SEA OATS, 4X12, CAROL SCHIFF STUDIO

Living on the coast of Florida is a mixed blessing.  Most days, I am thankful to be here.  Summer is gone, but I look forward to warm days and low humidity.  Quite often the best time to spend time at the beach.

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She Sells Sea Shells

Sometimes a piece is just plain fun to execute....and "She Sells Sea Shells" was like eating peanuts: I had a hard time stopping!  This is actually two pieces on seperate cradled wood panels...they are now attached with leather ties and hang nicely as one piece.  The two could hang individually but again, making them work together was part of the fun.  A lot of time went into surface prep and after several coats of gesso this mixed media piece received water color, acrylic and graphite.  While I had a vague idea for the overall look when I started it, working on it was like doing a crossword puzzle...one completed shell would impact the layout of the next one and suddenly a splash of color seemed better suited for something else than what I had originally planned.  So it evolved and unfolded and changed and morphed which made it anything but boring to work on.

This is the top panel immediately below.  Once I decided it was finished I had to seal the graphite with fixative and then begin the process of varnishing the entire piece to protect it.  I chose a satin finish as sometimes the shine on a piece makes it look a little unreal to me.

Below it is the second panel, a close up, altho in reality the two panels are not the same size.  Once again I am thrilled to give the credit for teaching me this technique to Fran Hardy....only my work does not do hers justice! 

I'm already preparing some panels for another collection....I have a great assortment of mushroom photos I took while hiking this month.  So I suppose that with apologies to Fran I will find a way to continue to "tweak" this process and make it a bit more "Michaud" than "Hardy."

Cindy Michaud

http://www.cindymichaud.com/

Beach Treasures

I've been painting a series I call Beach Treasures, on metallic gold. They are all things I find on our beach here. Since our community is very good about beach cleanup, I have to be quick. What I have done so far is from nature, but I don't mind a shoe or a little shovel either. This Portuguese Man O' War was just a stroke of luck. Most people would beg to differ, but since I haven't ever stepped on one of the painful stinging tentacles, I can afford to appreciate its beauty.         - Carmen                                            BUY

CAUGHT IN THE ACT OF ENJOYING HERSELF, 6X8, OIL, CAROL SCHIFF STUDIO

One of my latest daily paintings from a trip to the beach last week.  I couldn't pass up her long blond hair and the killer reflections in the water.

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That wonderful day on the windy beach!
Here is our lovely Denette exulting in her Beach Ballet.
It was such fun painting this in watercolor, and trying to
catch the essence of the moment.
Mary