TOUR EIFFEL, 11X14, ORIGINAL COLLAGE

I went to Paris this summer, with my friend and fellow artist, Donna.  It seems the right time to post my collage .  Donna and I have gotten interested in collage work and occasionally spend a few hours surrounded in piles of paper and glue. We came home from Paris with huge sacks full of "all things French" to incorporate into our collages.  But, life got in the way and so far we have been unable to give it a try.  Here's hoping that soon we will both get in a "collage frame of mind" and continue down the road of paste and paper.

There are some interesting papers in this piece, so I encourage you to enlarge the image.

Purchase here
$120
Carol Schiff Studio

BAR HARBOR, MAINE LIGHT HOUSE

This light house painting was created from a photograph that I took on a light house cruise in Bar Harbor, Maine last September. We flew into Boston for three days then traveled down to Cape Cod then back up the eastern coast line to Bar Harbor, Maine. We stopped at many beautiful little towns on our ten day driving tour. We saw wonderful light houses in most of the towns.

I am creating a series of small 5"x7" paintings of sights that we have photographed on our travels inside and outside the United States. I worked on this painting this Monday during our regular Pieces of Eight painting time. I brought it home and finished it Monday afternoon. I have several other light houses from our trip that I plan to paint and add to my series. Once I have enough painted I plan to have note cards made to give as gifts. I think that should be fun. Next week I think that I shall post a painting from Hope Town in the Abacos.

Smiles!

Phillis Holland

Happy Mondays

Ask any member of Pieces of 8 what their favorite day is, and I guarantee they will say "Monday." That's when we meet to paint, cajole, commiserate, encourage, applaud, and laugh a lot. It's the best. Above, Denette and I are having our usual good time.

"Gondolas"

posted by Carmen
Photos by Kathy

Women Painters of the Southeast

I have been accepted into Women Painters of the Southeast. This is my recent painting posted on that site. Check out the Women Painters by clicking on the painting.
posted by Carmen

WE HAVE A WINNER!

Pat GrandMaison from North Carolina is the winner of the Dragonfruit painting! She correctly identified the fruit, and gave the following added information:

The night blooming cereus is also called sweet-scented cactus, vanilla cactus, large-flowered cactus and reina de la noche (queen of the night) in Spanish. It blooms once a year, usually in late summer, and bears the largest flower found on St. John. The flower, which is white with yellow stamens, smells like vanilla and can reach as much as one foot in diameter. It opens up so quickly that you can literally watch it unfold right before your very eyes.

Congratulations, Pat!

posted by Carmen

WIN A PAINTING!

I will send you this painting absolutely FREE if you are the first person to identify this mystery fruit, meaning the big weird pink one, not the little limes  (Pieces of 8 members not eligible, which goes without saying, yet I said it anyway).

P.S. The winner: Pat GrandMaison from North Carolina. See the next post.

Carmen Beecher

Back from the Everglades

I had a great month in the Everglades staying right within the grounds between the Visitor Center and the front gate as the Artist in Residence for the month of July. The park is open 24 hours a day, so being right there you can take a walk at any time. Sunset and sunrise were particularly beautiful. Took over 3000 pictures of gators, lubbers, flowers, vistas and of course, my Liguus Tree Snails. I dropped the exploration of a relationship between the patterns on the snails and the marvelous Seminole patchwork because it became obvious it was a sensitive issue. So, I just enjoyed the snails for their wonderful patterns and how they inspired my art. I think they will inspire it for a long time to come. And I'm hoping to go back frequently.