Red, White and Black

"Red, White and Black"
6" x 6"
Oil on canvas panel
Tea with lemon, tea with sugar, but never, ever tea with milk!  Yet the placement of these two vessels appealed to me.  They were on the counter at my friend's home in Colorado when I came down to breakfast. 


Her counter top was green granite.  It was great for her home, but not for this painting.  I wanted to come as close to "graphic" as I could without tipping the scale.  I am quite happy with the outcome.

Thanks for meandering by today.
Carol

DPW
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.netc

Reservoir Pond Island

"Reservoir Pond Island"
16" x 20"
Oil on panel 
Reservoir Pond is in Wisconsin. It's where I kayaked for the first time, shot waterlilies from inches away, saw eagles and circled this little island at least twice with my toy poodle on my lap.  


Go north for the fall colors. They're amazing. Well, they certainly were.  The dark value of pine makes a dramatic backdrop to the outrageous fashion statements of the deciduous.

Thank you, thank you for reading my blog.
Carol


DPW
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Lily Lake Autumn

"Lily Lake Autumn"
8" x 20"
Oil on panel 
My favorite body of water wears autumn with panache.  She dons an unusual assortment of foliage colors, including aqua, prior to the traditional golds and browns most plants succumb to in their final days.

It's Lily Lake again, you're right if you suspected that.  She's so accessible, calm and photogenic—like the beauty of a lioness, with the temperament of a kitten. 

Thank you for visiting today. I appreciate that you come back regularly.
Carol

Lily

"Lily"
20" x 16" 
Oil on panel
From my earliest recollection, I've loved water lilies and their gaggle of pads.  I think it's the roundness of their leaves, the invisible stems, and their unspeaking mouths. I remember sitting quietly in a rowboat as my father fished, looking at the mysterious plants that didn't appear to grow in dirt.

Yes, it's this color on the painting. The lily was blue, the leaves golden, and the sky was reflected in the water droplets.  It was an exercise in painting what I saw despite the believability of it.  I like the colors, and it looks pretty cool sitting here in my studio.

Thanks for peeking in.
Carol

DPW
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Ghost Island

"Ghost Island"
12" x 12"
Oil on panel
Not too far from the cabin was this little island.  I saw it during the day and it was unremarkable, but in morning's magical light, she struck a ghostly pose, against the pink sky. 


I like knowing that light changes the story I get to tell about the simplest objects.  I would have neglected this little mound of rocks with three trees on it, had I not known about atmospheric conditions.

Thank you for floating by today.
Carol

Little Lily Lake #2

"Little Lily Lake #2"
17" x 15"
Oil on panel 
I love this little lake!  I pass it every week and it's so close to the road, with an easy to access parking lot, that I stop to photograph it every time I pass.  The water lilies are on the shallow parts of the lake.  The fishermen are on the deep parts.  It's a still lake, so the sky is always looking at herself in this natural little mirror. 


Lily Lake is already and will continue to be subject matter.  I have photographed her in all her glory for a few years, and still find her to be compelling.

Thank you for pausing to take a look at my art.
Carol

DPW
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Apricot Rose


"Apricot Rose"
12" x 12"
Oil on panel
She came with a heady scent, as thick as her petals, as ripe as her color.  This rose was in a bouquet with twenty-three others.  I painted her sister on a 36" x 36" canvas, and couldn't help but honor this one when I revisited my reference photos. 


I love a square format for my single blossom paintings—large or small, the flowers I love to paint seem to fit well in this shape.

But do you think I can find a ready made frame in a square?  Wouldn't you think with as huge as the daily painting movement is, and the thousands of square paintings that are painted each week, that some company would latch on to that market?   I'd do it if I didn't already wear so many hats!  If you are reading this and thinking about it and rubbing your chin, we need: 6x6, 8x8, 10x10, 12x12 and 14x14.  Not even just for us, the painters, but for the wonderful people investing in our art.

Thank you for reading today.


DPW
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Autumn Crescent Puzzle Moon

"Autumn Crescent Puzzle Moon"
18" x 24"
Acrylic on wrapped canvas






















One steamy indian summer night when he thought nobody was looking, the Autumn Crescent took a refreshing dip in a rippling brook.  I saw him from the nursery window, as I rocked my feverish child and wished we could join him. 


I posted the companion piece to this one back in August, and forgot to follow up with this one.  Here it is now—strangely out of order, but included, now.

Thank you for stopping by today.
Carol

DPW
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Turbulent

"Turbulent"
8" x 10"
Oil on panel
Everything was turbulent; the sky, the water, the light flashing between cloudy and clear, everything but me. 

I assessed the essence of what I saw, on my favorite little lake, then set about to record how it felt. Turbulent.  Upon seeing it a while after I painted it, it really speaks of that day.

Thank you for blowing through today.
Carol

DPW
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Typical of the County

"Typical of the County"
16" x 20"
Oil on panel 
When I drive to my daughter's home in Wisconsin I imagine building lovely homes on top of the hills, all along the the way.  The view would be magnificent, for the mid west.  But then I consider borrowing a cup of sugar from the nearest neighbor... 


This was done from the memory of a particular field, in the comfort of my studio.  I particularly like the way the clouds lined up.

Thanks for visiting.
Carol

DPW 
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Here's Looking at You

"Here's Looking at You"
10" x 8"
Oil on canvas panel
It's winter, snow is on the ground, here I am looking to paint this hot image. I shot this in the crystalline confinement of the cactus house at the Chicago Botanic Gardens during the summer.  It was hot in there that day.  Probably not quite as warm today.    

The spines were my concerns as I plotted to paint this image.  I use a flat or a bright to paint everything.  So I trusted that my Rosemary and Company beauties would do the trick for me. I love those brushes.  I've had them since March.  I paint every day and wash them in Murphy's Oil Soap.  The tips are still knife-sharp.  Love 'em! And I managed to paint the spines with them!

Thank you for peeking in today.
Carol

DPW
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Succulent Season

"Succulent Season"
10" x 10"
Acrylic mixed media
Succulents, with their whorled profusion of thick, velvety leaves that unfurl into a full-blown swirl, like roses, cabbages and kale, give me a sense of satisfaction. 

I'm finding out so much about myself by writing words to go with my paintings.  It's one thing to create with imges, but another still, to explain why. I taught myself to paint by teaching others. Formulating words to explain a process ingrains it into one's very being.

So many images, so little time.
Carol

DPW
My DPW Gallery (195 paintings)
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Water Lilies

"Water Lilies"
8" x 8"
Acrylic mixed media
In a world where lilies bloom in shades of sapphires and rubies, and their leaves are burnished in coppers and golds, tranquility is as common as sand.

I changed the color of the lily pads to match a particular copper paint I wanted to use, and the blooms went along for the ride.  I accepted their choice in the matter and accented the piece with a spiral sun-like swirl.

By the way, the "Adam's Grapes" painting was not spotted by my son.  He missed the opportunity to receive the piece as a gift from his ol' Mom.

Thank you for looking.
Carol

DPW
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Kale Comes of Age

"Kale Comes of Age"
8" x 8"
Acrylic mixed media
She grew this way, purple and green, just as you see her.  The sheen on her background is merely her radiance searing the metallic around her.

In my neighborhood, there was one tree affected by a voracious insect.  It ate the leaf, left the veins.  From an art perspective, this was cool. But the tree lost a lot of leaves.  I collected many.  They paint-up nicely.

Thank you for taking the time to look today.
Carol

DPW
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comast.net

Kale for the Soul

"Kale for the Soul"
16" x 16"
Acrylic mixed media
The kale was just so green, lovely but green, so I took her to my laboratory where I gave her a new outlook on her pedestrian life. Now she's a meditative kind of gal, surrounded by onlookers and worshipers of her spiraling self.  

I did Photoshop miss kale, here, to make her fit in with my plan.  I painted all the papers, tore the swirls from metallic painted waxed paper and stuck all the elements together like a grade school project.  Then I added shadows, and smiled at the result.

Thanks for stopping by to have fun with me today.
Carol

DPW
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Ornamental Cabbage


"Ornamental Cabbage"
8" x 8"
Acrylic mixed media

I was drawn to the marks of found Asian symbols used in lines, in squares, and overprinted. Without knowing what they actually read, I was brave to place them in the corners of my composition.

My color photo of ornamental cabbage dictated the colors for this piece. I've become good at tearing edges.  It's a skill I never thought I'd want or need to master. But I'm in it now.

Thank you for taking a few moments to view my art today.
Carol

DPW
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

July Wisconsin

"July Wisconsin"
12" x 12"
Oil on canvas panel
You could hear the insects summer song from the car—with the windows closed. It was July in the heartland. I liked the thought of painting in Wisconsin, but wanted to do it in January, from home.  So I did! 


Thankfully, cameras work in July and computer screens reflect those images in the dread of winter.  Did I type dread, I meant dead.  Same difference. 

Thanks for trudging through today,
Carol

DPW
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Moons Over the Desert

"Moons Over the Desert"
10" x 10"
Acrylic mixed media
Certain parts of the world are privy to Dual Moonality.  Usually they're located in the deserts of continents that have deserts, but from my studio, I occasionally get peeks at places just like this painting.  I love being an artist!  It affords me such luxurious privileges. 

This is one in a series of mixed media pieces I'll be posting over the next few days.  I painted the paper, tore it and shot the photos.  The leaf was in my yard, and I stenciled the decorative stuff with joint compound.  I repeat... I love being an artist.  

Come back tomorrow for more fun stuff! 
Carol  

DPW 

Plein Air Wisconsin

"Plein Air Wisconsin"
16" x 20"
Oil on canvas panel
It was earlier than I'm accustomed to being awake, as we drove north out of Illinois. The light was warm and the sky was hazy on the horizon. Clouds hadn't even decided what shapes they'd be for the day, at that hour.


Painting outdoors is a passion that reveals itself only when I'm doing it. The thought of dew, bugs, heat, humidity and sunburn line up in a pretty impressive list before each outing. I love it once I'm in it, but man, oh, man, I don't delight in adversity of outdoors versus my lovely studio.

Thank you for reading my rant.
Carol

DPW
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Gossamer Trio

"Gossamer Trio"
11" x 14"
Acrylic on canvas panel
There were three sheer, papery roses mixed in with some carnations and a tulip when I rescued the bouquet.  I snipped 'em short, added foliage and buds, and a few herbs from my garden then painted the gossamer trio before they wilted.  


The colors were perfect for this background.  I worked it fast and deliberately, adding a retarder to the paint, so it wouldn't dry too quickly.  I especially like the blue flowers and leaves tucked between the three gals.

Thanks for taking a look!
Carol

DPW
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcas.net