Mary Serbe - Paintings

Glow-in-the-Dark Embroidered Deep Sea Creatures

2011-08-17T22:01:00.002-04:00

Progress... Gotta find a way to photograph these in the dark.

Unemployment = Artist's Residency

2011-08-17T21:59:00.003-04:00

Project #1
Thanks to Luthando...
The first stage of a mixed media, texture intensive Manifesto. To be finished soon...

Barb's Bathroom at 6x6 Gallery

2009-10-10T17:12:00.002-04:00

On view for one month at 6x6 on LES in NYC and available online here.

6x6 Gallery

2009-10-06T00:31:00.001-04:00

Work is up right now!
See the web site.

Barb's Bathroom - Stage 2

2009-08-12T00:30:00.002-04:00

Barb's Bathroom - Stage 1

2009-08-12T00:29:00.002-04:00

Update - Life Is Good Today

2009-03-17T10:37:00.002-04:00

Grad school has been challenging and satisfying. Sadly, though, I have had very little time to paint as a student. There are now 2 pieces of good news. I'll be in the woods of Michigan painting for a whole week this summer ! Hooray! Next fall, I get to take 2 studio electives. I plan to pick the greatest, most exciting studio classes ever devised. I can't wait to be filthy, sleep deprived, and CREATING ARTWORK EVERY SINGLE DAY from August through December.

In Progress

2008-12-21T01:39:00.003-05:00

Oil, canvas, thread, etc.

Willing

2008-12-11T16:06:00.002-05:00

Oil, papers, canvas on wood panel

Blue Thing

2008-09-13T19:02:00.002-04:00

Wire and strips from an oil painting. Staple.

Antarctic Kentucky - Unfinished

2008-06-22T20:32:00.001-04:00

At this stage, I call it "George", but the actual title is above. From the Antarctic series. Oil on canvas.

SAIC MAT Program

2008-05-12T09:59:00.002-04:00

For anyone who hasn't heard:
I'm in.
I'm going.

What is the SAIC MAT program?

2008-03-12T11:27:00.002-04:00

Well, for anyone who wants to know...

The School:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_of_the_Art_Institute_of_Chicago

The program:
http://www.saic.edu/degrees_resources/gr_degrees/mat/index.html#overview

Women's History Month Show in Jersey City

2008-03-12T09:46:00.003-04:00

If you're in downtown Jersey City, feel free to stop by City Hall (on Grove Street) where my work is part of a group exhibition celebrating Women's History Month. The show is very nicely done, and my paintings have been featured in a prime spot on the third floor.

Q. If February is Black History Month and March is Women's History Month, what happens the rest of the year?
A. Discrimination
- The Guerrilla Girls

Antarctic Vermont

2008-02-24T00:32:00.004-05:00

Oil on Canvas. Finally complete.

Antarctica Sketch - 2 Penguins

2007-10-04T11:13:00.000-04:00

Colored pencil on Fabriano paper.

Poor Photo of Work in Progress

2007-08-20T09:53:00.000-04:00

It's a big oil painting in the early stages.

This bad photo makes the composition appear a bit crooked here.

Antarctica/Vermont

That's right, it's a ballerina.

2007-08-10T15:01:00.000-04:00

She's all colored pencil on Fabriano paper, too.

The Hours in New Orleans

2007-07-13T09:54:00.000-04:00

Pencil on Fabriano paper.

Antarctica Sketch - Growler Red Stripe

2007-07-03T12:48:00.000-04:00

Isn't it Jamaican for beer?

Colored pencil on Fabriano paper

Antarctica Sketch - Brown

2007-06-29T15:47:00.000-04:00

Colored pencil on Fabriano paper.

Antarctica Sketch - Rough

2007-06-22T10:21:00.000-04:00

A rougher, stronger draft of the same image as before.

Colored pencil on Fabriano paper.

Antarctica Sketch - Leopard Seal

2007-06-13T14:52:00.000-04:00

Pencil & colored pencil on Fabriano paper

Antarctica Sketch - Penguins

2007-06-07T15:53:00.000-04:00

Colored pencil on Fabriano paper

Antarctica Sketch - Ice Shelf Version 2

2007-06-05T09:57:00.000-04:00

Is it an ice shelf? Not positive, but it sure does look like one.

Colored pencil on Fabriano paper.

Antarctica Sketch - Leopard Seal on Right

2007-06-01T11:53:00.000-04:00

Colored pencil on Fabriano paper.

Antarctic Sketch - Blue Berg

2007-05-25T10:10:00.000-04:00

That's right. More blues.

Colored pencil on Fabriano paper.

Antarctic Blue Landscape

2007-05-24T10:36:00.000-04:00

I'm using more and more blue in these sketches.

Antarctic Reflection - Detail

2007-05-23T14:51:00.000-04:00

This is a separate drawing which depicts a more detailed area of the sketch from Tuesday's post.

It has flaws, but I like this sketch a lot.

Colored pencil...

Antarctica Sketch - Orange

2007-05-21T09:16:00.000-04:00

Colored pencil on Fabriano paper

Antarctic Reflection

2007-05-15T11:03:00.000-04:00

Colored pencil on Fabriano paper

Feedback requested...

2007-05-15T10:57:00.000-04:00

I'm going to start posting some sketches. All colored pencil on Fabriano (ah!) paper.
Some are rougher than others. Please give me feedback - this includes negative feedback. I need some input from beyond myself and this seems a good way to get it.

Jawfish

2007-04-20T16:05:00.000-04:00

Half of an oil painting that is 98% finished.

I just need to add embroidery floss

(if I can find any in NYC).

Oquossoc Placemat

2007-03-30T15:17:00.000-04:00

Eastern paper, oil paint, embroidery floss,

little bit o' this, little bit o' that on canvas.

This is a small one. A little gem.

Quote Book Sketch

2007-03-23T10:20:00.000-04:00

Pencil, colored pencil, ballpoint pen.
Abstract sketch to balance out my recent focus on representational painting.

Blast from the Past: From BFA Senior Project

2007-02-16T15:45:00.000-05:00

Speaking of old...

Woodcut on cloth bound into book 1994

Richard Avedon's Father

2007-02-08T21:57:00.000-05:00

Pencil Drawing.

This is old. It may be my favorite piece.

Atlantic Green Turtle

2007-01-22T00:14:00.000-05:00

Pencil on paper. That's his friend, Crabby, on the left.

Antarctica Update:

2007-01-07T18:19:00.000-05:00

"I regret to inform you that the National Science Foundation is unable to support your proposal referenced above."

Quote from one reviewer: "The shapes and negative spaces upheld by rhythms contracted with highly developed feeling for measure, her sense of visual are very disciplined yet full of personal fantasy." Golly gee.

Eddie Sutton 2006

2007-01-01T22:35:00.000-05:00

Eddie Sutton is colored pencil on paper. He's been pasted to another mixed media drawing attached to stretcher bars with some painted canvas on the front.

Another Landscape Sketch

2006-12-10T23:54:00.000-05:00

Landscape 1

2006-12-04T20:42:00.000-05:00

Here's another one.

Landscape (with Red)

2006-11-28T19:55:00.000-05:00

I'm going to post a few landscapes.

All predominantly pencil. All similar.

The Yellow Bands

2006-11-21T23:55:00.000-05:00

Oil, embroidery floss, paper, arcylic, crayon

On paper on canvas

Darfur Green

2006-11-14T22:21:00.000-05:00

I rediscovered my colored pencils.

Colored pencil on paper mounted on board with oil paint.

Darfur refugees.

Quote for Darfur Green

2006-11-14T22:13:00.000-05:00

"We look back and say, isn't it dreadful how

we used to put people in the stocks and pelt them?

I say, what the fuck do you think we're doing now?"

Actress Emma Thompson

Antarctica Update:

2006-11-11T19:00:00.000-05:00

"You should hear something within the next 1-2 weeks." NSF

Antarctica

2006-11-05T15:34:00.000-05:00

Pencil and crayon on paper.

If you're wondering... no word yet.

Happy Halloween!

2006-10-31T00:41:00.000-05:00

Mixed media on paper.

Big Unfinished Fish

2006-10-29T22:18:00.000-05:00

This big fish is an unfinished oil on canvas that is mentioned in the post below.

Photo is courtesy of Meg who took it at the Studio Tour

When it's finished, I'll post a straight shot of this painting.

Mandarin Fish

2006-10-23T18:29:00.000-04:00

At the studio tour, people saw my very large
fish painting in progress.(No pic yet. It's not this guy.)The tour crowd seems to feel that I have a proclivity towards fish.
This is a fish.My proclivity is towards The Creatures at the Bottom of the Sea.

Jersey City Artists Studio Tour

2006-10-20T10:26:00.000-04:00

Saturday, October 21 and Sunday, October 22
12:00 - 6:00 PM
Feel free to come to Jersey City and stroll through the local artists' studios. That's right. I'm on the tour.

Policeman's Funeral

2006-10-17T01:53:00.000-04:00

A small oil painting (with thread, etc.)

of a policeman at his partner's funeral.

Pauli

2006-10-09T23:58:00.000-04:00

This oil sketch includes large pieces of painted canvas sewn into the composition.

Named for its purchaser.

And Isn't There Something More?

2006-10-08T12:52:00.000-04:00

My only photo-litho print.

“For them that must obey authority
that they do not respect in any degree
Who despise their jobs, their destinies
Speak jealously of them that are free
Do what they do just to be
nothing more than
something they invest in.”
Bob Dylan

Back to the Rocks

2006-10-07T00:53:00.000-04:00

I'm always sketching piles of Rocks.

Oil, torn paper, and thread on canvas.

Grieving Dualapatur

2006-09-26T23:53:00.000-04:00

Hitting the naturalistic oils pretty hard lately.

Oil on canvas.

Manhattanville Alumni Art Show

2006-09-25T22:04:00.000-04:00

The Mville show starts today and runs through October 10. The opening is on Friday.
Two pieces at the alma mater: Point Dume and Grieving Dualapatur.

Huangshan Cliffs

2006-09-22T18:34:00.000-04:00

Quick sketch of China from a photograph in Nature's Best magazine.

I also integrated the same cliffs into my large painting of Vito Acconci. (No digital image of that one yet.)

Ankor Wat

2006-09-21T01:07:00.000-04:00

This is one of my favorite images.

It's a depiction of Ankor Wat in Cambodia.

Oil paint, drawings on paper, Eastern paper, and thread on canvas.

Picasso

2006-09-19T20:29:00.000-04:00

Well, everybody likes realistic

(or, as I was taught to say, naturalistic) stuff.

Here ya go. It's Picasso! He didn't like realistic stuff.

Cockatoo Squid

2006-09-17T01:42:00.000-04:00

Another creature.

There's all sorts of crazy stuff down at the bottom of the sea.

Untitled - Back

2006-09-14T23:25:00.000-04:00

This is another very small piece. It's actually a drawing combined with a color photocopy of another drawing and attached to tiny stretcher bars.

CAT

2006-09-14T10:44:00.000-04:00

Speaks for itself.

Man in the Bathroom

2006-09-14T01:55:00.000-04:00

This is actually a zoom in on the man's face. He's a little different than other paintings. There's some newspaper, canvaspaper. He's extraordinary. Recently sold.

Point Dume

2006-09-14T01:05:00.000-04:00

This is one of my favorite places in the LA area. All beach and cliff and beauty.

Crayon on paper with thread and some oil on canvas thrown in for good measure.

Anoplogaster Cornuta

2006-09-14T00:13:00.000-04:00

Another creature. All colored pencil. This one has great teeth.

Deep Sea Anglerfish

2006-09-14T00:04:00.000-04:00

I am fascinated by The Creatures at the Bottom of the Sea.

I have been working on a series of The Creatures. This is the first drawing.

Polka Dot Quote Book Pages

2006-09-13T23:58:00.000-04:00

I keep journals, sketchbooks, quote books, and other various books in which I write, draw, and glue cool things.

I made this blank book. (Unfortunately, as you can see, the binding was weak on this baby.)

Niagara

2006-09-13T23:53:00.000-04:00

Niagara Falls. At night. From the Canadian side, of course.

It's only about half the size of a postcard including the tiny frame.

Crayon and paint on paper. There's thread in there, too.

TV in the Den

2006-09-13T23:49:00.000-04:00

This is based on the TV in my parents' den when I was growing up.

Mostly oil paint and paper. Yeah, that's masking tape, too.

Vesuvius

2006-09-13T23:46:00.000-04:00

This is more typical of my work. Mostly oil paint, plus torn pieces of my drawings, thread, stickers. I even threw in some acrylic paint and magazine clippings in this one.

Under the Impression...

2006-09-13T23:43:00.000-04:00

This one's an oil painting. What's the big deal? Well, I haven't added any additional media to it. No thread, paper, tape. This is 100% oil paint, kids.

Samuel Beckett Sketch

2006-09-13T23:38:00.000-04:00

This is a sketch of Samuel Beckett. Yup. That's right.