5-Day Challenge, 20-Minute Painting, Day 2: Old Florida, 5x7 Oil on Panel

This reminds me of my younger days in Central Florida. It was always an adventure to look for wildlife, and snakes or gators gave us bragging rights. We used to pick Rosary Peas, bright red beans with a black spot, and use them for peashooters. I now know they are poisonous and we could have killed ourselves with those things!

I primed my board with red, which I brushed on and wiped off. I like it for landscapes because it gives all that green some spark.

Carmen

Stepping Stones, 5x7 Original Oil on Canvas Panel, Smoky Mountains Art

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We were hiking near Boone, North Carolina and crossed this little stream with its reflections of blue sky. It was a glorious Fall day and I was with my painting group, some of my favorite people in the world. It doesn't get any better than that.

Carmen

Kirk and Snickers, 9x12 Original Oil Painting on Canvas

I always say my son-in-law is at one with nature. He has climbed mountains (Kilomanjaro, for instance) and camped in jungles as an archaeologist. He loves hiking in woods with his dog. This picture is so typical of him that I felt I must paint it, because it speaks to friendship between a man and his dog.

Carmen

Still Water, 16x20 Oil on Canvas Landscape Painting

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

--23rd Psalm

SOLD

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.

Carmen

Stepping Stones, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Panel, Smoky Mountain Scene

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I enjoy the play of light and shadow on the stepping stones in this brook. What a pleasant place this was! 

Five of the Pieces of 8, our artists' group, were just in Waynesville, North Carolina for an artists' retreat, and we were reunited with our member emeritus, Cindy Michaud. A wonderful time was had by all, and we came home inspired to try some new things with our art. My cold wax medium has already arrived.

Carmen

Natchez Trace, 6x6 Oil on Canvas Panel, Landscape Painting

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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

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

Mountain Path, 10x8 Oil on Canvas Panel Landscape Daily Painting

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Our nature-loving, mountain-man nephew took us to the top of this mountain in a remote area, where we could see less-photographed back side of Mt. Rainier. It is lurking under cloud cover. At the very top we ran into two young girls who were camping in a very basic type shelter, volunteers watching for fire and other hazards. 

I see why my nephew is drawn to those mountains. It is an exhilarating place to be, so beautiful it makes you feel the existence of God.

The mountains look overly purple to me on this page, but if you click on "Click to Buy" above, it takes you to Etsy, where the colors are more realistic.

Carmen

Turkey Creek Palm, 10x8 Original Oil on Canvas Panel

$125, Buy Now

This is Turkey Creek in Palm Bay, Florida, and it's one of those surprising places that sits right in the middle of a populated area. It is a quiet haven that is home to alligators, turtles, armadillos, manatees, and many other animals. There are extensive hiking trails winding throughout the peaceful woods. Sometimes you just need to get off the hard road, as they say where I come from. That can refer to pavement or life.

Carmen

Sunshine and Shadow, 24x20 Oil on Canvas, after Homer

$200, Click to Buy

My painting group did copies of masters as an educational exercise. I did this one as an homage to two of my favorite things, reading in a hammock and paintings by Winslow Homer. I was lucky enough to walk the cliff walk near Homer's home, imagining him there, painting those rocky shores. There is speculation that the girl is Helena de Kay, with whom Homer was in love for many years. It was an unrequited love, and he lost her to another man. Homer never married. 

One of my favorite stories about Homer is that he would sit outside sketching away, and unless a drawing really pleased him, he crumpled it up and threw it on the ground. He would pay local boys to pick up the mess he made, and some of their parents were smart enough to keep those rejected sketches. Wonder what they are worth today?

Carmen

Silver River, 10x8 Original Oil Painting on Canvas Panel

$125, Click to Purchase

Our artists group, Pieces of 8, went on a retreat to Silver Springs State Park in Ocala, Florida. I first went there as a six-year-old with my parents and watched Ross Allen milk rattlesnakes. Though he is gone, the glass bottom boats are still there, and we enjoyed looking down into the depths of the river, where the springs produce 55 million gallons of water per day. 

Silver Springs had gotten a bit shabby after Disney got all the attention as a major attraction in Florida, but the state has taken it over and made it into a lovely place to visit. The cabins are wonderful. They are air-conditioned and have big porches. There are hiking trails and a surprisingly good museum in the campground area. The above painting is at the end of the Swamp Trail.

As an added bonus, the Appleton Art Museum is five minutes away, and it is fabulous. We were very surprised at the quality of art it contains. 

Below are a couple of photos from our trip.

On the Porch at Our Cabin

View of a Spring

The Old Barn, 6x8 Oil on Canvas

                                                                                                               $89 Buy Now

This old barn was painted en plein air on the grounds at the Washington Grass Inn near Greensboro, Georgia. The Pieces of Eight painting group spent hours there taking photos, painting, and having a fantastic luncheon. We were on our annual retreat and stayed with Pieces of Eight emeritus Phillis Holland on beautiful Lake Oconee. Painting and eating--two of my favorite things!

I am thrilled to be one of the Judges' Picks in the Daily Paintworks monthly contest. Check it out.

Front row: Denette, Cindy, Mary; Back Row: Kathy, Carmen, Phillis