Backyard Swing, 10x8 Landscape Painting on Canvas Panel

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This is a cool and peaceful spot, surrounded by flowers. What is better than a swing? It brings back childhood memories of a great place to read.

Carmen

Are YOU Talking to ME? Chicken painting oil on canvas 8x8 inches

Are YOU Talking to ME? 

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I love the comical look that chickens can have, and this one made me think of Robert di Niro's classic scene in Taxi Driver. Sometimes the title comes before the painting.

This is painted on gallery-wrapped canvas, no frame needed.

This was my entry for the monthly challenge on the Pieces of 8 blog. Click here to view the other very clever entries.

Carmen

Marshland, 8x10 Landscape Oil Painting

I decided to have some fun with this one by first doing a 20-minute painting. The middle one was my work in progress, and last is the finished painting.

My 20-minute painting

Refined a bit

The Finished Painting (Click to Purchase)

5-Day Challenge, Day 5: Big Ole Vidalia, 5x7 Oil on Panel

This is the final day of the challenge to paint a small artwork in 20 minutes. So happy that #ArtWorkLivingChallenge has done this online exercise. People did some beautiful things in a measly 20 minutes! It makes you have to plan and think, instead of just jumping in. Thanks, Mary Gilkerson.

Carmen

5-Day Challenge, Day 3: Beach Day, 7x5 Oil on Panel

Before I began this, my third 20-minute painting, I couldn't resist drawing a cartoon about the experience of doing a painting in such a short amount of time.

Carmen

More 50-Stroke Paintings

 I did more paintings in only 50 strokes, as it is great practice for me since I tend to overdo details if I'm enjoying myself too much. It takes a great deal of concentration to limit my strokes and still arrive at a recognizable result.

I highly recommend this exercise for any painter who wants to simplify.

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. 

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Orange Canna Lily, Small Original Oil Painting 5x7 Flower Art

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I was shocked to realize that I haven't posted since September 1st. It's amazing what a hurricane threat does to one's daily life. First, you stock up on supplies; then you install all your storm shutters; pack up things you don't want washed away; finally, evacuate. If it's a slow-moving storm like Dorian, you wait...and wait...and wait. I am not complaining, because some of my favorite beautiful places were wiped out completely in the Bahamas. We were lucky, but the people there lost everything. Homes, livelihoods, and even loved ones. I am so sad for them. Our government won't take them in without papers, and their papers are somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic by now. What a terrifying situation for them.

The proceeds from this painting will be donated to hurricane relief for the Bahamian storm victims.

Carmen

Sky Vine, 5x7 Oil Painting Pool Series No. 3

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This is the third painting I've done while standing in the pool. In our record-setting heat, it's the only way to go. It's a good thing I got this done, because Hurricane Dorian is on the way and will devastate this Sky Vine and most everything else in the yard. My painting from the pool is coming to a screeching halt.

As you can see, I added a few more flowers to my painting. Just couldn't resist.

Carmen

Paradise, Oil on Canvas 7x5 Florida Painting

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This is my second painting of this spot. This is a small 7" by 5" painting of North Captiva Island, a place that is as good as being in the Bahamas. No cars, just golf carts, and gorgeous scenery. No bridge to the island, either. Life there runs on Island Time. Ahhhh.....

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The Boring Photo Challenge, 7x5 Small Daily Painting

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I painted this little oil painting in response to a challenge on the website DailyPaintworks.com. The challenge was to paint from a boring photo. That is a really good thing to practice, because I have lots of boring photos; however, I used the one they posted. I began with a black background, which helped add a bit more drama. Below is the boring photo.

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Hello Kitty, 7x5 Original Oil Painting Animal Portrait of Cat

This is my daughter Suzanne's cat, an imperious creature, as you can see. This cat bit me once, but I have a very forgiving nature and honored it with a portrait anyway. Also, I happened to take a dramatic photo that I couldn't resist painting. By the way, the cat's actual name is Hello Kitty.

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

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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.

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Bird Painting, "Terns," 5x7 Watercolor in 8x10 Mat

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The amazing thing about this painting is that I stopped. I didn't overwork it, no one had to hit me over the head to make me stop, and I have left it alone. It's different for me because it's a watercolor, and except for my journal, I rarely do watercolors. One thing I really like about watercolors is that I can easily take them with me anywhere, unlike oil paints. Oil paints are heavy, require odorless mineral spirits for cleanup, and are very messy. I still love them, though. 

Carmen

SALE 20% off and Free Shipping, Oil Painting on Canvas Panel, Stepping Stones, 5x7 Landscape

Sale Ends Dec 20: Click Here to Purchase

I love the play of light and shadow on this scene. This is a wonderful memory from our artists' retreat in Boone, North Carolina. North Carolina enticed our member Cindy Michaud to move there, and Carol Schiff is soon to follow. I love to visit the mountains, but when winter comes I like living here by the beach.

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Natchez Trace, 6x6 Original Oil Painting Landscape

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The Natchez Trace is a beautiful highway that once was a trail tracing back through 10,000 years of American history. We discovered Meriweather Lewis's grave on the Trace, at the site of the inn where he died. There is little traffic and no big trucks on this road that stretches from Nashville to Natchez. It is an American gem.

Carmen

Onion, 5x7 Oil on Board, Still Life Daily Painting

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Sometimes the simplest things are my favorites. I like the brushstrokes and the colors in this little painting.

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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

Yellow Roses, 8x6 Oil on Canvas

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Wouldn't this be a romantic Valentine's Day gift? Flowers and candy are nice, but they don't last. Diamonds and oil paintings are forever.

I painted this twice. I was not satisfied with it the first time, but I learned a few things from my mistakes. The second time I was able to get what I wanted, and did it much faster.

Carmen

Alligators May Be Present, 6x8 Oil on Canvas, Ballard Park, Melbourne, Florida, Tropical Scene

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My friend Mary and I braved the heat to paint in plein aire at a favorite park, where signs proclaimed, "Alligators May Be Present." I thought that would be a perfect title. I do think it would be more efficient to just have signs say, "Do Not Feed the Alligators Under Peril of Attack." I say this because so many people who move here seem to leave their brains at the Florida-Georgia Line (and I'm not talking about the country singers), and they think it's cute to feed the gators (and I'm not talking about the football team). 

Just because a reptile moves slowly and has a toothy smile does not mean it won't enjoy a big chomp of human, and it can run very fast when motivated.

And don't even get me started on the woman who fed dog food to bears in an Orlando suburb!

Carmen