First Rose of Summer

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"First Rose of Summer"  20" x16"  Oil on wrapped canvas 

The white roses are blooming, but they've been beaten and bruised by the heavy rains at the Botanic Gardens.  When I was there on Thursday, I found this one under shelter. She was sensual and beautifully fragrant next to a building. There were plenty of buds, so there will be more to photograph as the summer progresses. And it finally seems to be here!  

I hadn't painted a rose in a long time. I was hankering to tackle one when I realized how beautiful my photo was, so I started her last night and finished her today. Painting her was as comfortable as being with an old friend. I just knew intuitively where to begin. 

This rose, if she doesn't sell first, will be in a solo exhibit I have scheduled for the month of September. It will feature roses and chocolates, so you'll be seeing more of these and several new chocolate paintings. 

Carol

Serengeti Sunset

"Serengeti Sunset" 1 of 3 4" x 4" Oil on wrapped canvas

This is a prototype of the left hand panel of a triptych commissioned by a Wisconsin client, from his African safari photos. The final piece will be to this scale, but instead of four inches, it will be 24".  The center is a rectangle, and another square will be on the right hand side. 

I delivered the triptych prototype in person last week while I was in Wisconsin taking a workshop with my friend Patricia Hamm.  I have been gone for nine days, doing so many fun and art-related things.

But my trip ended on a harrowing note. I was in a car accident right ON the Wisconsin/Illinois border. A large metal object fell from the bed of a semi. The car in front of me hit it and it ruptured the oil reservoir, which sprayed all over my windshield as broken chunks of the metal object bounced all over the interstate highway.  I hit a bouncing chunk and it punctured something under my car.  Both the Illinois and Wisconsin police were called to the incident site. Both of our cars were not drivable. Mine got towed to Rockford, where I had to rent a car to drive the last hour and a half home. I'm home now, and unharmed. Yet it was WAY too much like the head-on collision I was in 19 years ago this month, when a car hit a curb and launched itself into the air and hit me. My painting hand was broken, my femur, hip and toes were, too. I didn't walk for a very long time. Didn't drive for 15 months.

I consider myself a lucky, lucky woman.  That metal chunk could have gone through my windshield and this blog entry would have read very differently.

Love to you, my dear followers,
Carol

House Portrait

"House Portrait" 6" x 12" Oil on wrapped canvas

From time to time I mention that I am in the midst of painting commissioned house portraits.  I do this for real estate agents to give as closing gifts.  Here is one of my recent ones that pleased both the agent and the homeowner who would no longer live in this lovely home. 

I enjoy painting homes and capturing the personality of the homeowners in the choices they've made to make the structure their own. This one is obviously sold, but I will paint one for you, of your home or a friend's, to your size specifications, if you'd like. I can also change the season, the landscaping and the house color if need be.

Carol

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Texas Blue Bonnets

"Texas Blue Bonnets" 5" x 5" Oil on hardboard

This afternoon, despite the cold weather, and being in want of a diversion, I made my first trip of the year to the Botanic Gardens. I took 246 photos and some of them were of … yup, Texas Blue Bonnets.  I never expected to see them with my own eyes, nor to smell them or touch them, but there they were on this, the 17th of May.  Who knew they could grow in Illinois?  Or would even … want to. They smelled faintly like my childhood memory of cattle silage. Oh, the memories those blue flowers dredged up when I inhaled.  I'll look for them every year now that I know they'll come to my zip code.   

I usually take about three hundred photos during a two hour excursion, so today was a light day. But there wasn't that much TO photograph for a girl who likes to paint whorled flowers. Although, the ranunculus were fabulous. They just have way too many petals.  There are, however, about 100,000 springtime flowers in bloom right now — worth the membership.

Carol

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Creek Bed

"Creek Bed" 6" x 6" Oil on hardboard

As I typed "creek bed," I thought "creaky bed" and that, of course led to all kinds of other visuals —the kind I don't very often paint. But wouldn't it be fun to see what would come of a challenge to paint either of the two?  I may suggest it to Carol Marine for her DPW Challenge… and be booted right off her delightful website! 

Your naughty artist,
Carol

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Canadian Sunset

"Canadian Sunset" 14" x 20" Oil on hardboard

While on my Google search to find winding rivers I came upon another lovely photo.  This one was of a sky somewhere in Canada. I know—there's a LOT of sky in Canada, but I can't isolate this location except by doing eeny meeny miny moe over the map. What would be your guess?   

The sky didn't actually look like this, but it had these "bones."  I used my new Cad. Scarlet, again, with Cad. Yellow Med. and Cobalt this time. That's it. Three colors. I love the way the scarlet mixes with the blue to make the dark clouds.

Carol

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Calla Curl

"Calla Curl" 12" x 12" Oil on wrapped canvas

The spathe curls around her spike like she knows there is a big ice and snow storm decorating our zip code with crystalline ornaments. Tree branches are balancing snow flakes like stacks of white china plates on spidery networks of narrow shelves. It's February and we are getting our first REAL snow. 

This is from the last of the photos I took in line at the grocery store checkout.  I'll find more callas and do a few more ... soon.

Carol

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Maple

"Maple" 6" x 6" Oil on canvas panel

The trees are bare in my zip code, except for one maple in my neighbor's yard. He's been waiting for a month to tend to them. They've been reluctant -- no, rebellious about letting go until it's too cold to rake, and the village no longer picks up leaf bags.  Yup, this is one stubborn maple, and here's the first leaf to fall from it.  I picked it up while walking my dog today.  Adamant, I say!  

Carol

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Winsome

"Winsome" 24" x 24" Oil on wrapped canvas

She swayed in the breeze in the garden that morning, flaunting her sunny disposition to and fro.  She was more radiant than any around her, in spite of those purple, pouty lips. 


This dahlia was my focus for about a 24-hour period, during which time I thought of nothing but sunny, uplifting thoughts. It's amazing what comes of such a mindset.

Carol

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