View From the Bridge

"View From the Bridge"
16" x 20"
Oil on gessoed panel


The greens had become weary of themselves.  It had been a long season of verdant perkiness.  "Enough already," I heard the distant shoreline whisper, "let's get on with the show."

Fall at the Chicago Botanic Gardens is such a luscious departure from the spring and summer green that I find myself photographing the landscape more than the flowers come fall.

I thought this would be a nice painting on which to end the year.  Thank you for being nothing but kind to me as I've put my "stuff" out here on a daily basis, for almost six months.  I appreciate all of you. 


Carol  


Group Hug

"Group Hug"
8" x 10"
Oil on canvas panel
The pears knew their days were numbered.  They could smell the aroma of vanilla roasted pears wafting from the kitchen.  


There was no green left on the three pears I had used for the single portraits.  They ripened to this rosy-golden glow in short order.  I showed the dimpled blemish on the left-hand guy, just to see if I could do it.  It took a lot of looking and squinting to figure it out.

Thus ends my pear quest.  Thanks for looking.

Dailypaintworks
My DPW Gallery
brushstrokes@comcast.net

...Carlisle

"...Carlisle"
6" x 6"
Oil on canvas panel
Third in the pear series is this strange-stemmed critter.  It came out of the side of his top, like a beak.  I opted not to change his unusual feature, but to document it.  

Carlise, here, hailed from the Wisconsin contingent.  He arrived on the same day as two other gifts of pears. When it rains, it PEARS.  Pine boards seemed like an appropriate base for this entry.  

brushstrokes@comcast.net 

...David...

"...David..."
6" x 6"
Oil on canvas panel
David, here, was feeling his oats when it came time for him to be immortalized.  Since he couldn't be chiseled from marble, like his namesake, he opted to pose on samples of marble pieces for a fireplace surround.  


I was thrilled to have found the time to paint the gifted pears from life.  It's great practice.  But it also meant that I got to keep some fresh ones for myself, having brought them to my studio.  As I mentioned, the rest have become yummy desserts.

Dailypaintworks
My DPW Gallery
brushstrokes@comcast.net

Thank you for stopping by.
Carol

Harry...

"Harry..."
6" x 6"
Oil on canvas panel
"Tis the season, and especially for pears.  This beauty, we'll call "Harry" and a slew of his friends, who shall remain nameless, at least until tomorrow, arrived on my doorstep in time for Christmas.  

The Domestic Goddess in my kitchen made Pear Tarts and Vanilla Roasted Pears, and a concoction to add to my morning oatmeal. Thank you, one and all for the pears! 

And I still have pears to paint, too—I hope.  

Thank you for visiting.  I appreciate your comments and your ongoing support of my little effort, here.  

brushstrokes@comcast.net


Trees of Life

"Trees of Life"
15" x 9"
Watercolor on paper
Sometimes life can't be supported merely by one trunk.  It might take more to hold up all that teeming protoplasm.  


Take the cookie sheet out of the freezer and peel off the plastic wrap be prepared to deal with what has been going on in your absence. There will be ice crystal patterns if it is cold enough.  If you want more texture, sprinkle a wee bit of salt at this point, where you want a snowflake effect.

Keep an open mind to the possibilities.  The "tree trunks" were two large wrinkles that either became very hard-edged or I made harder by stroking not-too-wet paint up to the dry "trunk" lines.

Working the wet areas is a lot of fun.  Keeping the paper wet while on the cookie sheet is the trick to soft edges and being able to work the positive and negative shapes.  Pull off the waxed paper only as you intend to work on an area.  Once it's dry it becomes like working on any other dry painting.

I have sprayed water underneath the art to retard the drying process.

Dabbing with a dry Q-Tip is a good way to correct mistakes. Or use a clean, damp brush to wipe out mistakes, but don't press or scrape too hard.

Make sure not to paint with too much water, it'll make backruns or blossoms.

Enjoy the process.  It's different and fun.  Most watercolorists don't get the luxury of painting slowly into damp paper, acting like oil painters.

For more information on this technique please Google Kathleen Conover.  

Dailypaintworks.com
My DPW Gallery
brushstrokes@comcast.net

Thank you for visiting.
Carol

Christmas Squash

"Christmas Squash"
9" x 12"
Oil on canvas panel
Merry Christmas!


I chose this colorful squash to adorn my Thanksgiving table weeks ago.  It did that job, then got moved to a less spectacular spot, and left there with the promise to be painted.  It waited for me to find a moment—without developing a blemish or signs of aging.  We should all be so lucky. 

I don't know what kind of squash this is, but I hope to open it on a cold afternoon and bake it.  I loved the colors in the real item. I am anticipating a yellow pulp inside, but don't have any idea what surprises await.  If you know what this is can you let me know?

DPW
My DPW Gallery
brushstrokes@comcast.net

God bless you, one and all.
Carol

Other Worlds

"Other Worlds"
15" x 9"
Watercolor on paper
There are worlds where the lowly feather is looked upon with wonder and awe. 

I cut out waxed paper shapes: feathers, circles, crescents, leaves, and arranged them on the saturated watercolor paper, then brushed on deep values of paint.  It didn't go under the waxed paper, which had become saturated and flimpy.  

I immediately covered the whole thing with plastic wrap and squooshed it where I wanted wrinkles.  I put a magazine on top of the plastic wrap to weight it slightly. Don't use anything of value, it could absorb paint. Then put the whole thing on a level shelf in the deep freeze. (remember it's on a cookie sheet) Or outside if you have below zero, not just below freezing, temperatures.

Now go away.  Forget about it for a day or so.  You won't see my next installment until the day after Christmas.  So go eat some fruitcake, drink some egg nog,  or staple mistletoe wherever you plan to spend the next couple of days.


DPW site
My DPW Gallery
brushstrokes@comcast.net

I mean it, don't peek or peel up that plastic wrap.  Santa's watching.  

Carol

Blue Ice

"Blue Ice"
9" x 15" 
Watercolor on paper

Like flotsam along the bank of a steam, nature has a way of tossing her castoffs in an attractive way.  

This series is done on a 90 pound  French, Cold Press paper.  That means, 100 sheets in a given size weighs 90 pounds.  Watercolor paper comes in 140 pound, 300 and 450 pound weight.  The texture of the cold press hand made paper is slightly bumpy.  Hot press is smooth, like it was pressed by a hot iron.  And then there's rough. 

Do this part of the project on a cookie sheet.  It'll hold the amount of liquid you'll need to be successful.  Thin paper worked nicely with this process. The paper absorbed the water and paint. Moisture didn't just sit on the surface, so it froze all the way through it, too.  To be continued...

 DPW site
brushstrokes@comcast.net

Ginkgo Moons

"Ginkgo Moons"
9" x 15"
Watercolor on paper
Crystaline images frozen in time is a series I've created using a non-traditional technique and a few tried and true ones.  These are not brand new, but you'll find them to be of interest, nonetheless. 

Kathleen Conover is an artist who succeeded in utilizing the inclement Michigan winter to enhance her own capabilities. Sub-zero temperatures in particular, allowed her to develop her unique style.

When I learned that she froze watercolor paper, sloppy wet with paint, I looked at my deep freeze with renewed interest.  Over the next few days, I'll be exploring the ins and outs of what I've learned.

DPW
My DPW Gallery (over 165 of my paintings)
brushstrokes@comcast.net

Thank you for visiting. 
Carol

The Yolk's on Humpty

"The Yolk's on Humpty"
12" x 12"
Oil on hardwood panel 
It's my birthday—The Winter Solstice—the longest night of the year.  This whimsical piece demonstrates how I feel about life. Sometimes ya balance, sometimes ya break. Better learn to make omelets!


My recent egg paintings prompted someone to give Ol' Humpty, here, to me.  He was from a Happy Meal.  I collect small chairs, nests and birds, so Humpty seemed like a logical addition.


DPW
Brushstrokes@comcast.net
My DPW Gallery

Thank you for visiting the birthday girl today.
Carol

Crescent Door

"Crescent Door"
12" x 12"
Oil on canvas panel
It was a hike to the outhouse on the edge of the property, but in the summer when we used it, the stroll was worth the effort. 

This was a quick study.  A warm up. An exercise in looseness, bold strokes and interpretation.  I struggled to take it past a non-committal stage with regard to value.  I darkened the leaves in the foreground and the tree trunks, too.  I don't know if it's a success or not, but the two-seater is kind of cute.

DPW
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Carol

From Whence...

"From Whence..."
6" x 6"
Oil on canvas panel

Where did I come from?  Well, darling, I found you in Colorado.  I wanted a red one, but red was not to be had.  Blue suits me fine enough.  But if you want the truth, I guess I'd have to say you were made in China. You're resin.  Painted.  The shell is real, though.  Organic.  Wisconsin.  

Here's another in my series on gray, textured backgrounds.  I make them up weeks in advance so I don't have to think about what color to put behind each object. It's neutral and whimsical. 

brushstrokes@comcast.net

Thank you for coming by today. 

Carol

Pose and Repose

"Pose and Repose"
9" x 12"
Oil on canvas panel 
This time of year peppers are feeling less than PEPPY.  I found these three lazy guys lounging on the table next to my drawing board after a photo shoot. They lolled and recounted the merits of green versus red.  The yellow guy was fast asleep...  figures. 


These were fun to paint!  I'm learning to use the Cadmium colors and to mix viridian to it's best use, too.  But viridian stains my beautiful Rosemary and Company Ivory bristle brushes.  Any wisdom on this problem?

Dailypaintworks.com 
Brushstrokes@comcast.net
My Gallery

Thanks!!!!
Carol

Fishing Hole

"Fishing Hole"
18" x 18"
Oil on wrapped canvas
We found the place where we had been told we'd catch a few. It was peaceful and accessible.  But what about that pond back in the distance, is that a better spot? 


I painted this with the sole intent of depicting a lovely autumn day in the forest preserve near my home.  Then two men told me it looked like a fishing hole, so the name stuck.

DPW 
my DPW Gallery
brushstrokes@comcast.net

Winding Through

"Winding Through"
10" x 8"
Oil on canvas panel






















There were narrow places in the stream that you could step over, others wide and deep enough for fish to gather.  Every step of the way was intriguing and teeming with life.  


If you look closely at this piece you'll see the calligraphic strokes of my rubber tipped shader. I toned the canvas with burnt umber so those marks reflect the underpainting, and not white.  There are times when this technique just feels right.

DPW
my DPW Gallery
brushstrokes@comcast.net

Yellow Roses and Lilacs

"Yellow Roses and Lilacs"
9" x 12"
Acrylic on canvas panel
I found these beauties stuffed in a two-pound coffee can, awaiting their transfer to a more elegant vessel. It was a lot like seeing the Sugar Plum Fairy in bowling shoes!  

Unlike the other rose bouquet from yesterday, full sunlight bathed them, and there wasn't much of a blush in the background.

This piece is already sold. It sits on an easel in a lovely "Bed and Breakfast" in Colorado.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Carol

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

Five Cousins

"Five Cousins"
9" x 12"
Oil on canvas panel
It looks like Cinderella's used car lot! And to some extent, it is.  These are all "used" pumpkins that were given to me after the pumpkin holiday—all but the long, horizontal one.  It's an Amish cooking pumpkin I bought myself.  It was, however, dark green and orange two months ago.  I'll slice it and bake it soon. 


I stacked these to fit one of the canvas panels I had prepped for just such an
occasion.  I enjoyed using variations of the same colors to define five different entities.

I'm trying something new. You know the drill.  I hate to keep restating it.

DPW
my DPW Gallery


Thank you for stopping by,
Carol

Pet Milk Sleeve

"Pet Milk Sleeve"
6' x 6"
Oil on canvas panel
Back in the day, I mean a lot of days ago, years even, coffee drinkers used Pet Milk instead of cream for their coffee.  It came in a can that needed to be punctured with a triangular punch.  Then punctured again on the other side of the lid to let air in.  It was convenient but not pretty, so Pet Milk "sleeves" were made to make them presentable for table use.  It has a large hole in the bottom so the can could be pushed out when it was empty.  


This "sleeve," for lack of a better word is marked Germany.   It has auditioned for and gotten bit parts in many of my paintings.  This is, however it's first leading role.  Brava!

This little piece can be purchased on DPW or directly from me if you read my blog and find out that's even possible.  Of course it is!

Thanks!
Carol