Marian Stamos Medium Oil on canvas or canvas board Email mdstamos@att.net Website www.mstamosart.com Artist's Statement I choose to paint quiet peace and beauty - flowers, calm country settings; treasured old buildings; antique ironstone rocks and pewter: the simple abundance of vegetables and fruit, the pure fun and pleasure of life's daily moments; the beauty of human relationships. I am often drawn to the quiet and simple life themes of my youth growing up in rural west central Illinois and yet, equally energized by the colorful excitement of the city. My "studio" is the great room in my home where a large bay window provides fine northern light. My painting style can best be described as "painterly realism". Oils are my chosen medium because of their flexibility, rich color and buttery texture and ability to magically convey depth and distance on the flat canvas surface. I am a student of Frankie Johnson at Mainstreet Art Center in Lake Zurich. I also continuously hone my painting skills via art magazines and books, workshops and dvds. The learning never stops...and that is part of the fun of oil painting!