Happiness II, Original Oil Painting, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Panel, Girl on Beach

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 This is my input to the monthly challenge on the Pieces of 8 Blog. We are copying the Fifth Avenue Gallery's idea to paint a favorite part of a previous painting. The painting I chose a portion of is below.

Carmen

My New Children's Book, "Dibble the Dragon," Now on Amazon

 

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In my spare time I finally wrote and illustrated this little children's book that I conceived many years ago. My friend Kathy Garvey urged me to get it going, and she helped me with the icky technical stuff, so all my thanks to Kathy, one of the most generous people I know.

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The Harpist, 11x14 oil on canvas, Figurative Art

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This young woman was so beautiful, playing such a graceful instrument, with the light shining through the window. It's so much more attractive than a woman playing, say, a cello or a trombone. However, I do love cello music in spite of the awkward knee placement of the cellist.

This beautiful musician was playing at my beautiful niece's beautiful wedding.

Carmen

The Lacemaker, 16x20 Gouache Painting, after Vermeer

Well, looky here! I was cleaning out my studio and this lady turned up. I painted her in a college class over 30 years ago. I think the assignment was to copy a master and change the color scheme a bit, so I copied Johannes Vermeer's The Lacemaker and warmed it up colorwise. Why I used gouache, I don't know. It is not the most accommodating medium. 

Vermeer and his wife had ten children, and during an economic downturn he was unable to sell his paintings. His wife said that the stress of the situation killed him. I can understand it; if I had to live off my art and had ten children, the stress of it would probably do me in as speedily as it did poor Johannes. Below is the original of The Lacemaker. I am awed by it.

Carmen