautiful northern California coast
along with two small figures just to show scale.
What a neighborhood! I am one lucky gal!

 

Courageous Color
2 day
Plein-air Workshop -

March 3rd & 4th, 2012
Sat. & Sun.

Each day we will focus on different fundamentals
along with individual instruction at the easel. To reserve your spot,
Just contact me! -Click here to email me!

 

December 29 , 2011 - Hope you all had a joyful Christmas and have a wonderful NewYear's Eve and New Year ahead!

The sun is shining, get get out there! Happy painting!!!

If you're looking for a plein-air workshop or group practice with help...

Courageous Color
2 or 4 day
Plein-air Workshop -

- January 4th & 5th, 2012
Wed. & Thurs.

- January 7th & 8th, 2012
Sat. & Sun.

Each day we will focus on different fundamentals
along with individual instruction at the easel. To reserve your spot,
Just contact me! -Click here to email me!

 

November 20 , 2011 - Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving
& Holidays ahead!

I have lots of work up at Holiday Shows,
hope you can stop in and browse at...!

Artisans Gallery
'Home for the Holidays'
November 2nd - Dec. 30th, 2011
Artists Reception -
Friday, Dec. 2nd, 6-8pm
1368 Pacific Avenue
Santa Cruz, California
(831) 423-8183

Many Hands Gallery
'Holiday Show'
November & December, 2011
510 Bay Avenue
Capitola, California
(831) 475-2500

Davenport Gallery
'Journeys'
November 2nd - 30th, 2011
Davenport, California

Earthwood Collections
141 E. Elkhorn Ave.
Estes Park, CO
(970) 577-8100

Earthwood Gallery
1412 Pearl Street Mall
Boulder, CO
(303) 444-3838

 

September 13th , 2011 - Here's a few of my new summer paintings!

'Open Spaces' 'Boulder, Colorado - oil on canvas, 24in. x 30in.

 

'Mission Rose Garden' San Juan Bautista, California
- oil on canvas, 11in. x 14in.

 

'Continental Divide Sunset' 'RMNP Colorado
- oil on canvas, 11in. x 14in.

September 6th , 2011 - It has been crazy-busy summer!
A good crazy! I've painted for the
'San Juan Bautista Plein Air Event' in early August,
the 'Western Light' exhibit in Estes Park, Colorado in mid-August
and painted for and won the 'Artists' Choice Award' in the
'Women of the West' exhibit in Boulder, Colorado
this late August/early September! Whew! It was exhilerating!

Also my painting above, 'Rocky Point, Big Sur ' oil on canvas, 30in. x 40in.
is featured large and in color in this weeks Santa Cruz Weekly Newspaper in a timely Cover article titled 'Fall Arts Review''
"looks pretty good!"

The smaller initial study painting for this large Studio piece above is
'Rocky Point, Big Sur - Small' 9in x 12in. acrylic on board - See below!

Both will be available for sale at my Open Studio Oct. 8th & 9th,
2011 from 11am-5pm at my studio
1007 Lewis Circle, Santa Cruz, California

(831) 462-9337 Studio - Cell (831) 240-3425
One Weekend ONLY! - Come by & see my new paintings!

 

 

June 29 , 2011 - 'The Artist's Magazine' just emailed me
that I received their
'International Finalist Award'
for their
Annual International Landscape Competition!
That's the top 2 percentof All international Landscape entries,
so I feel blessed about that!

I've scheduled a new outdoor landscape class for
Sunday, July 3rd - join us!

June 25 , 2011 - Thank you to everyone who sent their love and support for me & my husband, Lou Renner and his recent (June 1st) ruptured appendix and two week hospital stay! Thank God he was home and not up on a mountain when it happened!

Needless to say, his recovery has been top on our list
and all comsuming. Lou is home now, and finally off all
the antibiotics and pain meds, slowly building his strength back.

I am back teaching and painting for some big shows, watch out!

May 20th , 2011 - Thank you to all who made it to
my open studio event in early May -
it turned out to be a wonderful weekend event!
Lots of chocolate was enjoyed and artwork taken home.

The weather is clearing up nicely
for outdoor Plein-Air Workshops!
We went out on Thursday for some fun
farmland painting and home-made Gizdich pie! Yumm!
Outdoor painting has many pleasures
to help endure the ongoing challenges!

Plein-Air Workshops - May and June
My next Plein-air workshops are scheduled for

Tuesday, May 24th - Color mixing and Color Temperature

May 28th and 29th - Courageous Color - Edges and Brushwork

June 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st - Courageous Color -
Intensive 4 Day Workshop!

To sign up for a Workshop,
contact Maggie at (831)462-9337 or email Maggie@MaggieHellmann.com

More info on Workshops - Click Here!

 

April 15th , 2011 -

Finally, here is my finished Oil demo 'Monet's Cliffs'
from the March Plein-air workshop day I taught along the coast!

This past week, my plein-air painting students
focused on edges and brushwork.
The weather was perfect!
We painted along the coast on the first day
and down among the rolling hills and wildflowers
of Carmel Valley on day two.

Here is my acrylic demo 'What should I title it?'
from this April Plein-air workshop in Carmel Valley!

Get ready for my upcoming Art & Chocolate open studio
with Lou, my husband, and 10 other artists on May 7th & 8th
We'll be at 1007 Lewis Circle, Santa Cruz, California!
Hope you all can come!

 

March 16th , 2011 - Thanks to the hardy souls who love to paint
and who took my weekend plein-air workshop this past weekend!
We endured cold and even sprinkles!
But WoW! The views could NOT have been better!

I call this place onlong the coast 'Monet's Cliffs'!
They are spectacular! One brave soul even perched himself
along the outter most edge of the cliffs-
See the dot on the distant cliff! That's what I call total immersion!

The cliff goes straight down on both sides of Sunshine's perch!
Look for my newly finished demo painting - posted soon!
This is one I had to finish later as I had lots of students to help
and sprinkles chased us away around 2pm.

All in all a great day was had!

 

March 2nd , 2011 - Just delivered 10 ocean paintings
to Davenport Gallery for their new exhibit titled
'Our Oceans'!
If you've never been to Davenport, California -GO!

It's right on Pacific Coast Highway 1
with fantastic views of the rugged ocean
right from the front door!

The gallery is impecably well done.
The small town there is a taste of 'oldstyle quaint'
California Coast!

My husband, Lou Renner also has two
Giclee 'ocean' pieces in the exhibit!

Join us for the Reception on March 12th, from 3-6pm.

Ten percent of the proceeds from sales
during this event will go to non-profit
'Save Our Shores'!

 

Jan. 27th, 2011 - I was just selected to paint in the

Invitational Sedona Plein Air Festival 2011 in October!

They select 32 award-winning plein air artists

from across the country to come to Sedona

and paint among their beautiful red rocks!

It is an exciting event!

Jan. 20th, 2011 - I just feasted (AGAIN!)

on the Post-Impressionist Masterpieces

from the Musee D'Orsay that were here in

San Francisco at the De Young Museum!

I had seen them before in Paris, France

and was bowled over back then!

They still produce an awe in me that makes me

'breathe in DEEP'

when standing right in front of such beauty & mastery!

I can't tell you how much this art moves me...

I can only say that it was Toulouse Lautrec, Gauguin,

Monet and Van Gogh that took my breathe away-AGAIN!

That's quite a mouthful and I inhaled deeply over and over,

hoping to breathe in some of what I saw!

I will never claim to be a self-taught artist,

I learn from every original masterpiece I am blessed to see!

Toulouse Lautrec - the master of drawing skills, absolute confidence and mastery of color!

Van Gogh - his emotions spilling out of the canvas!

Gauguin - the audacity! to use such provacative color in a landscape! Shocking!

 

Jan. 7th, 2011-The sunny winter weather is here

this week in Santa Cruz!

And the low-tide pools are amazing

with their winter delights! I'm drinking in the

Joys of Nature that fill my spirit

and fuel my paintbrush!

Watch out Color, I'm on the prowl!

HAPPY NEW YEAR Fellow Art Lovers!!!

 

Nov. 2010 - I've recently returned from an amazing time painting

Sedona, Arizona's beautiful red rocks

in the 'Sedona Invitational Plein-Air Festival!' - WoW!

The comraderie with 30 amazing artists invited from

all over the country was inspiring and warm.

My hosts, Julie & Katie were very gracious & special people

I hope to know for along time!

I have posted a few of my new paintings!

Click on the photo above and have a look!

Maggie

 

Recent Awards & Honors
Sedona Art Center Invitation to paint in Plein Air Festival 2011
Museum of Art & History Solo Exhibit - February 2010
Sedona Art Center Invitation to paint in Plein Air Festival 2010
Honorable Mention Award Museum of Art & History Plein air Affaire 2010
Museum of Art & History Juried to paint in the Plein air Affaire 2010
Estes Park, Colorado Invitation to paint for the 'Western Light' exhibit 2010
Boulder, Colorado Invitation to paint for the 'Women of the West' exhibit 2010
Pajaro Valley Arts Council Invitation to paint for the 'Plein Air: Connect with the Land' exhibit 2010
The Artist's Magazine Competition Spotlight -feature in October 2009 issue
The Artist's Magazine International Finalist Award 2009
Museum of Art & History 'Judge's Choice Award' - Plein air Affaire 2009
Estes Park Plein Air Selected for Fine Art Connoisseur Ad 2009
International Invitation to Exhibit Florence, Italy International Biennial of ContemporaryArt 2009
The Artist's Magazine selected for publication in International limited-edition Calendar 2009
Museum of Art & History Juried to paint in the Plein air Affaire 2009
Estes Park Plein Air Juried into Plein-Air Event Colorado 2009
Niche Magazine 'Forecast 2009' featuring Maggie & her paintings at Artisan's Gallery Winter 2009
2 International Finalist Awards Artist's Magazine 2008
Carmel Art Festival Juried into Plein-Air Event 2008
Museum of Art & History Plein air Affaire 2008
Estes Park Plein Air Juried into Plein-Air Event Colorado 2008
Museum of Art & History 'Best Wet Painting Award' - Plein air Affaire 2007
California Master Juried one of five 'Master California Artists' 2007