Pine Morning

"Pine Morning"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard

I wakened and found what had been a sheath of black the night before, was now a multi-layered wonderland. Even the grasses varied in color and texture.  

Here's a sky painting with a little more foreground than I normally provide.

I will be traveling for a few days. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. I'm thankful for your attention, your love and comments.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
CarolKeene.com
Dailypaintworks.com
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Watery

"Watery"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard

I came across some water photos and felt like capturing the ripples, similar to the synapse paintings I did earlier in the year. 

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
Carolkeene.com
Dailypaintworks.com
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Passionate Persimmon

"Passionate Persimmon"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard

In preparation for the upcoming holiday, I was in several different grocery stores over the weekend. I noticed an abundance of exotic fruits and vegetables — not just "over the river and through the woods" fare. Persimmons were abundant and reasonably priced, so even if I don't eat it, it was pretty enough to paint. 

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
CarolKeene.com
Dailypaintworks.com
Dailypainters.com

Another Trout Stream

"Another Trout Stream"
11" x 14"
Oil on Canvas

The sky was the color of salmon flesh, yet I was thinking "trout" as the day came to a close.   

I've combined some of my technique from pastels with my oils. I used a rubber-tipped device to "squiggle" into the trees and foreground plants to make them look like what I saw in my mind's eye.  I'll do a few more to see if this is something I want to continue.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
CarolKeene.com
Dailypaintworks.com
Dailypainters.com

Evening on the Point

"Evening on the Point"
5" x 7"
Oil on Hardboard 

The trees were bare, the tourists were gone, but the sky was still performing like it had all season. 

I found a photo of these houses on a point and thought it might be fun to do a study of it, just to see if I could.  It looks pretty watery, but is, indeed, a rough sketch.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
CarolKeene.com
Dailypaintworks.com
Dailypainters.com

Trout Stream

"Trout Stream"
3" x 9"
Oil on canvas

This is another of the images I shot of a movie I watched about six weeks ago. The season, the subject matter and the proportion were to my liking, because I had this tiny canvas waiting for the perfect little gem to be painted on it.  

Carol 

Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Carolkeene.com

Dailypaintworks.com

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In the Middle of the Bouquet

"In the Middle of the Bouquet"
24" x 24"
Oil on stretched canvas

I walked into one of the new upscale grocery stores in my neighborhood to find a display of beautifully lit flowers. The bouquets were fresh and spectacular. I had a camera in my purse, so I used it.

It's been months since I've painted a rose, so I decided to paint a large one, in honor of the event.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
CarolKeene.com
Dailypaintworks.com
Dailypainters.com

Then There Was … Sun

"Then There Was … Sun"
6" x 6"
Oil on Hardboard

That morning the sun, frizzed by clouds that would burn off within minutes, lifted her head off the pillow of the island and set out to brighten spirits wherever she shone. 

I enjoyed the effort of keeping the colors clean and pure as I placed complements next to one another.  Satisfying… yes.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
Carolkeene.com
Dailypaintworks.com
Dailypainters.com

Storm Sweepin' Through

"Storm Sweepin' Through"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard

Here on the prairie we get some pretty interesting weather patterns sweeping through. But this is not from today… or yesterday. It's sleeting here, the leaves are gone and very little is still green… or gold.  We're down to sticks.  

However, I just tonight signed up for a six day trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico to paint at Georgia O'Keeffe's Ghost Ranch in February. I'm so excited I can hardly sit still. HUGE ROSES are in my future again!  I'm starting one tonight.  A gal has to be … prepared :-)

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
CarolKeene.com
Dailypaintworks.com
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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

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
CarolKeene.com
Dailypaintworks.com
Dailypainters.com

Koi Pond

"Koi Pond"
12" x 16"
Pastel on black canvas panel

I set my camera on the dock, nearly at water level with a school of goldfish and koi lolling just below the surface, to document this scene. They heard my footsteps on the wooden platform and gathered in hopes of being fed. 

I began this painting in hopes of painting one of the 24" koi in the foreground, but the scale was so unbelievable that it looked wrong. So I painted only the ten inch fish, which repeated the foliage across the pond nicely. Once again, this is the Anderson Japanese Gardens, the largest Japanese garden in the country, I learned today.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
CarolKeene.com
Dailypaintworks.com
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Winding Path

"Winding Path"
12" x 12"
Pastel on canvas panel

The late afternoon sunlight shone through the spidery branches and cast a nifty diagonal shadow on the path that zigged and zagged through the Japanese Garden in Rockford.

I photographed it from several angles and will probably paint it again and again.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
CarolKeene.com
Dailypaintworks.com
Dailypainters.com