Pair of Pears Watercolor Painting 8x10

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I don't do much watercolor except for my sketch journal, but I recently was inspired by a watercolor demo. I thought I'd make our Pieces of Eight September Challenge a real challenge by departing from oils.

Carmen

Blue Pitcher, 11x14 Oil on Canvas Panel Still Life

Donna, Carol and I just returned from the Elio Camacho workshop on Amelia Island, and it was exhausting and fulfilling. Elio is a master of color and kind critiques. We had five days of demos, lectures, intense painting, and shrimp. This was my first effort:

Once again, we ate shrimp at every meal. Fried shrimp, shrimp salad, shrimp chowder, shrimp tacos...I sound like Bubba in "Forrest Gump." Our favorite place was Timoti's, where they displayed this sign:

Now it's time to start preparing for Thanksgiving. Back to the real world!

Carmen

Sunshiny Day, 10x8 Oil on Canvas Panel, Original Landscape Art

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This was the kind of day that just lifts your mood, and I hope I got that in my painting. It was sunny and bright, with nice fluffy clouds in a bright blue sky. It's hard to feel like a curmudgeon when you get to live in an environment like this. Makes me feel like going kayaking, which is on my bucket list. After all, the water is all around us here, what am I waiting for? It's got to be a lot easier than that whitewater rafting adventure that threw four of us women out on the rocks in North Carolina. My friend Donna said at the time that we bonded over a near-death experience--and I think she was right!

Carmen

Oil Painting, "Down the Garden Path," 6x6, Oil on Canvas, Small Daily Painting

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I wanted an Impressionistic look, so I painted this small painting with a very large brush. I restrained myself from putting in a lot of details, which is not easy for me. I painted this once before, but with detail, and I wanted to do a loosey-goosey one for a change.

I love paths in paintings--I always wonder where they lead. Guess what's at the end of this shady path? More shady paths. 

Carmen

Dawn, 6x6 Oil on Canvas, Sunrise with Palm Trees

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With our gorgeous Florida skies, I barely have to move to be inspired. I can see beautiful sights right outside my window. I got a little wilder than usual with this one. 

Carmen

Pastel Sea, 10x8 Original Oil Seascape

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Despite the title of this painting, it is not a pastel, it's an oil. It's the scene that is pastel. Sometimes the sea and sky are soft colors, which makes for a peaceful painting. In fact, I believe I hear it calling me right now...I need to go down there and walk a while...

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking...

"Sea Fever" by John Masefield

Clouds in Landscape, 24x18 Oil Painting

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The Pieces of 8 are studying clouds, so I did a demo of various kinds of clouds and techniques for painting them, then we all had a good time painting our own. This is one of my larger paintings, and I shall continue my cloud studies, as they are becoming fascinating to me. I've looked at clouds from both sides now...

Carmen

Florida Vista, 8x6 Oil Painting on Canvas Panel

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This is what much of Florida looks like, and it's one part that has not changed. You have to get away from the beach to see scenes like this, and I only hope that most of the pastures and grassy wetlands of Florida won't become housing developments. It's a sort of Growth is Good-Growth is Bad situation. Growth brings jobs, but do you really want to see a scene like this with condos sitting in it? In the end, it's all about balance. 

Carmen

P.S. My book, Crackers and Oranges, is now available on Kindle. 

Two Palms, 6x8 Oil Painting on Panel

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Well, I will soon be building my brand-new, luxurious studio because James Comey of the FBI emailed me that for only $750 and my personal information I will receive over 10 million dollars from lottery/gambling/inheritance money due me from "overseas."

I keep wondering how many people fall for this, just another version of the Nigerian scam. Someone must, or they wouldn't keep doing it. The letters are always poorly written and don't even come close to being believable, yet someone must be sending them money.

This has nothing to do with my painting above, I just need to sound off now and then. I once had a friend who would say, "There are eight million people in New York City. If I could just get each one to send me a penny..."

Carmen

Psyche, 6x6 Original Oil Painting on Canvas Panel

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This flower makes me think of my grandmother, who could grow anything. She told me the names of varieties of hibiscus, and this one was called "Psyche." It is smaller and has a more interesting shape than the usual hibiscus. The bush will grow very tall. There is a pink version that looks similar in shape and it is called "La France."

I am starting a list of things that we put up with and really should NOT put up with. Things that make me grit my teeth. I mean things big and small, and to illustrate I will begin with these two, very unequal in terms of importance.

1. Inadequate mental health care since mental health institutions were closed in the 80s (e.g., mass murderers whose parents tried to get help and couldn't). This is, shall we say, crazy in a so-called civilized country and fits nicely with proliferation of guns to form the perfect storm.

2. Pencils with erasers that don't erase, and will even make a brown mark instead of erasing.

See what I mean? Erasers are a small thing, but why do we put up with it? If you can't make a functioning eraser, leave it off. Don't pretend it is there for erasing.

What injustices do you feel are foisted upon us? Do NOT send me anything political. That is a subject of irritation in a category all its own.

Rose, 5x4 Original OIl Painting

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Everyone is painting roses nowadays. I guess Spring has brought lots of blooms to people's yards, but as you can see from my previous post, mine are pretty tropical. I would like to grow roses in Florida, so if anyone can recommend a variety that works here I'd appreciate it. I would like red or yellow, though. I don't think I can take any more pink in my yard (see my previous post).

Everything's Better With Garlic, 7x5 Oil on Canvas

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I like everything about garlic: the look, the taste, the smell. My grandmother was Italian, yet she cooked very few Italian dishes, and I never saw garlic cloves in our house. When she and my grandfather became pioneers in Florida she became a Southern cook and learned to fry everything. He was from Spain, so I wonder what he thought about that? The other non-traditional thing for an Italian woman was that she didn't like to cook. Bad luck for us.

Are You Lookin' At Me? 6x8 Oil on Canvas

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Pelicans are pretty cute when they are floating in the water, and quite beautiful when flying, but waddling around strips them of their dignity. This guy was at Port Canaveral having a relaxing day, just as my painting group was. 

I just renewed my passport and I must say, the new one is beautiful, with illustrations of America from sea to shining sea. It has wonderful quotations too, like this one:

The cause of freedom is not the cause of a race or a sect, a party or a class--it is the cause of humankind, the very birthright of humanity. - Anna Julia Cooper

Someone call Congress. They are apparently unaware of this. 

I admit I was not familiar with Anna Julia Cooper, so I Googled her (of course) and learned she was born into slavery, but became a prominent African-American author, educator and speaker.

And that's my lesson for today.

Call Me Ishmael, 20x24 Acrylic on Canvas

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This morning on the news I saw that a Taiwanese man drifted in the sea for 60 hours floating on a coffin lid. This was like pulling a page from Moby Dick, where Ishmael was the lone survivor because of floating on a coffin. I changed the name of this watery-looking painting in his honor. 

This technique is new for me. It is poured acrylic that I let dry into a 'skin,' then I peeled it up, cut it apart and arranged the design. It is glued to a stretched canvas. This is a very time-consuming endeavor, but I like the result. I am drying some very light colors now to see what I can do on a dark background. 

Tanglefish, 5x7 Pen and Ink

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Sometimes I have a plan for these Zentanglish drawings, and sometimes I don't. I started this one as freeform curves and went from there. It made itself into a drawing that looked very undersea to me to I went with that.

I've been cleaning closets, purging mercilessly, and stopping occasionally to do Zentangles. I also tried an absolutely different technique which I will post next. I will be knuckling down to doing some serious oil paintings soon, and in February Qiang Huang will be here to teach, so I should be pumped up for months after that!

Beets on Red, 8x6 Oil on Canvas

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On a rainy day in Georgia the Pieces of Eight gathered around the table to paint beets. The red background was Denette's daring idea, and it has quite a vibration, doesn't it? They were a good subject and quite delicious as well.

Remember: The Pieces of 8 Sale is next Saturday, rain or shine. We promise objects d' art, refreshments, and repartee. Our prolific painters must reduce inventory, so bargains will abound! Here is the link that will show the map and details: http://piecesof8art.blogspot.com and watch for signs like the one below leading the way.

Pardon My Back, 24x18 Oil on Canvas

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This is the first in a series and it's a bigger painting than I usually post. I didn't pose these birds, they were standing exactly like this, so this was one of those paintings that got named before I started it.

While in the Everglades I got to see plenty of mangroves, mangrove forests and mangrove islands. What fascinating trees they are. They thrive in salty environments because they are able to obtain fresh water from saltwater. Some secrete excess salt through their leaves, and others block absorption of  salt at their roots. Their intricate root design makes a protective nursery for tiny marine life.

Fall Island, 8x6 Oil on Canvas

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Well, my ten-year-old Mac finally let me down, and at a crucial time. I did manage to post on my iPad, but not everything worked exactly like I wanted. Now I am looking at my brand-new marvel of technology with a giant screen and no box, no round little base, no nothing that indicates there are magical things going on inside to help me do my job. Once you go Mac...

The painting above is on Lake Oconee, Georgia, a little island we pontooned to and explored. It is just a beautiful place. 

If you are in Central Florida, save the date! The big Pieces of 8 Holiday Sale is December 7, and you can click here to link to the map.

Holiday Sale!

The Annual Pieces of Eight Christmas Sale will be December 7 beginning at 9 am. We will have a large array of beautiful things this year: oil paintings, watercolors, digital art, jewelry, handmade birdhouses (each one unique), painted furniture and other great gift items at very affordable prices.

Above is one of my small paintings, "Fatherly Love" which will be on sale.

Rise and Shine, 6x6 Oil Painting on Canvas

I thought I would walk to the beach to catch the sunrise, but I was late coming out the door, and this is what I saw. I didn't make it to the beach in time, but I love the silhouetted palms against the colorful sunrise. Florida sunrises and sunsets are so fabulous it's hard to make them look believable.

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