Eye Dazzlers in Nature

Autumn Leaf #8 (Turquoise Sky), 2014. Oil on carton panel, 4" x 6".
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"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."

—Albert Camus

Another red leaf, with a turquoise sky in the background! 

Thanks for taking a look. Enjoy a wonderful week.

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Image and text ©Carol L Adamec, 2014. All rights reserved.

Cottonwood Yellow

Autumn Leaf #7 (Cottonwood Yellow), 2014.

Original oil painting on cartonboard, mounted on panel, 6" x6"
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There are several cottonwood trees in the neighborhood where I live—most quite large and undoubtedly quite old. I am sure a few of them were here long before the conquistadores ventured into this area.

There are two cottonwoods on the property I rent. Over the past two months they have changed from green to light yellow, to golden, to deep yellow, almost orange, with most of the leaves still on the trees.

I went out in the yard a few days ago and picked up a leaf to paint. It's nice to have something so colorful right outside your door, waiting to be painted.

Thanks for taking a look. Enjoy your day.

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Image & text ©Carol L Adamec, 2014. All rights reserved.

Red Leaf

Autumn Leaf #6 (Red Leaf), 2014. Original oil on gessoed panel, 6"x6".
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"And all the lives we ever lived 

and all the lives to be 

are full of trees and changing leaves..." 

— from Charles Elton's poem, "Luriana Lurilee" 

Our lovely New Mexico autumn continues...

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Image & text ©Carol L Adamec, 2014. All rights reserved.

Cottonwood Leaf

Autumn Leaf #5, 2014. Oil on cartonboard, mounted on panel. 6"x6"
Available for Purchase at Daily Paintworks.

A cottonwood leaf I found I the yard, just beginning to take on its autumn color.

Thanks for taking a look. Have a great day! 

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Image and text ©Carol L Adamec, 2014. All rights reserved.

The Changing Season

Dried Leaf #3, 2014.  Original oil on cartonboard, mounted on panel.
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Another painting from my "Dried Leaf" series, showing the colors and forms of Nature changing during this season.

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Image & text ©Carol L Adamec, 2014. All rights reserved.

Sunny Autumn Days

Autumn Leaf # 2 (Leaf Stem), 2014. Oil on cartonboard, mounted on panel. 4"x6"
Private Collection

We are enjoying such warm sunny days this week, it hardly feels like fall. The bright colors of this leaf stem seem to capture the brightness and warmth of these languid days.
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Text & image ©2014 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

Nature's Handiwork

Autumn Leaf #1, 2014. Oil on cartonboard, mounted on panel. 4"x6"
Available for purchase on Daily Paintworks

In the same way no two snowflakes are the same, neither are the changing leaves of autumn. Each leaf has its own pattern of color transformation. The handiwork of Nature is amazing!

Thank you for taking a look at my newest artwork. Have a wonderful day!
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Text and image ©2014 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

A New Leaf...

Autumn Leaf #4, 2014.  Original oil painting on gessoed panel. 6"x6"
Click to Purchase

It's autumn in New Mexico! I contintue to enjoy painting the changing fall colors and fascinating patterns, shapes, and textures as the leaves go from summer to winter.

Thanks for taking a look. Enjoy your day.

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Text and image ©2014 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

Fall Colors...even purple!

Autumn Leaf #3 (Purple), 2014. Mixed media mounted on panel, 4"x6"

Available for purchase at Daily Paintworks.

About a week after my "Dried Leaf" post in September, a package from my sister arrived in the mail.

What a delightful surprise! Inside were 27 autumn leaves, in a variety of colors and sizes, beautifully pressed, with each leaf packaged in its own handmade waxed paper envelope. My sister lives out East and expresses her creativity by making exquisite handmade cards and books for friends and family. She had collected these leaves almost two years ago while on hike in the Appalachian Mountains, pressed them, used some for a project, and stored the rest away. While cleaning out a closet, she came across them and was surprised that the color was still so bright. She mailed them off to New Mexico.

I was thrilled to receive them! Even though I love the autumn in New Mexico, there are not a lot of hardwood trees here with leaves that turn bright red or orange–or purple, like the one I painted and posted for today.

Thank you, April! And thank you, Dear Readers, for taking a moment to visit my blog.
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Text and image ©2014 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

Another Reminder of Autumn

Dried Leaf #2, 2014. Original painting, mixed media on carton board, 4x6"
Available for purchase on Daily Paintworks

I love autumn — cool days, clear nights, and the change of seasons taking place in Nature.

This is the second painting in my new mixed media series, "Dried Leaves." To create the image I used oil, acrylic, and color pencil. To get all the nuances of the brittle edge of the leaf, I used a toothpick! As has been said, "Necessity is the mother of invention."

The painting is mounted flush on a stiff 3/16" panel for support and the edges painted, ready to be displayed on a small easel or hung without a frame.

Thanks for taking a look. Enjoy your day!

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Text and image ©2014 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

The First Day of Autumn

Dried Leaf #1, 2014. Original mixed media on panel, 6"x4".
Available for purchase on Daily Paintworks

I love autumn—cool days, clear skies, chilly nights, large swaths of yellow and gold with dashes of vermillion and crimson in the Southwest landscape.

To celebrate today as the Official First Day of Autumn, I am posting Dried Leaf #1, the first in my new series of small paintings called "Dried Leaves."

The image measures 6"x4", painted on carton board, a thin cardstock used by the French Impressionists such as Toulouse-Lautrec and Eduard Vuillard. However, this modern material is infused with resin-sizing, providing an archival surface for painting.

I like that the carton board is very absorbent and comes in a brown color so I don't have to pre-tint the surface. To create the image I used oil and acrylic paints and color pencil. To get all the nuances of the brittle edge of the leaf, I used a toothpick! As has been said, "Necessity is the mother of invention." The painting is mounted flush on a stiff 3/16" panel for support.

You'll be seeing more of this series as the individual pieces are finished. I hope you enjoy the paintings and the coming season of autumn, too.

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Text and image ©2014 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

Lingering Autumn

Landscape Sketch #9, 2013. Original oil on panel painted en plein air.
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Painted en plein air on November 11, 2013, this is a view of the Sandia Mountains from the Rio Grande Nature Center in Albuquerque on the last gorgeous day of lingering autumn.

Within the next week or so, the weather shifted into winter, with the trees dropping their leaves and snow appearing on the mountain tops.

But what a wonderful glow of light and warmth to enjoy on this afternoon!

Thanks for taking a look at my blog. I hope you are having a wonderful first full week of the New Year.

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Image & text ©Carol L Adamec, 2014

Autumn in Albuquerque #2

Autumn in Albuquerque #2, 2012  SOLD

This has been a most lovely autumn season in Albuquerque­­--warm, clear sunny days with brisk, get-under-the-covers, frosty nights.

Today's image is the final Albuquerque Rooftop Boogie Board drawing that I've handcolored. Titled Autumn in Albuquerque #2, it has stronger fall colors, captured in the clear light of the late afternoon.

Thanks for taking a look. Have a great day!