Pieces of Eight: August 2019

Monday, August 26, 2019

Mountain Sunset Palette Knife Painting, Small Oil Painting, Daily Painting, Textured Art

There is something special about a sunset over the mountains. In fact, I am attracted to any sunset, but I seem to paint a lot of them in a mountain landscape.

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I was very pleased with this one. I enjoyed the texture and the colors.

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Thanks for stopping by today.

Carol Schiff
www.CarolASchiff.com
www.CarolSchiffStudio.etsy.com

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Ocracoke Garden, Small Oil Painting, Daily Painting, Original Wall Decor, Outer Banks, NC

A recent trip to Ocracoke, supplied me with some new painting inspiration. The island is covered in cedar trees, that have grown in their twisted, windblown contortions. Beauty is everywhere you look.

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The island is located 40 miles off shore of mainland North Carolina, and involves a 2.5 hour ferry ride. Once on the island, the primary mode of transportation are bicycles and golf carts.

Beautiful marshes on the sound side, and wonderful beaches on the ocean side.

We cannot wait to return!

Carol Schiff
www.CarolSchiffStudio.etsy.com
www.CarolASchiff.com

Friday, August 16, 2019

Sunflower Painting, Field of Sunflowers, Small Oil Painting, Daily Painting, 6x8" Oil Painting, SOLD

Sunflowers always make me smile! This little painting is no exception!

SOLD

I used both a brush and knife on this piece. I wanted some texture, and also vibrant colors. I tried to make the colors play off one another.

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Sometimes, painting comes much more easily than others. I painted this and one other landscape that I am happy with.........and then the bottom fell out! I wiped and wiped and wiped. I couldn't seem to do anything right! Finally I turned to acrylic pouring as a distraction. I have been doing pouring exclusively for the last few weeks.

I am hoping this little journey into a related, but different type of work, will get me back on track again. More to come!

Thanks for viewing my blog today!

Carol Schiff
www.CarolSchiffStudio.etsy.com
www.CarolSchiffStudio.blogspot.com

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

August Challenge, Leaves

Our challenge for August is simply "Leaves."

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Carmen Beecher


Golden Ginko Leaves

I've been experimenting with gold leaf and I love the shape of Ginko leaves, so it was a good time to make golden leaves for our challenge. This is metallic gold leaf on black canvas, 12x12 inches.

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Kathy Garvey

Leaves are one of my favorite subjects. For this month's challenge, I went through my sketchbook and decided to paint some Blood-root leaves found on one of my walks in the mountains of Kentucky. Started playing with the idea and composition around ten in the morning and worked on it while my new kitchen was being installed.

Sketch, composition, watercolor start.

Lots of banging and clunking going on in the kitchen. I couldn't do anything else, so I stuck with it until 5 pm. The finished 9x12 watercolor is below. (The banging and clunking is still going on!)

Blood-root Leaves
9x12 Watercolor on 140 lb Cold Press Arches Paper

And then, my kitchen still not done two weeks later, I looked for something to paint on this circular heavily textured watercolor paper traded with another artist in Kentucky. I found a leaf from my friend's yard that looked like it would work. (And while it looks like Marijuana, it's a Coral Tree leaf.) The paper is unusual to watercolor on. The water seems to sit on top as you work, but then sinks in and almost disappears into the paper. Below is the progress.

And here is the final - after four to seven layers of paint in most areas. (Click on an image to enlarge.)

Coral Leaf
Watercolor on 12" Round Textured Paper

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Cindy Michaud

Eco-printing is a way to use leaves to make a direct print on fabric or paper. Naturally this phenomenon (just google it) grabbed my attention and I was all in! To make the magic happen one must first “mordant” the paper or fabric which means dipping or soaking it in a solution which prepares the material to receive (permanently) the color being transferred. I have experimented with both fabric and paper. In short, one layers the leaves in stacks, applies pressure to hold a stack tightly and steams the bundle for several hours. Let cool and unwrap to reveal the print.

Here are some of my papers right out of the pot! It’s always fascinating to see what works and sadly, what doesn’t. (Notice my leaf mug? Another way to use them best left to potters!)

Here are some “rejects” on fabric getting a new life as a wall hanging to be.

Here is a sample of a perfect print! I make these into a variety of cards with hand sewn paper inserts to write on. Coupled with an envelope they are sold almost as fast as I can produce them.

I’m collecting leaves now of some of my tried and true varieties. As fall comes and the leaves disappear I will be happily steaming up prints and crafting new ways to use them.

Cindy Michaud

art@cindymichaud.com, www.cindymichaud.com

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This has been a crazy month. I have been away for most of it and now I am lucky enough to have my grandson James with me. I have not gotten my paints out yet or my easel set up but wanted to get started on this months challenge. James helped me using watercolor pencils and watercolors. He picked most of the colors and was a great help in the critique department. So here is an attempt by a happily tired lady with some help from an energetic young man to rise to this months challenge. This is what leaves would look like in our world. p.s. we did a lot before the lure of the video games became too much.

making progress

James has a good color sense

Leaves

Donna Vines

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That I am a pack rat is a well established fact. Therefore, this tear-out from a 1997 copy of Country Living should be no surprise to anyone who knows me. Yes, I have been waiting that long to do something with the info in it. We are awaiting Hurricane Dorian, so it is a pleasure to escape into the memories of crisp and colorful falls.

Dogwood is my favorite tree. The dogwood is one of the first to change colors and is such a deep velvet red that I remember it still as vividly as one recalls those most special moments in life. Maples have the most brilliant of foliage, at least in Virginia. And they are also early to turn many different shades of gold and orange and cadmium red. The good ole oak is just plain dependable and strong.

Below I have tried to do water colors of the maple and the oak. I promised myself I would do it at one of our weekly gatherings and not go back to it. Well, the outcome is not what I envisioned. I probably should have started over and tried to get more variety and contrast. Next time.

Fay Picardi

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Daily Painting, Small Oil Painting, Blue Paintings

I like to post on facebook, as I am sure many of you do too. I started a group called "Online Artists" to give self-representing artists another place to post their work. Every week I "suggest" a theme for the artists to follow, although it is not mandatory by any means. A few times, the theme has been a specific color, which I really enjoyed. So today, I decided to post "blue" paintings for you here.

Swirls
8x10x.75"

I really had fun with this textured piece!

Geisha
6x8" canvas panel

What is it about oriental culture that is so fascinating?

Blue Lagoon
6x8" on canvas panel

A view of the intracoastal waterway in Grant Florida. This is close to my home.

Mountain Farm
8x10" canvas panel

A view of our neighbor's farm in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. One of the most beautiful scenes on earth, I have painted this farm dozens of times.

Misty Morning
12x12x1.5" canvas

The mountains are absolutely gorgeous when the sun comes up and burns off the morning mist.

A Touch of Blue
6x8" on canvas panel

A Florida sky. The coastal areas are often filled with fluffy clouds as the afternoon hot air from the west collides with the cool sea breezes from the east.

Candlestick with Palm Shadows
4x12x1.5" canvas

I love to set objects on my windowsill in front of these cool shadows from a palm tree.

Antique Bottles
8x10 canvas panel

From my antique bottle collection.

Seascape with sunset
11x14x1.5" canvas

I had to put a seascape in here somewhere!

Well, that's it for celebrating blue today! I hope you will join us on facebook. Just go to your account and search for Online Artists. We would love to have you join in the fun.

I hope you have BLUE skies today.

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Friday, August 9, 2019

Yellow Paintings, Daily Painting, Small Oil Painting, Yellow Art, daily art

This time of the year is so hectic. Now that I think about it, every time of the year has been hectic lately!

I am busy painting several large commissions, so for the moment, my daily paintings are scarce. I decided to post some older works, and the theme I chose today is yellow.