More from My Journal

 This is my next page from my daughter Suzanne's garden. She grows vegetables too!

Carmen

Purple and Yellow Iris, 8x10 Oil on Canvas Panel Flower Painting

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When we were staying in the beautiful neighborhood of Lake Junaluska in North Carolina, I was fascinated by the flowers that we don't grow here in Florida, like these irises and the spectacular rhododendrons.

Carmen

Peach Canna Lilies Original Painting, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Panel

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This is another of my "Pool Paintings," a portion of my garden viewed at eye level from my pool. There are peach Canna Lilies, little blue Plumbago flowers, and in the foreground, bromeliads. When I saw the early morning shadows behind the Canna Lilies I knew I had to paint them. The bromeliads look big because they were much closer to me. 

Carmen

Canna Lilies Painted from My Pool, Original Oil Painting on Canvas 5x7 Small Painting

 

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This is my second painting in my series painted while standing in my pool. I love being eye level with my plants, especially stately ones like the canna lilies. Painting en plein aire while in the pool solves the problem of getting insufferably hot in the middle of summer. Another advantage of the eye level view: the weeds are less noticeable.

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Heliconia Painted from My Pool 5x7 Oil Painting on Canvas Landscape

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This is the first in a series of paintings done while standing my pool. I have been noticing how good my garden looks at eye level from the pool, so I started with a view of my Lobster Claw Heliconia, which is a fascinating and unusual plant. It likes all the rain we've had, and was good enough to put one of its blooms right in front for me.

Carmen

Jungle Garden, Original Oil Painting on Canvas 8x10 Florida Garden

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I love mysterious garden paths through jungle-like gardens. What exotic plant is around the next corner? There were bromeliads galore in this garden.

Carmen

Van Gogh Slept Here, Original Oil Painting on Gallery-Wrapped Canvas 8x8 Provence France

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This is Saint-Paul Asylum, Saint-Remy, France, where Van Gogh spent a year. He was seeking treatment for his mental illness, and he painted 100 paintings while living there. The place is still a facility with patients, but we only saw the part open to tourists. It was a thrill to actually be in Van Gogh's room. His mental health improved there so much that he was allowed to wander the countryside and paint to his heart's content. 

Carmen

The Garden, 11x14 Oil on Panel, Painting of Cheekwood Gardens Scene

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We were in Cheekwood Gardens in Nashville when I saw this scene. It made me think of the many Impressionist paintings I have seen of people sitting in gardens. Impressionists frequently made use of dappled shade in their art, but there wasn't any of that in this spot. The people were sitting in bright sunlight, and seemed a bit overdressed for the warm day.

Carmen

The Photographer, 8x10 Original Oil Painting on Canvas

I took this photo of our Pieces of 8 member Kathy Garvey while she was intently photographing poppies. She liked them as much as I did. It was really fun to paint her, and of course it was an excuse to paint more poppies. Here's a little slideshow of the painting as it progressed:

Sunshine Girl, 16x20 Watercolor Print, Giclee of Child in Garden

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This is a giclee print of a watercolor that I am particularly fond of. The purple and green complementary colors and the warm sunshine backlighting her hair remind me of the day this child was opening a seed packet to plant flowers in the garden. It's a wonderful age, when you can tell a child what to do, and they actually do it. I miss that!

I need to send out a thank-you to all the Nigerian friends that I didn't know I had, who are just dying to send me millions of dollars. Every day there is a new email from these generous people. For some reason they are just loaded and they can't wait to share their wealth with their special friend, me. It's hard to believe anyone would fall for the scam, but some must or they wouldn't keep sending these things. My last offer was from a woman who wanted to send me exactly $10,500,000 dollars.

For a much better deal, check out my Etsy page at https://carmensart.etsy.com

Carmen

Tiny Zinnias, 3x5 Oil Painting on Wood Panel, Floral Daily Painting

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I think that's enough flowers for now. I am getting the urge to paint the beach, but who knows what will strike my eye next? These tiny paintings have been fun and I do love my garden, but the Devilweed is about to get me. It creeps under the ground and pops up everywhere. As if it's not hard enough to weed in the hot weather, this stuff has to give me a tug of war to get it out. If anyone has a solution for  this heinous weed, please tell me!

Carmen

Field Flowers, 6x8 Oil on Canvas Panel Floral Daily Painting

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I painted a big happy sunflower on this canvas, then decided I hated it, so I scraped it off. The result was a lovely background that looked like a green field, so I painted these flowers in the field and now I like it. "Scrapers" frequently produce interesting results. I think I'll do more of it. 

Carmen

Florida Road, 8x6 Oil on Canvas Panel, Landscape

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When I was a kid we used to walk down roads like this: white sand meandering through woods. This road goes through a garden and it has that bright hot look from the Florida sun. This is a signed original, 6x8, painted on archival canvas, signed and ready to frame.

If all goes well, I am preparing for my show tonight (I scheduled this post in advance). If you live anywhere near Middleburg, Virginia, please stop by. 

Friday, April 22, 6 - 8 pm

The Parish House

Emmanuel Episcopal Church

105 E. Washington St

Middleburg, VA

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

Purple Lily, 8x6 Oil on Canvas

Reminder: Don't forget the Pieces of 8 Sale on Dec 7th! Go to piecesof8art.blogspot.com for info.

$89, Click to Purchase

I love waterlilies, but they have been painted so much that it's hard to not be a cliche'. I've noticed that Florida artists paint Birds of Paradise, Crotons, and water birds so much that it is hard to stand out in the crowd. That's why I enjoyed painting my Dragonflower a while back.

I have a plant that is so unique and weird that I won't even try to paint it. It's a Starflower cactus and it is beige and fuzzy. I call it my Alien Flower because it is very other-worldly.