Man O' War, 5x7 Oil on Canvas, Beach Series

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This is a Portuguese Man O' War, and it is quite beautiful in a weird way. It has tentacles with a painful sting, and even when it's lying on the beach those tentacles need to be avoided. Now here's the weird part: this is actually four organisms living in cooperation (wish Congress could do that). The sail is a gas-filled bladder (now that sounds like Congress); the tentacles are the killers that deliver prey; then there are two other organisms that do digestion and reproduction. I feel that such a remarkable example of God's handiwork deserves to be painted on gold. I wish you could see the metallic gold background on the computer monitor.

Carmen

Peaceful River, 24x20 Original Oil Painting of Florida River

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This is a completed commission inspired by Florida's Dora River. It's quite a change from small daily paintings.

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Lotus Buds, 6x8 Oil on Canvas Panel Floral Painting

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I was far from home while doing this painting, and I managed to leave my white paint home! I dealt with it by subtracting color with my turps. This produced a very dark painting, as my canvas was not white, but a toned neutral color. When I got home I mixed more color with white and finished my lotus buds. I like the way they stand out now. These lilies were at Palma Sola Botanical Garden in Bradenton, Florida.

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Christmas Palm, 12x12 Oil Painting on Canvas, Tropical Trees

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Christmas Palms are so beautiful. I see a lot of them in public landscapes, but there are never any berries. I guess they are considered too messy and get trimmed off. In Elbow Cay in the Bahamas I saw a lot of them left on the trees and it gave such a lovely touch to the landscape. What other palms have such a striking fruit?

Storm Over Hopetown, 16x20 Oil on Canvas, Bahamas Seascape

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This is a happy memory of Elbow Cay in the Abacos Islands. I was leaving on the ferry while a storm was approaching. Elbow Cay is a beautiful little island with gorgeous beaches and no cars. A golf cart is all you need. 

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Oil Painting, "Blackbird," 5x7 Oil on Canvas Panel

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This was my entry in the Pieces of Eight challenge this month, to paint a black bird without using black paint. I saw this little guy at our zoo, enjoying the food people were tossing to the exotic birds, and I loved all the colors I could see in his black feathers.

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O My Papaya, 5x7 Oil on Canvas, Landscape Daily Painting

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If you want something easy to grow, buy the biggest, nicest papaya you can find and plant the seeds. Just throw them down if you want, some will sprout. I ended up with too many trees, and let them get too tall, and I had fruit I couldn't reach. If only I could grow tomatoes that easily! I am a complete failure with tomatoes.

I like the light in this painting; there was a storm approaching and the sun was shining on the trees, making them a very bright light green. 

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The Old Folks, 5x7 Oil Painting on Canvas

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These little people were gifts from my son when he was stationed in Okinawa. They are two of my favorite things, and so cleverly done. I really enjoyed painting them. 

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Florida Sunset, 10x8 Original Oil Landscape Painting

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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      

Man O' War, 5x7 Oil on Canvas, Beach Series

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This is a Portuguese Man O' War, and it is quite beautiful in a weird way. It has tentacles with a painful sting, and even when it's lying on the beach those tentacles need to be avoided. Now here's the weird part: this is actually four organisms living in cooperation (wish Congress could do that). The sail is a gas-filled bladder (now that sounds like Congress); the tentacles are the killers that deliver prey; then there are two other organisms that do digestion and reproduction. I feel that such a remarkable example of God's handiwork deserves to be painted on gold. I wish you could see the metallic gold background on the computer.

Carmen

Oil Painting, House of Blue, 5x7 Original Daily Painting

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Apparently I'm in my Blue Period, having painted a blue frog, a blue birdie, and now this. I was in Larry Moore's plein air workshop and we were at Ballard Park, a gorgeous location on the water in Melbourne, Florida. Well, what a day! There was a regatta of little sailboats as well as a pirate ship. Out of the pirate ship came--what else? a pirate, in full regalia. Larry immediately began painting a portrait of him, and it was wonderful. Oh, and the pirate had--what else? a parrot. You never know what you'll see around here.

Larry Paints a Pirate with a Parrot with Painterly Perfection

Still Water, 16x20 Oil on Canvas Landscape Painting

"He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul."

--23rd Psalm

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Happy to report this painting just sold to a lovely lady. This is a scene off Landmark Road in Middleburg, Virginia, near where my sister Genie used to live. She heads up an event called Shakespeare in the Burg every year, which is March 27 to April 2 this year. If you live nearby, check it out. It's always nice to visit Middleburg for any reason.

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Washday in Venice, 6x6 Original Oil on Canvas

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Venice is such an amazing place, one forgets that it is inhabited by real people who have the same mundane chores as everyone else. No matter how much beauty is in the surroundings, the wash still has to be done.

When we walked down residential streets and noticed the ornate and ancient doors, we burned with curiosity about what was behind them.

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Street in Venice, 8x10 Oil on Canvas, after John Singer Sargent

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I'm still on a Venice kick. I copied this Sargent painting because I liked its mysterious air and because I felt I could learn from it. The two characters on the right look a bit shifty, if you ask me. Sargent spent a lot of time in Venice, as any artist should. It is a completely unique place now as it was then, Old-Worldly beautiful.

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Everglades Spoonbills, 24x20 Oil on Canvas Wildlife Painting

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Thanks to our dynamic Brevard Cultural Alliance for exhibiting my Spoonbill painting at the Titusville Airport, where it recently sold. These beautiful birds were at Mrazek Pond in the Everglades; there were many species of birds there, including white pelicans. I realize now how lucky I was to get this shot, because I went back to Mrazek Pond on another trip to the Glades and saw no birds at all.

Spoonbills are unique. They have exquisite plumage and a face like a spoon.

Carmen

Breakfast Club, 20x16 Oil on Canvas Panel

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Happy day, just sold this seascape. I am almost out of large seascapes. I'd better get busy! 

Laid Back, 8x4 Oil on Canvas

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I just read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, the Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, and I am trying to apply some of its principles in my own home. The author says to tidy by category, not by room. I began with all things art-related (I can feel all you artists shuddering), and it took me four days. I found a few copies of past paintings, and the above image is one of them. I tossed several paintings that might have qualified for the MOBA (Museum of Bad Art). That is a very real, and hilarious, thing, by the way. 

I am also trying a new approach to my blog posts by not posting as frequently. This way I am decluttering the inboxes of my subscribers and taking a little pressure off myself.

Check out MOBA at http://www.museumofbadart.org/ and don't miss the comments of "Interpretators."

Carmen

Portrait, 16x20 Pencil Drawing, Graphite on Paper

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Yes, it did take a long time to do the hair, but I enjoyed every stroke. It's very different from the way I work in paint. 

I have discovered another New Zealand artist to admire--John Crump. Plein air at its best. 

Carmen

Dragonflower, 20x20 Oil on Canvas, Floral Painting

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I'm so pleased that I have a painting on the cover of Where Art Lives magazine, as well as an interview starting on page 38. See the online version here.

Carmen

Daily Painting Book by Carol Marine

I am so happy to report that my zentangle drawing above is included in Carol Marine's soon-to-be-released book Daily Painting. Some of the most amazing artists are in the book, and I am so honored to be included! Release date is November 4th on Amazon, or you may pre-order now for a discount of about $8. Here is the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Daily-Painting-Creative-Productive-Successful/dp/0770435335/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412907428&sr=8-1&keywords=daily+painting

This is a really bright spot for me during what I call the Month of Worries. My loved ones have experienced eye surgery, knee surgery, bypass surgery, pneumonia, and blood clots. I myself am still recovering from my knee replacement and it is going well, so I have no complaints. The meds make me really stupid but that too shall pass. I hope.