"HENPECKED" 11031 daily painter original oil rooster painting &coopy; Carol Nelson Fine Art

"HENPECKED"

 

 

This guy looks p.o.'ed.  A friend suggested that perhaps he was henpecked.  Ta-da!  Instant title.  I think it's important to think of titles for paintings.  Artists in my abstract classes often have trouble naming their paintings, but I insist that they come up with SOMETHING.

I painted this rooster while I was sitting at an art show that wasn't going well.  Traffic was so slow, it was like watching paint dry.  This was my attempt to make lemonade from lemons.

For more info on this angry bird ( I've been playing that game too much on my phone), please click here to go to my website.

Month Long Exhibit at AAR RIVER GALLERY in Westminster, CO

HACIENDA COLLECTION

I'm happy to announce that I will be the guest artist for the month of May, 2011 at the AAR RIVER GALLERY in Westminster, CO.

Please click here for the gallery newsletter.

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ARTISTS OF COLORADO, of which I am a member, is having a group show at BRUSHWORKS GALLERY in Denver, CO.  For more information on this show, please click here. 

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Mixed Media Workshop - just announced !

Metals, Mixed Media and Mountains

July 23-24, 2011        10 am – 5pm

                               

Would you like to spend two days with Colorado artist Carol Nelson learning exciting mixed media techniques in the high country west of Denver?  This two day workshop will be at Wrenn Boulton’s fabulous Studio Three on Squaw Mountain at a cool 10,500 feet above sea level.

Soak in incredible views of the Rocky Mountains, the Continental Divide, deer, elk, and other critters. 
Each day, enjoy a continental breakfast, gourmet lunch, and wine happy hour critique while you create your own mixed media masterpieces.

In this workshop, we will explore creating abstract compositions on a variety of supports using numerous acrylic mediums, metals, and collage materials. 




Participants will make texture samplers, learn about fundamentals of abstract composition, types of supports, methods of attachment, tyvek preparation, torching metal foils, epoxy resin application, and presentation options for a finished piece.

Most materials will be INCLUDED the cost of the workshop – you only need to bring your paints, brushes and a few other items.

Cost: $170  This workshop is limited to 12 artists.  Designed for all experience levels.

To reserve your spot, contact Wrenn at wrennboulton@aol.com, 303-567-2740.

"RUBY PALISADE" 11029, daily painter geologic mixed media abstract 7copy; Carol Nelson Fine Art

"RUBY PALISADE"

If ever a photo does not do a painting justice, it is this one.  This painting has layer after layer of glazes of color.  This makes it look very rich in both color and texture.

My goal was to create an almost monochromatic color scheme in the red family, but close inspection reveals pinks, purples, golds, greens and browns.

I used several metallic foils that have glazes of color over them.  Their soft sheen still shows through.  For more information on this latest in my geologic abstract series, click here to go to my website.

"ICE AGE" 9115, daily painter mixed media abstract © Carol Nelson Fine Art

"ICE AGE"

I was talking to someone about this painting the other day.  It's hanging in the entry area of my home. She said that the image on my website really doesn't look like the painting does in person.  She was so totally correct.

I remember the trouble I had photographing this painting because it has subtle metallic sheen in some areas.  Look at the difference between the two images.  The top photo was taken with natural lighting,and the  two views below were taken in my studio under artificial light.
I bet any photographers reading this are just cringing. :-)

For information about this painting, click here to go to my website.

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STAY TUNED FOR AN EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT PRINT OPPORTUNITIES I WILL SOON BE OFFERING.

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"MAGIC FOREST" 11028, daily painter abstract landscape © Carol Nelson Fine Art

"MAGIC FOREST"

It's all about having fun, right?  See all those squiggles in the background?  If you click on the image you can see them better.  Those are gloss medium poured on the yupo paper.  I think I like the effect with gloss medium, which I poured right out of the bottle, better than clear tar gel, which I had to drizzle from a palette knife.

The "trees" are cut up from another piece of yupo.  You can't paint stuff like this deliberately!  Just spray the paint on and let it flow where it wants.  You can see how the gel medium created little barriers to the flow here and there.

I wasn't thinking "I'm going to paint a whimsical forest" - but I saw it in the swirls of paint on the paper.  That's the tricky part.

I have a really nice mat and frame for this piece.  For purchase information, please click here to go to my website.

"MEDLEY" 11026, daily painter abstract flowers © Carol Nelson Fine Art

"MEDLEY"

This is another experiment with sprayed concentrated watercolors, gloss medium, and acrylic on yupo paper.  I have not increased the saturation - the colors actually are that intense.
It's so fun to spray the colors, then go away for a while, and come back later to see what surprises await.
For more information, please click here to go to my website.

"LINES AND CIRCLES 2" 11023, daily painter geometric mixed media abstract © Carol Nelson Fine Art

"LINES & CIRCLES 2"

This is a demo piece I started at my Metals and Mixed Media workshop last weekend.  I didn't get it finished during the workshop because I was so busy helping artists in the class.

This 6x6 abstract has four different kinds of art paper, textured areas, metallic paints and three dimensional stickers.
One person used dimensional stickers in her composition and we noticed some of them were lifting after the epoxy was poured on.  I think I have a solution to that problem.  I'm going to cover the whole surface with a layer of gloss medium before pouring the epoxy.  Hopefully, that will be just enough to keep the stickers STUCK!

The black lines were "drawn" with TULIP dimensional fabric paint. For more information, please click here to go to my website.

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500 followers! Thank you. I am honored.

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"RED TREES" 11024, daily painter abstracted landscape © Carol Nelson Fine Art

"RED TREES"

This painting is very loose and impressionistic and I had a blast painting.  You would not believe the number of steps involved.  Start with YUPO paper - that plastic watercolor paper where the paints have incredible movement.
Stretch imitation spider webbing (a Halloween staple) across the paper and secure it with push pins.  Spray intensely colored Robert Doak watercolors on it and let the colors flow together.

That's the fun part because you never know what you're going to get - like the box of chocolates in Forrest Gump's world.
Stare at the paper and move it all around for at least 20 minutes.
When something finally emerges from the painting, paint NEGATIVELY all around the subject with fluid acrylics!

Wondering what negative painting is?  Start with a sheet of, say, green paper and paint everything that isn't a tree a different color.
It's rather like the old story of Michelangelo when asked how he sculpted the figure of David.  He said he started with a block of marble and chipped away everything that wasn't David.

For more information, click here to go to my website.

Here's some areas from the same sheet of yupo on which I experimented with clear tar gel and Robert Doak intense watercolors.

Hard to believe all of these were on the same sheet of yupo.

"ROSCOE" 11023, daily painter dog portrait © Carol Nelson Fine Art

"ROSCOE"

This is a commissioned pet portrait.  Roscoe looks like a happy guy.  I had a good reference photo to work from with strong light and shadow.

I remember my portrait project from a year ago where I painted 100 portraits from photos I received by email.  I had to stress over and over the importance of taking a photo with strong light coming from one side so there would be shadows across the face.  I actually told people to go outside at dawn or sunset and take a picture with the sun lighting only one side of the face.

That's one of the reasons many professional portraits are boring.  Flash, flash, flash.  No shadows on the face.  There is no reason to light up the entire face as if it were a mug shot or an object in an advertisement.

Introduction to Acrylics - one day workshop in Aurora, Colorado

Hi Colorado residents!  My one day workshop in Aurora, CO, still has space available.  This class is an excellent introduction to the mysteries of acrylic mediums and textures.  No need to stand in the aisle of an art supply store looking dumbfounded at 37 kinds of acrylic mediums - after this class you'll know what they are and how to use them.

 

I will also show you INEXPENSIVE SUBSTITUTES you can buy for a fraction of the price of the art store products.  After this workshop, you will go home with a texture sampler for future reference and a completed mixed media abstract painting.

Call the Bicentennial Art Center at 303-344-1776 and reserve your spot in class #147799, Introduction to Acrylics.

 

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INTRODUCTION TO ACRYLICS, 147799

Workshop Dates: 4/16/2011 - 4/16/2011

Location: Expo Recrreation Center, Aurora, CO

10955 E. Exposition Ave

Aurora Colorado 80012

United States

Introduction to Acrylics - one day workshop.  This workshop provides an excellent foundation for the more advanced Metals and Mixed Media workshop.

This workshop is designed for artists with limited experience with fine art acrylic paints, and artists who want to learn about using acrylic mediums in their work.

Learn about 7 acrylic mediums, 8 texture effects, 6 types of supports, and how to make fabulous collage materials.  Each student will create a texture sampler for future reference and an abstract painting using these mediums, effects and materials.


The workshop is from 9-3pm.  Bring a sack lunch.  Cost is $80, or $60 for Aurora residents.

"LINES AND CIRCLES" 11022, daily painter geometric mixed media abstract © Carol Nelson Fine Art

"LINES AND CIRCLES"

 

This mixed media triptych was originally conceived as a vertical triptych with one panel hanging above the other, but I kind of like the off center 2:1 configuration.

Notice that during the assembly of this piece, I carefully maintained the spacing between each panel with pieces of wood.  Of course, the highly reflective parts made photography a nightmare.

I am going to finish the pieces with a layer of clear epoxy resin.  Since that only adds to the photography headaches, these photos were taken before the epoxy was applied.

For purchase information, please click here to go to my website.

My new book - GEOLOGIC ABSTRACTIONS

I'm really excited to introduce my newest book, GEOLOGIC ABSTRACTIONS. As most of you know, my abstract work often suggests the rocks, cliffs and canyons of the West.

This book features 15 paintings in my geo abstract series.  Although I did not write a description of the process used to create each painting, the detail closeups are revealing as to how each painting is constructed. Please let me know your comments.

I published this book through BLURB.  Creating a book of your work is an excellent way of showcasing your work for collectors and galleries.  It also is a wonderful thank you gesture to collectors who purchase any of my larger works.

Click here to go to my website.