Stray Dog Arts

Mpls/St.Paul Magazine :: April 2013 Issue

How perfect that I should be featured in an issue of the Mpls/St.Paul Magazine that's centered around the notion of ESCAPE! :) So much fun to experience both my urban and retreat worlds finding their way to the same page. Want to know my favorite places here in these northern reaches? Check out the April issue of the Mpls/St.Paul Magazine!

Many thanks to Christy DeSmith for a great article and to Travis Anderson for the featured photo! ♥

with lots of painterly love,
Jessie

:: Northerly Painting Retreat 2012/13 ::

Exactly one year ago today I left the center of the city to live in the middle of nowhere. I was following a big U-Haul filled with all my belongings, embarking on a self-imposed "Northerly Painting Retreat." I wanted to learn how to take better care of myself; I went seeking a space of quiet; and also to give myself full-heartedly to the tasks of my creative work. It was the beginning of a Free Fall that eventually turned into a New Beginning. I only planned on staying 6 months, but this life kept pulling me forward. Everything began to unfold in entirely new ways and I quickly realized that I was going to stay longer than initially planned. Oh, it is amazing just how much can change in a year!

Last night, I went and hung out with the horses. Dusk was settling over a deep winter snowscape. So quiet. Just horses and moonlight. Twice, there were bald eagles that flew right above our heads. I could hear their wings powerfully move the air as they flew. What a masterpiece of a moment--these moments that make me question why I would ever want to leave. Success is elusive. Those horses and eagles feel real. Is it possible to somehow have both? I have been very interested in that question lately.

These days, I find myself revising everything I once believed. Some of my old beliefs are limiting and no longer serve me. I am no longer the person I once was. Everything is brand new. And so here I am, one year later...with a whole life in front of me to make look any way I want. Following this thread into the unexpected space of yes...

With love from the realm of possibility,
Jessie
♥

Look who came to town! My friends, Officer Seeger and his canine companion Diesel, from the Edina K9 Police Force came all the way to Bemidji for a visit!

I had the great honor of painting Diesel this past December, for a special commission by Shepherd Data Services of Minneapolis in support of the Animal Humane Society. I love the ways that friendships and new connections are formed through the common love of dogs. Seeing these guys all the way up here in the far reaches of my Northerly Painting Retreat, well...it's icing on the cake! :)

May all dogs be happy!

with K9 painterly love,
Jessie


:: Northerly Painting Retreat 2012/13 ::

Plane tickets to Spain and Morocco have hereby been purchased! Giving myself over to the mystery of my art. Dear full-hearted adventurous life, I am yours. ♥

"Go now and live. Experience. Dream. Risk. Close your eyes and jump. Enjoy the freefall. Choose exhilaration over comfort. Choose magic over predictability. Choose potential over safety. Wake up to the magic of everyday life. Make friends with your intuition. Trust your gut. Discover the beauty of uncertainty. Know yourself fully before you make promises to another. Make millions of mistakes so that you will know how to choose what you really need. Know when to hold on and when to let go. Love hard and often and without reservation. Seek knowledge. Open yourself to possibility. Keep your heart open, your head high and your spirit free. Embrace your darkness along with your light. Be wrong every once in awhile, and don't be afraid to admit it. Awaken to the brilliance in ordinary moments. Tell the truth about yourself no matter what the cost. Own your reality without apology. See goodness in the world. Be bold. Be fierce. Be grateful. Be wild, crazy, and gloriously free. Be you. Go now, and live." ~Jeanette Leblanc

with my whole wild heart,
Jessie Marianiello