Morning Layers

"Morning Layers"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard 

I looked out over the distant hills as the sun began to burn off a dense haze. The prismatic clouds dissipated as daylight claimed the sky.  

I love to paint skies as a warmup exercise when I come down to my studio after an absence. I make several using the same palette —whatever I squeezed out for the first one.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
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Pine Time

"Pine Time"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard

A river ran across this corner of the ranch where my friend took me to visit. The air was crisp and we never saw a bug… so unlike summer in Illinois. 

The fragrance of pine was prominent. Maybe that's why there were no bugs, but I didn't know what other kinds of varmints there were to threaten me.  Ignorance was bliss.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
CarolKeene.com
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Snaking Between

"Snaking Between"
5" x 5"
Oil on hardboard 

The water flowed between the pines back toward the craggy hills, not quite mountains.  I had seen it a few times in passing, but this evening was spectacular. I hope to paint this scene again, possibly with … snow.  Ugh.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
Carolkeene.com
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Day's End

"Day's End"
5" x 5"
Oil on hardboard 

It was a beautiful, fiery end to the day. The dust would settle and it would be time to rest. 

Enjoy this series of small paintings while I work on a large rose. 

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net

CarolKeene.com

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Evening Blankets the Hills

"Evening Blankets the Hills"
5" x 7"
Oil on canvas panel

I saw a painting similar to this and tried to capture the essence of it in miniature. It's a lot like my regular sky paintings with a little more detail to the ground.  I'd love to live where this view is common place.  

It's not my habit to copy art, but it is a learning experience, just like the masters used to instruct their students. Simple strokes of color defined the topography of this hilly place.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
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Along the River

"Along the River"
5" x 7"
Oil on hardboard 

Again, the river is close to the road and the hills are snaking along on one side of the river. 

Here's a very high key painting; very little value difference… on the light side.  

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
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Weather On the Way

"Weather On the Way"
5" x 7"
Oil on hardboard

It rolled in as quietly as most clouds do, but this one managed to bring with it, some wind, rain and hail. Probably the same stuff that wore down the rigid peaks from the hills on my painting. 

I'm enjoying a series of hillsides and clouds while I work on larger pieces.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
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Divvied Up

"Divvied Up"
5" x 7"
Oil on hardboard 

The crops, no longer merely green, divvied up the distance like a child's gameboard. Night was coming. Time for a rollicking game of Kamisado.

I'm delighted with the changing colors of this season. It makes for more interesting landscapes.

Carol

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Iowa Hills

"Iowa Hills"
6" x 12"
Oil on wrapped canvas 

The Iowa countryside outside my car window undulated like green scarves fringed with gold on a windy day.  

Today was a scheduled plein air day, but the weather was more like October than the end of July, so I used one of my Iowa photos and pretended I was outdoors.  I also used a different Cobalt Blue and some Indian Yellow to make my green. I really like how dark the green got. I may be able to get my values closer to what I'm seeing with these two new colors.  I also found this cute canvas size at Blick yesterday. I will be buying more.   

Carol 

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Sienna

"Sienna
" 12" x 12"
Oil on wrapped canvas

The hills in this light were sienna compared to the grasses in the valley below.  I liked the many different colours and textures in this shot, but it wasn't complete, so the rest of it will post tomorrow... the view to the right.  

Here's part one of a diptych.

Carol

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Sheep in the Meadow

"Sheep in the Meadow"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard

Morning is not one of my favorite times. It occurs too early for my body's clock, but I love the colors of morning. I've peeked at them from behind my curtains, and remembered how they smear the sky like cream cheese on a bagel, but with pink, blue, peach and gold. 


I'm testing a stack of Ampersand hardboard.  I have about a dozen panels to use.  I painted the sky with a light ground of white, then flipped color around with my brush and then dusted them lightly with a soft mop brush. I did the same with each little field and stream.  Soft...

Thank you for wandering by today.
Carol

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Typical of the County

"Typical of the County"
16" x 20"
Oil on panel 

When I drive to my daughter's home in Wisconsin I imagine building lovely homes on top of the hills, all along the the way.  The view would be magnificent, for the mid west.  But then I consider borrowing a cup of sugar from the nearest neighbor... 


This was done from the memory of a particular field, in the comfort of my studio.  I particularly like the way the clouds lined up.

Thanks for visiting.
Carol

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