Blog
8/26/2017 11:46:23 AM
Have you ever looked into the eyes of your dog and seen the love that is mirrored there or watched a stick bug crawl up the stem of a flower? How about a squirrel walking on a wire and keeping perfect balance or fabulous Koi swimming in a pond?
I have a show coming up in October of this year in which I want to feature some of the wonderful creatures God created to live with us on this earth. I am in awe of the creativity that went into these creations and I had a big desire to put some of them on canvas; from domesticated and wild animals, marvelous birds, amphibians, and insects.
"Lady in Waiting" was the first painting in this series. She is resting after a hunting session and is secure in the knowledge that she can take care of herself and the cubs that might be wrestling in the nearby grass. I find lions majestic and intriguing so painting this beauty brought me a lot of enjoyment.
Birds are fascinating. They come in a wide array of colors, sizes, and shapes. This comical bird, a Spoonbill, is preening himself but because he looks so funny I decided to name this painting "Whatcha Lookin' For?". According to Wikipedia "All spoonbills have large, flat, spatulate bills and feed by wading through shallow water, sweeping the partly opened bill from side to side. The moment any small aquatic creature touches the inside of the bill—an insect, crustacean, or tiny fish—it is snapped shut. Spoonbills generally prefer fresh water to salt but are found in both environments. They need to feed many hours each day." You can't see the spoon-shaped bill in this delightful painting but you can imagine the bird using it to check for insects that might be trying to hide in his feathers.
Have you ever heard a frog croaking among the reeds at the lake or river and wanted to search him out? When my children were young we would take them to the lake for the day and they would look for the tiny frogs that hid in the weeds. They always wanted to take them home but after we explained that their home was right where they were found the kids would put them back. The Pacific tree frog, which is the subject of this painting, is also known as the Pacific chorus frog. These guys are tiny, reaching about 2" in length, and they come in a variety of shades if brown and green. This guy looks a little smug as he sits on a tree branch. I thought "Prince Charming" was an apt title for this painting.
My favorite animals at the zoo when I was a child were the members of the primate family; monkeys and gorillas. Gorillas are the largest living primates and they are ground dwelling. The don't climb trees like monkeys do. Some people believe we evolved from primates but I don't hold that belief however I do find these creatures fascinating. They build "nests" to rest and sleep in and live in groups called troops. This fun acrylic painting, "Goin' Ape", shows only a foot and hand of a primate giving the piece interesting perspective. The foot looks like it has walked a lot of miles.
I could go on with pictures of more paintings in this series but I will stop with this fascinating ladybug. They are called "Ladybird"s in Great Britain and other parts of the world but they are known as ladybugs in North America. Ladybugs are members of the beetle family and they feed on aphids and other scale insects which are considered agricultural pests. They come in different colors but I am most familiar with red and orange ladybugs.
I hope you enjoyed this preview of my upcoming show. Keep an eye on my web site for more paintings of these animals and other creatures I have chosen to portray in acrylics on canvas. If you would like to see them in person come by Avenue West Gallery in October if you live in Spokane Washington or the surrounding areas. I would enjoy talking with you.
4/28/2016 9:59:52 AM
When I was fifteen my mother took me with her to an oil painting class taught by Francis Bond, a 78-year old motorcycle riding wonder, and I was introduced to painting. Prior to that I worked with charcoal and drew many things that caught my interest. I gave my first oil painting to my father as a gift and did several more paintings after that. Art creations went on hold so I could raise a large family.
In 1988, when my youngest child was six years old, I took started painting in watercolors and have done several hundred watercolor paintings in the past 28 years. Several months ago I decided to try acrylics. I chose them over oils because of the faster drying time and the fact that acrylics have no odors. I am the featured artist at Avenue West Gallery in May, so I decided to do all new paintings and to do them in acrylics.
My first acrylic painting is that of a serene lake scene "Serenitiy". I had a great deal of fun creating this piece. Working with acrylics is quite different from either watercolors or oils. Acrylics are less fluid that watercolors and you usually start with darks and work with lights later. These paints are similar to oils except they dry much faster, as I mentioned before. I love the richness of the paint.
Because I haven't taken any classes or workshops in acrylic painting I had to use the internet for advice when I had a question about this medium. There are so many videos and blogs on this subject so it wasn't hard to find answers to my questions.
I have always been interested in wheels, cogs, and sprockets. My friend Dennis Mott took a wonderful photo inside the Rice Grist Mill in the Norris Dam State Park in Tennessee. With his permission, I used his photo as a reference for my second acrylic painting "The Old Grist Mill". I also did another painting of the other side of this wheel plus several others, to include this delightful painting of an egret titled "His Majesty". I love birds and this one captured on film by Alma Drain was perfect for a painting.
My favorite of the series of paintings that include a lake, a sunset, a meadow of flowers, etc. is "Retired". I visited Strawberry Hill Farm with my husband last fall and saw an old manure spreader sitting off to the side of the parking lot. I am fascinated with wheels, cogs, sprockets, and gears, so the thought of painting this wagon really appealed to me. I shot several reference photos from different angles and chose the angle that shows the large wheel. With all the detail in the wagon, the wheels, etc. this painting took me over 50 hours to complete. I enjoyed every minute of the process.
As I was working on the group of paintings for my show my brother-in-law saw this small painting of a boat resting on the sand. He bought it from me for my niece and then I receive two commission orders before I could return to the group of paintings I was working on. I was delighted to receive the orders and enjoyed painting another boat scene and a scene with a meadow of flowers.
I have no plans to give up painting with watercolors, however I do plan to paint often with acrylics. I really enjoy working with them and love the richness of the finished products.
If you live in, or around, Spokane, Washington, please stop by Avenue West Gallery at 907 W. Boone, Suite B during the month of May and see my new group of acrylic paintings. I will have some watercolors on display as well. The artist reception is May 6, 2016 from 5 pm to 8:30 pm. I hope to see you there.
I leave you with encouragement to go out and enjoy the beautiful spring flowers and trees, wherever you live. God has certainly given us amazing creations to enjoy.
"Offerings of Spring"
3/28/2012 10:02:48 AM
I have had a very hectic life for the past few months since my last blog post. It is a good thing no one was holding their breath waiting for the next installation. One of my main problems has been poor health and the lack of energy to do a new painting or to blog about someone else's wonderful work. Well, I am happy to say, things are better in my world and I actually completed a new painting yesterday.
I have often thought I should call my art shows "The Three Faces Of Carol". The long time pros always advise that you pick a style of painting and develop your skills in that area. The idea is to develop a style that will identify with you so when people see the paintings they know you are the artist; an idea that makes a lot of sense but doesn't quite fit into my life. I started with tradional paintings. I love the beauty of nature so landscapes and florals were a good fit for me. I enjoyed painting and traditional work seemed to be the place I wanted to concentrate my efforts. I could paint landscapes, florals, still lifes, portraits and never run out of subject matter that I loved.
Then, as time went by, I wanted to do something different from all the things I was seeing at art show and I wanted to challenge myself. I started the series I call Shattered Reality and have done 47 paintings in this series. In the areas where I show my work I am known for these paintings. People see them and immediately identify them with my name. These paintings are colorful and fun and I truly enjoy doing them, plus they have been very popular with my collectors. I love to paint subjects that are colorful such as tropical fish, flowers, butterflies, birds, etc. There is no end to the fauna and flora that are colorful.
Now I have discovered the joy of doing abstract paintings. They are fun and exciting for me. I start them with a general idea but I am never quite sure where they will go like I am with the traditional and Shattered Reality paintings. Recently I discovered mixing the abstract with a little dose of reality in the form of photos I have taken to create some mixed media pieces.
I honestly don't think I can limit myself to one style of painting. I am now in the "mature age" era of my life and life is too short to limit myself. I am looking forward to the remaining years I have on earth and the adventures I will have as I explore all that art has to offer me. I see much fun on the horizon and I will chase it as long as I can.
