Phlox and Tulips

"Phlox and Tulips"
7" x 5"
Acrylic on panel 

The wind blew through the garden, whipping the tulip heads about like they were watching a tennis match. The phlox, pretty much, remained stoic. Perhaps it was because they were against a wall, or maybe they just didn't like... tennis. 

This one wears a lot more paint than I normally put on a canvas. I couldn't decide, then when I did, it got thicker and thicker. It is definitely not my thinnest work.

Carol

"Peony Demo"
6" x 6"
Acrylic on panel 

I taught a two-day knife workshop in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin last week. The ten attendees were, for the most part, watercolorists with a willingness to learn to: #1 paint vertically  #2 paint with thick acrylics  #3 use a painting knife  and #4 paint on a black background. None of these things were at all like what they were accustomed to.  

Below are two photos. One is from day two of my workshop.  The women are holding their second paintings. Many of them began a third or fourth — wishing for another few hours of painting time, or perhaps another day.  

The last photo is of me with Texas artist, Qiang Huang. Qiang was teaching a workshop in the neighboring town of Lake Zurich at the Mainstreet Art Center.  Since he had traveled so far, and I have followed his blog and his career for years, I stopped by during his lunch break to meet him. His oils are inspiring and Qiang is getting the recognition he so readily deserves. Director Frankie Johnson brings in the BEST artists from around the country.  I've taken several workshops there. Find out more about Qiang here.  Learn more about Mainstreet Art Center here.

Watch for a musical slideshow of my own workshop on tomorrow's post. My husband and I finished it tonight, but we would like to save it for tomorrow. 

Day two of my knife workshop 

Meeting Qiang Huang

Foxgloves

"Foxgloves"
8" x 6"
Acrylic on canvas panel

This must be one of those perfect springs for foxgloves. I've been to the Chicago Botanic Gardens twice in the past month and have been treated to a display of beauty I've not witnessed there before.  I have more reference photos of these spiked plants from this year alone, than all the years I've been documenting flower gardens.  

How fortunate for me!  Plants like this are my favorites to paint. AND this style of garden painting is one I will be teaching in my knife workshop in Chippewa Falls in about ten days. If you're in the area and interested, let me know. I may still have room in my class.

Carol

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

Mary's Garden

"Mary's Garden"
5" x 7"
Acrylic on canvas board

Our hosts for the weekend had beautiful gardens on their beef cattle farm. I feasted my eyes on mounds of color and painted this and another little piece as a gift for our hosts before I went to the competition early Sunday morning. 

Carol

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