Mary Zeran -- Versatile Blogger Awards

"I Felt Almost Ethereal"

by Mary Zeran

8"x8"x2"

Mary Zeran, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa,  recently recieved the Versatile Blogger Award, and with good reason!  She has eagerly jumped into the blogosphere full speed ahead, with frequent posts on any number of subjects.  With an MFA under her belt, Mary is currently pursuing a painting technique that results in lush-but-spare, free-but -controlled acrylic pieces that include peels of the acrylic paint. 

"I Took a Step Towards Simplicity"

by Mary Zeran

22"x22"x2"

I love Mary's use of fresh, saturated color and the varying quality of edge and line that she achieves.  She has generously provided an explanation of her process on her delightful blog Mary Zeran Designs; and her originals, prints and cards can be found at her Etsy shop .

Well, as you may have guessed by now, Mary, in turn, nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award for which I am both honored and most appreciative!  Of course, as I expressed once before, blogger awards present a bit of a dilemma for me, but I've decided to join in the fun by "accepting" the award, which requires that I do two things: 1) nominate several other bloggers; and 2) tell seven things about myself.  I'll attend to the first, and obviously most important requirement now, and will follow in a day or two with some "stuff" about me.

So here are my nominees for the Versatile Blogger Award: 

Mariann Johansen Ellis, in Singapore and Spain, for her talent in multiple mediums and for her positive attitude and generous sharing of her knowledge and techniques.  (More on Mariann soon.)

Lesley, of Printed Material, in Great Britain - for her talent; and for sharing the “places” that her varied interests and curiosity lead her.

Lotta Helleberg, of Inleaf, and Lotta's Garden, in Virginia, for her sense of design, so evident in her two beautiful blogs and the beautiful textiles she creates; and for introducing me to wonderful artists.

Lily Stockman of Big Bang Studio, and most recently from the California desert, for her wonderful sense of humor, writing style, paintings, styling, and recipes; and for her sense of adventure.

Robyn Gordon, of Art Propelled in South Africa - for her beautiful carved totems and her introductions to a myriad of artists from the world over.

Carloyn Saxby, in Cornwall, and also of Love Stitching Red, for her incredibly lush visuals, her many talents in the textile arts, and her generosity in sharing her knowledge and techniques.

And I would add Sophie Munns, in Australia, author of 3 (4?) blogs, who I have written about multiple times recently, and who was also nominated by Mary Zeran.

If you've not already done so, please take a moment to visit their blogs, shops and websites, and also those of the other bloggers that Mary nominated. 

And ... I promise I'll deliver on the second requirement of the award!  :)

Savoring the last hours of a beautiful weekend in Portlandia....Cheers!!