Pond Pads

"Pond Pads"
14" x 11"
Pastel on canvas panel
I've painted this scene at least twice before. I love the dark shadows and the reflections in this pond. I've wanted to paint it with pastel, so now I have. It was as fun as I hoped it would be. 

I'm testing old subject matter and new alike, with my black canvas and hard pastels. I'm also wearing nitrile gloves to keep my hands from looking like a car mechanic's.  Oh, what fun!!

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast. net
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At Water's Edge

"At Water's Edge"
5" x 7"
Oil on canvas panel 
How it stayed rooted for as long as it had, amazed me. A pine that close to the water's edge doesn't usually stand straight and flourish as this one seems to have. I hope my commenting on it hasn't jinxed it.  Hang in there, beauty…  

 I'll be out of state at a plein air event for about five days. I will not be posting during that time, but will be attentive to email in the evening if you care to write.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
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Pond at the Divide

"Pond at the Divide"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard
I'm revisiting, by way of photos only, one of my favorite places, the Continental Divide near Winter Park, Colorado.  I shot so many photos of this little retention pond that I get to paint it over and over again.  

I'm in a landscape kind of mood tonight. I'd love to be driving around the western states gathering subject matter for the next few years. Oh, to be in the passenger seat saying, "Stop. Back up. Got it.  Thank you so much for bringing me along."

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
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Warm, Wet and Wild

"Warm, Wet and Wild"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard
Okay, it may be a bit suggestive, but what would you have titled the painting, if you had painted a couple dozen warm-weather water lilies in the wild?  Uh-huh.  I thought so. 

This is from a lake up in Wisconsin where my daughter's family has a summer cabin. It's the place where I get to kayak down close to the source.  It's about time to go there again… once the lake thaws.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
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Slender Reflections

"Slender Reflections"
7" x 2"
Pastel on paper
My view across the stream was interesting in only one slender strip. Boulders jutted into the water, slicing what beauty that was there in half. But they also added interest in the middle ground, so I included them in my little study. 

I paint many of my pastel paintings on sanded French watercolor paper scraps that I saved from when I painted only in watercolor. They sand beautifully, then I tone the paper with a magenta and a sapphire that I again sand into the paper, then brush off.

Carol

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Promised Serenity

"Promised Serenity"
24" x 20"
Oil on hardboard



















I gazed toward the distant shore and knew that my kayak would glide effortlessly through the reflections and ripples dancing on the surface. I'd soon reach the haven where my spirit could rejuvenate and refresh. That small island held the promise of serenity.  

This is a commission piece that I painted today.  I hope it brings its new owners as much peace and serenity as I experienced while painting it.

Carol

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Pear-ily We Roll Along

"Pear-ily We Roll Along"
9" x 12"
Detail
Oil on canvas panel
This is not my usual fare, as still life setups go, but it was what was available today at the Laura Robb workshop at Mainstreet Art Center in Lake Zurich.  I got this far in three hours, including setting up the  pieces. We learned to draw an ellipse, paint metal, and ceramic.  Yesterday was pear day, but mine were less than ... edible.  Tomorrow I'll replace the white bowl with a plate I'll bring from home and add a flower to the lower left.  I'll also TRY to add a Laura Robb-style texture to the background.

Mainstreet puts on one heck of a good workshop, if you've never considered it.  In fact, the art school itself, in its new location, is quite comfortable and professional. Frankie Johnson is to be commended for her ongoing roll as visionary, artist and owner of the school.

Carol

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Divide

"Divide"
12" x 12"
Oil on wrapped canvas
I came across a photo I took of the Continental Divide and felt like painting it again. I don't know how many times I've done it in the course of two and a half years since I've been there, but this little pond is one of my simple, favourite places. No jagged mountains, no rocky rivers, no canyons or wildlife.  Just a cute reflecting pond.

Carol

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Serenity Pond II

"Serenity Pond II"
12" x 12"
Oil on wrapped canvas
I revisited this pond today—in paint only. It's quite frozen and gloomy in reality. Every feature that made it worth painting in the first place has died. Replaced by grey sticks, grey sky and grey ice.  No, it's no longer a place of serenity, but dread.  So I cheered myself by deceiving myself into a late summer mindset.  What harm is that?

The first time I painted this, besides using a smaller square format, I used a different palette of colors. It's not better or worse, just different.  I'm tempted now to enlarge it one more time to a 24" x 24" piece and do it in great detail.  I just may do that.

Carol

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Tone Poem II

"Tone Poem II"
8" x 10"
Oil on canvas panel

I've found a reward in waking early. It's no longer difficult to roll out of bed knowing the visual delights that await me in the rural settings near my village. 

Tonalist landscapes are typically luscious and luminous with evocative atmospheric effects featuring hazy backgrounds. The palette is minimal, characterized by warm hues of brown, soft greens gauzy yellows and muted greys.  

Tonalist painters seem to prefer a state of implicit cognition and psychological experiences over reality.  
Your presence is appreciated.
Carol 

Lily Lake, Spring

"Lily Lake, Spring"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard panel
I drive past this reflective lake regularly.  It's close to the road, with an easy-to-access parking lot. I'm amazed how often sections of the water are perfectly still, while others are wind-swept.  Lily Lake seldom disappoints.

I enjoyed painting the past few paintings listed as being painted on hardboard panels. The surface is a delight to work on. It's smooth, yet has tooth, and is rigid, so there's no bounce back.  I like it. A lot.

This painting, like most, can be seen in my gallery and purchased on Dailypaintworks.com.

Thank you for stopping by.
Carol

Little Lily Lake

"Little Lily Lake"
12" x 12"
Oil on wrapped canvas
A breeze tickled the far shore around the point where lilies did not grow.  I confirmed my suspicions with a fisheman who was standing beside me. "That part over there, is it the deepest part of the lake?" 

I appreciate the accessibility of this little lake.  I stop to photograph its ice, ripples, lilies and reflections once a week all year round.

This painting is listed with, and for purchase on a Dailypaintworks.com Auction. This link will take you to my gallery there.

Thank you for visiting my blog today.
Carol

Toulouse, Your Moose Is Loose"

"Toulouse, Your Moose Is Loose"
24" x 24"
Oil on wrapped canvas

It was Saint Patrick's Day and I was in the produce department of my grocery store when I saw a guy ripping leaves off cabbages.  I nearly rammed him with my cart to save this particular one from being scalped. "He's subject matter!" I declared. Once I had it in my possession I realized he would need companions, so I collected a turnip, red onion, egg plant, tangerines, tulips and added daffodils to the mix. Then I filled in with a few miscellaneous items... including my moose. 


Tonight Toulouse, Your Moose Is Loose will be featured in a gallery opening called Recent Works.  He was juried into the show and will hang for a month. This was my first painting done with my handmade, English, Rosemary & Company brushes.  What a sweet ride that was!

Toulouse will be listed with, and for sale through a Daily Paintworks auction during the same month as Recent Works.

Thank you for stopping by today.  I really appreciate your comments and e-mails.
Carol

Peony Vase

"Peony Bowl"
10"x 8"
Oil on wrapped canvas
I have two bushes of pale pink peonies tucked in close to the south side of my house. They thrive in that protected environment, and I revel in their early blooms. By the time spring comes to the suburbs of Chicago I'm not only grateful for their robust blossoms, but their fragrant surge of spice.  

This small painting is a study for a larger piece. I addressed some of the problems of its reflections, values, buds/no buds, cool light, warm shadows, etc.  I know what I want to do now.  I hope to begin the large piece in two weeks, at which time I'll post the progression from photo to drawing, through finished piece.  Goals. I love goals.

Thank you for visiting,
Carol