Miss Squiggle

"Miss Squiggle"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard
I wanted to paint a rose tonight, but  as luck would have it, my evening got peppered with interruptions. I put on Schubert's Symphony No. 9 in C Major, about one hour exactly and squeezed paint onto my palette.  The music guided my progress. I put down values of pink, added warmth, smeared on the greens and then picked up my rubber tipped shader and squiggled to the last movement, the Allegro Vivace!  Can you tell?  Yikes!  Talk about making a mark… 

This is not my usual kind of rose, nor has it been a usual kind of day.  Miss Squiggle, here, has cheered me up.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
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Magenta Poinsettia

"Magenta Poinsettia"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard
I found a colorful poinsettia to add to my holiday cheer paintings. I like that this one is not only red, but purple and pink, as well.  

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
Dailypaintworks.com
Dailypainters.com

Blush

"Blush"
 24" x 24"
Oil on wrapped canvas
She blushed when he told her she was gorgeous. "Well, you are," he said. "Gorgeous," he repeated. She blushed even redder, deeper toward her core. Her petals curled, her mouth opened in disbelief. The rose sat serenely and basked in the glow of his compliment. 

Once again, I have to sing the praises of my two new colours; Cad Scarlet and Indian Yellow.  Oh, my, they seem to have been made for one another. Those two and a dab of Cobalt Blue made this a joy to paint. I'm in love! 

Carol

Nipped in the Bud

"Nipped in the Bud"
6" x 6"
Oil on canvas panel
She was one of the last ones standing when I happened by.  Not particularly attractive, but a rose, nonetheless.  I hoped she'd survive the frost, but knew her sister probably would not.  I didn't go back to check. 

This format is just too small for the large, swirling motions I enjoy when I paint with my sponges.  It must be the mural painter in me.

Carol

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Burgeoning

"Burgeoning"
12" x12"
Oil on wrapped canvas
The roses in my bouquet are burgeoning! Each blossom is different, like children of the same parents. This is the sister of yesterday's post. Tomorrow's will be different still. I've joyfully spent two days painting nothing but fragrant delicacies. 

In two weeks I will celebrate 365 consecutive days of posting a painting a day. I have not missed one day in a year. I will be gifting a painting to one of my viewers.  I'll give details on Sunday's post.

Carol

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Nearly! Almost!

"Nearly! Almost!" 
6" x 6"
Oil on canvas panel

My peonies are nearly, almost a day away from bursting into the plant world's version of tutus!  I'm so excited to have them at my disposal—to look at, photograph and to bury my nose in.  I love the fragrance of peonies.

When I shot the photo for this painting, a few hours ago, the background was the barbecue grill.  I added a seldom-used color to my palette and find it pleasing with the necessary greens and reds.  It's simply called Green Blue. 

Thank you for looking at my art today.
Carol 

My DPW Gallery     300 paintings!  

Pink Zinnia

"Pink Zinnia"
8" x 8"
Oil on hardboard
She was one of the few in the garden that the bugs hadn't munched. She was full-blown and receptive to pollination, yet tiny—about the size of a ping pong ball—obviously the end of the season runt, yet she still had what it took! 


This painting used six different reds mixed with white. I would have enjoyed painting her even more had her actual color been more varied.

Thanks for looking.
Carol

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Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Dahlia Face

"Dahlia Face"
9" x 12"
Oil on hardboard panel 






















Late in the summer when every bud has opened, and leaves begin to favor a bronzed version of themselves, the dahlia sends out tendrils to adorn her pretty face.


The whole bed of them looked like this; center petals coiled like snail shells, the kind you might find on a garden path.  I'll move on to a more traditional image next time.

As always, I appreciate when you visit.
Carol

Dailypaintworks.com
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Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Bittersweet

"Bittersweet"
12" x 12"
Oil on wrapped canvas 
Have you ever longed for something so thoroughly, dreamed about it, wished and hoped for it to be exactly what you wanted, counted the days, the hours, the minutes ... only to find out that it was not what you thought it would be?  It's Lent.  When I finally get what I've longed for, it almost never lands spot on the target.   


I'm going to paint chocolate for a few days.  I'm going to combine it with another favorite item, suggested by a friend. Let's see how THIS experiment goes!

Thank you for looking in on me today.
Carol

Dailypaintworks.com
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My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Coral Jonquil

"Coral Jonquil"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard 
Not too many yards from a cluster of white jonquils was this coral trumpeted version.  She stood alone, I mean ALONE in the yard where I found her, like she had been a good thought at the time... 


This is the first in a series of trumpeted flowers from a photo shoot in my neighborhood today.  They will all be singular images like this.

Thanks for spending time with me.
Carol

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Brushstrokes@comcast.net

A Single Rose

"A Single Rose"
12" x 12"
Oil on wrapped canvas
I entered the rose garden late in the day, late in the month of June.  In the humidity, the fragrance draped over petal and bud like a veil.  There she bobbed on her rigid stem, fanning herself with leaves like fans. 


Finally, I made time to paint a larger rose! I sponged on the initial color then brushed on the subtleties with my beloved Rosemary & Co. brushes.  It had been a long time since I've sponged color on a canvas.  The daily paintings are small, and my sponges are larger than many sections that need to be filled.  Now I want to make a big one... like three by three feet!  I love to paint that large.  Whew! But they all look the same size when you see them online... so stop by to see them in real life.

Love to all of you who sent your comments about my dad's death. Thank you so much.
Carol

Dailypaintworks.com
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My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Ooey-Gooey

"Ooey-Gooey"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard

Chocolate was not its own "food group" when I was growing up in rural Michigan. We had a hollow Easter bunny in the spring and a couple brown Necco wafers at Halloween.  Not until I was well into adulthood did I acquire a taste for this brown delicacy.  

Here's another in my series of single-bite chocolates.  I had painted the morsel, but pondered what would be on the pink background.  A curtain of dripping chocolate seemed pretty theatrical.  

Thanks for dropping by today.
Carol

Pink Pansy

"Pink Pansy"
8" x 8"
Oil on wrapped canvas 

The light was magnificent on the furls and folds of this hot pink pansy the day I stopped to catch my breath at the top of the mountain in Winter Park.  Oil painter, Karen Vance had loaned me her ski lift medallion, so I went as high as I could without fainting, for lack of oxygen. Who knew that pansies grow where humans dare to breathe? 

It was August, the light really was great for capturing what I did on this beauty.  When I paint pansies, I always want to pant, I mean paint more.

Thanks for hiking by here today.
Carol

Sheep in the Meadow

"Sheep in the Meadow"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard
Morning is not one of my favorite times. It occurs too early for my body's clock, but I love the colors of morning. I've peeked at them from behind my curtains, and remembered how they smear the sky like cream cheese on a bagel, but with pink, blue, peach and gold. 


I'm testing a stack of Ampersand hardboard.  I have about a dozen panels to use.  I painted the sky with a light ground of white, then flipped color around with my brush and then dusted them lightly with a soft mop brush. I did the same with each little field and stream.  Soft...

Thank you for wandering by today.
Carol

Dailypainters.com
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My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Sweets for Milady

"Sweets for Milady"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard
The velvet pouch at my place setting was cinched with a satin ribbon and tied in a bow. I knew who had placed it there before I gathered my petticoats and flounced them over the bustle chair. 


I got chocolates for Valentine's Day—an abundance.  They beg to be painted, so here is the first in a series of the various shapes and colors of the goodies.

Thank you for sauntering by today.
Carol

Dailypaintworks.com
Dailypainters.com
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Cluster Roses

"Cluster Roses"
12" x 9"
Acrylic on canvas panel






















The morning light kissed the tips of these colorful blossoms so gently and passionately, that the background fairly blushed.

I tend to paint decorative pieces like Cluster Roses in a series, too. This is one of several I did as a learning experience.  I'm pleased with the outcome.

See this and the other things I do on Dailypaintworks.com.  If you're shy or concerned about purchasing art through an auction, please email me to work out the details.  Brushstrokes@comcast.net.

Thank you for looking in today.

Carol

Pink Hibiscus

"Pink Hibiscus"
18" x 18"
Oil on wrapped canvas
She faced straight into the camera with a headlong glance, more like a formal portrait than my casual intent. She posed. I clicked. It worked. 

Various shades of pink and green were swirled across this canvas with cubes of sponge; one for each color of red, each color of green, to keep the glazed colors from getting muddy.

This painting is listed with, and for sale through Dailypaintworks.com

Thank you for visiting,
Carol