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.

*****

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

                                     
                                                         ******
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

donnavinesart.Etsy.com





 

Paintings on Sale, Original Oil Art, Daily Painting, Small Oil Painting, 30% Off Sale

30% OFF

Inventory Reduction Sale

It's almost time, for my winter trek to the warm beaches of Florida, so, I am putting my entire inventory of original oil paintings on sale.

www.CarolSchiffStudio.etsy.com

and many, many more!

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Tybee Island Lighthouse, Small Oil Painting, Daily Painting, 6x8" Oil on Panel

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A beautiful summer day at Tybee Island.

Carol Schiff

www.CarolASchiff.com

www.CarolSchiffStudio.etsy.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

Landscape Painting, Small Oil Painting, Daily Painting, Clinging to the World, 8x8x1.5" Original Oil, SOLD

This was a painting, I enjoyed creating!  I don't know why, but some days every brushstroke is a struggle, and a few times, everything just falls into place.

For me, this was a" fall into place day".

SOLD

Good days and bad days.  In the studio and out.  That is the way of life.  So, I try to enjoy the          "good" and not let the" bad" become overwhelming.

Here's hoping today is a "Good" day for you!

Thanks for checking out my blog today!

Carol Schiff

www.CarolASchiff.com

www.CarolSchiffStudio.etsy.com

www.CarolSchiffStudio.blogspot.com

California Landscape, Daily Painting, Small Oil Painting, 11x14x1.5" , "Off PCH" by Carol Schiff Studio

My good friend, and excellent photographer, Ted Fuhrer,  has done it again, supplying me with so many inspiring images to paint from.  On of the many places he has lived was the coastal region of California.

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225 + shipping 

Ted, I hope you think I did justice to your work.

I am always in awe of the western coast of our country.  Living on the east coast is great, and I am so blessed to be here. We have gentle surf, warm water, island music.... But to me, the west coast is larger than life.  So rugged, so big, a constant test to exist there. The boulders are larger than houses, the mountain streams are full of rushing rapids. The pioneer spirit is still alive there.  I cannpt wait to visit again.

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Seneca Lake, Oil Painting on Canvas, 8x10 Landscape by Carmen Beecher

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This painting is a happy memory of a day of visiting wineries and vineyards in the Finger Lakes. This view had pasture, vineyards, a lake and hay bales. What more could an artist want?

Carmen

Colorado Landscape, Small Oil Painting, Daily Painting, Mountain Painting, Flower Painting

I am in to mountains these days.  I am, after all , surrounded by them since my move to NC.

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 These mountains, however are in Colorado.....the famous Rockies.

detail

This is a 9x12 oil on canvas panel.

Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th!

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

A little more crow

In keeping with this months challenge I also did a collage featuring crows.  I used Van Gogh's "Wheatfield with crows" as an inspiration for two reasons. First so many people know it and secondly I have always been fascinated with the way you can paint a squiggly line in the sky and it is suddenly a bird.  Everyone who sees it knows it is a bird, yet it is just a V shaped line.
I decided to try Wheatfield as a collage.  I used a lot of busy papers because that is Van Gogh to me.  Motion, movement, color.  The birds are not black but are musical notes and written or printed paper.  They fly through the air carrying messages of song, love, hope.

Wheatfield with Crows after Van Gogh
Notice the busyness of the paper.

All of the crows have a musical or written message on them.

The original is below the collage. Notice that the colors are transposed.

Donnavinesart.Etsy.com
Donnavinesart.blogspot.com

Fall Landscape Painting, Daily Painting, Small Oil Painting, Autumn Trees, 6x8" Oil on Canvas

How did this happen!  How could it possibly be almost autumn?  Time seems to go faster and faster each year.

purchase here

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We have just returned from time in the mountains, rushing home to monitor hurricane season in Florida.  When we return to the mountains, this will be a typical scene.

It is so easy to overdue autumn colors.  Your eye tells you the intense colors are what you are seeing, but when you put it on canvas, it is not believable.  Time to tone it down a touch.  Nature is maybe not quite that bright.

Carol Schiff

www.CarolSchiffStudio.etsy.com

www.CarolSchiffstudio.blogspot.com

Barn Painting, Daily Painting, Small Oil Painting, Rustic Painting, Scenic Landscape, 9x12x.75" sold

I am spending time in the mountains and have said goodbye to the tropical scenes, for now.

sold

I have been reviewing Wolf Kahn's body of work and it seemed to mesh nicely with the subject matter here.  He is such a master.  His sense of color is unrivaled!

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I tried to take a few hints from him.

Be prepared to see a few more barns and rural scenes in the next few weeks.

Have a colorful day!

Art and Fashion

Several  months ago, I was contacted by an Israeli fashion designer, Assaf Pelleg.  He was designing his 2017 Spring/Summer Line, and wanted to use one of my paintings in his work.  I agreed to work with him, and we found two of my artworks that were of interest to him.

For several months, I heard nothing!  Then, suddenly, an email with the completed designs.

I am thrilled with the results!  

This is the fun part of what I do.  I sometimes struggle for days, over a specific artwork.  Just this week, I have worked on a piece for 3 days, and scrapped it this morning!  Then there are the boring hours, after hours, of internet work.  Taking photos, editing them, posting them.  Sometimes it seems the reward, is not enough to justify the effort. 

 But then, one day, a painting effortlessly falls off my brush, or a student sends me his power point presentation about how he was influenced by my art, or someone on the other side of the world, likes my work enough to place it in his collection.

That is the payoff!

Thanks for reading my blog today!

Carol Schiff

www.CarolSchiffStudio.etsy.com

www.CarolSchiffStudio.blogspot.com

Autumn Tree, Landscape Original Painting, 6x8 Oil on Canvas Panel by Carmen Beecher

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Since I live by the beach, I get very excited when I see Fall colors. This tree just seemed to glow. We were in upstate Pennsylvania, staying on a farm. What a different way of life from flip-flop-wearing, easygoing Florida. 

Carmen

Daily Landscape Painting, "A Little Bit Country" 6x8 Oil SOLD

I have had this image in my files for several years.  Each time I tried to paint it, I failed.But, I kept the image on my memory stick, always nagging me, like waving a red flag at a bull.

This time I was happy with the results.  It's is not a particularly difficult scene.  I don't know what caused me so much trouble.  All I know is that every nine or 10 months or so, I would give it a try and then wipe it off.

SOLD

The attraction was the strong light in the mid-ground and the back lighting on the fence.  I am happy to finally delete this from my "things to paint" list.

Have you ever had this experience with a specific scene?  If so, how did you overcome the challenge?

Rock City Gardens, 8x6 Oil on Canvas Panel, Landscape Painting by Carmen Beecher

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South of Sebastian, Florida is this beautiful garden and nursery, where they welcome artists and allow us to paint to our hearts' content. Every time we go, there are more gorgeous paths and plants, plus a little lake with an island. I picked this spot because of the winding path and the dappled light. There's a bit of a mystery to paintings of pathways...what is at the end?

Carmen

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

Reflections of a workshop

The end of the year is looming fast and we are all busy, busy, busy with family and commitments this time of year.  Part of a yearly tradition at my house is the photo calendar.  Every year I give my husband and children a calender with a photo for each month.  Some years it is easier than other to get everyone in so it takes a lot of looking to come up with the those wonderful calendar worthy pictures. 
As I was browsing I came across the photos Carol and I had taken at the Elio Comacho workshop we attended in November. Browsing those photos I could have printed a decades worth of calendars. Not only was the workshop wonderful but so was the scenery.  Here are a few standouts.
Donna Vines



just part of the scenery

After a long day 

Elio's wonderful palette

One of the set ups

 

Daily Painting, Small Landscape "A Touch of Fall" 6x8" Original Oil

We spent a few days in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains last week.  Mother Nature out did herself with perfect days in the mid 60's, blue skies and the trees in peak color.

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96

This scene is our next door neighbor and I couldn't ask for more.  The brilliant red house nestled into the fall foliage and everything reflected in the lake at the front of the property.  

If you have not taken the time to celebrate autumn.......do it now!  Go carve a pumpkin :)

It was hard to leave the mountains and return to Florida where it is still hot and humid.  

This is the third time I have written this post.  It appears Blogger hates me.  When I try to publish....the whole thing suddenly disappears.  Is anyone out there having any problems with Blogger, or am I the only lucky one?

Don't forget to check out my painting sale at my Etsy site where I have listed paintings at 1/2 off for a short period of time.