Heavenly Hydrangea

"Heavenly Hydrangea"
8" x 10"
Pastel on gessoed canvas panel 
The jewel tones of the hydrangeas caught my eye as I walked past buckets of them in my grocery store. I had my camera in my purse, so I clicked off a few shots. 

I've painted these beauties before, but now I'm trying my hand at capturing the essence of this closeup with pastel painted on a black canvas panel. I applied clear gesso on it then dug in.

Carol

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The Gang's All Here

"The Gang's All Here"
8" x 6"
Pastel on gessoed panel



















While I was perusing my photos from the Botanic Gardens I came across this riotous scene. I happened on the colourful plantings when the shadows were deep and the blooms were at their finest. 

 I'm thankful to have shot thousands of images from which to choose on days when my actual surroundings are grey, colourless and pretty much buried under layers of slush.

Carol

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Morning Behind Me

"Morning Behind Me"
4" x 4"
Pastel on hardboard
I saw this sky in my rearview mirror as I drove that morning. The opalescent colors lingered in the humid air and presented me with a rectangular gift of color for about twenty minutes. 

I tested a couple of products to achieve this texture.  I painted Liquitex clear gesso onto an aquabord panel. The gesso gave additional tooth to an already textured panel.  I didn't  sand it, just toned it, as usual, and proceeded. I'll be experimenting more as time goes on.

Carol

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Tapestry Roses

"Tapestry Roses"
4" x 4"
Pastel on gessoed hardboard
The roses in the pattern on my new scarf appealed to me — reminded me of roses I've painted in oil. Yet I wanted to depict them in the way my hand wants to paint some subject matter now. 

My paintings with this loose kind of scribble have generated a lot of comments. I'm intrigued with this style and plan to pursue it, if I can, in larger pieces.

Carol

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White Poppy

"White Poppy"
4" x 4"
Pastel on gessoed hardboard
I shot a field of poppies at the Botanic Gardens in April, including closeups of many of them. This was one of the closeups of a white whose shadows appeared to be violet.  

A spring flower appealed to me tonight while I paint all bundled up in polar fleece, a beret on my head and thick wool socks. Winter is officially upon us with temperatures in the low single digits.  

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Satiny Smooth

"Satiny Smooth"
4" x 4"
Pastel on gessoed board
I've enjoyed painting some of the iconic images of the season, so here's another gift of holiday cheer for... you. Perhaps I'll find a moment to do one or two more, but for this twenty-third day of December, I wanted to post something festive and loving. 

This was done on Aquabord with clear gesso painted AND sanded lightly. It's a great surface to paint on. I plan to do more on this surface.

Carol

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Seventeen Layers

"Seventeen Layers"
8.5" x 10.5"
Pastel on sanded paper
I fought the urge to paint a landscape today, but two hours into my hair-brained experiment, I succumbed. What started as a vertical abstract with geometric panels, to be connected with botanically accurate trees and leaves, turned, actually turned 90° to the left and morphed into this.  

 I tried to paint something that wasn't in my heart and ended up with something that wormed its way to the surface.  I'm sure there are about seventeen layers of ideas and images below the surface.  I wish I had photographed the journey.

Carol

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Birthday Ornament

"Ornament"
7" x 5"
Pastel on panel



















Today is my birthday — the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. My home is decorated for the holidays, so the dark and dreary of this time of year is masked by the glitter and gleam of many sparkling things.  I wish others of you who are about to celebrate special birthdays, a joyful moment with someone who loves you. 

Love,
Carol

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Lalique Blue Jay

"Lalique Blue Jay"
7" x 5"
Pastel on hardboard



















The jay postured as if it were intent on gathering vital information, or watching fledgelings about to drop into the sky for the first time. Nevertheless, the artist who fashioned the figure of this glass bird captured an interesting stance. 

I painted this bird with its bulbous friend last January. Both glass birds were borrowed, but fortunately I took photos before returning them.  As I said in this space a month or so ago, I'm trying to paint in pastel some of the subjects I've painted in oil.

Carol

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Evening Shadows

"Evening Shadows"
5" x 7"
Pastel on hardboard
It had finished raining and the leaves were still wet as the sun settled into her cozy spot for the night. The color was more brilliant for it. The hills glistened, as did the tips of the trees. It was a beautiful sight to witness, and a fond memory to paint.  

 And speaking of fun, this was done on a hardboard panel primed with a toothy gesso that grabs the pastel and holds it as it smears across the surface. I totally enjoyed using the panel, and the joyful part is, I have two more.

Carol

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Slender Reflections

"Slender Reflections"
7" x 2"
Pastel on paper
My view across the stream was interesting in only one slender strip. Boulders jutted into the water, slicing what beauty that was there in half. But they also added interest in the middle ground, so I included them in my little study. 

I paint many of my pastel paintings on sanded French watercolor paper scraps that I saved from when I painted only in watercolor. They sand beautifully, then I tone the paper with a magenta and a sapphire that I again sand into the paper, then brush off.

Carol

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Tan Lines

"Tan lines"
10" x 8"
Graphite on tan paper



















It's December, yet the model's tan lines were as provocative as if she had been in the south of France a week ago. Yet, the lines were only on her back. Her front was devoid of lines of any sort. Perhaps a tanning bed, but why would one wear a suit in a tanning bed?  As I drew her, I wondered if she was aware of her graphic presentation? 

 I'm new to drawing the figure since spring. I'm in a group setting, but without a teacher, so it's once again, seat of the pants kind of art — just like watercolor, acrylic, oil and pastel. Why should this be any different?

Carol

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Beau Cool

"Beau Cool"
8" x 6"
Oil on canvas panel



















More snow fell than was predicted, and it was warmer than it had been all week, so a celebratory romp in the pristine accumulation seemed appropriate. I gathered a scarf, hat buttons and a tangerine from the fruit bowl to dress Beau Cool. Then I fashioned a snippet of coat hanger wire into a smile. I bent the ends to poke into his sweet countenance and that single addition made my dog bark. 

I'm enjoying painting wintery themes this year. Snowmen have always been a favorite — in fact, I've sold more snowman paintings in my career, than any other subject matter. Yet, this is probably the first one to show up on my blog.

Carol



Sunset Rushing By

"Sunset Rushing By"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard
The clouds fuzzed in the evening air as the sun dipped behind the tree line on the distant island.  The lake took on some of sky's colors, but was faster to concede to pending noir than the luminous air. 

It has been a while since I've painted a sky. My little pastels have taken the place of daily sky paintings. Either way, I'm making art.

Carol

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Magenta Poinsettia

"Magenta Poinsettia"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard
I found a colorful poinsettia to add to my holiday cheer paintings. I like that this one is not only red, but purple and pink, as well.  

Carol

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Ruddy Wheat

"Ruddy Wheat"
4" x 5"
Pastel on sanded paper
The field of wheat had taken on the complexion of a roasted chicken, or a marshmallow on a stick before it bursts into flame. I knew it would not be waving in this field the next week when I drove past.

It was fun to depict the different areas of colour in the field on this small painting. Nearly as fun as making the thin line of fence with my stick of pastel. I love this crazy medium.

Carol

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Straight From The Heart

"Straight From The Heart"
6" x 6"
Ink on paper 
I used mostly straight lines in my heart this week. I also used an ink pen with graphite for shadows. The problem with ink is there's no fixing a wiggle, or a momentary lapse of memory when using permanent black on pristine paper. So here's my offering, in keeping with my Saturday heart gig. 

Carol

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