The Money

My Daily Painters group assignment is to post a painting of something I would not normally do. I do just about everything, so I had to contemplate a bit about this. Then an ad for Geico came with the newspaper showing their little pile of money you could be saving with Geico.

When they first started this ad campaign, I thought it was kind of dumb, but now I love it. I think they should sell little piles-of-money-dolls or something. I had a lot of fun painting this one.
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Celebration of Blue, 9035, metal and mixed media abstract

This metals and mixed media abstract features aluminum, pewter embossing metal, blue steel cut tacks, metal brads, acrylic modeling compound and acrylic metallic paints in an abstract composition. This is another painting for the upcoming Blue show at Third Floor Gallery in Parker, CO.
I really had fun with this one and, could it be, blue just might be my new favorite color. : - )
For purchase information, please see my website.

Lemonade Award

James Parker, Costa Rica's most famous artist, international bon vivant, and humorist extraordinaire, has given me the Lemonade Award, for which I am honored. The Lemonade Award is for bloggers with "a positive attitude and willingness to share ideas, support and friendship." I do like to share my methods and ideas - maybe I was a teacher in a previous life.

Here's the problem: I am to pick 5 blogs of fellow artists who also exhibit the above attributes in their daily ramblings. I have found it takes me a long time to research and link up recipients who I feel would be good examples. My problem is that I have 3 large shows on the horizon, each with $400 to $500 booth fees. I've GOT to spend my time at the easel. It wouldn't be wise to arrive at these shows without a lot of completed work.

So, I must humbly beg off sending on the award. It would be hard to limit it to five anyway. I will be down in my underground bunker/studio slaving away.

Great Beach Day, 9034, family at the beach

This painting is for the blog, Different Strokes From Different Folks, where host Karin Jurick posts a photo for all artists to interpret as they please. What this little 5x7 painting taught me is that I need better tiny brushes. That's a lot of detail in those 1 inch people!

Once again, I am challenged to paint a photo that is very unlike my normal subjects - no scenes like that here in Colorado. LOL Every painting teaches me something, and I was surprised that I could even paint that small. I was especially interested in the foreground reflections - I think they add life and sparkle to the painting. I also moved the father to the left to help the composition in this 5x7 format.
For purchase information, please see my website.
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Low Tide 3, 9032, mixed media abstract collage

Here is Low Tide 3, and a view of 2 and 3 together. They look good as a diptych too.
For purchase information, please see my website.

Low Tide 2, 9031

See commentary for earlier post, Low Tide 1, 9029. This is another version of that composition. The light gray square in the upper third of the piece is a 1 inch mirror square. It was reflecting the room, so I made it gray so the photo made more sense.
I suppose you could think of this as a very elaborate MIRROR. LOL
For purchase information, please see my website.

Answers to Questions

How do you do that? I get that a lot when people look at my abstract work. I use three methods of attachment for collage materials.

Glue- I like Yes brand. It is about the consistency of peanut butter and I apply it with a
palette knife. It is pH neutral and makes a very secure bond. Found in art supply stores.

Tacks, nails - if the support is a wood panel, I often use glue AND nails. The nails are usually
incorporated into the design.

Embedding - When I use acrylic modeling compound, I can embed anything into it before it
sets up and becomes hard. This is a good method for attaching metals to canvas, since
you cannot put nails in stretched canvas. On my website, the cover painting (Industrial
Chic) for the abstract section has aluminum pieces and little square brads that are
embedded in modeling compound on canvas.

Your comments are important to me. When I do a painting that is realistic and has a recognizable subject, I KNOW when I've nailed it. Abstract work is a whole different animal. There is no reference to guide me - it is pure creativity. The painting EMERGES from a seemingly hodge-podge bunch of materials.

I have to try many things, arrange and rearrange materials, stand back and look at it, look at it in the mirror. There are endless decisions about colors, composition and materials. It's hard to even decide when a painting is DONE!

That's why your first impression (favorable or not) about one of my abstracts is important. I want to create a painting that instantly grabs the attention of the viewer, and then rewards the viewer, on closer inspection, with surprising and interesting details.

Breakwater, 9030, mixed media abstract seascape

The inspiration for this painting is nothing more than an upcoming art show called "Blue." I knew what my palette would be, but that's about all. Like the previous post, Low Tide 9029, this painting features prepared Tyvek, aluminum, acrylic modeling paste, mirror art paper, silver leaf, and metallic acrylic paints.
Working this large (36x36 inches) requires some advance planning. The cruciform composition is a favorite of mine for abstracts, and, like much of my abstract work, has a certain geologic feel to it. What's your feedback on this one? I'd like to know first impressions.
For purchase information on this painting, please see my website.

Low Tide 1, 9029, mixed media abstract collage

I really like the way this painting turned out. The exciting thing about abstracts, for me, it that I never quite know in advance how they will turn out.
The problem with this photo is that it doesn't really show the fantastic texture of this piece. The texture was achieved using Tyvek and acrylic modeling compound (see earlier post about these materials). Also, the white areas are actually aluminum reflecting the light and one tiny mirror square which appears white on the top photo and black on the bottom photo. These reflective surfaces allow the light to dance off this painting - very cool.
The aluminum is a product I found at Home Depot called Nashua tape. The aluminum is very thin and has a sticky back. The tape is about 2 inches wide. Other materials used are micaceous iron oxide, and fine pumice gel and metallic acrylic paints. The dimensions of this painting are 3.5 x 15 inches.
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Espresso Blend, 9028 mixed media collage

My recent workshop on metals and mixed media is going to be repeated. I think we will expand it into a two day workshop because there was a time crunch getting everything done in one day. Also, there are some processes using acrylic modeling compound that I was not able to touch on in a one day workshop.
This piece uses Tyvek material, suede leather, corrugated art paper, metallic acrylic paint, blued steel cut tacks, and MDF board. The most important element in all these mixed media abstracts is to work a variety of surfaces into the composition- shiny, matt, rough, smooth, etc.
When I have the exact date of the workshop, I will post it under events on my website. The tentative date is mid-October, 2009.
For purchase information on this piece, please email me at carolnelsonfineart@comcast.net.
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Art Festival 2, 9027 figurative study of art show patrons

This attractive young lady stopped in her tracks to check out some brightly colored abstract works. I didn't realize until I painted her that she must be a regular at the gym - her arms and legs are very toned. I bet she does pilates. Or maybe it's just youth. This painting is on a 5x7 inch panel and is ready to frame or display on a small easel.
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Art Festival 1, 9026 figurative study of art show patrons

I took this photo of some visitors of a neighboring booth at the Downtown Denver Art Festival. One has a lot of time at art shows to study the people walking by while they're studying your art. These three were having an animated discussion on the merits of the artist's work.

Of course, I hear incorrect statements all the time, like "Oh, I love her watercolors" - when looking at an oil. Or "I can always tell an oil painting from an acrylic painting." And, my favorite, "Abstracts are easy - anyone could do that." (I'm tempted to open a big can of wup-ass on those people - LOL).

For purchase information on this painting, please see my website.
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Seven Poppies, 9025, vibrant poppy still life

Here I am returning to my favorite flowers. This painting is a diptych done on an 18x30 and a 24x30 canvas. That makes it 42 inches across, so it's impressive in it's size as well as it's vibrant
hues. I enjoy painting on multiple canvases because I think it adds a special dimension to the finished piece. The flowers wrap around the painted edges of each canvas, so framing is not recommended for a clean, contemporary look.
Please email me directly at carolnelsonfineart@comcast.net for price and shipping this artwork.

Start of Spring, 9024, winter landscape

This snowy scene shows the Arkansas River in central Colorado as winter is losing it's frozen grip on the high country. In another month or two, the Arkansas changes to a raging torrent of ice cold water.
This painting is on a 12x12 gallery wrap canvas and framed with a black "canvas floater" type wood frame. For purchase information, please see my website.

Western Meadowlark, 9023

I remember hearing my first meadowlark. In the spring of our first year in Colorado, we had a house with a lot of fields around it. Mostly, the land was covered with native grasses and yucca plants. One morning I heard the sweetest melody. Looking around, I spotted this fellow perched on a yucca blossom and singing his heart out.
Meadowlarks build their nests on the ground and the male proclaims his territory with song. I never did find the nest, but he kept singing for weeks. Every year there would be another meadowlark with a slightly different combination of notes.
The meadowlark is the state bird of Nebraska - there certainly are a lot of fields in that state.
The eastern half of Colorado is high desert/prairie and great meadowlark habitat.
For purchase information, please see my website. SOLD

Blogger Award

I was tagged by Sheila Tajima with the Fabulous Blogger Award.
In return, my task is to tag 5 more blogs of artists whose work I love. This is an incredibly difficult job to pick out five of the many, many blogs I follow and admire. I tried to chose bloggers who have not already been tagged, but I'm not sure if they have or not. My list includes:
Susan Beauchmin, who does incredible water colors
Vicki Shuck, who is a master at portraits and figures
Mark Adams, paints everything so wonderfully
Suzanne Berry, very beautiful work
Art Studio Secrets, Lisa Gloria and Cindy Procious have a very interesting blog going here.

Baltimore Oriole, 9022

I don't have orioles visiting my feeder where I live now in Colorado, but when I was growing up in Minnesota, they were occasional summer visitors. I remember my Mom putting out oranges to attract them. They certainly are a spectacular sight with the bright orange and black plumage.
This original oil is painted on a 5x7 cradled panel. For purchase information, please see my website.

Sushi Spotlight, 09021 food still life

Here's another entry for the Different Strokes from Different Strokes blog. This time the reference photo, posted by Karin Jurick, is a plate of sushi. California rolls are my favorite. I'm not crazy for sushi, but these, with their avocado, crab and cucumber, are quite tasty.
As I was working on this painting, I realized I had painted them too high on the panel, so I had to create a parsley garnish in the lower foreground for balance. The hardest part of this painting was making the puddle of soy sauce look believable.
For purchase information, please see my website.

Goldfinch, 9020

I don't often see goldfinches in my yard, but when I do I always get excited at their flashes of bright yellow flitting around. This original oil is painted on a cradled 4x4 inch panel with the sides left natural wood.
For purchase information, please see my website.

Bronson, 9x12 oil portrait of child

This little boy's expression was so compelling I just had to paint him. He name is Bronson (aka Pooper) and he is the son of my former coworkers, Jason and Angela. My challenge in this portrait was to render an accurate portrait and still keep the painting loose. Perhaps a finer gauge canvas or a smooth panel would have been a better support choice.
Of course at the time I was going to upload the picture, my photo editing software (Picture It) decided to crash. I had another program, GIMP, to work with, but I was totally unfamiliar with it and it took me forever. I have a lot to learn on GIMP - it's the free version of Photoshop. The program has the capability to do way more with a photo than I would ever use for photos of paintings. I'm mainly interested in cropping, color correction, lightness and contrast.
For tutorials on using GIMP, see www.emptyeasel.com.
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