ICB artists open studios for Artists At Work – Marin Independent Journal

Maria Burtis has created a work of art every day for 19 years – today is actually day number 6,978. Whether she was traveling, sick, or busy, she made time to dedicate even just 15 minutes of her day to her in-depth “visual journal.”

“I have painted in countless countries and states across the United States, from sitting on the bathroom floor in a Best Western in Reno while my daughter slept to looking at a beautiful view in Greece. “It was a great teacher, a testament to my development as an artist,” says Burtis, who writes the date and location on the back of her small paintings.

Many of the San Francisco painter’s daily works – which can be viewed – will be on display at Artists at Work in the ICB Building in Sausalito today from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in her studio (335 A). Burtis, who has had her studio there since 2018, says this event is one of her favorite events of the year. She enjoys the opportunity to show people her work in progress and pieces from her daily project and answer any questions asked by people #1 Your artistic experience counts.

This year more than 50 artists are taking part in the event. Entry is free. For more information, visit icbartists.com.

“This event is a very special opportunity for us to connect with the community,” said Linda Wegmann, co-president of the ICB ART board, in a press release. “People often see the finished product but can rarely feel the energy and effort that goes into making a piece. Artists At Work gives them that opportunity and shows why supporting local artists is so important.”

Burtis feels very fortunate to be part of this community of creatives.

“I just pinch myself, even when it comes to what I eat on the way to work,” she says. “It’s one talented person after another, but I think what really sets it apart is the generosity of the community. It’s an incredible feeling of nourishment to be with all these wonderful people.”

One day at a time

When Burtis began her daily project on September 12, 2005, she never imagined it would become what it has. She was only a few years away from graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, but her life had changed. She had moved across the country for her husband’s new job in San Francisco and had two children, the oldest of whom was about three at the time. She missed a creative life and felt this would be a great way to get back into it and work on the lifestyle she had at the time.

“People say I’m disciplined. I don’t really consider myself disciplined. I think I just follow my curiosity, and that curiosity has kept me going,” she says.

She sees her days differently.

“It taught me so much,” she says. “I go about the day collecting all these images. What does the light look like there? What does the water look like? I’ve never been one to take out my phone and take pictures of things. I look at them more and record them.”

Since moving to California more than 20 years ago, she has refined her style with acrylics.

“When I was in art school, I painted realistically and from observation,” says Burtis, who finds inspiration in nature and on her travels back to her home state of Massachusetts. “And then when I moved to California, my work became more abstract. I realized that I don’t have to depict the exact coastline, the exact rock, or the exact mountain. I try to convey a sense of place and invite the viewer to develop a feeling for a particular element of the landscape.”

All these years later, it still nourishes her and her artistic practice.

“When I’m working on larger paintings and I leave the studio at the end of the day thinking I haven’t really made much progress, the painting isn’t really progressing or I need to find something new in it. “That doesn’t scare me,” she says . “A lot of people are really stuck and wondering: Am I ever going to get out of this? And I think of course you will. Every day I experience that I care less about the product and more about the process. That helps me to really persevere in the studio when I’m doing big work. Just keep going. I have the confidence when I practice every day. I also know that I will never stop. It’s not just about making a better painting, mastering a new technique, or responding to something new. It’s the whole experience that becomes almost like a meditation practice. Through this process, I feel a deep connection to something bigger than myself. And that is something I really want to nurture and sustain.”

For more information about Burtis, visit mariaburtis.com.