But Cereusly, Original Oil Painting on Panel 8x8 Flower Art

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I have called these flowers Dragonflower, Cereus, Night-Blooming Cereus, and I still am not sure of the proper name. I welcome any enlightenment anyone can give me. All I know is, it's very hard to catch it blooming, and I was happy to get a good picture of it.

Carmen

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

Oil Painting, Queen of Genoa 7x5 Original Oil on Canvas Panel of Italian Woman Cooking

This was one of the funniest days of my trip to Europe with my sister. We got off a train in Genoa, Italy at the wrong stop. We thought we had lots of time so were lollygagging outside the station and had lunch at this woman's cafe. She never stopped moving; she was cooking, serving, taking money, and talking the whole time.

When we got back to the station we found out we were in the wrong place and had to dash to a train to go to the right station to make our connection to France. On the plus side, I got the photo from which I painted this.

Carmen

November Challenge, Do an Avant-Garde Work of Art

This month we were challenged to create a work of art inspired by an artist or movement considered avante-garde. The term "avant-garde" covers a plethora of styles and simply means art that is very modern or original in comparison to the styles of the period in which it is made. (Artists who pop to mind are Picasso, Kandinsky, Mondrian, etc.) For some of us it means stepping way out of our comfort zone, which is the whole point of our challenges.

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Donna's response to the challenge

Well this challenge lived up to it's purpose.  I was out of my comfort zone in a few ways. For some reason I thought it would be better to use acrylics, not so and I had no idea Cubism would be so restrictive to me!!  You have to color inside the lines, which is not good for me.
Cubism is breaking down a subject to a basic geometric form and painting it in a flat manner.  I picked two very round subjects thinking that would make an interesting contrast. 
This is what a dish of pears and a teapot looked to me in a Cubist style.

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Carmen's response to the challenge

"The Death of Truth"

I used Picasso as my inspiration, and the sun/lamp is almost a direct steal from his painting, "Guernica." I think the painting is self-explanatory.

Carmen Beecher

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Kathy's response to the challenge

I love Klee, Kandinsky, and Picasso so I had a hard time choosing who to use as my inspiration, but settled on Kandinsky because his art is just fun to me and I thought I could even try it in watercolors. He really worked to make his images with non-representative symbols, just lines, squiggles, dots and geometric shapes so that it inspired a "feeling" rather than a "meaning" for observers.

Above was my "dry run" just using a mix of his favorite symbols and his way of color blocking them and filling in the background. When I discovered, that despite his attempts to avoid representation, he had put a tiny bird in one of his paintings I really felt he was a kindred spirit. So I included one, too. (Click on the image to zoom in and find it.)



Then I did a larger piece mimicking elements in some of his more geometric paintings.

While this is representative of his painting style, it has meaning (at least to me) as each Kandinsky inspired circle contains the first initial of one of my ten grandchildren.

Kathy Garvey

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Mary's response to the challenge

Channeling Chagall

While still in college I saw Chagall’s “I and My Village” and was enchanted by the color, the design and the sense of joy he captured on a huge canvas. I’ve always loved his work, but found it hard to copy when the Pieces of 8 project of copying the masters took place almost a decade ago. Trying to capture some of his joy and playfulness in a composition of my own was more fun.

Mimicking Miro 
Then, for fun, I tried a design in bright colors, encouraged by Kathy, who is a master of design.  Fay thought it reminded her of Joan Miro’s work.

Mary Warnick





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Jean Thomas Looks at Winslow Homer

“Fox Hunt” by Winslow Homer was a painting I chose to explore. I'm not sure it is avant gard, but it was inspired by a book on Homer I picked up at an estate sale. It’s a large (38” x 68”) oil. Painted in 1893, late in his career, after he moved to Prout’s Neck, ME. It was reproduced in black and white and was only 3” wide. Still it intrigued me.

Homer’s watercolors were more numerous than his oils and he often used the watercolors as preliminary studies. Also, he chose watercolor when he traveled to the Caribbean. This painting was of the coast of Maine, a frequent subject for him at that time.

Once I researched the painting in hopes of getting a better reproduction of it, the story got interesting.  I discovered what seemed to be black blobs in the upper right corner, were crows. And what is going on is that the crows (usually the prey) are out to get the fox! It’s cold, it’s bleak and the fox is running for his life. He is stretched across the canvas, slowed by snow and hunger.  Ahead of him is only water. No escape from fate.

I wondered if Homer ever did do a watercolor of this subject, and if he had, how would it have looked?  I wish I could see the original to see the details and the colors he chose. It is hanging at the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts. So here’s my version of “Fox Hunt” in watercolor.

Thank you Mr. Homer.

Bottle and Pitcher

This 11x14 oil was painted during a workshop I took several months ago with Elio Comacho.  Elio is such a talented artist, anyone who is lucky enough to take one of his workshops learns so much.  He is so generous with his time, knowledge and talent. 
I really like the simplicity of the set up.  Each piece stands out so you can really appreciate the colors.
If you would like to see more of Elio's work visit his website,
www.colorrelations.com

 



Bottle and Pitcher
 

 

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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?

Three Pelicans, 8x6 Oil on Panel, Wildlife Painting by Carmen Beecher

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Here is my other pelican painting, a new take on my last post. I wanted to inject more color and vibration, getting away from all the cool, calm blues in the first painting. 

Carmen

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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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.

The Kayakers Making Progress by Carmen Beecher

Oil, 16x20

When I get a minute to myself, I will finish this painting and put the steps together as a slide show. This has been an impossibly busy time for me, what with appointmentsPenWomenLuncheonpaintingdemoPiecesof8meetingMothersDayhousechoresetc! It all runs together.

A perfect Mother's Day gift would be: drop me in a shady spot by the river with my painting equipment and come back in three hours. So, for our May 12 Pieces of 8 Challenge, that's what we are going to do. And with only four tubes of paint. This will be followed by lunch and a nap. Plein air painting is exhausting in a very good way.

Work in Progress by Carmen Beecher

I am working on a commission, doing a larger painting of my small work The Kayakers, and I thought I would post the beginning of the painting. When Grandma Moses was asked about her process and how she painted, she responded "I paint down. I start at the top and paint down." As for me, sometimes I sort of "paint down" if it's a landscape, but in this case I started with the principal subject and I'm painting out. 

Since I have painted this subject before, I know what I am aiming for and I know the colors, values and so on, so I concentrated my energy on the most important part of the painting first. Below is the 6x6-inch original small painting of the happy kayakers. It's a square format, but the large one will be a rectangular format and, of course, more detailed.

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Sultry, 6x8 Oil Painting by Carmen Beecher

SOLD

This all started with a tube of gold paint from Ralph's Art Supply in Melbourne. Gold suggests "exotic" so I painted this and invented her costume and jewelry. This was so much fun that I am going to do some more of these. 

Carmen Beecher

Cathedral Rock, 20x20 Oil on Canvas

I love Sedona, Arizona, and I especially love this spot. The river is so beautiful, and Cathedral Rock towers majestically over it. We had a week's worth of adventures in Sedona, and there are many more trails that we didn't see. I believe we need more of Sedona. No wonder they talk about vortexes there. It's really an other-worldly, magical place.

PURCHASE

posted by Carmen Beecher

CONTEST WINNER, Three Palms with Sunrise, 8x10, Oil, Carol Schiff Studio

Today is my lucky day as I was just notified that this painting won 1st Place in the January challenge of Kay Zahn's Streetview Paint-Off.  To say that I am thrilled is an understatement.  Kay is a wonderful lady and artist who believes in supporting original art.  If you have not been to her website, or joined her challenges, I hope you will consider giving it a try.  It's lots of fun.

I want to remind everyone that I am having a painting give-away on my Etsy sites.  Between now and March 31, 2011, make a purchase at either site, CarolOnEdge or CarolSchiffStudio and you will be entered one time  for each purchase you make.  On March 31, 2011, I will draw out the name of the lucky winner and ship a 6x8 painting, a $99. value, to the winner free of charge.  It could be you!  Good luck!

PAINTING GIVE-AWAY FROM CAROL SCHIFF STUDIO

I am having a painting give-away on my Etsy sites.  Every time you purchase a painting from CarolSchiffStudio or my other site, CarolOnEdge, between January 1, 2011 and March 31, 2011 you will win a chance in the drawing.  Now I would like you to think that I will sell several hundred paintings during that time, but the truth is the number will probably be under 25-30.  So your chances would be very good of wining the free 6x8" painting which is a $99. value.  This is my way to thank those of you who support my Etsy sites and original art.  I will announce the winner on April 1st.  No Joke!  Good luck!!

It's just a bunch of carrots, but it  reminds me of one of my favorite meals, Beef Bourguignon. With another cold front on it's way and the possibility of more freezing temperatures, a day at home with a meal simmering in the slow cooker sounds like a win/win situation.  Give it a try!

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'Just a Bunch of Carrots'
4x12, oil

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

2 TBS olive oil
8 slices bacon, diced
4 lbs beef chuck roast cut in small cubes
Salt
Pepper 8-10 carrots peeled and sliced diagonally
4 yellow onions sliced
4 large cloves chopped garlic
4 cups red wine
2 cups beef broth
3 TBS tomato paste
1 tsp thyme
1 1/2 lbs sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup flour

Mix flour with salt and pepper.  Dredge beef cubes, then brown in olive oil.  Put in slow cooker.
Saute bacon, onions, garlic, more salt and pepper until slightly brown. Add to slow cooker.  Add the red wine and enough beef broth to cover.  Add the tomato paste and thyme. Cook on approx 8 hours, until meat is very tender.  During the last hour, saute the mushrooms and add them to the stew.

Delicious smells will permeate your home all day.

I like to serve this with home made mashed potatoes or salad and crusty bread.
Think of me while you are enjoying this.
Carol Schiff

BERRIES AND BANANNA, 11X14, ORIGINAL OIL, CarolSchiffStudio

I am a member of the online co-operative advertising group, DAILY PAINTER ORIGINALS, and this month our first ad came out in  AMERICAN ART COLLECTOR magazine.  The ad features four of our members, and none of them are me.  In November, however, our group will have a full page ad that features my painting above, along with several others.  I had to crop the painting into a square format for the ad.  It is the annual AAC Small Works edition which I am very excited about.  It has been a very positive experience for me to belong to this wonderful group of artists from around the world.  Working as an artist is a lonely job and having such a fine group to discuss marketing and technique with make it a little less solitary. 

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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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