Farmers' Market

"Farmers' Market"
24" x 24"
Oil on museum wrapped canvas

I gathered this produce at our local farmers' market a couple of weekends ago to arrange for a painting, and to eat. I had originally placed my plastic moose in the upper right hand corner, thinking I'd make the "autumn" version of "Toulouse, Your Moose Is Loose,"  but as the painting progressed, my darling moose looked out of place. Not quite as handsome as he looked in the first painting. So I gathered some sunflowers, stuck them in my daffodil pitcher and finished it with sunshine in that corner, like a child's drawing, instead.  

I will be submitting this painting to be juried with another, in this year's Recent Works competition. I'll let you know as results come in, whether or not my paintings are juried into the show, or not.

Carol

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Hillside Trees

"Hillside Trees"
4" x 4"
Oil on canvas panel

Imagine, if you will, what this hill would be like in, say, February.  As I paint it, it goes through a phase of February-ishness.  The trees are barren sticks, an armature for the final form. Then I dapple on the leaves and voila, a change of season, and another cutie pie in my little landscape series. 

Carol

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Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Land Quilt

"Land Quilt"
4" x 4"
Oil on canvas panel

Crops zigged and zagged over the hills of the countryside like a crazy quilt draped over curvy aunt Marlena. Scrub trees and fences delineated the boundaries like a decorative stitching to the seam lines. 

I loved painting this little remembrance of the Iowa farmland.

Carol

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Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Violaceous Velvet

"Violaceous Velvet"
12" x 12" 
Oil on wrapped canvas

Her petals unfurled from the tight, yellow bud at her core, to the violaceous milkiness of her velvety corolla. 

It's been months since I've painted a rose, but not for lack of interest. I got bogged down in landscapes and house portraits, but today my heart needed to be involved with my favorite subject matter, no matter what.

Carol

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Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Heavenly Hollyhock

"Heavenly Hollyhock"
11" x 14"
Oil on wrapped canvas

Holly's ruffled petticoat fluttered in the sunlit garden like Marilyn's white "subway" dress in "The Seven Year Itch." 

I painted this heavenly hollyhock tonight in one sitting, ala prima, and with ONE brush. I normally use about eight to ten brushes during a painting. This one would have required more.  I purchased a brush on Friday that has realized my every painting fantasy. It's a number 4 Princeton Catalyst, a totally synthetic, polytip bristle brush. It was billed to remain responsive with water-based paint. I paint with water miscible oils, so I thought I'd try one; their smallest brush. This painting fairly painted itself as I willed the brush to do things I normally only dream possible. Wow. I want more of these!

Carol

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Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Golden Hour

"Golden Hour"
8" x 10"
Oil on hardboard

The sky was glorious. The light burnished every surface with a metallic sheen. It was magical, that transitory time before dark. 

I saw a painting of sky similar to this and added elements of my own to adorn the foreground.

Carol

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Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Pond Scum

"Pond Scum"
9" x 12"
Pastel on paper 

On Thursday I painted at the edge of this pond where the light was incredible and the subject matter was luscious.  Before I painted, I photographed one hundred images so that I would be able to paint beautiful things when the weather gets snowy and bleak.  Then what did I go and do today, on this perfectly nice August day in Illinois?  I dipped into my stash and painted from one of the photos.  But wait ... there's more!  

I painted with pastels. This is news! I've never even touched a pastel before, let alone make a piece of art with those thick, chalky sticks. I taught myself to use them, and you are witness to this, my maiden voyage, my numero uno, my inaugural offering.

Carol

Dailypaintworks.com
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Brushstrokes@comcast.net