Pieces of 8 Rocks!

In the spirit of Brevard Rocks Florida, we had a rock-painting session this week. We are going to place them at "The Loom" installation in the Eau Gallie Square Park. The structure was an Eagle Scout project, an art installation featuring objects from nature. 

Above, l. to r., Carmen, Denette, Jean, and Donna.

We got a good start, but we will be painting many more rocks to enhance The Loom. Stay tuned.

Wildlife Refuge, Florida Landscape 8x10

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This is a scene from the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, which is a very diverse spot to visit. It has jungle-like trails, marshes and the Cape Canaveral Seashore. This marsh is on the Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, a popular spot for birders. 

Carmen

Florida Road, Original Oil Landscape Painting 10x8 Oil on Canvas Panel

This is one of my favorite places, North Captiva Island. It represents Peace. Relaxation. Beauty. Seclusion. Exquisite Beaches. Expensive Food (nothing's perfect). 

Carmen

March Challenge, Landscapes

The challenge for March is to paint a landscape.

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Jean Thomas' Landscape

This was inspired by a hike that we took near Falls Creek Falls State Park. It is North of Chattanooga, TN and a real treat to visit. We had finished the hike, hot and tired, and I sat down to catch my breath. In front of me was a meadow full of wild flowers. It was late spring so I was marveling at how many different shades of green were surrounding me. The only other recollection I have of that day, was that I sat on an old wooden bench and got the worst case of chiggers I've ever had!!

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Carmen Beecher's Landscape

Florida Jungle, 8x10 Oil

I just love a nice thick, tangled Florida wood, especially when a tree is decorated with a big air plant.

www.carmenbeecher.com

www.carmensart.etsy.com

*****
Cindy Michaud's Landscape

Crossing to Safety
acrylic on cradled board
Price Lake Park, Boone, NC

This is from a lovely day at one of my favorite parks in the area.  A bridge of stepping stones in and over the water, in and out of the shade, seems an appropriate metaphor for todays time.  I loved making the many different areas of texture on this piece and found the acrylic fun to use.

Cindy Michaud

art@cindymichaud.com

*****
Denette Schweikert's Landscape

Puerto Rican Sunset

Several years ago we spent some time in western Puerto Rico enjoying the beaches, where I took a photo from the ocean.  Then a painted this picture in short painting session with the Pieces of 8.  I usually takes me days (or weeks) to finish a painting, but I am pretty happy with it.

Kathy Garvey's Landscape

A View from a Train
9x12 Watercolor

I've never had any desire to paint a landscape except for a visit in the late 80's to Italy. For some reason the hills, mountains, dark green olive trees on light green fields, and charming castle towns appealed to me. So, when this challenge came up, I looked through my pictures from that visit. I think I took the original photo from the train on the way from Naples to Assisi.

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Mary's landscape

This little watercolor painting is called "Dreamscape" because I dreamed this scene one night, and then tried to capture my dream on paper.

It was fun to do and I used a lot of water to get the effect I was looking for.

I normally paint  a lot of landscapes, but haven't done one for awhile.

Mary Warnick

                                     
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Donna Vines

This painting is a scene from North Carolina.  Driving through some back roads we came upon some small family homesteads on a hillside.  I just loved this collection of old farm buildings and had to paint it.  I painted on a board using  big brushes to give it that rustic feel.  I also made the tree a little more pink than it was but  love the pop of color.

                                                                Hilly Farm

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A Day in the Gardens

L

Left to right, Denette, Kathy, Donna and Fay

My journal page 

Carmen Beecher

Challenge for July, Florida Themed Art

Our challenge this month: simply, "Florida."

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Cindy: When the theme for the month was “Florida” I knew immediately which piece said it all for me:

Hanging now in my NC studio this piece is huge! About 48” tall and almost 30” wide, it was rendered right before I left the state.  It was from a compilation of photos I had taken while kayaking the Indian River with a liberal dose of imagination thrown in for good measure.  I love the mountains and its four defined seasons but when I feel lonesome for a good river paddle on a hot day I simply lift my eyes and visit Florida in my mind.  This was done for me, me, me and it never mattered if anyone else liked it or not!

Detail of my swirly colorful water....

Cindy Michaud

https://www.cindymichaud.com/

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Kathy: I'm on a roll painting leaves lately and Florida has some beauties! I was watering my brother's Monstera plant and its gorgeous giant leaves just begged to be painted. I trimmed one off that was hiding near the ground and past looking healthy, and photographed it. (This leaf is 30 inches tall and 27 inches wide!)

Monstera Deliciosa Leaf

Sometimes I experiment in Photoshop to see how I might want to paint something. If I don't get around to painting it before our Florida challenge is up, below is my digital version. By adding patterns and filters I can make a photo look like a watercolor. The background is created by "painting" with a "brush" made from the same photo.

Also Monstera Deliciosa

Kathy Garvey

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spoonflower.com/profiles/kgarvey

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Carmen: There is an island in Florida that is just as good as being in the Bahamas, and it is called North Captiva. I am thinking of painting a large version of this lovely spot.

Paradise, 7x5

Carmen Beecher

https://carmenbeecher.com

https://carmensart.etsy.com

*****

I painted a familiar landmark in the area The Grant House.  It was built in 1916 in the town that is now Grant,  by the Benson Family, who were pioneers in the Melbourne area.  I have visited there several times and always marvel at the how small and isolated these early pioneers must have felt in this vast wilderness that was Florida.

The Grant House

Donna Vines

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http://donnavinesart.blogspot.com

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I have always loved flowers. When I first moved to Florida, I planted 4 hibiscus trees in my backyard. The blooms were a lively color between coral and pomegranate. And DOUBLE, which I love.  I have used one of my photographs of a single blossom multiple times. Below is the collage I made when my oldest daughter ask me to create my concept of God. You may notice that my two daughters as well as my four grandchildren are all tucked into the pedals.

24"x 30"

For this challenge, I again turned to this hibiscus and to collage. I think I captured the vivaciousness of the hibiscus, but my shadowed pedals are too dark. The  two leaves are from my handmade papers. If I try this subject again, I will use all handmade papers. 

9"x 9"

Fay Picardi
www.faypicardi.weebly.com

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FLORIDA!
Our theme for this month... fun and appropriate!

"Sandpipers on Melbourne Beach"

Watercolor, 8" x 11"

    These are two of the things I love about living in Florida, the ever-changing water, and the birds. Isn't it entertaining to watch the little pipers run along the surf's edge? I love how they stay ahead of you while searching for those elusive morsels in the sand.
Taking a walk on a beach will sooth your soul.

Jean Thomas
Ozworks22@cfl.rr.com

I had to post this image for my "Florida" challenge.  After living in Florida for over 40 years, my husband and I moved to Asheville NC recently.  We still spend three months, every winter, in Florida.

During those three months, I am now a snow bird, with no responsibilities.  We rent on the beach, and I get to enjoy the Florida I never knew as a resident.  That includes, a morning walk on the beach.

This painting is the path, I take, each morning.

Carol Schiff
www.CarolASchiff.com

Living on the beach in Florida is amazing.  Every morning the first thing I do is look out at the ocean.  
There is often the sun rising; sometimes so vivid it does not look real, but it is!
Pelicans are often flying above or congregating on the water.
This is a large oil painting that I did from one of my morning photos and a bit of imagination.

Mary Warnick

Beach Oil Painting, Florida Painting, Small Oil Painting, Daily Painting, 6x8" Tropical Painting

I recently returned home from four wonderful days on Amelia Island, Florida.  The ocean is often very calm there....not a good surfing place.  One evening we stood on the beach and watched dusk descend over the water.

purchase here

It was the first time I have been inspired to do a landscape in quite awhile.  I felt very relaxed, just painting this peaceful scene.  Hope you like it!

Have a great day!

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

Peaceful River, Original Oil Painting 10x8 River Scene in Florida

This is a study for a large painting, a commission. I first used photos of the Dora Canal, but it is impossible to paint it without most of the canvas being green, so I opened it up to get more sky and reflection. There will be more 'critters' in the final.

Carmen

Calm Harbor, Original Oil Painting 7x5 Small Daily Painting on Canvas Panel

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This peaceful scene is Ballard Park in Melbourne, Florida, one of my favorite places. It is part of the Indian River Lagoon, our very endangered waterway that is suffering from years of pollution. It is a hot-button issue around here. In the 70s you could see clammers galore in the river; now you see none. I've been told by people who were here many years ago that the water was once clear. Now it is brown murk. Our new governor promises better water quality in Florida; we'll see. 

Carmen

March Challenge, Upside-Down Artwork

This month our challenge was to produce a piece of art by drawing or painting from a photo that is upside down. It's a great exercise for improving our drawing skills; it makes us draw what we see instead of what we think we see.

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 This was a scene from North Captiva Island on the Gulf Coast of Florida.  Drawing the house upside down proved to be surprisingly accurate. 

Carmen

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For this challenge, I decided to use a photo of a fat little female baby cardinal that my daughter took in her yard several winters ago. And it really was a challenge for me. I don't usually draw with a pencil on my watercolor paper first, much less upside down. Below is my process, progress and result. Click on the image to enlarge it. 

Kathy Garvey  

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I really enjoyed this challenge.  Painting upside down forces you to really see what you are painting.  I choose a figure from a Gauguin painting because I love his paintings and I thought it would be a good challenge for me.  It was.


This is how she looked while she was still upside down.  Looks pretty close, hmmm?

This is her right side up.  Now what has to be corrected. I can see she is not leaning enough, that her blouse is too big, her hand should be more defined. The question is should I stay right side up or flip it again?

Siesta Donna Vines after Paul Gauguin

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Angry Bird

$99

www.CarolSchiffStudio.etsy.com

This little guy is my upside down painting for this month's challenge.  I'm not sure why he is so 

angry, but I think it has something to do with the fact that he may have come back to North Carolina, just a little too early.  I think he is seriously thinking about turning around and heading back to Florida, because he is caught in a spring snow storm, here in the Blue Ridge Mts. 

 He is also my first painting, since I left my Florida home to live here in the mountains around Asheville.  I may be following him back to Florida if it doesn't warm up here soon!

He is 5x7" on oil and looking for a home, preferably in one of the more southern, warmer spots of the world.  Leave me a comment if you have to have him.

www.CarolSchiffStudio.blogspot.com

Carol Schiff

March Challenge: Draw or paint something upside down!
This is a challenge I frequently give my drawing students. It really helps one look at shapes, not identify "objects." I had not tried it in a while and it is a great exercise in patience, too! The original is a line drawing by Matisse. Mine is not too bad except for the left eye is woefully out of place!
Maybe I should do it again!

The original is on right... Yes, I need more practice!

Jean Thomas


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Below is a photograph of my Great-great-great-grandmother's childhood home in Virgi. She lived there with my Great-great-great grandfather.. She was a Dressler and this picture was taken at the Dressler family re-union several years ago. I feel as if I could move right back into this home. It even has a spinning wheel. I wanted to try to draw it for this exercise, even though I am not much for sketching. I was trying to make it a values study as well. You can see I didn't succeed at that, but I did get a reasonable  drawing of the cabin.

Beach Oil Painting, Florida Painting, Small Oil Painting, Daily Painting, 6x8" Tropical Painting

I recently returned home from four wonderful days on Amelia Island, Florida.  The ocean is often very calm there....not a good surfing place.  One evening we stood on the beach and watched dusk descend over the water.

purchase here

It was the first time I have been inspired to do a landscape in quite awhile.  I felt very relaxed, just painting this peaceful scene.  Hope you like it!

Have a great day!

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

Everglades Spoonbills, Prints, Giclee on Stretched Canvas, Roseate Spoonbills

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When winter comes to Florida, I get that urge to go to the Everglades. Sometimes I get really lucky and get a picture like this. I love Spoonbills, with their luscious pink plumage and their comical faces.

This is a high-quality giclee print on archival canvas, from an original oil painting.

Carmen

Well after two years of on again off again trying to fix my old blog so I could get into it again and long hiatuses of doing nothing then jumping into the fray again I think I am in!!!!!!
I still have no idea how or why but I seem to be able to use my blog again.  I did change the name to correspond with my Etsy shop was that the ticket?  I don't know.  All I know is I think I am back.
So much has happened but I won't go into it all.  I will just say hello again and start posting some paintings.

 

 

Hello from sunny not yet sweltering Florida!!
Donna Vines

Strawberry Mansion, 5x7 Architectural Painting, Oil on Panel

This is the old Strawberry Mansion, a restaurant in a historic building in Melbourne, Florida. The place was sold, remodeled, and is now a restaurant called The Mansion, and all the strawberry colors are gone. 

Carmen

Little Hikers, 8x10 Oil on Canvas by Carmen Beecher

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These little girls were intently looking at a turtle in the Silver River at Silver Springs State Park, Florida. With so much of Florida's environment harmed by growth, abuse, and mismanagement, it is very heartening to see pristine beauty well-cared for by the conscientious rangers at this park.

Carmen

Beach Oil Painting, Florida Painting, Small Oil Painting, Daily Painting, 6x8" Tropical Painting

I recently returned home from four wonderful days on Amelia Island, Florida.  The ocean is often very calm there....not a good surfing place.  One evening we stood on the beach and watched dusk descend over the water.

purchase here

It was the first time I have been inspired to do a landscape in quite awhile.  I felt very relaxed, just painting this peaceful scene.  Hope you like it!

Have a great day!

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

Florida Landscape | Small Oil Painting | Daily Painting | Palm Grove by Carol Schiff | 8x6" Oil | SOLD

I was on a photo shoot one late afternoon, walking though wetlands and knee high grasses.  I was getting a little anxious as the wildlife and creepy crawlies get more active as the sun goes down.  When I came home, I found several reference photos that I was interested in painting, which made it all worth while.

SOLD

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I liked the way the early evening light was hitting these palms, turning them from gray to gold.  This is a little study for a much larger piece that I am interested in trying.  Hopefully, I can get to it soon.


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Pale Sunrise, 8x6 Oil on Canvas Panel

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I was in a softer mood when painting this one. I need something calming during this election season as an alternative to banging my head on the wall. Serenity now...

Carmen

Everglades Sunrise, 6x6 Oil on Canvas by Carmen Beecher

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This is a nostalgic piece, because it reminds me of camping in the Everglades with two Pieces of 8, Kathy and the recently departed Cindy (no, she didn't die, she just departed for North Carolina). This is a tiny little painting of the beautiful sunrise in the Everglades. I was disappointed to not see Spoonbills, but there was other wildlife: more alligators than I could count, and a huge, thick, black spider that got on my paper towels when I was painting. Thank goodness I noticed him before I grabbed a towel! 

We saw no pythons, but a recent python hunt brought forth over a hundred! They are ruining the ecology and hard to eradicate. When small game gets wiped out, large game leaves, and all sorts of things happen in the food chain. Just watch this video, "How Wolves Change Rivers"  and you'll see what I mean.

Carmen

Daily Painting, Small oil painting, "Room with A View" by Carol Schiff, 8x10x1.5" Oil

Strange name for a landscape.....maybe.  When I opened to door to my hotel room, this is the scene that pulled me across the room and on to the balcony........the perfect Florida beach scene, the glorious view we all hope for when we rent that room!  I knew the day would be good....and it was!

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I painted with on gallery wrap canvas with the sides painted, so no frame is required.
My challenge in this painting was to capture the beautiful jewel tones on the sea and suggest the strong tropical light.

I hope you have a "room with a view" on your next vacation!  Enjoy!



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