James Maria

Excited to have finished this commission last week for two of my amazing clients from Cross Keys Tattoo Studio who chose to support my painting business too!

Super thankful for this amazing local business. I’ve always had difficulties shipping paintings from FedEx and UPS retail locations-they’re either exorbitantly expensive, overly reliant on digital systems and inevitably always give me guff about shipping and insuring artwork...or literally about anything. I have really simple needs, but those big box companies can’t seem to meet those needs. The folks at Mail N Ship 4U in Wyomissing have my back every time and are always able to work with me to find the perfect intersection of safe, inexpensive and timely shipping options for my paintings that travel all over the country. Happy to have this painting back from a juried show in Fort Worth, TX, safely.

I’ve been working on something new for the past couple days! 4x6 image Printed with speedball professional relief ink on 5x7 140lb fabriano artistico hot press paper. Open editions. $25 each, $40 for a pair. MTO next day, mailed or delivered as soon as it’s dry (few more days). More designs soon!

Over here knocking out paintings left and right from the home studio! Excited to put each of these paintings down for a couple days before finishing touches and titles. I’m gonna have to get out exploring asap to get some new reference material!

Some progress from the home studio! Off for a little bike ride before I get back to work this afternoon.

Putting this piece down for a bit. It’s always good to put a nearly finished piece aside and come back to look with fresh eyes down the line. In the meantime, I’m excited to start a new (but admittedly, less ambitiously composed) quarter sheet that I’m excited to share with you all this evening. Stay tuned for details! #gogglevision #goggleworks #ggquarantineartclub

Little progress update from the home studio. I’m missing my space in the Goggleworks Center for the Arts and definitely missing all of the creative energy of my fellow studio artists and arts partners there. It can be hard to muster the motivation to go to work when working from home, but I’m taking steps to establish a routine as much as possible.

Spending some time today reflecting on my time spent painting in Italy, praying for my friends up north and our family in the south, trying to remain hopeful on their behalf as the virus decimates so much of the population and disrupts every aspect of their lives. I find myself wondering what it will be like when we return and my heart breaks a little knowing that so much of what we treasure in Italy is held especially by the elderly there-the faith, the ancient family recipes, the traditions. It’s hard to imagine that #andràtuttobene but we’re holding onto hope.

Quarantine = time to paint.

Get ready, everybody!

Finally, paint on paper!

Back to the drawing board!

When I painted this piece, I was trying to express an emotion for which the English language doesn't have a perfect translation. The Portuguese have the term "saudade" to convey a sense of longing, melancholy and homesickness. My title hints at a homesickness for a world other than the material, a respite that can't be found in human imposed order. The title is borrowed from Augustine's writings on the same subject. This painting has traveled all over the country since its c...ompletion. I'm excited to see where it ends up next! "Our Restless Hearts" 22x30" Watercolor on 300lb Hot Press

Hey everyone! Wonderful news for the goggleworks this weekend. A) the Berks Art Alliance Juried show has an opening reception this afternoon and there is some truly remarkable art hanging in the Schmidt gallery. b) the goggleworks artists are hosting a studio sale this afternoon from 12-4! See you out there!