Carmen Beecher

Soft Landing, 8x10 Collage

2012-02-13T01:00:00.000-05:00

Color follows trends, and I guess bright yellow is not trendy now, because it was difficult to find a yellow that would give this butterfly some "punch." I finally discovered this buttery yellow in Dr. Oz's sweater. He is always so helpful, isn't he?

SOLD

Sunshine Collection, 8x10

2012-02-09T01:00:00.000-05:00

These are Florida oranges, the kind that make juice without fungicide. Why would we want to import such stuff when we have these? Buy Florida!

PURCHASE

Purple Shoe, Collage, 10X8

2012-02-06T01:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, I was taught and inspired by Derek Gores, the fabulous collage artist. Now I can't stop! I love painting, but this is fun too. Thank you, Derek!

I have had two paintings accepted into the Women Painters of the Southeast 2012 Members Show; Leap of Faith and Spoonbills--oil paintings, not collages.

PURCHASE

Sunset in Paradise, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

2012-02-02T01:00:00.000-05:00

This is for those who may be looking out the window at snow right now. I love the magical things that happen to the sky at sunset. God creates, the artist imitates.

PURCHASE

Pineapple and Friends, 10x8 Oil on Canvas Board

2012-01-30T01:00:00.000-05:00

Pineapples are a real challenge to paint. This one was so little and cute, and needed some companions, so I added strawberries.

On another subject: just when you decide all politicians are, shall we say, character-challenged, you see someone like Gabby Giffords. She has a light from within. They should all take a lesson from her. That's my soapbox message for the day.

PURCHASE

Little Teapot, 6x8 Oil on Canvas Board

2012-01-27T01:00:00.001-05:00

The Pieces of 8 group did a still life last week, all painting the same setup. I tried to be impressionistic, but wasn't sure how to handle the stripes. I hope I got it right. The temptation to nitpick is strong.

PURCHASE

Blue Frog, 12x9 Collage

2012-01-24T01:00:00.000-05:00

This little dude is the Blue Poison Dart Frog. The toxin from these frogs was used by South American Indians to poison tips of blowgun darts. Needless to say, these little guys have few predators in the jungle. In the wild, its diet of ants, termites and beetles causes its skin toxins. In captivity, a more bland diet renders the frogs non-poisonous.

My frog is made of ripped magazines and is perfectly harmless.

PURCHASE

The Roofer, 8x10 Oil on Canvas Board

2012-01-21T00:30:00.002-05:00

I intended to paint a scene from my beach walk yesterday, but I looked out the window and saw this roofer on my neighbor's roof. The scene begged to be painted, so I obliged. He apparently had his shirt tied around his head.

The Junior League invited me to speak last week. I showed my art and talked about it, with a big plug to the Daily Painting movement. They were so gracious, and I had a wonderful time with them.

PURCHASE

Featured in International Artist Magazine

2012-01-18T13:28:00.001-05:00

My paintings of the Everglades are featured in the current issue of International Artist Magazine with an article about me titled, "Big, Bizarre and Bountiful--Painting the Everglades." Now, they are not calling me big, bizarre and bountiful, they are referring to the Everglades. I think.

I'm so excited about this I can hardly stand it! Whoo-hoo! Even though they put the wrong captions on some of the paintings. Still excited! They got my name right. Except in one place where they spelled it "Carman." But still excited!!! Eight pages' worth of Excited!

Gull on Gold, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

2012-01-16T16:34:00.001-05:00

One of my sea birds on gold gesso. I love the feel of the metallic background, but it takes some caution when painting oil paint over it. I just think it suggests the hot sunshine of a Florida day.

BID

Red Shoe, 8x10 Collage on Canvas

2012-01-11T01:00:00.002-05:00

I just realized my last three posts have had a musical theme. I guess it's time for a change. This kind of shoe is meant to be admired for its beauty, but I still maintain it's not meant to be walked in. Ouch.

I was doing my Wii Yoga the other day, feet far apart in the "Warrior" pose, and my Roomba passed between my legs as it vacuumed the rug. Now, that's technology at its finest. What a great time to be alive.

PURCHASE

"Anything Goes," Decoupage on Violin

2012-01-08T01:00:00.041-05:00

This violin was a major bone of contention in my family for generations. My Aunt Bea wanted one of us children to play it, and she managed to be mad at three generations because no one was interested. The instrument's shape is so beautiful, I decided to make it into a piece of art. I used old sheet music. and some of it had turned a wonderful sepia color. The music book covers were even better. Decoupage is as much fun as collage, and a lot easier! Turns out it wasn't a great violin, and would have tortured any poor child trying learn on it. This is a much better use.

Closeup

Guitar Wine Holder

2012-01-05T18:44:00.003-05:00

This is an original design, and is my husband's handiwork. When his broken foot healed, he got up and started creating art from wood. Today he opened an Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/beecherwood, and he is working hard to build his inventory. The ideas are bubbling up...

http://www.etsy.com/listing/89829012/guitar-wine-holder

Jazzman, 6x8 Oil on Canvas Board

2012-01-04T01:00:00.002-05:00

Just as I was beginning to think that the only music we would hear in New Orleans was country or rock and roll, we came upon this guy. He was New Orleans to the core, so we finally had an authentic experience.

PURCHASE

Pimienta, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

2011-12-30T01:00:00.005-05:00

I got this red pepper and had to paint it with my little salt shaker wearing a pepper on his sombrero. After all the traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas fare, doesn't Mexican food make a nice change? E mucho gusto!

PURCHASE

Dry Dock, 5x7 Oil on Canvas

2011-12-27T07:20:00.000-05:00

I reached into the archives for this one, one of my first Etsy sales. I have been busy during the holiday season and it has been difficult to find time to paint.

This boat belongs to my cousin in Alaska, who lives on Big Lake. In the winter Big Lake freezes and it becomes his shortcut to town. I just can't get over the idea of driving on a lake. It's hard for a Floridian to grasp such an idea.

Pear on Red, 4x4 oil on canvas

2011-12-25T01:00:00.004-05:00

I can't seem to settle down to any large serious paintings during the Christmas season. There is just too much going on. It doesn't seem like Christmas here in Florida, since it was 85 degrees yesterday. That is just too freakish. I can remember being very cold in December in Florida, and in fact, it got to 29 degrees in 1989. The palm trees and orange trees froze. That's hard to imagine today.

Merry Christmas, everyone, and many blessings in the New Year.

PURCHASE

Grape, 3x3 Oil on Canvas

2011-12-22T01:00:00.003-05:00

This is a tiny little 3x3-inch painting on stretched canvas, and it comes with a tiny little easel. Aren't grapes wonderful? From them you get jelly, jam, preserves, juice, wine, raisins, vinegar, and paintings.

PURCHASE

Apple, 4x4 Oil on Canvas

2011-12-19T01:00:00.005-05:00

The titling part of my brain isn't working today. I don't know how Carol Marine comes up with so many clever titles, especially since she is so prolific. This is on stretched canvas and comes with a little easel, so no frame needed. This is tiny and affordable.

SOLD

Esmeralda, Collage on Canvas Board, 24x18

2011-12-16T10:07:00.001-05:00

This collage took me way longer than I anticipated. I used a canvas primed with gold gesso, some of which is peeking through. After doing the whole painting I added touches of copper and gold paint, keeping with the whole gypsy vibe.

This is all fashion and home decor magazines. The finished product is varnished for protection from UV rays and other atmospheric problems. I must say, a small "daily painting" is going to be very restful after this!

PURCHASE

Conleys Creek, 8x10 Oil on Canvas Board

2011-12-10T06:31:00.001-05:00

Nothing can be finer than to be in Carolina in the morning...especially in the vivid colors of Fall.

Yesterday Pieces of 8 (or is it Pieces of 8's?) Kathy, Cindy and I exhibited and sold our work at a fundraiser for our local Women's Center, a wonderful cause. It was a lovely event. The night before, I must have been a bit anxious, because I had a wild dream that Lady Gaga was performing for us and selling her own fashion line. Most notable was her line of sensible shoes. I doubt Lady Gaga even knows what a sensible shoe looks like. Years ago, when I would tell my college psychology professor about a dream like this, he would say, "See me after class."

PURCHASE

Apple Time, 5x7 Collage

2011-12-07T08:29:00.001-05:00

I am now alternating between collage and oil paint. As the local surfers used to say (and maybe still do), I am stoked. People are giving me magazines with wonderful paper and pictures, and my creative juices are bubbling.

SOLD

First Snowfall, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

2011-12-06T01:00:00.000-05:00

All this snow was pretty exciting for me, since I'm from Florida. It was a very cold day, and I tried to capture the feel of that first snowfall.

PURCHASE

Elusive Butterfly, 8x10 Oil on Canvas Board

2011-12-03T01:00:00.005-05:00

I was shooting a mountain vista when this butterfly fluttered by. Sometimes I just get lucky.

PURCHASE

Fowl Play Collage, 8x8

2011-11-30T01:00:00.008-05:00

I liked this guy so much I did him as a collage as well as an oil painting. This is an 8x8 collage on gallery-wrapped canvas, all sides completed so it may be hung unframed.

PURCHASE

Fowl Play, 8x8 Oil on Canvas

2011-11-26T08:21:00.004-05:00

I was painting the little corncrib at the farm at Oconluftee Visitors Center in the Smoky Mountains, and this fellow strolled by to watch. He's much more interesting than the corncrib.

This is painted on gallery-wrapped canvas, so no frame is needed.

SOLD

Night of the Iguana, 24x18 Collage

2011-11-23T01:00:00.001-05:00

Once I start a collage, it's hard to stop. I am loving this medium. There are a lot of interesting things in this one. Can you see the bowl of popcorn?

PURCHASE

Red House, 6x8

2011-11-20T08:24:00.002-05:00

An alternate title for this would be "Summer's End." The inner tubes are stacked on the dock and the leaves are turning. This house is up the road from artist Carol Schiff's house in North Carolina. I can't imagine having a bright red house, but it looks just right in this setting.

SOLD

Femme Fatale, Collage, 24x30

2011-11-17T01:00:00.001-05:00

I'm venturing off into a new area here, and it's a little break in my Travelogue. When I returned home I attended a Derek Gores workshop and learned this technique. I almost forgot to go home, I got so deeply involved in ripping and pasting. Next time I'll try full color, and I can tell you there will be a next time. This was really a lot of fun. I'm looking at magazines in a whole new way.

Bourbon Street, 11x14 Oil on Canvas Board

2011-11-14T01:00:00.001-05:00

After Nashville, we drove down the Natchez Trace Parkway, and what a glorious road that is. Little traffic, gorgeous scenery, and historic sites along the way. Meriwether Lewis died on the Trace (there is controversy about murder or suicide), and he is buried there. There was a cypress swamp that I will paint someday. We stopped in Tupelo, saw the birthplace of Elvis (two rooms, no bathroom or electricity), and then we went on to New Orleans.
What a place. Where else can you ride in a streetcar and a man with a silver face and a Confederate uniform gets on? Then you see a large, pot-bellied man wearing a cowboy hat, a bra, and shorts. The music being played on the street was amazing, and the beignets were my particular guilty pleasure.


I've spread 15 bags of mulch--yet the weeds still come.

Carmen Beecher

Soft Landing, 8x10 Collage

Sunshine Collection, 8x10

Purple Shoe, Collage, 10X8

Sunset in Paradise, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

Pineapple and Friends, 10x8 Oil on Canvas Board

Little Teapot, 6x8 Oil on Canvas Board

Blue Frog, 12x9 Collage

The Roofer, 8x10 Oil on Canvas Board

Featured in International Artist Magazine

Gull on Gold, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

Red Shoe, 8x10 Collage on Canvas

"Anything Goes," Decoupage on Violin

Guitar Wine Holder

Jazzman, 6x8 Oil on Canvas Board

Pimienta, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

Dry Dock, 5x7 Oil on Canvas

Pear on Red, 4x4 oil on canvas

Grape, 3x3 Oil on Canvas

Apple, 4x4 Oil on Canvas

Esmeralda, Collage on Canvas Board, 24x18

Conleys Creek, 8x10 Oil on Canvas Board

Apple Time, 5x7 Collage

First Snowfall, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

Elusive Butterfly, 8x10 Oil on Canvas Board

Fowl Play Collage, 8x8

Fowl Play, 8x8 Oil on Canvas

Night of the Iguana, 24x18 Collage

Red House, 6x8

Femme Fatale, Collage, 24x30

Bourbon Street, 11x14 Oil on Canvas Board

Nashville Cats, 8x6

Apples and Wine, 10x12 Collage

Corncrib, 8x8

Big Splash, 8x10

Neon Mountains, 8x10

Whirlpool

Homage to Hokusai, 8x10 Oil on Canvas Board

Tossed, 8x10 Oil on Gessoboard

Dancers in Pink, after Degas

Street in Venice, 8x10 after John Singer Sargent

Italian Girl with Flowers, after Joaquin Sorolla

The Breakfast Table, Oil, after Sargent

Sunset Bay, 6x8 Oil on Canvas Board

Rock and Roll, Oil on Linen, 5x7

Fisherlicious, 8x10 Oil on Canvas Board

Cosmos, 16x12 Watercolor

Maine Wave, 8x10 Oil on Canvas Board

Nubble Light, 6x8 Oil on Canvas Board

Dinghies, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Board

Andrea's Gate, 5x7, Oil on Canvas Panel

Hanging Onions, 6x8, Oil on Canvas Board

Morning, 6x8 Oil on Canvas Panel

Smiling Pig, 7x5 Oil on Linen on Panel

Sunflower, 7x5 Oil on Linen

Oceansong, 18x24

On the Farm, 8x10 Original Oil on Canvas Board

Janis Joplin, 8x6 Oil on Canvas Board

Splash, 5x7, Oil on Linen on Panel

Amy Winehouse, 8x6 Oil on Canvas Panel

Mango, 6x8 Oil on Canvas Board

Surf Spray, 6x6 Oil on Canvas Board

Gondolas, 6x8 Oil

Beach Tide, 6x8 Oil on Gessoboard

Little Dude, 6x8 Oil on Canvas Board

Sunrise Surf, 8x10 Oil on Canvas Board

Little Waterfalls, 6x8

Low Country Sunset, 6x6

Mangroves, 6x8

Mast General Store, 8x6 Oil on Gessoboard

Beach Rocks, 6x6

Stormy Weather, 6x6

Suzanne's Hollyhocks, 7X5

I Miss You Already, 8x6

Kicked Back, 6x8 Oil on Canvas Board

Grow Paint Eat, 6x6

Blue Shoes, 6x8

Oh My Aching Back: My Whiny Post

Accessorized, 6x8

Like An iPhone Cowboy, 6x8