Sunset Lace

"Sunset Lace"
2.5" x 6"
Watercolor on Yupo

The sky had been turbid as the sun nestled into the bosom of the Plains that evening. Then, either my contacts needed to be changed, or something else was going on. A pattern of lace veiled the horizon, just as the yellow orb disappeared. 

Here's another watercolor that I impressed with a plastic lace — with the intention of making a sunset.

Carol

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Gold in Them Thar Hills

"Gold in Them Thar Hills"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard

The setting sun plated the distant hills with the look of gold leaf, like the capitol domes in many cities. The gold was a fleeting illusion, but probably what prospectors dreamed of back in the day. 

My first post of this New Year is not quite what I had planned, but my next one will be worth the wait.  I'm working on a cactus that is not quite a one-day painting. I needed some drying time to place the prickly spines and background flowers. Hopefully it will dry enough overnight to finish it.

Carol

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Across the Sand

"Across the Sand"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard

The sun had dipped below the horizon, yet left a sumptuous display for my eyes. It would be fleeting, I knew that, but I'd remember it as it dissipated into the night.  

I'm working at re-establishing my skills from my weakened state after the flu. The heart is willing, but the hand is not as confident. It'll come back, I just need to keep painting.

Carol

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Island Hopping

"Island Hopping"
5" x 7"
Oil on hardboard

It was cold and still as the sun set, but really quite lovely. There would be no moon, so this was the last hurrah for the day. 

I saw this image and knew I could reproduce the colors pretty accurately, so I did.

Carol

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Rising Above the Crest

"Rising Above the Crest"
5" x 5"
Oil on hardboard

The moon rose above the crest of a little hill. Dotted it like an "i."  It was one of those peaceful evenings when the comings and goings of the stellar orbs was about I wanted to watch.  

My sky paintings are getting smaller.  No reason for it, I just enjoy the five inch panels, too.

Carol

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Snaking Between

"Snaking Between"
5" x 5"
Oil on hardboard 

The water flowed between the pines back toward the craggy hills, not quite mountains.  I had seen it a few times in passing, but this evening was spectacular. I hope to paint this scene again, possibly with … snow.  Ugh.

Carol

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Evening Warmth

"Evening Warmth"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard

It was if someone had stained a part of the sky with crushed raspberries. 

I'm back up in Door County at the Plein Air Festival. Today anyone is invited to paint with the "big boys."  Gallery owners will be looking at the art as we make it, so I'm where I want to be.  Wish me well!

Carol

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Last Light

"Last Light"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard

Night is upon us, there's no turning back, hope you have something to do for the next nine hours or so.  This last bit of color is all there'll be until morning. 

It isn't easy to paint yellow in a blue sky without turning it green. Careful planning and specific pigments of yellow can insure success, if you know what to use.

Carol

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Zero Edge

"Zero Edge"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard

Tonight as I paint, I'm listening to Schubert's 9th and thinking of being in a zero edge pools while the sun sets.  I'd love to add the colors of the sunset to all the other sensations I imagine I'd be feeling at a time and place like that. 

Carol

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Had A Nice Day

"Had A Nice Day"
4" x 4"
Oil on hardboard

If this was the sky I saw at the end of my day, I would probably be able to declare that I had had a nice day. If I had been in the hammock, or fishing, or at the beach or painting under the shade of a tree it would have been lovely. 

Carol

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Sundown

"Sundown" 
4" x 4"
Oil on hardboard

Sundown over the lake is a little slice of time when the sky is colorful and the trees are not, no matter the time of year.  

It's a tiny little thing, this one. And so will the next two be.

Carol

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Day's End

"Day's End"
5" x 5"
Oil on hardboard 

It was a beautiful, fiery end to the day. The dust would settle and it would be time to rest. 

Enjoy this series of small paintings while I work on a large rose. 

Carol

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Good Night Kiss

"Good Night Kiss"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard

Saturday scooped all of the color she collected from that day's sky and poured it into the lake — her lipsticked-kiss to bid him good night.

I hope to have the Lantern painting finished by tomorrow. 

Carol

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Over the Dark Water

"Over the Dark Water"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard 

The sun was setting over the cold, dark water of one of the large lakes near me. It went down in a flourish becoming a summer night. But it's not summer. Not even close. In fact, it feels like summer will just slide by with a passing wave this year. 

I seem to be grousing about the temperatures in my zip code again, don't I? I'm just so ready for warmer weather, brighter skies and for color. I miss color.

Carol

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Let's Go Dancin' In the Light

"Let's Go Dancin' In the Light"
4" x 4"
Oil on hardboard 

I'm listening to Neil Young again. He's taking me dancing' in the light of the "Harvest Moon." It feels so right, doesn't it?  

This is an itty bitty piece, but a real cutie pie.

Carol

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Color Shifting

"Color Shifting"
5" x 5"
Oil on hardboard

The colors shifted so rapidly that evening, it must have been windy at higher elevations.  The aqua sky remained the base color, but the purple gave way to pinks and the orange that had mingled so beautifully with purple only seconds before.  

It was fun to paint consecutive sunsets based on the same sky within moments of one another. It certainly looks like a birthday girl's choice of sky, doesn't it?

Carol

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Evening Appetizer

"Evening Appetizer"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard

I attended a birthday party the other day, after which I was pointed directly at this riotous sunset about dinner time. I photographed it with little hope of documenting the colors, but actually did capture them as I remembered. The meal was delicious on the heels of this amazing appetizer.  

Happy Birthday Cutie Pie.

Carol

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Sunbeams Above

"Sunbeams Above"
5" x 5"
Oil on hardboard

A wayward little cloud drifted in front of the sun that evening, and did me the favor of shielding my eyes as I drove. The resulting sunbeams reminded me of my Sunday School days when Jesus wanted me for a sunbeam. Do you know that song?  

I hit my studio running this morning and painted a few skies. You'll be seeing them over the course of the next few days while I work on something larger.

Carol

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Meandering Into the Sunset

"Meandering Into the Sunset"
8" x 10"
Pastel on black hardboard 

If I had been on a horse that evening, I would have ridden to that point on my painting where the water reaches the tree line. I would have made it there before night consumed every last bit of color, and back again.  Or not. 

Carol

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Sky Over the Desert

"Sky Over the Desert"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard

That evening was windier than it had been all day, and the horizon was becoming indistinct. Sand commingled at heights normally reserved for birds of prey, and come morning, the gritty sherbet-colored mix would return to tan. 

It's been a while since I've painted  a simple sky, but I was moved to make one this morning.

Carol

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