Florida Jungle, 10x8 Oil Painting on Canvas Panel

This was a very complicated landscape. I do like the thick and tangled jungle look of Florida woods, and it's always so tricky not to have everything green, green and more green. I'm pleased with the way this one turned out.

Carmen

Rosy Outlook, 8x10 Original Oil on Canvas Panel

$99 Buy Here

There's not much to say about a painting of a pink rose. A rose is a rose is a rose. I will share this Dorothy Parker poem about how she felt about a single rose:

A single flow'r he sent me, since we met.
All tenderly his messenger he chose;
Deep-hearted, pure, with scented dew still wet--
One perfect rose. 

 I knew the language of the floweret;
"My fragile leaves," it said, "his heart enclose."
Love long has taken for his amulet
One perfect rose.

Why is it no one ever sent me yet
One perfect limousine, do you suppose?
Ah no, it's always just my luck to get
One perfect rose.

Shady Cows, Original Oil Painting 8x10 Landscape

Click to Buy

It's been a while since I posted. I've been very busy working on a book that will be coming out in April. You will be hearing more about that later.

This painting is all about the light. I love the shade in the foreground, with a tiny couple of slivers of light on the pasture.

Carmen

Shore Scene, Original Oil Painting 10x8 Seascape on Canvas Panel Beach Scene

 

Buy on Etsy 

Spring is here and that means it's time to go plant-crazy. I get carried away with buying new plants and it's in my genes, so I can't help it. It's also time to walk on the beach and look at the beauty of the ocean. Even when I can't see the surf, I can hear it from my house. What a nice sound.

Carmen

Strawberry Mansion, 8x10 Original Oil Painting on Canvas Panel

Buy on Etsy

Now a restaurant, this house was called The Strawberry Mansion for many years, and now is remodeled and called The Mansion. Built in 1905, it was originally a residence called The Queen Anne. As The Strawberry Mansion, it had delicious pink and raspberry colors. 

Carmen

Lagoon Sunset, Original Oil Painting 10x8 Sunset on Indian River, Florida

Buy on Etsy

This was the Fourth of July on the Indian River Lagoon, and moments later Army paratroopers came floating down with American flags. Sunsets are beautiful even when you are facing East and getting reflections on the clouds.

Carmen

Peaceful River, Original Oil Painting 10x8 Florida Landscape on Canvas Panel

This is a study for a large painting, a commission. I first used photos of the Dora Canal, but it is impossible to paint it without most of the canvas being green, so I opened it up to get more sky and reflection. There will be more 'critters' in the final.

Carmen

Moon Over Miami, Original Oil Daily Painting 11x14 Oil on Canvas Panel

Click to Buy

Our Pieces of Eight painting challenge for February was to illustrate a song or poem, so I chose the old standard "Moon Over Miami." Go to the Pieces of 8 blog to see all the challenge responses.

Carmen

The Gondolier, Oil Painting, Original Art, 8x10 Venice Scene

$130, Click to Buy

Since we are now into the Christmas season and I have had no time to paint, I am re-posting one of my favorites, a scene in Venice. It brings back wonderful memories of that very unique place. 

Yesterday our painting group, Pieces of Eight, had our Christmas party, which is always a hoot. 

From left to right: Donna Vines, Carol Schiff, me, Jean Thomas, Mary Warnick, Denette Schweikert, Kathy Garvey, and Fay Picardi. 

Carmen

The Death of Truth, 8x10 Avant-Garde, Picasso-ish Oil on Canvas

The Pieces of Eight Painting Group's Monthly Challenge for November was to do an avant-garde work, stepping way outside our comfort zones. I used Picasso as my inspiration, although if I were trying harder, I guess I would have had an eye where the ear is, or a foot coming out of the head.

I think the painting is self-explanatory.

Carmen

Provence Biker, 8x10 Original Oil Painting of the South of France

Click to Purchase

My sister and I were on our way to Fontaine-de-Vaucluse in Provence when we saw this man on his bike. Except for the very narrow roads, this is a beautiful place to be riding, surrounded by olive groves, vineyards and lavender fields. Though I have many photos of Italy, France and Austria, I just couldn't wait to paint this guy.

Carmen

Salt Spray, Seascape Original Oil Painting, 8x10

Purchase Here

This was painted on a bright sunny day when the air was clean. Unfortunately, right now we are afflicted with Red Tide, and every time I go outside it makes me cough. Dead fish litter the beach and some intrepid volunteers have been out picking them up. It's a very unhealthy situation. We used to have lots of tar on the beach from oil spills. I prefer that. At least I could breathe without coughing.

Carmen

Cowshade, 12x12 Oil Painting on Canvas

Click to Purchase

This is such a peaceful scene. It was challenging having the shade in the foreground, and it certainly didn't turn out to be a "daily" painting. It took a while to get it like I wanted, but I'm happy with it now. This scene is the view our daughter gets from her backyard.

Carmen

Hot Air Balloons, 8x10 Original Oil Painting, Skyscape on Canvas

Purchase

I decided I wanted to just paint clouds. When I was done it looked like it needed something more, so I added hot air balloons to punch it up. I'm happy with the result, but I think the balloonists had better head home, because the weather doesn't look so good.

Carmen

Florida Sunset, 10x8 Original Oil Landscape Painting

SOLD

Is this too dramatic? I was so excited when I saw those rays and that bright red color that my husband pulled over so I could take a picture. Florida sunsets are amazing. Florida now has more people than New York. Our secret is out. 

Carmen


Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.

 - Voltaire      

Night Bloomers, Flower Art, 8x10 Original Oil Painting

PURCHASE

It is so hard to get photos of these flowers, because I have to keep an eye out to catch them blooming. The leaves that they spring from look very unsubstantial. They are white so that they can attract the sphinx moth, their pollinator. 

Cereus supposedly blooms in the summer, but mine just recently bloomed because Florida's winter is freakishly hot this year. We make lots of jokes about it, but it is not natural and I don't appreciate having to pull weeds in the off-season. 

Carmen

Cow Love, 8x10 Original Oil Painting on Canvas Panel, Animal Art

Purchase Here

This scene of maternal love was on a farm in Pennsylvania. Mama cow actually had an ear outlined with huge burrs, but I didn't care to add that to the painting. 

Carmen

Rainier Meadow, 10x8 Oil Landscape Painting on Canvas Panel

Click to Purchase

The Pacific Northwest is so beautiful, and so different from my home state of Florida, which is flat as a flitter and doesn't have gigantic trees. Our country has as diverse a landscape as could be imagined, and it's one of the things I love about it.

Below is the original and my painting.

Carmen

Italian Man, 10x8 Original Oil on Canvas, Figurative Art, Portrait

This man was waiting for a train outside Venice and the light was shining so beautifully on him. In spite of my digital camera having that delay before being able to snap the first shot, I did get the picture before our train pulled out of the station. 

I hope I see Venice again before I shuffle off this mortal coil. What a beautiful and unique city.

Carmen

Peace, 8x10 Oil on Canvas Panel, Seascape at Sunrise

Click to Purchase

The beach makes me happy. It is a place to escape hectic everyday life, and especially the constant yammering of politics (shiver). I've always marveled that I can walk from the noisy, busy highway, over the crossover, and down to the beach, and I only hear the pleasant sounds of the ocean. 

There's nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it's sent away.

-Sarah Kay