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. 

DPW

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.  

Dailypaintworks

My DPW Gallery

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.  

DPW

My DPW Gallery

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