Out for a while

I will be away from my blog for a couple months because I am subbing. ( at least until late October - mid November) I will be able to paint on Sundays but since I am working with first graders it will only be on Sundays! I need Saturdays to catch up on errands, cooking and general housekeeping, plus grading papers.
If I complete a piece I will post it. Please hang in there with me!!

07/26/12 Big Boy

I had so much fun doing this!! I am looking forward to doing another one but of a cow. This is just so much fun tapping into my creative side. I am pleased with the way this big boy looks. I have seen several artists who paint in a similar fashion but this is new to me. AND SO MUCH FUN.!!!

07/21/12 Sailing at Rockport,Tx.

Worked a little more on this baby. The weather was very overcast with little blips of sunshine. I captured this sailboat returning to Rockport when I was there in March. I am still a long way from being finished but I'm on my way.
I have a close-up of a buffalo head that I'm also working on at the studio. It gives me a variety to work on.  I get bored easily and I can switch back and forth.
Thanks for looking at my blog on this sizzling summer day. Keep cool, Carol.

07/12/12 Finally back!

Sorry it has taken me so long to post but I have been under the weather for the last month! I wish I could have said I'd been someplace exotic and exciting but, "No such luck!" Anyway I'm back and well and ready to paint. I came down on Tuesday and got this far on a new painting from a photo I took in Rockport, Texas. In case you can't tell, that is a sailboat in the foreground. I feel like I haven't painted in months instead of weeks! I have really missed the studio and the time I spent there.

I'm sure I NEED to do a lot of things to improve this but just give me a few more days to get my brain wrapped around it again and to recall all the tips I've learned in the past two workshops I've taken.

Thanks for taking the time to check in on my blog. Carol

6/19/12 Learning to paint shadows - Lakewood

I attended a Becky Parks workshop last week and was looking for a photo with good shadows.  The only one that remotely fit the bill was one that I took last year of Lakewood.  I took some artistic liberties and I am not totally finished with it but it survived a wet ride in my car from Rockwall without being ruined. If you go to Lakewood this year you might see the final version of this painting.
I think I got the idea that she was trying to convey to us but now I have to keep practicing what I learned.
Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog. Carol

May 30,2012 In the Bluebonnets

I have finally gotten back into the studio!!! Since our class everything has gotten in the way!!  I spent two weeks teaching so I would have a little extra money for the summer and all sorts of other things.  

Got back in yesterday and today, using what I learned in Rusty's class.  I am not finished with this painting but it is a far cry better than it was!!  Any suggestions would be appreciated.  Thanks for looking at my blog,Carol

05/09/12 Port A dockside

This boat was dockside in Port A on the second day of Rusty Jones' workshop in Port Aransas.   I can't tell you how much I learned and just how much fun I had.   It was HOT, windy and I was using my new plein air paint box.    Rusty was patient with his students and clear in his instruction. I can't recommend any of his workshops enough! I'm sure I'll be saving my money for another one of his workshops in the future.  
Thank you for checking out my blog. Carol

04/28/12 Taking some shape

I am finally adding some details to trees, donkeys and grass. I have yet to tackle the bluebonnets and rocks in the yard.  It is beginning to take on a bit of personality!  Probably won't get much done next week because I'm attending a plein air workshop out of town and won't be at the studio until the following week.
I am also trying to sub at school as much as possible because the summer months are tight financially without school to supplement my income. Life is expensive! It is what it is!
Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog. Some of my work can be seen at Dutch Art Gallery in Dallas as well as contacting me at 214-535-2394. Carol

04/20/12 Bandit and Chloe - beginning

I fell in love with these two donkeys, Bandit and Chloe, while I was in LaGrange, Tx. last month.  The bluebonnets were amazing as well. Bandit is what I think is a zonkey and Chloe is a white donkey.    Quite a pair!!   I began this on Thursday and had to work at school on Friday, so I hope to be able to work on it some time this weekend.

Thank you for taking the time to check out my blog. Carol

04/17/12 Making progress

A quiet morning at the studio and several days when I forgot my camera later, I am getting to the completed stage of this picture. It is very peaceful and calm. I am not very familiar with painting beaches so this is a self-teaching painting! I still think I will revisit this work when I return from a plein air workshop with Rusty Jones. I am sure there is a lot to be fixed, but so far it isn't too bad.

Thanks for taking time to look. Carol

04/02/12 beginning Beach House

I have begun another beach painting. I hope this one isn't so lonesome feeling. I have put a house and an anonymous couple on the beach so maybe it will feel happier. I loved the other one I did and the colors are some of my favorites. I think the starkness comes with the evening shadows.

Thanks for looking at my blog. Carol

03/28/12 Almost finished!

I still have a little cleaning up to do on this picture but it is almost finished! I am pleased with it even if it isn't perfect!

Thanks for looking at my blog. Carol

03/27/12 Adding details - -slowly

Since I can't draw a straight line without a ruler or straight edge, I have to wait to let things dry before putting in more details! I just know I would've smeared black paint all over this work and had to spend double the time repairing it. I still have mast lines and writing and things to add today.

Thanks for looking at my blog. Carol

03/21/12 Still on the easel

I made quite a bit of progress yesterday but once I painted the front red sail, I realized that it was the wrong shape! I never said I was the best at drawing! Besides making that adjustment, I have a lot of lines and details to add still. This has been a refreshing change from the heavy dark pictures I've been doing lately.

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog. Carol

03/20/12 Just the beginnings

Began this 10 x 14 canvas yesterday. It took a while for me to draw it on the canvas but it was worth it. This is a pic I took of some catamarans on the beach. Loved the dark sky and bright colors. It has a lot more to do but hope to make some progress today, despite the flooding going on.

Thanks for looking at my blog. Carol

03/15/12 Island beach

Finished my Charleston beach, sand dunes picture and it is drying on the easel right now. This picture was taken at sunset and I think I was able to capture the starkness of the beach at that time of day. If you are interested in buying any of my paintings, please feel free to contact me at 214 535-2394 or mcmduke@mac.com for the details.

Thanks for looking at my blog.

03/13/12 An afternoon in the countryside

Some friends and I took a short road trip yesterday to the Tyler and surrounding areas to do some plein air painting. As you can see the yellow flowers were gorgeous in the fields. We painted for several hours and had SO much fun!! None of my work will ever be in the Louvre but I really enjoyed myself all afternoon.

Then on the way back we saw some longhorns and a whole herd of donkeys and these strange animals. I am told that they are a cross between a zebra and a donkey - zonkey or zeedonk! They are amazingly beautiful animals! I might even try a studio painting of one.

Thanks for checking out my blog. Carol

03/09/12 Atlantic Afternoon - just the beginning

While I have been waiting for my last painting to dry completely before I add some finishing touches to it, I decided to begin a new painting. This is the Atlantic Ocean seen from one of the Charleston islands. It was late afternoon when I ventured out onto the beach and the sun was setting. I couldn't resist trying to paint this calm scene. This is just the beginning but I love the color pallet and the peace it already sends out.

Thanks for looking at my beginnings and I hope you will be looking forward to the completion. Carol

03/07/12 Still on the easel-Under the Fence

I still have a lot to do on this painting. I put in bricks yesterday and now I have to make sure that they are dry before putting a shadow glaze over them. The horse looks like a cartoon character so I'll have to figure that one out before signing it. Other than those two things, I'm fairly pleased. If you have any advice, feel free to give it!

Thanks for looking at my blog. Carol

03/05/12 Now on the easel

As you can see, I have started on the other end of the Charleston horse. This is a bit more challenging because I've never drawn, much less painted a horse before! I have a preliminary sketch of his head and have even put some paint on his face. The perspective on this picture was a bit skewed because I was squatting down and looking under a fence. I have a lot of work to do on this guy today, we'll see what happens.

Thank you for looking at my blog. Carol

03/02/12 The business end of a horse!

We went out to pleinaire paint today and it was so windy that we went back to the studio! I know I am a "woosy," about it but since I am such a novice, that is my excuse!

When I was in Charleston last fall I got to go to Middleton Farms and took a ton of pictures! As I walked through the stable the light and shadow on this horse's behind fascinated me. I have been told not to put fences,etc. in my paintings but I thought it gave a hint as to where I was taking the picture! And it made me laugh! I have printed out the picture I took of this horse from the outside and will attempt that tomorrow.

Thanks for looking at my blog. Carol

03/01/12 Sophie

This beautiful pet portrait was done in super fast time. Not really on purpose but it just came together so easily that it amazed me. I loved the sharp focus on the cat and the soft background!

This little girl is the rescued cat of a friend of mine. When he found her she was all torn up with some material that had dug into her skin! She is so beautiful now that it is unbelievable that she was ever a matted bleeding mess!

02/22/12 Busy, Busy

When I got to the studio yesterday morning I was greeted with a rather large puddle of water in the back hallway! Spent the morning moving the large canvases and assessing the damage - none, thank goodness! The storm drain had backed up with the large rainfall we had last week!

I moved my large Cinque Terre painting to the wall and decided to frame my two most recent pleinair paintings. Those are the two you see on top. The one in the dark frame is from the Arboretum, DeGaulier house and the piece in the gold frame is at White Rock Lake across from the Marina. Both of these are available for sale. Finally, I decided to revisit my Middleton Farm painting from my time in Charleston. This is the work on the easel at present. I am almost finished with the sun shining through the moss but now I need to ramp up the darkest darks also.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Carol

02/19/12 Still on the easel

I am slowly adding the hillside houses and have darkened the ones that were put on first. I am waiting for this to totally dry before I decide what to do next.

Thanks for looking at my blog. Carol

02/15/12 The shadows on the hillside

The town of Cinque Terre is in twilight shadow on the hillside. I think I have done the lights correctly but I need to darken the house fronts some more. This is becoming interesting.

Thank you for looking at my blog. Any pictures that you see are for sale so feel free to contact me at 214-535-2394. Carol

02/09/12 Blending even more!

I have put on another layer of paint. This blending takes a lot of patience because you have to put on thin layers of paint and brush until your arm nearly falls off! I am almost pleased with the sky but felt compelled yesterday to add the shadow mountain. I won't be working on any of this today because I am going out to pleinair paint - and it is freezing! Now I know I'm nuts!! This big baby will be warm in the studio slightly drying while this big baby is outside painting!

Thanks for looking at my blog. If you are ever interested in purchasing any of my paintings please contact me at 214-535-2394 or mcmduke@mac.com Thanks again, Carol

02/08/12 Learning to blend

This looks like a mess right now but hopefully it will begin to shape up soon. This is the very beginning of a sunset in Italy picture that my niece and her husband took this summer while on their honeymoon. I hope I can do it justice.

My first problem was that I chose such a large canvas but it seemed to call for one and I've never painted on one this large. I know I have to raise the mountain on the left so it won't be even with the horizon and do some more dry brushing! My right shoulder began hurting yesterday after about 5 hours of brushing, blending and brushing more!

I stopped to go to a demo at the ACA and ended up leaving because I couldn't hear a word that was being said and the painter, although awesome, is just not a "teacher." The whole time I was there I was struggling to hear what was said.(he is also very soft-spoken) So sorry, because I had been looking forward to this demo for several weeks!

01/30/12 It's getting there!

I have almost finished it!! I worked several hours today and then I had to put it aside. Looking at my photograph I can tell I need to lead the eye deeper into the painting as well as adding a few minute touches and people to the street and bridge. This has definitely challenged me but I'm glad I did it. I'm sure I will revisit this work after I take my Rusty Jones course in May!
I have been working hard on this piece. I am trying to methodically complete small sections at a time. It is so "Busy," that it is like 4 paintings in one!

Since I will be teaching for two days it will be a little while before I can get back to the studio. Please have patience. Thank you for looking at my work. Carol

01/27/12 Details,details,details

I worked hard yesterday on putting in some little details that give the impression of minutia. It is a pain in the neck but it is what people look for in complicated paintings like this. I am looking forward to working on the terraced land on Saturday and seeing more obvious results. I have probably done this backwards but the details help me to not loose my place on the painting.

Thanks for taking time to check out my blog. Carol

01/25/12 Starting to take shape

I worked a long time on the details at the bottom of the painting. The rocks and buildings are starting to take shape! There are so many details in this picture that it is going to take me FOREVER to finish!!

Thanks for taking the time to look. Carol

Cinque Terre Day 3

Even though this is only the second post, it is the third day of work on this picture. I must have ADD because I keep jumping around on this piece! I have popped some of the darkest darks and put in a little more color. The rocks have a lot more highlights and there is lots of thick paint from my palette knife . I will work some more tomorrow but have plans to start another painting that is bohemouth for me. (48x60)

I went to the Arboretum last Friday and had my first taste of plein air painting. I also took lots of photos and plan a" koi "painting for this "big 'un"!!!

Thanks for looking. Carol

01/20/12 On the easel

I haven't even finished blocking in colors yet on this big boy. This is a landscape that my niece and her husband took on their honeymoon in Italy this summer. Joe is a great photographer and they were nice enough to share all 600 images with me! This picture is quite complicated and should take me a while to finish. You have to begin somewhere!

Thanks for taking the time to check out my Cinque Terre painting. Carol

01/19/12 #212 finished!

I had fun painting this one! It is to go with the other modern yellow piece I just finished. The texture was the most fun to put on!

Thanks for looking. Carol

01/17/12 On the easel now

This is my latest "modern" painting. I like to try new things every once in a while. I like the color combinations in this work. The texture that I put in also saves it from being, "blah." The colors are mostly of the same values and that was calming and pleasing to my eye but the sharp black and olive green are attention getters!

I would love some feed-back on this if you'd care to offer. Thanks for looking. Carol

01/14/12 Hot off the easel!!

I am dipping into the world of,"Modern,"art. I changed and didn't like what I'd planned and then I got out my oil sticks and now it ALMOST pleases me. I can't seem to draw a straight line!

Please let me know your thoughts on this. Carol

01/14/12 Deux Magots #2 finished!

Since I sold the original Deux Magots that I painted in acrylics during the last Open House we had in November, I decided to do #2. It is a larger version with much more detail and is painted in oils. Now this is one of my favorites! Hope you like it too!

Thanks,Carol

1/11/12 Lainie is almost finished!

This little lady is Lainie Lodewick the daughter of my friend and advisor Patrick Lodewick. Patrick took this picture and sent it to me . Since he said it is one of her signature "looks," I thought I'd give it a try. I still have a few more little things to do to it and I'll be ready to just let it dry.

Thanks for taking the time to look at my blog. Carol

01/04/12 Still on the easel

After working for a couple hours I put this painting up on the shelf to dry. I am trying to make every stroke of paint count. It seems to be working out. I am still a long way from being finished but I am enjoying every minute!

Thanks for taking the time to look. Carol

1/3/12 Progress

I started working on the little bird yesterday. He still needs some more details worked out and his beak painted in but so far he looks pretty good. Hope to get a lot more done today.

Thanks for looking at my work.

1/1/12 Revisiting an Old Favorite

I sold my painting of the little bird in Paris that landed and helped me eat my quiche in the Paris cafe Deux Magots. I felt the need to revisit this work and do another one. I started on Friday and took the weekend off so I will be working hard on Monday on the second one which is larger:11x14. I am very pleased with the background and the little sparrow's shadow, the plate edge and the beginnings of the food. I remember becoming frustrated with the doily and putting the X Magots on the placemat. I'll have to only have one cup of coffee the day I do that so I won't shake!

Thanks for taking the time to look on the first day of the year!