Color Cubes, 9079, mini color palette abstracts

Here's more of these little cube frames I purchased recently. This time I painted mini abstracts in different color families. I must admit, this was just playing around and it was fun. Every artist should allow themselves to play with their paints from time to time and not try to do the next masterpiece on every every time you pick up a brush.
To see these in more detail, just click on the picture. Each painting is 4 x 4 inches (10.2 x10.2 cm)
Please email me for purchase information: carolnelsonfineart@comcast.net

POPPY

I don't usually show the frames around paintings, but this particular frame looked so good around this giclee print of my original painting, Poppy, that I had to post it.
This professionally done giclee print is a limited edition of 50. The print measures 11 x 14 and the outside dimensions of the rich, black wood frame measures 18 x 21.5 inches (45.7 x 54.6 cm). Printed on canvas, the giclee is is identical to the original oil painting and comes with a certificate of authenticity with my signature and the edition number.
Giclee with frame is $275, including shipping in the continental US. Please contact me at carolnelsonfineart@comcast.net and get an early start on your Christmas shopping.

ANCIENT DWELLINGS, 9078, geologic, acrylic, textured abstract

This painting evolved in a tortured fashion. Believe it or not, it started out blue and green. I had to work and rework large passages of this piece. As Picasso said, "I begin with one idea and then it becomes something else."
That's the fun/fascination/frustration of working in abstract style. It took a lot of hair-pulling before this image appeared. The very beginning of this piece was the area that looks like netting with fringes which I created using burlap to create a pattern in the acrylic flexible modeling paste. I've been on a burlap kick lately because I like the less than perfect pattern of squares and rectangles it leaves in the modeling compound.
The colors are a no-brainer because these rich earth tones are my favorite. I love blues and greens also, but, when push comes to shove, the golds, oranges, and browns usually win out.
For purchase information, please see my website.

PEACOCK RIDGE, 9077, mixed media geologic abstract with copper metal accents

When I was at my last outdoor art festival a customer asked me if I could do another version of an abstract I had for sale, but in a smaller format. The painting he was looking at was RAINBOW BLUFF, 9073. Scroll down and see my post from 9/9/09. I didn't/couldn't copy that painting exactly, but you can see that PEACOCK RIDGE (16x20), has many of the same design characteristics, which is what my customer was after.
Due to the metal and metallic paints, photographing the piece was a problem. The top picture was taken outside in the shade, the side view was taken inside my studio with artificial light. The blue tones in the outside shot are a little exaggerated, while they are minimized in the inside shot. Reality lies somewhere in between.
SOLD

SHINING THROUGH, 9076, geologic abstract with texture and metallic elements.

This painting was fun from the very beginning. Sometimes I struggle with composition, textures and colors, resulting in multiple revisions, but this one seemed to paint itself. I did a red underpainting beneath the large black area and left it showing through in areas. Other red areas were painted with 3 different shades of red.
The gold was a liquid metal leaf product that was brushed on. Before painting the metallic gold area, I prepared the canvas with flexible modeling compound which covers up the weave of the canvas. You get a smoother look for the metal leaf product that way. For pricing information, please see my website.

HIDDEN TREASURE, 9075, acrylic geologic abstract

This abstract was a redo of a painting I did a couple years ago. This version is a vast improvement over my first effort, which was so bad I'm not even going to post the "before" picture.
This geologic piece has some metallic paints that bounce the light around, so it was difficult to photograph. Also, something happens in Blogger when a photo is enlarged - it also gets more blurry. The picture on my website is clearer. The painting is on gallery wrap canvas and measures 12x36.

METAL LINKS 2, 9074, mixed media abstract

This is a companion piece of Metal Links 1, 9071.

RAINBOW BLUFF, 9073, mixed media geologic abstract

This large painting (30x40inches) positively GLOWS with colors. It has lots of acrylic medium adding texture and copper metal accents. Once again, I'm in the geologic abstract mode. I've seen rock formations in the West that are (almost) this colorful.

Having several metallic paints in the painting presents a challenge for lighting the photograph. The top version was taken outside and the blues are much stronger. The second version was an interior shot with incandescent and halogen lighting. The true colors of this painting are somewhere in between the two.

I'll never forget a workshop I took with Stephen Quiller several years ago when I was just starting to paint. The group was outside watching Steve do a demo painting of some trees and a stream. Pointing to the rocks along the stream bed, he talked about the colors in the rocks -lavender, peach, mauve, turquoise, etc. To me they just looked like brown rocks, but upon closer inspection, all those colors were actually there. That was the beginning of my "artist eye."

For purchase information of this painting, please see my website.
SOLD

TERRA FIRMA, 9072, mixed media abstract

This painting has a geologic feel to it, as many of my abstracts do. I achieved the interesting textural passages by using some prepared Tyvek paper (see earlier posts about the use of Tyvek).

Earth tones are a natural palette for me and I never tire of raw sienna, raw umber and copper accents. There is a little anthraquinone blue in this piece too. I like using Golden fluid acrylics and Modern Masters metallic paints.

For purchase information, please see my website
SOLD

METAL LINKS, 9071, mixed media abstract

It felt so good to be able to work in my studio today. I have several paintings underway. I need to work on some little mixed media abstracts to have examples for my upcoming METALS AND MIXED MEDIA workshop in October.
This little painting (7x7 inches) has Venetian plaster texturizing the panel. Then I used copper and burlap strands for the design. It's very understated with the muted earth tones - looks good in the black wood frame.

SOLD in 1 day

Our house sold in one day for full asking price. I'm thinking it must have been my art hanging on the walls that clinched the deal. LOL

House for Sale - Aurora, CO

Yea! I'm done working on the house and it is now officially on the market for $174,900. 2240 finished square feet. It took two months to get all the new stuff put in and painting every square inch. I decorated with some of my paintings and it looks really cute. Now I can get back to painting canvas.

Full Plate

I know I've been very slow in posting lately, but working on this rental house we're getting ready to sell has consumed way more time than I ever thought it would. The carpeting went in yesterday, so we're very close to being able to list it, and THEN I can get back to my studio full time.
Just thought you might like this link
It's a blog by Kyle T Webster who has the most incredible line figure drawings I've ever seen.