Challenge for January, Paint a Flower Quickly

The challenge for January was to paint flowers in watercolor quickly and simply.

Carmen's Response to the Challenge

I did several paintings but got 'fussy' with them. It's so hard to stop!

Yellow Rose

Lilies

Pink Poppies

In all honesty, I believe the very simplified painting below fulfills the intent of the challenge. A few strokes quickly applied, and a flower appears. 

Carmen Beecher

Carmensart.etsy.com

Carmenbeecher.com

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Donna's Response to the Challenge

This was a tough one for all of us impatient oil painters. I have to say that I spent lots of time on this one.  It wasn't a total loss though, through the frustration of trying to do something so simple I realized that I had gotten very tight and fussy.  I joined a 5 day 20 min. painting challenge and it really felt great to just paint.   I think I learned a lot, loosened up and made some progress.  This painting was done after I had painted a 20 minute oil on day 2 of the challenge.

OH Happy Day

donnavinesart.blogspot.com
donnavinesart.Etsy.com

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Carol's Response to the Challenge

Watercolor is, indeed, a challenge, for me.  I only do about one watercolor a decade!

I was attracted to this image, because of the strong shapes and colors.
Thank you, to Donna Vines, for allowing me to use your photo reference.

I have to admit, I do feel inspired to try another!

Carol Schiff

www.CarolASchiff.com

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Kathy's Response to the Challenge

I stopped at Walmart on my way to Ralph’s to pick up some lilies and a Gerbera daisy for our flower painting challenge. Below are my results. I’m glad we were able to do this    challenge all together during our session as I will miss painting with The Pieces during the rest of the month.

Kathy Garvey

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Fay's Response to the Challenge

Now I know for sure if I want to do water colors, I need to take some lessons. Not that I didn't try. I just didn't get the results I wanted. To wit. 
Here is the photo I wished to portray.

In doing a watercolor, I wanted to capture the intense color and the interesting formation of the leaves. The following are the tree best of what I managed to produce after six tries. Although none of the ones I finished really pleased me, I have a favorite. Can you guess?

Back to collage for me!
Fay


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Jean's response to the challenge

Tried painting from a real orchid, not a photo. The challenge for me is to paint fast!
I tried, really I did, to paint more quickly. 
There is a lot of truth to the expression, "knowing when to quit!"
So I did after the second one. 

A Touch of Spring in the Mountains

We have just left the beaches of Florida and moved to the mountains of western North Carolina.  I am reposting this from a few years ago, as I am still trying to make our new house a home.  PS:  This is a preview of what our surroundings will look like in a few weeks...no blooms yet!

Everyone loves a touch of spring this time of the year....enjoy!

One afternoon I grabbed my camera and ran outside to capture the beautiful spring day and this is what I found.

I inherited a garden in front of our new home, and everything was coming alive at once...

Fiddleheads were popping up

Dogwood was blooming everywhere I
looked in both pink.....

and white blossoms.  Tulips, lilac and azalea were everywhere and the days were filled with the music of songbirds.

A drive to WaterRock Knob, off the Blue Ridge Parkway, showed less color at the higher elevation, but still beautiful to see.

For an Ohio girl, who has spent most of the last 50 years in Florida, it seemed all my memories of spring were spread out before my eyes.  Don't get me wrong, I truly love living in Florida, but when spring or fall calls, I head to the mountains.

Stay tuned, to see these images interpreted in oil.

Thanks for stopping by today.

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CAROL SCHIFF

www.CarolSchiffStudio.blogspot.com

Spring in the Mountains

We have just returned home from a few weeks in the mountains of western North Carolina.  Earlier this year, we sold our second home there and replaced it with a condo in Waynesville.  We have been working hard, getting moved into the condo, painting every wall in sight and making it feel like home.

One afternoon I grabbed my camera and ran outside to capture the beautiful spring day and this is what I found.

I inherited a garden in front of our new home, and everything was coming alive at once...

Fiddleheads were popping up

Dogwood was blooming everywhere I looked in both pink.....

and white blossoms.  Tulips, lilac and azalea were everywhere and the dats were filled with the music of songbirds.

A drive to WaterRock Knob, off the Blue Ridge Parkway, showed less color at the higher elevation, but still beautiful to see.

For an Ohio girl, who has spent most of the last 50 years in Florida, it seemed all my memories of spring were spread out before my eyes.  Don't get me wrong, I truly love living in Florida, but when spring or fall calls, I head to the mountains.

Stay tuned, to see these images interpreted in oil.

Thanks for stopping by today.

LIKE ME ON FACEBOOK
JOIN ME ON ETSY

MY WEBSITE

MY PRINTS

www.CarolSchiffStudio.blogspot.com

Tulips and Sunflower, 8x6" by Carol Schiff

It may not feel like it where you live, but winter is on it's last legs and soon spring flowers will be bursting out of the ground.  Tulips are one of those flowers that mean spring to me.

$90 + 6.50

Living in Florida, most of the tulips I see these days are in the florist shop.  Some years, I get lucky, and visit North Carolina when they are blooming.

These came from the grocery store.  Lately, I have been coming home with more flowers than food which tends to upset my husband.   I tell him flowers are edible, but he is not impressed with my knowledge.

Tulips are so elegant.  They remind me of ballet dancers with their graceful poses.  Like most things so beautiful, they don't last as long as I would like.

www.CarolSchiffStudio.blogspot.com