Handles

"Handles"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard panel

I saw these three items with nothing in common but "Handles," and put them together.  I liked the reflections in the borrowed, Art Deco pitcher.  Thanks, dear friend. 


The squash is a decorative item leftover from Turkey Day.  The osage orange, which is NOT orange at all was found alongside the road. It's also called a hedge apple.  Reportedly, it's supposed to keep bugs away.  We'll see about that.

"Handles" can be seen and purchased on Dailypaintworks.com.  Or you can contact me directly, as always, via email.

Thank you for taking the time to look today.
Carol

Storm Over the Pond

"Storm Over the Pond"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard panel

The sky wore a convincing look of winter as it rolled across Wisconsin's farmland, despite the balminess of the actual temperature.  


I toned the board with burnt umber.  Which means, I rubbed the white with a warm brown, then wiped it off.  You can see it through the clouds, in the water, and trees.  I love this look in landscapes. It unifies everything painted on top of it.

This painting is for purchase on Dailypaintworks.com.

Thank you for looking in today.
Carol

Fresh Eggs

"Fresh Eggs"
8" x 8"
Oil on hardboard panel

The crate had tipped, but you know those brown egg shells, they're tough;  irregular in shape, size and color, too. 


I acquired this cute egg crate from an artist-friend. She would have enjoyed seeing how I used it.

This painting is for purchase through a Dailypaintworks.com Auction.  Or just visit my gallery on that site by clicking here.

Thank you for visiting today.
Carol

Lieutenant River

"Lieutenant River"
16" x 20"
Oil on gessoed panel

"We're going to Old Lyme for lunch. You'll like it there.  Artists used to paint there," said my daughter. I was from Illinois, a guest. What did I know about Florence Griswold or the Lieutenant River?  

It was 1997 when Natalie got her Masters in Psychology.  We did lunch in Old Lyme.  I was new to Impressionism, but tumbled hard into an infatuation, then love with what and where the American Impressionists painted. The terrain in Old Lyme was similar to what the European Impressionists were accustomed to painting. Florence had a huge home, a porch, flower gardens and in her back yard was the Lieutenant River.

Today there's a wonderful art museum on the grounds.  The Griswold home is open to the public, as is an art studio once used by William Chadwick.  Tomorrow I'll post a painting I copied from Chadwick called, "On the Piazza" painted in 1908 on the porch at Florence Griswold's home.

"Lieutenant River" is for sale on Dailypaintworks.com

Thank you for reading this lengthy missive.
Carol

Queen Anne's Lace

"Queen Anne's Lace"

Wisconsin fields sway with color and texture, hazy-late in the summer. The "Queen Anne's Lace"  petticoats along her sinewy roads and lanes flutter in the heat and wave in that proper queenly fashion.

Oh, boy was this fun. I put actual lace on a canvas then smeared joint compound over it. Pulled up the lace and painted over the texture.  When you go to my gallery on Dailypaintworks.com and run your cursor over the art, you can see the texture under the paint.  I've done this on many pieces, but they all sold before I could photograph them. 

Thank you for visiting today.  It's always fun to know you're there, reading and looking at what I've been doing. 
Carol

Fox River/Lieutenant River

"Fox River/Lieutenant River"
12" x 12"
Oil on canvas panel

I saw this image in a stack of photos and flipped it over to see the words "Fox River, East Troy, Wisconsin.  I needed to paint it.  It looks just like my favorite place in Old Lyme, Connecticut on the Lieutenant River where the American Impressionists painted in Florence Griswold's back yard.   


This painting was painted very quickly. I blocked in the various sections, established my sky, water and land masses. I know this place... well one of them, anyway, and I love it there. Painting it was like going on a trip.

See it in my Gallery on Dailypaintworks.com.  It's for sale via PayPal or on the DPW auction.

Thank you so much for looking today.
Carol

Marilyn's Stones, Nick's Apple



"Marilyn's Stones, Nick's Apple"
8" x 8"
Oil on canvas panel

 I was given this apple to paint when the Wolf River Apple was shown without a stem.  This one had a stem, and nice markings, too.  And the rocks were placed where she knew I'd find them.  I  love being given things to add to paintings.  And their unlikely pairings make for interesting compositions.

This piece is for purchase via PayPal through me, as are all my pieces, or through a Dailypaintworks.com auction that runs for four weeks.

Thank you for my gifts, my friends.

Carol

Melancholy Morning

"Melancholy Morning"
16" x 20"
Oil on gessoed panel 

It was morning, one of the last lovely ones of the fall. These gals were some of the few left clinging to the picket fence. I'll miss their nodding heads.

This is one of the first pieces I've painted with the addition of a new color to my palette.  Gray of Gray is the name of the tube color. I can see the influence of it in this piece, when compared to my other roses.

Melancholy Morning can be purchased through an auction on Dailypaintworks, or it can be purchased through my PayPal account directly.

Thank you for visiting today.
Carol

Heirloom Tomatoes and a Feather

"Heirloom Tomatoes and a Feather"
8" x 8"
Oil on Hardwood panel

I bought tiny potatoes and tiny tomatoes at Trader Joe's last weekend. I found the feather in their parking lot. As I dropped tomatoes into our salad, I decided to store the chosen ones in my old Lenox coffee cup until painting time. Well, this is just how I left them and decided to paint them that way.


The translucency, the cup, and the background was asking for trouble. What a challenge!  Then I applied my first brushstroke.  Oh, my!  This was my first experience with a nearly smooth hardwood panel.  Sweet!  I loved it!  I'll use it again!

Dailypaintworks.com.  You know the drill.

Carol

Coins

"Coins"
20" x 10"
Acrylic on canvas

There's a place where coins rest on bottom of the sea, all crusted over with indigenous minerals and marked with trails of migrating organisms. 

"Coins" is the last in the series of textured orbs.  It was an enjoyable experiment. There will be more after the first of the year.  I'm eager to paint like this again.  It has a freeing quality about it.  The rules of composition and color remain, but it uses a different part of my right side. 

See them all on Dailypaintworks.com in the area marked Carol Keene's Gallery.  Or click here to zoom there without having to attach your wings. 

Carol 

Frozen Beneath

"Frozen Beneath"
6" x 6"
Acrylic on canvas

As if it's been "Frozen Beneath" and bulging against its stringy captors, this orb has nowhere to go, except to its new home.  


My son and his intended closed on their new home today and this series will move in with them.  Once again, metallic paint and wrinkled plastic have helped me to capture this random smattering.

This image can be seen on Dailypaintworks.com, but is already spoken for.

Thanks for having a look today.
Carol

Orb-i-tal

"Orb-i-tal"
6" x 6" 
Acrylic on canvas

An iridescent orb hovered in front of the ancient wall as if processing information, like reading a map. It bobbed for a moment, then departed. 

Metallic paints and lots more experimentation brought about this little gem.  It's one of three in a series.  

This piece is sold, but I wanted you to see it, anyway. 

Thank you for stopping by,

Carol

Booksmart Pears

"Booksmart Pears"
12" x 12"
Oil on wrapped canvas

Artists seem to like to paint pears, so when I first began to paint in oil I thought I'd give it a shot.  I got pears of three distinct shapes, numerous colors and ones with stems.  Had to have stems.  I put them on a couple of books to make a little stage. 

I painted the pears with a complementary color behind them.  I found the shadows, the highlights and their various colors.  And I sold it soon afterward.  

This one can be seen on Dailypaintworks.com in my gallery, but it lives in Chicago. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Carol 

Moon Fingers

"Moon Fingers"
11" x  22"
Acrylic on panel 

Moon Fingers was a commission for a couple who wanted these colors, this texture and size.  I scooped up the ingredients, folded in a dollop of love, and let 'er rip!

This piece is not as "happenstantial" as it might appear; given the randomness of the process. Saran wrinkles surrounded a waxed paper orb. Salt peppered texture over its face, and other than that, it was a piece of cake.  Or cheese. 

Moon Fingers can be seen on Dailypaintworks.com in my gallery there/here.  This piece, however, is already being loved and cared-for. Don't go lookin' to buy it. But I will be happy to create a cousin or sibling for you.  Just not an identical twin. 

Carol 

Geranium

"Geranium"
20" x 16"
Oil on wrapped canvas

This was one of the first blooms of the season on my geranium.  Well, she wasn't quite mine at this moment.  She was still in the company of many like herself in a greenhouse nearby.  

I liked the idea of a geranium painting that wasn't traditional.  Not full blown, in a pot, or on a porch. The first tiny blossoms were documented as if this were her finest hour. The flower is painted realistically, but the background is a frenzy of fancy brushwork.

Thank you for looking at Geranium today.  She can be purchased through Paypal or from my Dailypaintworks.com Gallery.

Carol

Melon Seeds

"Melon Seeds"
8" x 10"
Oil on canvas panel

I had waited to slice into the melon until my background was dry.  Then I'd cut it open, and paint whatever I found.  What I found was melon balls in a glass bowl in my refrigerator! My daughter made a delicious dessert from subject matter.  


Round two.  I made the slice, and pulled the seeds from the cavity. One seed stuck, but one seed, one slice, one background was not a good idea.  So I slid two more seeds onto the left side, just as they had landed on another slice and painted it.

Click here to see 130 of my paintings in one spot.

Thanks!
Carol

Peg's Garden Bench

"Peg's Garden Bench"
20" x 16"
Oil on wrapped canvas

Grasshoppers snap from leaf to bloom throughout Peg's garden, where everyone, no matter how many legs, is welcome. Some flutter, some nest, some come to sit and soak up the fragrance.        


Peg's Garden Bench is a tribute to my dear friend's zest for life.  Peg has lovingly tended her front garden in Long Grove, Illinois, not just for her own pleasure, but for those who have purposely taken her road to delight their eyes.  This is a minuscule section of her great talent as a tender-of-flowers.  Thank you Peg.

Peg's Garden Bench can be seen on Dailypaintworks.com in my Gallery, where it can also be purchased.

Thanks for stopping by to visit today.
Carol

Circumventing Reality

"Circumventing Reality"
10" x 20"
Acrylic on stretched canvas 

This piece was done at the same time as yesterday's, but I had tackled robust color and a lot more texture.  It's quite lovely in person.  Wow, I was feeling my oats!

I scraped, dabbed, combed and painted in shadows on this one. There's also gold metallic paint in the goings on. Yup, I'll be doing more of these!

See this one in my gallery on Dailypaintworks. com.

Thank you for looking today.
Carol 

Concentric and Then Some

"Concentric and Then Some"
10" x 20"
Acrylic on stretched canvas

I wish I could tell you what was going on in my head as I created this piece.  I made it soon after my studio was finished when I was experimenting with color, texture and expressing myself in strange ways.  

I love making pieces like this.  I may schedule quarterly experiments in 2012.  If I put it on the calendar I may just do it!

Check this one up close on Dailypaintworks.com.  You can zoom in to see the brushstrokes on that site.  And go to my gallery by clicking here.

Carol

Concentric

"Concentric"
6"x 6"
Acrylic on canvas panel

There were times when my headache seemed more intense than the light from the beacon across the river. I seldom took anything for the pain, but it never stopped me from looking. 


I don't actually get headaches, nor do I live near a river with a beacon.  But as I focused on this little painting, the two sentences above just streamed from my fingertips.  I guess that happens sometimes.

This piece can be seen in my gallery on Dailypaintworks.com

Thank you for looking in on my headache.
Carol

Island Flowers

"End of the Season"
8" x 10"
Acrylic on canvas panel

At the end of the street in an industrial park was this island of wildflowers. They were all indigenous to my zip code, and made for a nifty plein air experience. 

I like to use acrylic when I paint outdoors. It keeps my decision-making snappy and the art fresh.  There's no time for lingering thoughts as the light changes, or the wind picks up. And if the paint gets crusty, well that's all the more fun!

This piece is listed with Dailypaintworks.com.  It can be seen in my gallery by clicking here.  And if you care to purchase it, just follow the instructions on the website.  Thanks!
Carol

Posies, Pear and Plate

"Posies, Pear and Plate"
8" x 8"
Oil on canvas panel

I was handed a fist full of ranunculi as a gift.  I had seen photos of them before, but never touched them.  They were tiny, tightly whorled and the stems were curly!  I stuffed them into a vase next to a pear, a sushi plate and wasabi bowl and called it a day.

I love small things! When I can, I try to use my trinkets to compose still life compositions. Lord knows, they're easier to store after the painting is finished!

This piece can be seen in my Dailypaintworks gallery if you click here.

Thanks a bunch (of ranunculi) for stopping by.
Carol

Unlikely Companions,These

"Marble, Lily, Spines"
12" x 12"
Oil on panel

I was photographing a selection of hand blown marbles when my orange day lily snapped off her stem and landed next to a sweet little agave in my courtyard. Unlikely companions, these, what with their origins, textures and colors. But they seemed comfortable together once they were arranged.

These are three of my favorite subjects. I'm thankful to have them around me.

This painting is for sale on Dailypaintworks.  Check it out in my gallery there by clicking here.

Thank you for visiting with me via my blog today.

Daniel Wright Pond

"Daniel Wright Pond"
20" x 16"
Oil on wrapped canvas

It was early autumn. I had been chasing blue pond reflections all summer and waiting for less green in my landscapes.  The lily blooms were fading, but my paintbrush knew how to freshen and revive them with a flick.  


I love being in this space where water, trees, vegetation and sky can be seen without special permissions.  It's a public place.  It's safe and available—within a reasonable proximity to my home.

This pond painting can be seen on my gallery page on Dailypaintworks, where it's also for sale.

Thank you for dipping your toes here today.
Carol

Beck's Pond

"Beck's Pond"
8" x 10"
Oil on wrapped canvas

It was August, the light was white hot. It washed the color out of the treetops, and dried the grasses around the edge of Beck's Pond.  I was there for a plein air picnic.  I found the shade, but it moved as fast as I slathered.


I seldom, okay, never paint in oil with a knife.  I like the way acrylic dries and gets crusty with texture between layers as I work around the panel.  I also seldom paint on a springy wrapped canvas with a knife.  There's way too much bend as I wield my blade.  So this is a rarity.  A seldom-done anomaly, but it does exist.

Dailypaintworks has a gallery of my paintings.  You can buy them there.

Carol

Cabbage

"Cabbage"
9" x 9"
Oil on canvas

My vegetables have become art objects.  I seldom see them as food first anymore.  Certainly it isn't that' I'm sated and no longer eating!  Nor have I  taken a robustly-carnivorous turn.  My eyes are seeing differently again!  Could be that I've switched to contacts.  Old dogs—new tricks. 


This cabbage is on a flat piece of canvas—not stretched or mounted.  It was the beginning of a larger piece when it was accidentally punctured several inches below the cropped area.  I'm not sure how I'll handle the sale of it...

...but it will be for purchase on Dailypaintworks and I'll figure out the logistics of mounting it in the meantime.

Thank you for looking today.
Carol

Peonies in Water

"Peonies in Water"
12" x 12"
Oil on canvas panel 

I gathered every last bud and bloom from the bushes outside my back door, as if rescuing them from something horrific. Wind and rain was forecasted, and we know what those two can do to peony cups balancing on spindly stems. Yikes! 

This crystal bowl is just the right size to contain peonies.  I don't think I'll tire of using it.  The roundness of the vessel repeats the shape of the blossoms, and it creates a lovely dark base to my paintings, too.

Find this one, too, on my gallery page of Dailypaintworks.  It's also for sale there.

Thanks for visiting.
Carol

Fence Rose

"Fence Rose"
12" x 12"
Oil on wrapped canvas

The Fence Rose stretched and pursed her pouty lips as she bathed in morning's shower of light.   


This is a late-in-the-season cousin of Picket Fence Rose—smaller, but just as robust in her gestures.  The cool blue in  her shadows complements the blush of her rosy lips.

This painting can be found on my gallery page of Dailypaintworks where it is also for purchase.  Have you clicked and gone there?  Go ahead.  It's neat to see one hundred of my paintings at a time.  I rearrange them every so often, too.  Go ahead, it doesn't cost a thing, or sign you up for anything, either.

Carol

Glad Cabbage

"Glad Cabbage"
12" x 12"
Oil on wrapped canvas

The flowers at the tip of the stalk fell to the floor, so I stuck them in between two cabbage leaves and liked how it looked. They seemed to like it, too. 


I painted this image from life.  The cut end of the cabbage drew water from the bowl it was sitting in.  The glads benefitted from it as well.  And rather than labor over veins and edge work, I used my Colour Shaper to draw them in the wet paint.  Ala prima!—in one sitting.

Glad Cabbage can be seen in my Dailypaintworks gallery and is for purchase on that site as well.

Thanks for looking!
Carol

Colorado Stream

"Colorado Stream"
14" x 11"
Acrylic on wrapped canvas

I had chased this little stream with my eyes as we drove toward Rocky Mountain National Park. I wasn't about to get out of the car to traipse around the countryside to document it.  But suddenly the road came close enough, and I leaped out and shot a dozen or so.  

That sounded like I was moose hunting, didn't it?  Well, actually I was.  Not with a gun, but my point and shoot camera. Just down stream from here, on the way back I did find a moose.  She was grazing with her calf.  I have it cropped and ready to paint, but haven't begun yet.

This piece is in my gallery on Dailypaintworks.  It's also for sale on their auction site.

Thank you for wading in to say hi.
Carol