Saturday, January 31, 2015

Cooling off

With all the talk of snow and cold temperatures I thought it might be nice to look at something completely different.  I painted this a few years ago and always loved the universal stance that people take when they are standing in the water, somehow more relaxed, more natural.   Looking out at all that ocean and space makes you forget that even though you feel alone there are lots and lots of people all around you.
Donna Vines







Sunday, January 25, 2015

Wildlife Painting, Small Oil Painting, Daily Painting, "Gray Squirrel" by Carol Schiff, 6x8" Oil

Have you ever tried to photograph wildlife?  I have, and consider it an exercise in frustration.  Many blurred images later, my friend and photographer, Ted Fuhrer, offered me the use of his images.  Thanks so much, Ted.

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This little guy looks very inquisitive and ready to bolt at the least movement.

  I enjoyed experimenting with painting his fur and directing the viewer's eye.  The animal is much the same color as the background in this scene.

 I put it in one of my black frames.  They seem to work perfectly for just about any painting.

Happy day to you!



www.CarolSchiffStudio.blogspot.com

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Here kitty

I have been going through the photos I have taken of my paintings.  I am trying to update them and have also been experimenting with taking new ones in different light. 
I came across this portrait of one of my brother-in-laws cats, Rocky.  He is a very quiet, sweet animal who very kindly posed so I could take several photos. 

Rocky

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Florida Vista, 8x6 Oil Landscape on Canvas by Carmen Beecher


I've been practicing painting clouds lately, and this started out as a beach scene with fluffy clouds; then Donna loaned me this photo that is just so Florida to me and I changed my painting completely. I love these grassy vistas dotted with a few palm trees. Florida is not just Daytona, Miami Beach and theme parks. A vast amount of Florida looks just like this.

Carmen

Monday, January 19, 2015

Artichoke Giclee' Canvas Print, Still Life Giclee Canvas Print, Artichokes of Roma by Carol Schiff, daily painting

I have been very busy adding giclee' prints to my Etsy site.  It has given me an opportunity to review some of my sold paintings.  I have enjoyed visiting with these "old friends" and though I would post a few.

Today  I wanted to show you this painting from a trip I took to Roma a few years ago.  I rented an apartment in Campo di Fiori, which is historical piazza.  One morning, I was surprised to see the piazza had been turned into a farmer's market for the day.  These were real farmers selling their fresh, beautiful produce.  I took lots of photos and when I returned home this was the first painting I created.

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The painting has sold, but I am happy to offer it as a giclee' canvas print in numerous sizes. If you look closely, you may be able to see a few Italian words that I hid in the painting.

The giclee's are high quality canvas and inks, professionally printed, gallery wrapped and finished with a semi-gloss protective coating.  They come to you ready to hang.  This piece is available from 8x10x1.5" to over 24x36x1.5".

Happy Day!



www.CarolSchiffStudio.etsy.com

Friday, January 16, 2015

Another cloudy day

Carol posted a wonderful sky painting yesterday. Coincidentally that is what we did in group on Thursday, clouds and skies.  Carmen gave a demonstration explaining her techniques and use of color and tone.  She also told us about some other painters she had discovered on YouTube and how they went about their paintings.  It was really interesting and so much fun to watch. 
After the demo we set to work on creating our own paintings trying to use some of the tips Carmen gave us.  I think the best suggestion she had was to experiment.  Everyone approaches their canvas differently, depending on their style, what they see and want to convey.  Even though I had several photos with me I decided to put them aside and just paint my whole canvas blue and then put in some clouds.  I had no other plan.  I just wanted to lay down some paint, mix some colors, try different approaches and see what happened.
After awhile the clouds seem to take shape and lead me in a certain direction.  Some of the clouds wanted to stay light while other areas called to be darkened. Some of the canvas did not want to be clouds or sky at all but the ocean.  One little area demanded to be a piece of land!!  It really was a great exercise in mixing, setting a mood and letting go.
Donna Vines





Monday, January 12, 2015

Cloud Painting, Sky Painting, Daily Painting, Small Oil Painting, A Touch of Blue by Carol Schiff, 6x8 Original art

I love to paint the sky, but this is my first daily painting of ONLY sky.

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 It was really quite fun as I concentrate more on values than getting really accurate shape.  I like the texture  and will definitely do this little exercise again.




It's nice to have a model that is always available and changes each time you paint it.

What are your favorite things to paint?  I started off with simple still life, went through a flower stage and now find I am doing more landscape than anything else.  My goals this year are many.  I want to paint more larger pieces, more figurative pieces and to add quality giclee' prints to my website.

I hope I can stay on track.  Do you have a plan for where you want to be 12 months from now? I would love to hear about it.

Keep painting and thank you for viewing my blog today.



www.CarolSchiffStudio.blogspot.com

Sunday, January 11, 2015

A cold day in Florida

Living in Florida really has sooo much going for it.  Today it was a chilly 65 degrees LOL so I made a pot of tea to warm up these poor old bones.  While I was sipping my tea I noticed my wonderful little hula lamp so I got one of my teapot paintings and put it next to my lamp and thought this says it all.
Donna Vines

Baby it's cold outside

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Daily Painting, Floral, "Red Hibiscus" 6x8" SOLD

Hibiscus is one of my favorite flowers.  They are very tropical, hula girls always have them behind their ears, and they come in a variety of colors and sizes.

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SOLD

This is a common type that I found planted behind the Eau Gallie Library.  I went there early one morning on a photo shoot, looking for stray pelicans and egrets that usually hand around the fishing pier behind the library.  No birds in sight.....also no fishermen.  I was just about to drive away when I noticed the flowers, turned to the morning light.


So, it was not a wasted trip after all.  It is always a wonderful feeling to be out in nature in the morning stillness.

I am trying to get my art to Times Square...you can help.  Just click here and click on the "collect" button at the top of the page!

Happy Weekend!

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Mountain Painting, Daily Painting, Small Oil Painting, "Morning Mist" by Carol Schiff, 12x12x1.5 Original

When I am in the mountains of North Carolina, I love to start the day with a cup of coffee on the front porch.  It is fascinating to watch the sun break over the mountains and burn off the morning mist that collects in the valley in the evening.

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275. + shipping

 This piece is done on gallery wrap canvas, with the sides painted, which allows it to be hung with or without a frame.



I have some exciting news.  I can now offer prints of my work on my Etsy site.  These are high quality giclee' prints on either watercolor paper or canvas.  Although, I have only a few in stock at the moment, my inventory will quickly grow.  If you don't see your favorite painting or size in print, just contact me and I will special order one for you.



www.CarolSchiffStudio.blogspot.com

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Nighttime at the Loveless Cafe, 8x6 Original Oil Painting by Carmen Beecher



No visit to Nashville is complete without a visit to the Loveless Cafe. It is attached to a funky 50s motel, and it is known for its delicious biscuits and jam. The wait was so long this particular night that we left and came back for breakfast. Yum.

Carmen

Ballard Park, Original Oil on Canvas

  I had not painted outside in two years, so this was quite a challenge. It was one of those paintings I had to improve upon in the studio. ...